The 6th Grail War

[7th son of sons]

Tonight was the night. Whether by hook, or by crook, by chance, or by force, you were a part of this Grail War now. You're not sure why, or even how, the Holy Grail called out to you, but whatever happened, you answered that call. And now here you were: Fuyuki City. Day one of the impossible grail war. You weren't sure how you know, but tonight was certainly the night for things to kick off. The air was heavy with tension across the city, at least for those who knew what was about to happen to it. There was no clear path to victory, no rules of engagement or code of laws dictating the events that would unfold tonight, and over untold numbers of nights to follow.

Now you, the Masters and Servants of the 6th Fuyuki Holy Grail War: What will you do?

Seriously, what are you going to do? Include in a spoiler on your post how you choose to go about Scouting/Setting up your homebase/preparing an ambush, or even just searching for a place to live! Also be sure to include what area you're scouting in! Happy Hunting!

For dice rolls, go with 4d3-8, but decrease 8 by your skill rank in the appropriate skill. So Arturia's Weapon Mastery (Swords) would be rolled as 4d3-4, while Shirou's Notice would be 4d3-6.

[Ezeze]

Two days ago, late at night
It was raining hard enough to leave ankle-high puddles in the rougher areas of Fuyuki. There was a man there with a book and a dagger. He didn't know how to use the dagger. He didn't look up from his star charts as he wandered looking for an exact astrological alignment. He didn't see the men who surrounded him and told him that to walk safe in this area you have to pay a fee. He didn't have any money to pay a fee with.

The man died in the resulting struggle, his body dropped in the river by the teenagers - because that is what they were, really - who murdered him. They took whatever they had. They noticed the 'cool' white dagger with his things. They knew a woman who did know how to use daggers. Had a reputation for it, actually.

One day ago, mid afternoon
Jin Eun was a serious, slight woman with a haircut chosen to be carefully gender neutral. She dressed better than most in this area. It's not like she had anything to fear, after all - and dressing in her white, long-sleeve button down shirt, her black slacks and comfortable dress shoes meant that she could hide her tattoos. When she hid her tattoos policemen bugged her less. That was part of why the weird black mark that had appeared on the back of her right hand was bothering her. It had appeared overnight, while she slept. It didn't itch like a new tattoo should, but there was no way it was a mole or birth mark; the design was too intricate. She'd acquired a pair of black cotton gloves and was wearing them, but they were uncomfortable.

She had to admit, this dagger was pretty cool. It was solid, and worn with time - much like the one she carried with her all of the time. She wasn't one to be over-fond of history and tradition, but something about the dangerous practicality of it appealed to her.

She had been presented with the books at the same time. Not because she had any interest in star charts and horoscopes, but because the subordinates who had presented her with the gift had felt somehow that they went together and shouldn't be separated. She thought trying to read them, and getting through what text was written plainly, might be a few minutes occupation. There were some weird instructions for a ritual. Of course, she didn't believe in magic. What adult did?

...

... and when it was finished, a strange woman stood in front of her. Ridiculously tall, clad in armor, and *ahem* amply endowed. She was impressive to look upon.

Today
Hey, you! It didn't take much explaining of this 'Holy Grail War' to get Eun entirely on board. Her partner, who used the name 'Rider' (whatever that means), had told her it was a fight to the death for her heart's fondest wish. Well, she could do that.

She got the attention of half-dozen or so of her men, peeled off the glove on her right hand and showed them the mark there. You guys see this? Spread the word - anyone sees anyone with a mark like this, I wanna know. Anyone sees anything that shouldn't be possible, I wanna know that too. Don't laugh! This last comment was to the youngest of the group listening to her now, who had chuckled at the idea of seeing something that 'shouldn't be possible.' She accompanied the upbraid with a severe smack across the back of his head. I'm serious.

[roll0] EDIT: Roll done incorrectly! Re-rolled here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21295808&postcount=38), total is 3. - using her stunt, and spending a Fate Point on her High Concept, the roll is at +6 to get news of/word about the activities of other Masters in her city through her organization.

Current Fate Points: 2
Current Location: Zone D

[DoctorFaust]

One of the great benefits of being a well-connected member of the Mage's Association is that you get to hear the news before it becomes the news. And Julien Stein, a fifth generation magus in good standing, is well connected indeed.

Even though there had been many rumors over the years about fighting in Japan after certain people found out what had happened to that Tohsaka girl and the bastard El-Melloi II in Fuyuki City, the first real hints that another death game over the Holy Grail would be occurring came to Julien a little more than six months ago, when a strange red mark appeared on his hand. To Julien, this represented one of the first chances he had to seize glory on his own, and so he jumped at the opportunity to take part in the Sixth Holy Grail War.

Now, he's sitting in the middle of a penthouse bedroom overlooking the Fuyuki City docks, with a very slight looking young woman standing in the corner. Looking up from his work on what will hopefully become a bounded field to cover the entire floor, Julien calls out to his Servant. "Berserker!"

"Uu...u?"

"I regret to say, I need you to go and keep watch in the main chamber for a while. Controlling the familiar and setting up our defences at the same time is turning out to be more taxing than I thought it would be. And leave the lights on this time, please."

Berserker nods slowly, and turns to leave, giving the switch a disproving glare as she makes her way out of the room. With that last distraction eliminated, Julien turns his focus back to the large occult circle drawn on the floor in red chalk and begins to chant. "Weralt, lant, bodam. Langsam filu rasco der brunna...."

Magecraft for making the defences (creating an advantage?):[roll0]
Magecraft for making the familiars:[roll1]
Investigation through his familiars:[roll2]

[Athelstan]

Another day another job.

The travel to Japan was always too long for his taste, but he was here and moving in to the recently purchased residence by the family, and his things should have arrived earlier in the morning. First order of the day is getting a taxi and unpacking, this is going to be a damn long day

The taxi ride was uneventful and long, Fuyuki city wasn't a strange place for him, he had been here a couple of times before, but this time it was different and it could be for longer than usual if not a more permanent place The further away the better. Such a waste of time... he chose security over power a small smile appears in his face another tought creeps in his mind and sours his mood You want my loyalty, then he has to offer his in return. As if we where equals...

Finally arriving to a small residence, but it was more than enough for what he needed. He hadn't even gone in, but already was mapping where the things should be "Here you go sir" some fields surround the house, but the tree line is nearby. He can feel the presence, the eagerness, and the childlike joy he felt coming from his new found ally "Go, just remember to not let anyone see you and behave, and stay flose enough were you can see the house in case of trouble"

A grunt more than words and if he would have look at the eyes probably a innocent nature would have been reflected back at him, a thing he is not gotten used to, but puts him at ease somehow. Turning around and finally opening the gate to his new residence "The unpacking is going to take a while, but first thing first we are here for business" stopping unconsciously to fix his tie before continuing.



Edit: Forgot to mention I'm on area I
Magecraft for making a barrier that alerts of any intruders coming into the residence area, with pin point accuracy if they are touching the ground, while only an alarm if they are not.[roll0]
Daear Picell: A defensive barrier protecting the Redwayn Residence. 2-shift hit once per scene when Defending with Style.

[YuweaCurtis]

Tonight is the night Saber says slipping a t-shirt over the long sleeves white shirt he already had on. It was black in color and showcased some sort of sports brand on the front, a circular frame of words around a couple lines of other words including “Est 19XX” and a logo. This outfit is complete by pair of dark blue jeans. This man is fit, and had the countenance and scars of someone whom had been through battle. His eyes are sharp and blue and his dark hair was surprisingly well kept and went just pass his shoulders. Overall he had the appearance grown man in teenager's clothing, but he was youthful enough to get away with it. He places an hand on his belt, inadvertently checking for the sword that isn't there. Catching himself he chuckles, then looks back to see what his now quiet master was up too.

Aiy. I would tell you to make sure you are prepared, but you seem to have that covered, Rei says, poking her head out the bathroom and gesturing towards where his scabbard would be. She had just came out of the shower and was mostly dress with her black silky hair a bit wet still. This girl is fit as well, though a bit petite. Her attire is a dark blue skirt, black stockings, and white t-shirt with some popular Japanese animation characters on it. Now she was indeed a teenager, which makes you wonder how so many of those get into the Grail War in the first place.

Throwing her towel in the hamper she finishes drying off her hair with the hair dryer so graciously provided by the hotel. It wasn't the most lavish place, but it wasn't run of the mill either. Which was fine as the two didn't want to get to relaxed. Turning off the dryer, she would put her hair up in a high ponytail using a somewhat girly hair tie. She would exit the bathroom and grab a more bland hair tie and mask off a dresser. Heads up, ___.... Erm, I mean Seibah she says, feeling the need to make an off hand joke of it for some reason. Though, a form of Japanese was actually her native tongue. Both her and “Seibah” where actually pretty Japanese, though maybe she wasn't totally so and she had odd grayish skin that just looked pale until you where right by her.

He looks up and she tosses him the two items, which he catches in separate hands. He looks at the mask and shakes his head. Doesn't even cover the whole face, you really think this will fool anyone? Unlike the items, the joke on his Class name was not caught. Not too disappoint as the joke made no sense, Rei shrugs and answers his question, It's worth a try. The type of magic that would take really isn't my forte. She turns to the bed as he uses the hair tie to put his hair in a low ponytail. He'd place the mask under his shirt, the snugness keeping it still for the most part.

In front of her is various hard suit cases that have been opened on the bed. They contain a variety of things, from cutting weapons, to magical components... There are even some guns present. Ignoring these things for now she goes to where her clothing is and shifts through the drawers. Ah ha! she says, pulling a light blue hoodie from the bag. One with a curious feature... Rabbit ears coming from the hood. She would slip this on a bit gleefully and then begin to close the cases and put them under the bed. She would grab a handgun and P 90 before finishing up. Thought you didn't like that sort of stuff? Rei shakes her head, No reason not to, I mean guns are pretty cool on tv right? I'm just not too experienced with them. she says nervously, putting the gun in a holster concealed in her hoodie before moving over to a guitar case. Her countenance straightens However I am good with the katana. I was training in kenjutsu as soon as I became old enough to walk and hold a bokken. She opens the case, revealing a scabbard with a katana in it resting in the case. She would put the P 90 in the bottom before closing it and slinging the case on her back. She would then put her hood up. Okay, less see if we can detect any unusual activity. If we can find out about the others before they realize who we are, we may get an advantage. Even if we don't know who they are exactly. Saber nods, Indeed, the stake in this contest are high, we must win by any means necessary. We may not get the first strike in this war, but we will get the first decisive strike against our enemies! Rei smiles as they leave the hotel room, getting a smile in return.


Oh I'm in area H
Just let me know if this is a bit much.

Rei arrived a week earlier, her family having a deep mage traditional that allowed them to find info about the War. They are liken to the big three families (I think it was three?). Except they aren't really well known. Three days ago she set two magical detectors and a slowing trap. The first give her a mental ping if someone with the parameters appropriate to a mage skilled enough to enter the Grail War or a Servant other than Saber enters the hotel. The next has the same parameters, but goes off if they enter her floor. The slowing trap goes off if they open her door. Obviously this isn't so good on servants. So the three rolls are, respectively;

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[bekeleven]

Brenton made a fist. He'd never worn gloves, not even in the winters, and he remembered why as sweat accumulated on the back of his hand. But why take the chance that another would recognize the symbols?

The suite had been pricey, but that was a temporary concern. And perhaps some maid would strain herself moving all of the furniture back into place, but the butcher's paper protected most of the rug from the symbols at least.

In the circle's center, he placed the paper. Weathered, about to crumble, the text on it still perfectly legible. That might be important. He hoped it was.

"Thou body be mine," Brenton chanted, keep his voice even, steady. "Thou power be my hand." He reached out his ungloved right. "Heed my desire, servant. Grant me a wish." It had to work. It was the grail powering the ritual, or why would he have the seals? It wasn't him. Wouldn't be. Couldn't be.

And with a flash of light, it was. She was. suitcase in her hand, scarf on her neck, and hat on her head.

A burst of force rattled the room. The furniture, already against the walls, clattered. Brenton fell backwards. The woman appeared feet from the floor, and sank lethargically back to it as she opened her eyes.

Her gaze was quizzical, yet discerning. "Who are..." she began, looking him up and down. "Well, that's not proper."

Brenton gave her a savage smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

She bent down and picked up the paper, tearing it in the process. "This isn't right at all."

"Nah." Brenton rose to his feet. "But I guess the grail didn't know the difference. Caster, I am your master."

She was rooting around in her suitcase before he even finished speaking, pursing her mouth. "I suppose it is prudent," she agreed, "for me to make the most of it."

Caster hides the pair for the night using territory creation.
[roll0] (Edit: Whoops, bonus is +5 so this should've been -3.)

[AmberVael]

Elf wasn't entirely sure what she was doing wrong.

She hadn't expected to successfully summon a servant on her first attempt, but some part of her had expected her errors to be noticeable at least in retrospect. Few tasks she had attempted were so closed-mouth in their results; a shot off target clearly landed in the wrong place, a meal cooked too long was burnt, and a car pointed in the wrong direction went the wrong way. Here though, nothing happened at all. After staring across the trickling blood that was supposed to be a summoning circle for several silent minutes, Elf returned her attention to the book open in front of her. It was supposed to be her directions for performing the summoning ritual, but it seemed increasingly like gibberish the more she tried to understand it and put it into practice. At this rate she might as well just try and recreate the ritual by trial and error.

The possibility that she simply wasn't suitable as a master crept through her mind. It was a fear she had carefully avoided, a quiet suspicion she had shoved aside while pursuing her plans. What if the Grail had looked into her heart and simply found her lacking? What if she was doing everything right, but simply wasn't the right person to begin with. What would she do then? Slink back to her family and make excuses for what she had done? Her fingers slowly cinched into a fist, pulling at the yellowed page lightly, threatening to rip it out without quite doing so. Her hand shook, and then she deliberately closed the book and set it to one side.

Elf scoured the blood from the worn wooden floor, first mopping it up with a spare cloth before scrubbing the remaining stains out before it dried. Then she placed the bloodied cloths and sponge back in their places and took a seat in the center of the room, carefully considering the floor. In her mind she reviewed the steps of the ritual, walking through each one, trying to pinpoint what she might have done incorrectly. Nothing came to her. No flaws stood out, no mistake shone clear, nothing seemed misplaced. But then, she understood none of it, and while the steps were relatively simple, the intricacies in design and the specifics of the chant had some complexity to them, details she could easily trip over without seeing them. She had tried to be exacting, but it was difficult when she didn't know what was important.

It made her wonder how others had stumbled into the war. It had happened before, and if her intelligence was accurate, it was happening even more readily now. What were they doing that she wasn't? Her eyes slid back towards the book, wondering...

She took the book and placed it outside next to her cleaning supplies, then returned to the room and picked up a curious crystalline object, about the size and shape of a tapered candle but with a gleaming sharp point. With practiced, calm movements she made a long incision in her arm and began to walk carefully in a circle, letting her blood splatter along the floor. By the time the wide circle was complete the wound had closed, and she had to make another cut to complete the smaller concentric circles within the first. A third cut let her complete four long lines that cut the circles into quarters, and her fourth cut completed the circle with two smaller circles on either end. With a swift, precise jab she stuck her catalyst and her crystalline tool in the center of the circle, then took her place in one of the two outlying circles. Then she spoke, and though her voice faltered at first, it grew stronger as she continued.

"I address the Grail and the Throne.
If you are a servant, then listen:
This is my contract.

I will sustain you, and you will fight beside me.
Fulfill my wish, and I swear:
I will be loyal and true,
I will discard flaws and hesitation.

If you have a wish,
If you will serve,
Then answer."


The crimson circle of blood shone blue, symbols etched over Elf's hand, and as her blood boiled away into magic and smoke her summoning worked at last.

I see Elf as currently using an abandoned house to do her summoning, but she wants to find a better place to hole up. Assuming Archer doesn't have a better idea, she's going to have them look for quiet places bordering the forest in G to make a base in.

Investigate, I guess?
[roll0]

[Yabex]

A bright golden light emanated from the center of the summoning circle that lasted for several seconds. Wind began to flow outward toward the edges of the room and intensified, along with the light, as time passed. A form began to take shape within the chaos as debris cluttered the air. After a sudden and final burst of wind, the room returned to normal and a young man who looked to be in his mid twenties stood before Elf. The smell of fresh air seemed to follow the Servant as he approached the young girl and dropped to one knee. He wore simple clothing with tall boots, but was mostly obscured by his cloak. He didn't appear to have a weapon and his slight frame would leave much to be desired for those Masters seeking an intimidating Servant. In fact, it's likely that had Elf not seen him summoned with her own eyes, she would not believe he was a Heroic Spirit.

The young man took Elf's hand, the one bearing the command seals, and cradled it in his own. "I am Archer and I have answered your call." He looked directly into his Master's eyes as he spoke, then paused. His gaze was unwavering and the mood became tense. It was as if he were judging her worthiness. After a few moments, Archer smiled. "I suppose your to be my Master then?" He let go of Elf's hand and scratched the back of his head as he continued. "Man, I can't believe how lucky I am to have gotten such a cute Master. I thought I had to win the grail before my wish was granted." He winked, then returned to his feet. "This is going to be more fun than I thought."

Archer agrees we should find a new spot to settle in for now. I was going to recommend the same area too. I'll make a roll to find a good spot that is hard to find in or near the woods. I'll also make a Craft roll for putting some traps down to defend our area. If we have anytime left, I might go scouting.

Deception (To find a sneaky spot to stay)[roll0]
Craft(Traps)[roll1]

[RdMarquis]

Meanwhile...

Rider was alone, and had been since he entered the Central Park. He took a slow drag from his cigar. Normally, he would have preferred the solitude. He needed time to think. About the War, about his Master, and about a future that was as uncertain as it could be. The unnatural atmosphere of his surroundings made that almost impossible. Rider exhaled a plume of smoke, as if to spite the fact.

He appeared to be a young man with short, blond hair, barely out of his teens. While the design of his three piece suit (complete with bow tie) enabled it to qualify as "formal" instead of "archaic", Rider knew it made him stick out a little. So be it. He'd never felt the need to conceal himself beyond what tactics demanded, and in a conflict like the Holy Grail War, there were few ways of hiding his true nature.

Rider stamped out the remains of the cigar. However he felt about the future, he had only a single means of deciding it for himself. By fighting. He walked on, resigned but unafraid of what was to come.

[Fearan]

At the railway station

It is not easy to hitchhike a cargo train in modern Japan - all the sensors, x-ray gate and all other high tech mojo installed everywhere. The traditional way of travelling had no place here. Of course, not for a magus. The drifter, and his invisible companion arrived at Fuyuki at dawn, undetected by the security. He wasn't sure, how to wage war - sure, he knew how to shoot, how to kill a zombie or two, when a Dead Apostle goes nuts in a local slum, and the Church's forces are never on time, but that was different. So, Ignacio thought he'd just get in and think of something. Unless... well, he did have a Hero at his side.

- So - he addressed the Servant as they moved away from the railway and into the forests. - Any tactical ideas?

Action: Unless Caster throws in some advice - just set up a field camp in a completely random spot of forest in zone I.

[Shiki-pon]

Caster had been riding on the outside of the train, undetectable while in a Servant's spirit form. The approach to the city of Fuyuki, coupled with a higher vantage point courtesy of Caster's magic, had given him a basic understanding of the surrounding area. Further scouting would be needed, of course. Fighting a war in an unknown land never ended well.
As the train slowed upon drawing nearer to the end of the railway, Caster spied his Master leaving the train car. He leapt off the roof of the car he was standing on, gently gliding to the ground and falling into step with his Master. The air shimmered as the Servant entered corporeal form, revealing a young man swathed in a curious assortment of clothing that together gave the impression of a full robe. His features were hidden by the fur-line hood he wore, with everything from his nose up being hidden.

Upon being asked a question, Caster looked pensive for a moment. "Not yet, Master. This is new territory for me, and one should proceed carefully before committing to a fight in such a place." Caster glanced around himself, taking in the feel of the forest surrounding them. It is fitting, I guess... This might be a good place to set up a territory.
"Congrats on the choice of camp, by the way." Caster said with a grin. "I don't think this is the first place anyone would look, and the area is pretty fitting for my abilities..."
As they advanced, Caster went over his options. His Master didn't seem to be about to make a move tonight. He himself, on the other hand, could see the benefit of a scouting mission to the city itself, where most of the other Servants and Masters were likely making their lair. Then again, there were benefits to staying put for the night. "I have a few suggestions, Master. I could go to scout the city by myself, or stay here to fortify our camp. What is your opinion?"

[Fearan]

- Fortify? - the drifter scratched his head - I dunno. That's just a tent in a middle woods - nothing worth protecting, It will only be detected faster if we start turtling with barriers. You know, initially I hoped to stay on feet, but you kinda need a base, if I understood correctly. If you like it here, I don't see why not, but is that defendable enough? I'd say we'll go scout a bit, all that sitting in the train made me itch for a walk. Engage on your decision, but be careful - you know, knight classe, magic resistance, yadda, yadda - he finished carelessly, as he got up from the log near the tent, he as sitting on.
Besides, what could be said about Caster's master in general? A man looking like in the late twenties, with face showing his at least partial Latin American origins. Dark eyes, black hair - he combs and shaves occasionally, carefree smile. never leaves home (assuming, he has one) without his old-fashioned cowboy-style duster and a backpack. Completely not suspicious.

[Shiki-pon]

"All right, Master. I'm not planning to engage in any case, though. I even advised against it just now." Caster said, a grin playing on his lips. He vanished from view as he turned in to spirit form and making for the city. It might be best to think of the entire city as enemy territory... I'll have to tread carefully.
Working his magic into a cloak, Caster began to hide his presence as thoroughly as he could, aiming to hide his presence as completely as possible. Hiding like a thief wasn't a pleasant thought for him, but he had been taught the values of stealth very well indeed.
He decided to head to Fuyuki's center, to the opposite side of the river and the part of town that seemed less modern in nature. He mused that traditional magi might well make the area their base of operations.

Using Magecraft to create an advantage that simulates Presence Concealment, lets call it Concealing Magic: [roll0]
With that in mind, rolling for Stealth: [roll1] (should creating the advantage succeed, I'll use the free invoke, of course) and Heightened Senses for scouting: [roll2]
I'll be scouting area H.

The advantage would bring Stealth up to +4, and I'm guessing the aspect gets a success with style, so I have another free invoke in reserve.

[Snacs]

Rider

The young man was staring at her legs again. She crossed them, slowly, and sighed while he leaned closer, trying to get a higher view up the low hem of her dress. She sipped at the milkshake she'd had Jin Eun's lackeys fetch her. So sweet! At the same time her high-heeled foot lashed out, and the young man went flying backwards, crashing into a couch that slid until it crashed against the far wall. His friends snickered, and she frowned. They straightened instantly, eyes ahead and above her neckline. Their boss had been most clear. Her strange friend was to be obeyed as if it were her. And the woman had strength matching her height to back up the order herself. The fact that she dressed as unlike Jin Eun as possible only made it weirder. She didn't glance up from the magazine she was looking at as his wheezes slowly died down.

"Such a pig. You"She pointed at one of the young street-punks with a delicately manicured finger. He stiffened, adjusting his tie and gulping loudly as he approached and bowed formally.

"I want one of these. Get it for me." He had to lean over to read the magazine she was flipping through.

"Ah? Those are for kids though big Sis.."

"Make sure it's big enough for me then. And one of these." She pointed at a different ad on the page, humming thoughtfully. Those did look fun.


I'll message you want I want to get if that's okay 7th, Ezeze already knows;D

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

It took only a few hours before most of your lackeys return. Most.

"Here ya go, big sis", the boy offered meekly to the strange woman. A large box, half-way wrapped with newspaper. No doubt the smaller treasure she had requested. "The uhhh... y-your other present is outside" he continued, his face reddening at the presentation of the gift. Beyond that, two of the elder underlings confirmed what Jin no doubt already suspected.

"We lost contact with two of our own up in the shipping yard, boss. Couple'a good men, and so close to the base here. If that aint somethin' out of the ordinary, I don't know what is."



Julien

Your familiars cover quite a bit of ground, despite the imperfect design of them. A good sweeping view of the outskirts of Fuyuki, and the farm yards beyond. No sooner do you catch a glimpse of a woman in... surprisingly outdated clothing than a trio of arrows fly towards what should have been near imperceptible constructs, shatting them. It was clear you weren't alone in this neck of the woods.



Rhune

As large as it is, The Redwayn estate remains untouched by any passing creatures. At least, none on the ground. The night passes without incident... until a light can be seen beyond the estates walls. The unmistakeable red and blue glow that you had seen firsthand not so long ago.

A Summoning.



Rei

As Rei and her new companion marched through the streets, no doubt searching for yet another master, servant, or something of great interest, a stroke of fortune occurs indeed. Exactly such a pair, master and servant.

Or perhaps a stroke of poor fortune, as it is THEY that find YOU.

A pair of flamboyantly dressed men, one whose clothes are noticeably more modern, and one whose outfit could only be described as VERY high fashion. The master in this situation, the one in the more modest apparel, wore his dark hair short, and whether his smile meant merry or malice was disguised well by his large sunglasses. At his side, a man with much longer blonde hair, outfitted in clothing that would not be out of place in the court of some foreign royalty. It is odd to you how close they had to get before you could sense the presence of another Servant, but now that he was right in front of you, there was no doubt the long haired gentleman was, in fact, a Heroic Spirt.

"Well, Well, Well," the Master spoke aloud, holding up his hand to show you his claim to the grail. "It's just our lucky day, isn't it?"



Bronton

Your summoning complete, Caster's territory creation provides you what should have been safe haven for the night. But, even still, you can feel the aura of a heroic spirit, no, TWO heroic spirts. And their close. Very close.



Elf/Archer

The forest is a home of many a creature, as you no doubt find in your excursion. Archer's natural intuition leads you both down a short stream to a source of fresh water, both for food and the obvious. A pond, large enough to support the fauna in this forest. And, among the deer and squirrels, the overwhelming magical sensation of a heroic spirt. A girl, with long, unkempt black hair and raggedy robes, bathing her feet in the pond. She seems oblivious to the both of you, humming an unfamiliar, barely coherent tune.



Ignacio

Believe it or not, you somehow manage to avoid getting stopped by any police personnel or really anyone of interest. The forests around here are ripe with opportunity for a drifters home away from home(lessness). As you come across a place to call home, you catch sight of something, just over the next few hills. A Red and Blue brightlight, and the telltale sensation of great magic. A sensation still very, very fresh in your mind.

Another Heroic Spirit has been called forth.



Caster

As you cut through the city, unoticed, or maybe just ignored, by anyone who happens to glance your way, the telltale signs of a summoning draw you, too, in closer to the city square. But it is not that feeling that keeps you near. No, instead, it is another sensation. A quiet, but noticeabe, intensity. Another phantom called forth by the throne of heroes. It would be so easy for you to get the jump on them, or perhaps just perform recon, or even retreat to your master. You know as well as anyone, a battle is won in the opening moves, and the ball is thoroughly in your court.

[Shiki-pon]

Caster couldn't help but feel that there was something familiar about the city. He couldn't quite put his finger on the sensation, but a strange feeling of déjà vu accompanied him during his scouting mission. He was pleased that none of the inhabitants seemed to notice his passing, wondering if the presence-obscuring magic he had worked on himself would fool Masters and Servants as well.
He was roused from his thoughts by a sudden outburst of mana, in the direction where he knew a city square was located. Not only was there the telltale aura of a Master, practically blazing from effort, but it seemed as though another presence was growing to take its place in the world. A summoning, eh?

Caster quickly made his way to the top of a building neighbouring the city square, and sought out the ritual. He worked his magic once again, this time enhancing his eyesight to compensate for distance and differences in lighting, so as to clearly see the site of the summoning.

Creating another advantage, lets call this Eagle's Eye: [roll0]
Aided by that, I'll try another Heightened Senses roll to get a closer look of sorts on the summoner and his ritual: [roll1]

And the advantage should bring the Senses roll to +4.

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

What? Lost contact with?

Eun considers her next course of action for only a few seconds, then calls Neesan - meaning Rider.

Her hand passes over her belt, to feel the familiar weight of her favorite knife. This evening it's accompanied by the strange shattered pommel on her other hip.

Do you know what my responsibility is, Neesan? It's to make sure we are respected. I want my men back. Let me show you where the shipyard is.

[DoctorFaust]

Berserker.

In the main room of the suite, the woman in white looks up from the candle she had been examining and gives a slight groan of acknowledgement. Someone attacked the familiars, and I need you to investigate. Engage them only if you have to.

She nods, and begins to make her way to a nearby open window, picking up her mace from where it rests against a nearby couch. Oh, yes, and Bersereker... The Servant pauses at the edge of the window, mace in hand, and moans questioningly. Please, put the candle back.

If it's possible for someone with almost no reason to look condescending, Berserker would be. She flicks her head to the side to uncover an eye from her shaggy head of hair, and blows a breath at the door to the bedroom. Still, she carefully places the candle on a nearby table before throwing herself out into the night and begins bounding across the buildings towards the location Julien communicated to her.

Heightened Senses roll, I guess?
[roll0]

[Athelstan]

Rhune was enjoying some wine after unpacking which took him the majority of the day, but really it was setting up his atelier and were his firearms would be that took the longest as he always traveled light and bought what clothing he needed were he was, not to forget to have several in some places of the house and one with him at all times.

Not exhausted, but he hated this part of his job "I should just make this my permanent residence" when the red blue glow and the intense release of magical power come to his attention. No genius here, but I think someone just gave up his location to everyone in town. Employer or ... guess I'll find out soon enough, best work some more on those defenses

"Berserker, play time will start soon, in the mean time I need you to guard the residence" A smile comes to his face and Berserker says Yes. It sounds more like a growl I know why, but he kind of. Maybe understands why I call him so. Rhune focused on more important things Got to keep working in his speaking and my defenses

Magecraft adding another layer of defense to the barrier, creating a Slow Field when they enter [roll0]
Magecraft to increase the residence defense, making the walls far more resistant to damage in case someone decides to attack with magic or serious firepower [roll1]
Create Advantage to enhance my eye sight to see in the dark called Predator's Sight [roll2]

[7th son of sons]

Caster

From atop the skyscraper, especially with the advantage of magic, laying your eyes on the other master was simple. Upon another building type, the telltale symbol of a Heroes calling. The summoner stood between you and the magic circle, leaving the catalyst unseen before the servant came forward. Even still, the summoner was just as interesting as the summoned. And in this case, perhaps more so. The master in question was an older, pale skinned woman, her hair short and silver, and her clothes unassuming. Easily mistaken for a modest grandmother of this age, were it not for the high calibur sniper rifle slung over her shoulder. The servant in question was no less unassuming.

A tall, physicaly imposing woman, with dark skin and very, very little clothing. A Fur lined horned helmet, gauntlets, and cape were her only accessories to go with her what could really only be described as black leather underwear. What she lacked in modesty, she did certainly retain in beauty, her short white hair falling to her shoulders as she brandished a spear at her caller. You're not sure what they are speaking of, but it seems to be friendly, as the woman swiftly vanishes into spirit form, and the older woman takes her spot on the rooftops ledge, eye pressed firmly to the rifles scope.



Jin Eun/Rider

Moving through the docks proves surprisingly easy this late at night, especially with Rider's assistance. Moving through the freight containers and shipping stations, it doesn't take you long to find the bodies of those lost liutenants. Laid out in the center of a dock not too far from your base. But their bodies were unnaturally posed. Hands at their sides, legs together, eyes closed. Both a single bullet would through the forehead. Clean, efficient... Professional.



Berserker/Julien

As Berserker approaches the lands where the mystery woman had stood, another arrow lodged itself just besides her foot. A fair distance back, that same woman stood, a now well disguised shack visible behind her. Stay away, Servant. If you wish to live, come forward as ally, or turn back. I will not pursue. She called out, her voice light, and beautiful, but belying a sterness and strength unexpected of someone so... small. Perhaps slight was more appropriate. Pale white skin covered in a wonderfully designed robe, not a single of her long black hairs out of place as she stood between Berserker and the house.



Rhune/Berserker

It isn't difficult to make out the shape in the darkness. Beyond the estates walls, a young man sat, hands in his heads, as though he suddenly regretted every decision he had ever made in life. Near him stood a young man and woman, holding hands and staring into one anothers eyes. You can't make out what they're saying, but it looks as though they aren't going to stop saying it anytime soon.

[Ezeze]

This cannot be allowed to go unavenged.

Jin Eun looks for any indication of who might have done this.

[roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Unfortunately, there's not a single sign of the killer on the bodies. Even the bullet casings have vanished. However, on the edge of one freight container, in fresh black spray pain was the only visible clue you could find. A name, recognized by almost all the thugs high and low in the city. His "i"s dotted with bullet holes, there was no mistaking his mark. "Love, Shi-Lang". And below it, written entirely in bullet holes "And Archer".

[Shiki-pon]

Huh. The summoned Servant was... Different. Perhaps it was due to the kind of enemies he was more used to dealing with. Not that he was complaining about the sight. A little variety in women was always welcome, as far as he was concerned. Her style of dress is easy on the eyes, at least.
He wondered as to the locale chosen by the Master for the summoning ritual. The weapon, which he recognized as a sniper rifle through the knowledge granted by the Grail, was certainly suited for a higher vantage point. Nevertheless, Caster didn't see the point of risking discovery by an enemy, possible in the midst of the summoning, too. He didn't consider himself an enemy, at least not yet. The impression he had gotten of his Master made him wonder how he intended for the War to be fought on their part. Caster didn't feel very strongly for or against killing the other Masters and their Servants. Battle with as many of them as possible would certainly be welcome. But still, he wasn't intending to fight for now, until his Master had made his intentions clear.

Suddenly, the Master and Servant began to move. The dark-skinned spear wielder had vanished into spirit form, and the matronly Master took up position with her rifle. For a moment, Caster wondered if he had been noticed. More likely the pair had spotted another enemy, one more apparent from their vantage point.
Still, no reason not to be careful... Crouching down, Caster manifested an ornate, wooden staff with a large crook on the end of it, sweeping it along the ground while chanting words. The third spell of the night combined with the second one, aiming to grant himself a sixth sense of sorts in case of a sneak attack.

Once again, Magecraft to create an advantage (I feel this is going to be a thing), Clairvoyant Ward: [roll0]
In case it succeeds, not using it for anything as of yet.

[AmberVael]

Elf was quiet as they searched. In fact, she'd said fairly little even after Archer was summoned. It was easy to tell that she was pleased to have successfully summoned a servant, but her introduction to Archer seemed to have left her on uncertain footing than confident and flush with success. She'd given no response other than a confused look to his compliments before she explained that she wanted to scout the area for a new base of operations. She seemed more in her element now though, moving quietly and efficiently through the edges of the forest as they searched. She let Archer take point, trailing a little behind him with her arbalest ready in her hands.

Upon sighting the woman in the pond she immediately slipped into better cover, while trying to get a better sense of her. She made a simple, curt gesture to Archer to indicate the woman's presence, but gave him no orders. Whether that meant for him to do nothing, or to take his own initiative, he'd have to decide.

Elf will attempt to hide from the woman for the moment.
Stealth: [roll0]

Also, I assume this woman doesn't seem like a servant, or have any other magical phenomena going on around her? Elf's Mystic Eyes should be able to spot invisible servants or magical wards or the like.
Notice (in case it matters): [roll1]

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Shi-Lang? That name sounded so familiar...

I am going to roll Lore. On a 1 or higher, I am not going to spend a Fate point. Between -1 and 0, I am going to spend a Fate point to add +2. Less than that, I will spend a Fate Point to re-roll. Because seriously, I need to mess this guy up.

First roll [roll0]
[roll1]

Edit: Lore Result is 1.
Current Fate Points: 1.

[Yabex]

Archer was a bit disappointed by the lack of reaction he got out of his Master earlier. Maybe she just needs a bit of time to warm up? He thought. She was straight to business and seemed to be taking this war very seriously. Archer could respect that, but he didn't feel as driven to succeed. As he led Elf though the forest, Archer noticed she was rather adept at moving quickly and quietly, and that she wielded a crossbow. I like her style...

Archer's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the woman sitting in the water ahead of them. He reflexively ducked into the bushes, something he noticed his master did as well. Elf gestured at Archer, he wasn't sure exactly what she meant, but he decided to take action anyway. Archer moved silently through the bushes to create some space between himself and his master. Archer knew why he was summoned, to battle other Servants for the grail, but he wasn't ready to start blindly firing at unarmed women in the forest. Not until he knew more about why his Master was involved in the war and what she wanted out of it. He intended to find out after they had a chance to set up camp, but now he had this to deal with. War was always a fluid situation, something Archer knew well. He released a quiet sigh and began to make preparations.


Archer will make a stealth check to remain hidden and a craft check to create a trap that can be used to assist an escape for himself or Elf should things go poorly.
Stealth [roll0]
Craft(Traps)[roll1]

[7th son of sons]

Elf/Archer

The girls ears twitch as the trap is being set. A stray bird flies from the tree, and the wild looking woman peaked up, glaring at the edge of the forest, her eyes scanning for something they could not see. "Who Is?" She called out in the direction of the sound. Go away or... or I eat you! she continued, her words seeming more pathetic than threatening.

[DoctorFaust]

Berserker tilts her head inquisitively, waiting for a command from her Master. But, with his attention apparently focused elsewhere, she carefully lowers her mace and steps forwards hopefully.

[7th son of sons]

Berserker/Julius

The woman lowers her bow, offering a bow to the, apparently, surrendering Berserker. I am glad we have come to an understanding. Come forward, please, and allow us to discuss then.

[Yabex]

Archer heard the woman call out. Damn, I guess I'm a little rusty. He hadn't expected to be heard. This Servant must have exceptional senses. Still, he wasn't worried. Archer calmly finished setting his trap, then emerged into the clearing.

Swathed in his cloak, Archer raised his empty hands as he spoke. "I mean you no harm. I was just taking a stroll through this lovely forest. I'm sorry to have startled you." As Archer walked slowly toward the woman, he picked a blooming flower from nearby and held it out toward the woman. "It's a lovely night, but not half as lovely as you. What are you doing out here by yourself?" He kept his distance as he spoke, ready to move in case his greeting was unwelcome.


Discernment to anticipate her actions and create an advantage if she attacks [roll0]
Charisma to seem friendly [roll1]

[7th son of sons]

Archer/Elf

The girl looks to Archer as he steps out, a faint tingle of magic filling the air as he appeared. As he spoke, however, the aura diminished, until it fully vanished. The girl buried her head into her sleeves, a faint redness taking over her face. "Is... Nice... Nice to me. So long since they was nice to me...

You succeeded with Style on the Charisma roll, giving Caster the "Enamored" Aspect for the rest of the scene, which you gain one free invoke of.

[YuweaCurtis]

Without and magic to conceal themselves, it appeared it was really easy to detect them. Though, the two did have something that perhaps should have helped them remain undetected... Not that it matters at the moment. Saber looks at Rei wondering what her suggestion would be. Well there's no point in feigning ignorance now, en garde! Saber places his mask on and takes his true appearance, that of a samurai in medium armor and no helmet. He draws his sword as Rei places her hands in her hoodie pocket(s). Duh, what an idiot, I didn't put my gloves on! she things to her self, squirming to put them on inside her pocket(s). At first she was going to draw her sword from her guitar case, but she decides to save this surprise for later. Saber places both hands on his sword and raise it about eye level as he prepares to defend himself


Using Weapon Mastery(Swords) to create defensive advantage
[roll0]
Okay so her Origin: Cut uses Fight actually, but her Mystic Code says Magecraft. However it says Origin Cut is also falls under Magecraft (Alchemy). I forgot about the Fight thing when making the Mystic Code, but the point was to affect Origin: Cut. If you don't agree because the wording, subtract another 2)
Anyways, preparing to use her Origin: Cut to disrupt any casting the master may try by cutting at his arm with a crescent shaped projectile by waving her hand
[roll1]

[7th son of sons]

Saber/Rei

The opposing Master raised his arm in a surrender, only to have a massive gash form across his arm, seemingly from nowhere. Such a wide swath was taken from his arm he could do nothing but scream in pain as he fell to his knees, gripping his wrist and doing everything in his power to keep himself conscious through the pain. His servant moved between the two and his master, holding his arms out wide.

"Gesu Christo," He shouted at the two, his face one of abject horror at the display. "Is... You... Really? Right... Right Here? We're not trying to fight you, you see that right. Do you think I, a lowly Assassin, could stand toe to toe with the Heroic Knight of the Sword and his... skillful master. Look, Look, okay, okay. We're... We're at your mercy, see. So, please, just... let's talk about this, okay? Just... Just talk?"

The master has gained the Severe Consequence "Useless Limb"



Caster

As much as your eyes have been trained on the new master, both yours and her attention are called to some activity at the ground level. A scream of pain, and, below you, what appeared to be a father one sided affair between a pair of Masters and their servants. You can see a red streak of light moving through the air, tracing back to the older woman and her weapon. Knowledge of this world gifted to you by the grail tells you: the woman's taking aim.

[Ezeze]

I've seen everything I need to, Neesan. Let's go.

Under her direction, Eun's servant takes her to a local big-retail store. She buys a cellphone and a few minutes with cash, steps outside and makes a phone call on it.

Hello, police? Yeah. Listen, I'm kind of shaken up, but I need to report this - there are some bodies down in the dock area, shot up and bloody, and a message left in spray paint. I don't know, some monster taking credit for his kills. Signed his name 'Shi-Lang.' Please hurry, I'm scared.

Once that call was made, she dropped the offending phone in the nearby river.

It was a relatively short ride back to the hideout from there. The first underling she sees she stops.

Hey, you. Listen good. We're at war with Shi-Lang. Anyone with any more information about him needs to tell me. Do not try to hunt him alone, though. He is very, very dangerous. Leave him to me. That's my job, yeah?

Also, get someone on the police's radio frequency. I want to know everything they do about Shi-Lang.

I consider this a compel on my 2nd Aspect, so I'm going back up to 2 Fate Points.

Using my stunt (getting a lot of mileage out of this one early! It won't be as good later on when more people know what's going on, I'm sure).

Contacts roll to see if anyone else in her organization knows more about Shi-Lang
[roll0]
Contacts roll to get notified if the police find anything useful.
[roll1]

[YuweaCurtis]

Saber was just as shocked at the display, and even Rei was a bit taken back. She normally had better control over her origin than that! She's quiet a movement as Saber starts to lower his weapon. She shakes her head for him not to, trying to access the information. Looking at her hand briefly she would put it in her pocket. She really didn't know if her action was truely brash or not, so she decides to take the position of someone whom is standing by their actions. You should have been clearer with you intentions. she insists. Saber is obviously still uncomfortable, trying to figure out what he would say. Rei would turn her head slightly, keeping at least and eye on the other two. If you have a problem we can discuss it later. I'm not about to get killed in the first night because you can't stomach my actions. Saber sighs, Yes master. Oh great, first night and she may have to use a Command Seal already. Turning her full attention to the Servant, she speaks. Alright, what are we talking about then? Surrender seems good.




Using Empathy to try and read if Assassin is lying, and also to feel out his next explaination. She mostly trying to look for lies so she can sort out the true seeming parts later
[roll0]

Saber is using Discernment to make similar assessments
[roll1]

[bekeleven]

"Enough of this." Bronton emerged from his servant's protection, clutching a weapon. "They are nearby. We're wasting time."

"You know our deal." Caster followed. "I will see it done. You don't have enough command seals to win this war without it."

Brenton rolled his eyes. "Yes, servant. I know you'd love to let every other servant kill one another, but there are tactical reasons to move early. Even with our deal." She'd forgive him if he broke it, anyway, she'd have to. How else was she planning to get her wish?

The woman smiled politely and followed him out of the hotel room, dissolving to mist in the hallway.

Caster uses magecraft for advantage on Bronton's weapon: [roll0]
Bronton uses his stunt passively to create advantage against an enemy mage [roll1]
Then they'll head in the direction of the summoning they felt earlier.
Discernment: [roll2]

[Shiki-pon]

As his eye was drawn to a battle raging between two other Master-Servant pairs, Caster wondered at the situation. That's odd. With those two, that would account for four of the seven Servants already. Though he wasn't intending to fight anyone himself, he had no compunctions about sitting on the sidelines of the battle, content to merely watch the fight unfold.
He tried his best to get a good look at the new pairs. Unlike with the Lancer, perhaps he could glean some information about these Servants.

Heightened Senses to look at the battle: [roll0]
And if that should be successful enough to see the fighters, Knowledge of Legends twice: [roll1], [roll2]

[DoctorFaust]

"U...u." Berserker nods happily, and walks up to the woman.

Once they get inside the house, she points at the woman and asks, "Ma...st..er?"

If I'm allowed, I'd like to create another advantage for Julien to be able to use while in the suite. Magical booby traps, or something like that.

Magecraft:[roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Jin/Rider

No one in your gang knows more about the man called Shi-Lang then you do. At least, nothing beyond rumors. A few of the younger members swear he's some kind of Demon, while a few of the elders recall him as the worst thing to happen to Fuyuki since the fire way back when. But despite all this, no one had had contact with Shi-Lang, or even seen him. The member of your gang tasked with keeping a listen to police traffic, however, has quite a bit to say.

"Ey, boss. I think yer gonns like what ya hear," he said with a grin. "Cops are checkin' out the scene right now. No bullet impacts, no bullet casings. Shi-Lang was extra careful to pick up all 'is evidence, right down to his fingerprints. Cops are sayin' they gotta pick up the pace on the guy, even if it means talkin' to his clients directly. #1 on that suspect list is some chick named Tohsaka, down in the housin' district."



Saber/Rei

The apparent Assassin puilled his master to his feet, draping his arm over his own shoulder to keep his standing. Said master wasn't in the position now to do more than breath and bleed, so it was up to Assassin to do a lot of the talking. "Alright. Saber? The Lovely Misses? As long as we are not going to be attacked again, yes, we would like to offer our conditional surrender in exchange for amnesty and partnership in the coming grail war. I have no interest myself in this war, you see, nor does my master. So a partnership would be bene-"

The last of Assassin's words were lost as the air was filled with the crack of bullet fire, and Saber could see the 50 caliber round barreling towards him.

shoot attack made at 3, including penties for attacking a servant without being one



Bronton/Caster

Running out into the alleyway from which your motel exits, the alleyway is surprisingly crowded with fleeing bodies, running from that apparent bullet sound just a moment ago. The only four people remaining on the street were readily obvious to your eyes, as Saber, Assassin, and their two masters. None of them seem yet to have noticed you, perhaps because they are too embroiled in their own goings ons.



Berserker/Julien

"No, no, no," a mans voice called from another room in the house. "No, she is my most loyal servant, and partner." Stepping out of an offshoot hallway, a tall, young, brown haired individual outfitted in rather unassuming clothing. "Berserker, is it? A Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I am Reynard Rales Reinya, first knight of the queen, and participant in this holy grail war." He extended a hand to the surprisingly calm mad warrior, his servant standing dutifully just behind him.

[Fearan]

In the forest
"A summoning, huh" - Ignacio murmured to himself, while observing the familiar glow. He considered his options, with Caster being away it was down to "not get caught" or use up a Command Spell - which he'd rather avoid for obvious reason. Still, the information gained about his neighbor could be crucial - knowing of immediate danger was far more valuable than anything Caster could've dig out scouting the city. So, the magus deared. He picked up a newspaper, scribed a message onto it and folded it into a paper crane - all it took now is the influx of prana to awaken this temporary spy/messenger and to send it with the wind in the summoning's direction.


I congratulate you on summoning your Servant, my yet unknown rival. Note the glow, however - it attracts attention


Actions:
Magecraft to create advantage via paper construct. [roll0]
Notice to spy with it on the summoning [roll1]

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio/Rhune/Berserker

There's a pause of silence. Followed, loudly, by a call for attention. "Hey, uhh, Master Guy!? You want to... To come out and talk? I promise my servant... Servants are... Well, Not threatening is an understatement..."

[DoctorFaust]

Berserker takes the offered hand and squeezes it very lightly. "Ber...ser...ker."

She takes a moment to glance down the hallway Reynard emerged from, and then asks, "From Eng...land? Clock...tower?"

[Snacs]

Rider
Outside the gang's 'headquarters' Rider was examining her new well, ride. Her dress glowed faintly and melded into something more suitable to ride in. Pink and blue stylized waves crested around her hips and shoulders, with a matching pattern on the helmet tucked under her arm. A sling held the newspaper-wrapped box across her back, the corner of it poking over a shoulder.

"Ahh, Jin Eun! Such a clever girl! I'm proud of you already."Her Servant purred as she swung a leg over the black motorcycle the gang had found her. She shifted, testing out it's seat and hummed thoughtfully. Finally she leaned back and waved a hand languidly at the second-story office where the rest of the gang were watching, at least, the ones that weren't working. They'd grabbed the address and all the information they could about this 'tohsaka' girl. Now they just had to go get the bait.

"Good job Boys!" She called out, though she grumbled low enough for Jin Eun to hear. "The Color's a bit too drab though, y'know?" She tapped the oversized exhaust with the back of her heel and color spread from there, matching her outfit.

She reached over and like a cat gripping a kitten hoisted Jin off her feet by the collar of her jacket, setting her in front of her on the bike. The vehicle roared, tilting upwards precariously on to its back wheel, and then it was off with a screech, the red tail-light dimming as it raced down the road

[Athelstan]

Rhune decides to come out at a safe distance armed with a tactical vest and his hand gun. Berserk materializes at some distance so they are not close enough to both get hit by some attack.

"It is rather rude to call upon this late if you had better intentions" Rhune waves his hand "Anyway, what is your name and what type is your servant?" He must have a lot of Mana to sustain two servants or they come as a pair


Lore to get some idea of who the servant is [roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Berserker/Julien

Reynard nodded curtly. "Quite Right. I am a mage of the Clock Tower. Forgive me if I sound surprised, but your class isn't well known for it's cognition, if you will excuse the generalization. I take it your master is of the Clock Tower as well?"



Rider/Jin Eun

It doesn't take long to reach the Tohsaka Residence, especially not with Rider's new means of getting around and her skill at handling it. The fact that one or two traffic laws were ignored meant little so late at night, especially when Rider was as a streak moving through the roads. After only a few minutes, the Tohsaka Residence is in clear view. It's not only very lavish, but it's design is unlike any home in the rest of the city, notorious for it's western design. The front gate is the most obvious means of entrance, but for a long time gang runner, there were a myriad of other options to break and/or enter the residence, and pluck your target. The lights are off, but you've only got so long before the police come a knockin'.

How will you proceed?



Ignacio

Before you have a chance to respond, your message/familiar turns its attention to another certain someone, answering to the call of master. Whether you choose to intrude now or watch it play out is to your discretion. In the corner of its sight, however, you could gleam the sight of his servant. A hulking, dark skinned mass of a Berserker, tucked away in the shadows.



Rhune/Berserker

The young man outside your residence looked up and nodded, clearly in too much dismay to be worried about a potential attack, even from another Magus. "Yeah, I'm uhh... Roderick. Roderick Demoine. I'm another master, same as you, I guess. Though I guaran-damn-tee your servants a far throw better than mine. And these are those uhh.. servants. Assassin... and Assassin..."

The boy produced a simple set of lights around the area, illuminating the pair of Heroic Spirits. As the lights came up, the two posed, putting themselves in full view to you. The first, a young man with short brown hair, a rapier at his hip, wearing an incredibly dapper, if out of place, set of blue nobles attire. To his side, the pairs hands still entwined, stood a woman, her hair long and white, wearing a gorgeous red dress, a knife tucked away at her waist.

"My love!" The man began, turning to his partner. "Truest love in all the stars, to be marred with such a title as Assassin, when, with truth, it was only we who were victims!"

The woman brought a hand to her forehead as though swooning. "Dearest beloved, yet still you speak only truth. Before man and god have we been reb-"

"Alright, Alright, shut up." Roderick shouted at the lovers before turning back to you with a sigh. "Yeah this is uhm... Romeo and Juliet..."

Romeo and Juliet, The Star-Crossed Lovers

Assassin (Romeo): Strength C, Endurance C, Agility A, Magic E, Luck E, Noble Phantasms C
Assassin (Juliet): Strength D, Endurance E, Agility B, Magic B, Luck E, Noble Phantasms C

[DoctorFaust]

Berserker nods in reply. "No...fine. He...is. Call...him...here?"

[7th son of sons]

Berserker/Julien

"Yes, actually, that would be delightful. Thank you, love." He offered with a polite nod of the head. "Lancer, keep watch over the home. I take it it will be obvious who is and isn't this young ladies master."

[AmberVael]

Elf took a few steps back as the woman reacted to their presence, trying to slip away into the shadows. The fact that she was a servant made Elf wary, and even though she seemed to react positively to Archer's approach, Elf didn't drop her guard. Instead, she quietly skirted around the pond, remaining in the cover of the trees as she searched for any sign of an opposing master. After all, even if the servant was friendly, there was a good chance her master was not. Better to have the advantage and not need it, than to assume good will and get killed.

She did keep an eye and an ear on Archer though, watching how he handled the situation.

Elf scans the immediate area for the enemy master.
Notice: [roll0]

[Yabex]

Archer continued to walk towards the woman, his arm still extended toward her with flower in hand. "This place is wonderful. How did you find it?" Archer was fishing for information, but maintained his casual demeanor. "Do you always come here alone? It seems like such a nice place to just sit and relax." Archer gestured towards the woman's feet soaking in the pond. "May I join you?"


Deception to get this woman to reveal as much information as possible through casual conversation. [roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Archer/Elf

Although Archer can tell his approach isn't exactly smooth, Caster seems far, far too interested in the existence of friendly conversation than the quality of the conversation. "Come here from Master. Allowed to be alone unless Master needs. Always like to be in forest, animals much nicer than people... She is good master. Is nice to me. Does not make up mean lies. You sit? Come sit!" she scoots to her side just a bit, as if opening an important seat for you.

As you watch this display, Elf, it becomes more and more clear that, if Caster's master is present, they are very stealthy, because all you see beyond those two servants are the animals of the forest.

Caster's obvious lacking social skills are becoming more and more obvious and you again Succeed with Style, gaining the Fast Friend aspect

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun pokes around the outside of the house with Rider, trying to determine the best way in.

Trying to create the aspect 'back door' with Investigate.

[roll0]

Edit: Wrong dice. Again. Sorry :smallredface:


Corrected over here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21308162&postcount=105), total=3

[Athelstan]

That was more information than I wanted, but it will suffice "I'm Master Redwayn, and I have Berserker with me, what can I do for you Master Roderick, other than not butcher you and your servants for calling on me so late and without invitation. I do notice you stood at the edge of my residence lands so at least I appreciate that"

Berserker eyes are red with fury hidden behind the steel mask to give it a more eerie appearance than it probably was needed.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

As Jin pokes around this "Tohsaka Residence", it's evident that the outside of the place is just as unorthodox as the inside. The walls aren't your normal brick and mortar but something... more. You're sure you could brute force your way through, or ever over the walls, but there's no way to go about such an endeavor without being immediately noticed.



Rhune/Berserker

"This is your place?" Roderick inquired, eyeing up the territory. "Figured this place was long abandoned. S'why I decided to plop these two... 'heroic' spirts out here." He sighed again before turning to you with a look of confusion. "Wait... calling on you? You came calling to me?" He held up a small message in his hand. All the while, the two Assassins had given up on the both of you, instead returning to fawning over one another.

[DoctorFaust]

Again, Berserker bows her head in acknowledgement. "Ye...s."

Ma...ste...r. Oth....er...from...To...wer. Reyn...ard...Reiyn...a. Come...plea...se.

Him! He's here? That man is older than you are, Berserker. What's his Servant?

Lan...cer. But...bow. Be...caref...ul.

Alright. I'm on my way.

Back At The Hotel
Julien stands up, his joints and muscles cracking from the hours spent crafting his defences. "This probably isn't a good idea," he muses. "If any of the stories are true, I may well be walking into a death trap. But I'll be damned before I pass up a chance to meet someone like him."

He sweeps out of the suite, grabbing his coat from beside the door, and down through the hotel to the car park where his rented vehicle is waiting. After a quick check for explosives or magical tracking, he brings the subcompact to life and winds his way out of the city.

After the short drive, Julien brings the car to a halt in front of the house. He jumps out of the car and heads up the drive to the door, swinging on his jacket as he goes. "Hello!" he calls as he nears the door. "Is Sir Reiyna there?"

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

Reynard took the time to entertain Berserker, asking her basic, non-invasive questions and getting back basic answers. When Julien arrived, the "Lancer" Berserker had mentioned opened the door for you. "My master is within. Please, follow behind," she offers politely before leading you to the main room, Reynard rising to his feet to shake your hand.

"Well met, Master of Berserker. I must say, your servant is quite charming."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

What do you think, Neesan? If we let the cops come and get her for questioning, we might be able to flip the cop car and take her from the wreckage.

[Snacs]

Rider

"Well, there's no reason to break in when we don't even know if he's in there. Seems good to me." Rider shook out her hair and leaned back, her long legs propping the bike up as her free hand steadied Jin Eun on the bike. She peered at the building, able to feel the strength in its walls.

"Even if they don't take her, waiting for someone to leave would be a good idea. If we're lucky the shark'll take the bait too. You don't fish rough waves like that house little Boss."

[DoctorFaust]

"From a man such as yourself, that is a truly great compliment," Julien replies, shaking the offered hand. "I hope you won't consider me rude if I don't tell you my real name for now, especially since you were so kind as to introduce yourself to Berserker. But, considering the nature of the Grail War, it seems like a wiser option for the less experienced of us."

"And I do apologize, but may we sit? Berserker mentioned something about an alliance, and that seems like a rather long conversation to have."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun nods her agreement and gets as comfortable as she can on the bike, settling in for a wait.

[roll0]

[YuweaCurtis]

The actual thought of it was well, but Rei was still inwardly questioning her judgment from earlier. Both her and Saber listen intently, but are more than ready when they hear the crack of a gunshot. Rei instinctively (funny, as she really never hide behind anyone before) slides closer to Saber, who steps in front of her and brandishes is blade to neutralize the bullet. Thank the Grail for servants, as even Rei wouldn't have been able to react to it in enough time. I've got Assassin. Rei announces bring out her right hand to face the palm of it towards the injured Master, gaining a nod from Saber. As heighten as her sense where, it seems that Saber's would still be better for this. Slighting lowering his weapon, he looks around to see if he can spot the source of the bullet. After all he did see it coming at him.


Once again tell me if I'm doing something wrong. First he is going to use Weapon Mastery (Swords) to split the shot (trying not to hit anyone with the splits). He will then use Discernment to track the bullet trajectory.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Athelstan]

Damn it, Damn it, Damn it I suggest you flee, because someone just played both of us. I never send letters, just not my style Rhune anger was starting to flare I suggest you leave, before the third Master arrives, for I'm sure someone is looking at us right now. Berserker can you spot them?"

Berserker begins to move his head looking for prey. I suggests you look around to see if you can find someone else around here


Magecraft create advantage Eagle Eyes to improve eye sight within the barrier to notice things.[roll0]
Heightened Senses (Berserk) [roll1] (Plus any bonus from the advantage)
Notice (Rhune) [roll2]

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

"Completely understandable precautions, master of berserker," he replies, taking a seat and offering to you any other seat available. Lancer stood behind Reynard, her bow still in hand. "Now, as I'm sure you are aware, the holy grail war is a battle to the death between seven masters and seven servants, the last man standing taking a wish from the grail itself. Fairly common knowledge in our line of work. Unfortunately, however, the grail was destroyed the last time one of these events took place. So, I ask of you both, how can it be that your Berserker, my Lancer, and, assumedly, the other classes have been reborn?"



Jin Eun/Rider

In under an hour, a pair of Fuyuki police vehicles arrive at the home. They ring the buzzer besides the gate, and have a short conversation, obviously encouraging the home owner to come out and "Talk". Sure enough, a few moments later, a woman exits the houses front door. she wore a long red jacket over some hasitly donned outerwear, her black hair still a mess from being so sourly awoken. As she reaches the gate, she begins talking to the officers, and they seem to be implying they need to take her into one of their vehicles.



Rei/Saber

The edge of Saber's blade cleanly slices through the round, sending two halves of the bullet skittering across the floor. Following the trail of the bullet, however, proved unhelpful, as the round seemed to have been ricocheted off of another building before hurdling towards the master servant pair. As Assassin seemed to ignore Rei to tend to his masters grave injury, the only thing evident is that the shooter was both very skilled, and somewhere above Rei and her Servant. Not that that narrowed things down, given the multitude of buildings surrounding the square.

"Have to... get out of here..." Assassin's Master wheezed. "I can take... take you somewhere safe..."



Rhune/Berserker

Roderick panicked for a moment, looking about frantically before calming down. "Alright, easy. Assassin? Assassin? As your master, the uhh... the one who reunited you! yeah, that's good. I require you to defend me, should another master attack us. Now, both of you, find them!"

The pair of Assassins bowed in compliance before taking off together.

Romeo: 4d3-7
Juliet: 4d3-7
Roderick: 3d4-8

[Yabex]

"Thank you." Archer joined Caster beside the water, but he sat cross legged as to keep his boots dry. He took a moment to gaze at the stars and the animals around them. "I know what you mean. Animals don't discriminate like humans do, they don't go to war... " Archer turned his head to face Caster and smiled. "... and they don't make up mean lies." Archer could tell that whoever this Heroic Spirit was that she wasn't accustomed to people. She seemed to be gentle and kind. She was interested in nature and quiet rather than seeking glory in battle, as he was sure other Servants must be doing right now. He remained by Caster's side and chatted for a while. No alternative goals, just genuinely enjoying the conversation with someone who shared his interests.

Eventually, Archer took to his feet. He fought off a yawn and began to stretch as he spoke. "It's been a pleasure young lady, but I've got to be going now. Maybe we can do this again sometime?" He waited a moment for a response before continuing. "I'll keep an eye out for ya. I've got you're back if you've got mine, OK?" Archer hoped he wouldn't have to fight this woman. She didn't seem like the type to get dragged into this. He felt she seemed too innocent.

[7th son of sons]

Archer/Elf

Caster looked genuinely disappointed at you made your leave, but she lets you go. "You are going? ... Okay. I see you soon, yes? Friends now, yes? Sorry I say I eat you, is not true. I not eat people, is a mean lie." she paused rising to her feet to wave you off. "Hope we can both win! Team of caster and you is very strong! Will watch back too!"

[Yabex]

"Yes, we are friends now." Archer smiled and waved as he walked back into the woods. "I certainly hope we do. See you around." He was also a bit saddened by leaving. He was having a nice time and it was a beautiful night. Had their meeting been under different circumstances, he would have enjoyed sticking around a while longer.

Archer sighed, then vanished into the woods and went to find his master. No doubt she had something to say about his interaction.

[DoctorFaust]

"I will admit that I hadn't thought about that," Julien replies as he takes a seat, motioning Berserker to do likewise. "I suppose if I were pressed, I would say that I assumed it had something to do with the corrupting influence responsible for the irregularities in the past several Wars. I believe it was a...zoroastrian figure of some sort? Though if you are involved in this situation, I doubt it's quite as simple."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun shifts from her comfortable lounge to a more action-ready pose.

I want to take her alive, to learn what she knows. I think it'd be easiest to take her from the car - but don't let her go back into the house.

[AmberVael]

Elf maintained her silence until they had traveled some distance away. When she did speak, her voice quiet, her words simple. "Can we trust her?" She gave Archer a sidelong glance before returning her attention to the forest and their hunt, pressing on to find a new base as she had originally intended.

[Yabex]

Archer

"Yes, I think so. She seems to have no patience for lies. I don't think she has a dishonest bone in her body. She reminds me of a child in that way." Archer kept his eyes focused on the hunt for a hideout as well. "It's her Master I'm worried about. There is no way to tell if they will be as friendly."

[YuweaCurtis]

Not sure I can trust you, Rei says coldly. She does start walking towards him, however. But we do need to get out of here. Any thoughts Saber? He looks thoughtful, though still checking the rooftops. Given the situation, I'll say we should go with them. Rei nods, Lets go. You have your master, right? her question was meant for Assassin. Saber sheaths his weapon for now, but both Master and Servant stay alert. Rei hopefully making sure they aren't being lead into a trap and Saber still trying to check for any sign of the attacker or if they are being followed.

[bekeleven]

"Hide me, then find out where they're going," Brenton whispered, staying hidden. "We'll deal with them later."

Caster helps hide Brenton, using presence concealment. [roll0]

Then, she remains in spirit form and follows.

Stealth: [roll1]

[Shiki-pon]

Well, that's a bore. Caster observed the situation, which had quickly simmered from a battle to more of a cautious retreat. It occurred to him to wonder where Lancer had gone, considering the Servant's Master had clearly taken shots at the gaggle of people on street level.
Perhaps they are hunting? As if being chased animals, the Masters and Servants below had been rattled into moving towards safety. Perhaps it was the intent of Lancer and her Master to follow them to their base of operations?

"Well, no reason to let that effort go to waste..." He said to himself, breaking apart a palm-sized portion of the building's concrete with his staff. Working his magic over it once again, the piece began to vibrate, then slide and zoomed after what Caster figured were Saber, Assassin and their respective Masters.
Changing into spirit form, Caster made after his tracking spell, curious as to whether or not he was the group's only pursuer.

Tracking spell targeting the gaggle of Servants and Masters: [roll0]
Not sure if its all that needed (spirit form being hard to detect anyway), but Stealth: [roll1]

[Snacs]

"mnn. She probably wouldn't come all the way out to the car just to go back in I think Little Boss." She said carefully. She leaned forward, arms looping around Jin Eun to slip further down the bike's handlebars. She tilted her head, ears straining.


Rolling for Heightened senses to see if I cna hear/see anything in the car. Also checking for security cameras or any eye-witnesses who might be around. after that I'll have more actions for you 7th!:D
[roll0]

[Ezeze]

Also checking for security cameras or any eye-witnesses who might be around.

*Cough*

... Not a bad idea :smallredface: I don't have anything quite as fancy as "Heightened Senses" but
[roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

Reynard nodded in response. "Yes, while it is true than Angra Mainyu was an anomaly in the grail that brought about quite a bit of confusion and tension, that problem has been dealt with. A number of problems relating to the grail have been dealt with, in fact. Between our organization, the church, and the three great families, we had almost worked out all the kinks in the Fuyuki Grail War system. However, I fear, we are not dealing with that system anymore."

"My newfound ally, I believe, as do most of the Clock Tower I've contacted, that we are dealing with one of two things. Either an artificial holy grail, or, more worriyingly, an existence which circumvents the need for a Grail in the first place."


Archer/Elf

The forest clears out ahead of you, providing a decent spot to set up a camp of some sort. Obscured from view of the city, while close enough to civilization to go for supplies or other heroic spirits should you require them. It's a decent throw from Caster's source of fresh water, and it seems to be well enough away from any animal dens you may have to compete with.


Rei/Saber

Assassin nods, draggin the barely conscious form of his master through the streets, checking over his shoulder every once in a while to ensure you're still following, and no one else is. To the four of you, your trip from the city square to the high rise Assassin assures you is "One of many safe places in the city" is made cleanly, escaping from the unknown Sniper to where Assassin's master can lay down and regain his composure.

"Sorry if... my hosting is lacking at the moment..." He jokes, still breathing slowly and deeply. "Make yourselves... at home... Assassin will... take care of anything you... you need... And then we... may talk..."

Assassin nods politely, awaiting your responses.


Bronton/Caster

Caster's territory creation proves an effective means of disguise and concealment, and following the two pairs proves effortlessly easy. After a painfully slow walk through some of the city, ducking through alleyways, you spot them entering into one of the cities more expensive rental homes, presumably the base of operations for one or both of them.

Succeeded with Style!

Caster

The spell in question is able to find the four so easily, even you're surprised. A small, but very nice, residence not too far from your current standings. Moving across the roofs prooves just as easy, spirit form helping with your stealth significantly. You are able to find yourself outside the base, seemingly unnoticed, and with a fine vantage point to either watch, or take action.

Succeeded with Style!

Jin Eun/Rider

Sure enough, with a sigh, your target gets into the police car, seemingly more annoyed than threatened by their presence. Neither of you lay eyes on any type of security, and in this neighborhood, the only witnesses would be The Police, and Tohsaka herself.

[DoctorFaust]

Trying very hard to not let his emotions show, Julien leans back in his chair. "Either of those would indeed be worrying," he says after a long pause. "The first would imply that an organisation with enough resources to evade detection by the Mage's Association for over ten years has existed and operated under the very nose of this city's Second Owner. But the second, frankly, is beyond my comprehension. As much as I would love to put my desire for access to The Swirl of The Root first, this is a serious enough situation that dealing with it must be a priority."

"Cru...sh...Grail?"

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

"Exactly correct," Lancer replied, seemingly to the both of you, before turning to Reynard. "May I explain our work then, my lord?"

Reynard nods to her. "It is the best way to put the situation into perspective."

Lancer returns her attention back to the two of you. "Since arriving in Fuyuki, my master and I have been looking into the three families as sources of this possible false grail. The Matou and Tohsaka families are seemingly without any stake in this war, thankfully, but the Einzberns are not so innocent. In fact, they have a master of their own in this coming conflict and, should our information be correct, their servant is of the Berserker class."

[Athelstan]

Rhune signals the other master to join him "We best take cover inside the residence, were we could talk more privately, just be ready for anything, and keep Assassin scouting the perimeter" a high risk, but a high reward if he was able to make an ally. Cannon fodder. For this war. "Berserker come join us inside, you and the other Assassin will guard the inside and ourselves." as Rhune begins to walk keeping an eye now on the sky to see if something was in the air "Someone had you come here, we must figure out a way to trace that Master, since he probably just wanted to know who the masters and what type of servants we have."

[7th son of sons]

Rhune/Berserker

Rodderick nodded. "Assassin, wait, no... Romeo, you keep watch. Keep your uhh... Keep Juliet safe while I take her inside for more civil discussions." Sure enough, the female assassin reappeared at Roderick's side, curtseying as you did.

"A Moment away from my love is an eternity, but seperation only makes the heart grow fonder. My beloved, I will return to you in time, take heart!" Roderick shook his head in annoyance.

"Lead the way, guy..."

[Fearan]

Ignacio
Apparently, the place, which Ignacio chose as the camping site, wasn't that good. Just near him there was another Master's base. And he somehow bonded with yet another Master. Who had not one, but two Assassins. He guessed, that that was a kind of singular, multi-bodied entity. It was fortunate, that the enemy masters at least haven't invest much into searching for him, giving the magus time to await for Caster's return in sort-of safety. Still, some measures would be nice.


Make another paper crane to keep an eye on the Berserker/Assassin hideout: Magecraft [roll0]
Cover the grounds in mist to conceal himself: Create advantage with Magecraft [roll1]
Hide. Stealth [roll2] + advantage, if successful
OOC: Man, that tempo. Also, sorry for messed-up rolls. They're in order in the OOC

[DoctorFaust]

"Oh?" Julien raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "I was under the impression that their last attempt at the same had ended in rather miserable failure. I seem to recall that their prize homunculus died in the previous war, and their castle was utterly destroyed in a fire not too long afterwards."

[Athelstan]

Rhune just met them, and he feels sorry for this Master drawing upon such servants already "Since we have already met in not so very good circumstances, you are my guest for now, so come this way" Rhune leads the pair inside and into a comfortable living room. While it's not fancy the decorations are of some value, but more on the functional side of things "Tea, wine, or cider?" asks Rhune while he serves some wine to berserker in a metal jug which he seems to enjoy.

"Well, I think we could both benefit Roderick of being allies to survive this war. There is plenty of other Masters that are powerful that are easier to bring down working together. Do you want the grail or stay alive?."

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio

Your paper crane was cut down as soon as it took flight, as the male Assassin began walking through the mist you had made. "Come out, hidden master! Reveal your face and thine name, that my blade may deem your worthiness to speak unto my master! Speak now, lest I find you myself, and my mercy wear thin!"


Julien/Berserker

"Indeed, their last attempt at this was a failure, but their last attempt was also the last we expected to see of the Einzberns. Who of them remains alive? Who awoke whatever Homonculus now commands Berserker?" He paused before turning to your own servant. "And why are there now Two Berserkers in this Grail War?"


Rhune/Berserker

Roderick obliged your offer of wine, knocking the glass back in a single drink before stooping down. "Hell, at this rate, I don't even know if 'Alive' was even a possibility. Heroic Spirits are Heroic Spirits, and I'm sure Romeo or Julie over here could put up a fight, but their too busy pawin' at each other to even pick a fight. Whatever you had in mind, boss, I'll stick with ya. Bein' on a winning team is sorta in my genes. And these Assassins definitely live up to the first three letters in their name."

Juliet nodded politely, sipping from a glass of wine as well. "My Romeo and I are indebted to you, Master Roderick. We will stand with you until our bitter end, as noble servants of your name."

Roderick ran a hand down his face. "That's great, pumpkin, but the problem is you and lover boy out there are... yer more utility servants than anything. Not your fault, it's mine for callin' ya." He turned back to you, setting his glass down. "So, ya got a name then?"

[Fearan]

The muffled voice came at Assassin seemingly from all sides. Strange assassin you are, wandering around and issuing challenges. Too bad - the voice in the mist tsked - - I would probably answer the fair challenge. However, you are a Servant, which doubtedly counts as ''fair". So deem me - tsked again - - "Unworthy" of speaking to your master and return to your lover - I'm not mad to attack a position with three servants in it - your master is in far greater danger from Berserker, than from me.


Hidden or not, a preparation to combat would be needed. Ignacio will start gathering mana, for combat: Mana, create advantage [roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio

Assassin paused, looking about the mist for the source of the voice. "You speak much of my master, mysterious mage. Care you to bring about your own Heroic Spirit, that our match be truly 'fair'? An Assassin though I may be, I request only the chance to prove to mine master that he had made no mistake in calling us from the land of the departed. Show yourself, and name your terms!"

[Fearan]

- Terms - the voice sounded almost amused. - Here are my one and only terms. Go away. Or wander in the mist, trying to find me. Your call. - it seemed, Assassin still haven't discovered Ignacio. Which was good - while Assassins generally were good at hiding, tracking was a bit more troublesome - Still, you don't seem to be the type to strike from the shadows - weird. How about we meet tomorrow at the bridge? You, your Master, your lover - against me and my Servant.


Prepare another advantage with magecraft. Using CENSORED starting to move into mental state needed to CENSORED. [roll0]
Will pm the uncensored version

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio

Assassin stored his rapier away, putting his hand to his chest and bowing. "Very well, Master of the Mists. My Master and the two of us will stand against you and your servant. A duel befitting this play with which we have been summoned. But know that we are the heroes of this story, hidden magus, and that this bridge will be the place of your undoing."

As he began to turn to spirit form, he left you with the following: "You will find that we as 'assassins' bring much more than you seem to believe. Until again we meet, I leave you with this warning."

And just like that, he is gone.

[DoctorFaust]

Berserker raises a finger to point to herself. "Two...of...me?"

"Unfortunately," Julien says, "He means two of the Berserker class, not two of you."

"O...oh." Berserker sits back, looking disappointed.

"Regardless," Julien says, continuing from where Reynard left off, "Those are just more irregularities to be dealt with. Though I suppose it does mean everything I was able to find out about the War from my sources at the Tower likely isn't useful. But what do you propose we do about it? Invite the Einzbern Master over for dinner and try to get something out of them then?"

[YuweaCurtis]

As the four proceed, Rei would survey the area for any magic. She would looks for traps or oddities in the area, especially in the Master's base of operations.

Rei was concerned for the man, but she didn't he want to seem weak. Okay, I'm setting this down now. This is a truce. I'm not intending to hurt you any more, and I'd hope you'd have the same thought towards me. As such I will help tend your wound. Just let me know what you need. Saber looks at Rei quizzically, as if trying to see what angle she's playing at. After a bit of thought, she speaks up again. Excuse my hair trigger, but I have to claim the grail no matter the circumstance, and I must stay alive. My family is depending on me to do this. My name is Rei Kevlar, by the way. A slightly more feminine side peaks from her gray cloud exterior as she introduces herself. She'd leave out the part about distrust of her own family. Saber would dismiss his combat gear, changing back to his casual clothing and lean against a wall. He'd keep his mask on however. They may have seen his face but he wasn't going to give them opportunity to concentrate on it. What is your name and what are you in this war for? Saber chuckles, You're awfully curious and chatty considering the situation. Rei looks at him as if to say “Aw hush,”.


Rei looking for traps and other magical auras
[roll0]

[Athelstan]

Rhune only smiles "I´m Rhune, a freelance mage normally, but this is a special case" Rhune takes another look out the window hoping to see some indication the third master or his servant. "I hope to survive this war Roderick, just because it would upset many people. I don´t mind winning, but this might prove more troublesome" Rhune turns around and smiles "I do believe we could benefit from each others servants to survive. For now we must see to increasing defenses here, while assassin scouts, but I rather him not engage, just gather intel for now" Rhune pours him more wine and asks for his help putting up a board as he pulls out some markers.

"So far we know there is 1 more mage near here, and this is our location". pointing to the map of the city "We must be able to identify with pictures the masters and hopefully the servant or at least their type. That way I can check the Mages Associations for a match to their faces and see how strong the Masters are."

"We got a long day tomorrow, take a bottle and go to the guest house, it can serve you if you wish to remain for tonight, otherwise safe travels back to wherever you are staying, I must continue to increase my defenses, I will hold out in here for as long as I can, and will make it painful for anyone to come here looking for a fight."


Magecraft to create advantage that shows nothing is happening unless you come inside the barrier [roll0]
Magecraft create hawk familiars to kill any familiars and spy at the edge of the barrier [roll1]
Magecraft to reinforce hand gun and combat knife so they can deal magical damage [roll2]

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Hit the front of the car if you can. I want the girl alive - but I don't give a damn about the officers.

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

"I do not believe the Family Einzbern would produce a master so cordial," Lancer replied.

"Yes, I doubt she would answer in kind even if we did ask," Reynard continued. "But the information we know currently certainly does rework our understanding of this war. So, I propose we put aside our own desires for this holy grail, and work together to find, well... if there even IS a Holy Grail. What say you to this, master of Berserker?"


Rei/Saber

A quick ocular scan shows that there's nothing magical going on in this building, and the Master of Assassin seemed to be in no condition to make any. "Don't... I don't want the grail... I have... everything I need. But the... experience is worth the risk..."

Assassin nodded in agreement, as he began to stitch up his masters arm. "I as well am without a wish. But it would make for an excellent epilogue to my book, especially if a beautiful woman were to take a leading roll," he continued, casually winking to Rei before continuing his work. "My master is called Ryoma Kanzuki." A name instantly recognizeable to you, even if his face wasn't, as the very young CEO of a multi-million dollar japanese corporation.

[DoctorFaust]

With a sigh, Julien extends a hand to the other Master. "I say yes, Sir Reynard. My name is Julien Stein, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

Reynard nodding, taking your hand to shake. "So tell me than, Julien Stein, should we make our move tonight, or wait until the coming eve to begin our search? Currently, there are only two organizations that I believe could have manufactured a holy grail: The Einzberns, and The Church. Neither of which a pleasant option."

[Shiki-pon]

They sure seem to have made common ground quickly... Caster squatted on a rooftop near the house that the Masters and Servants had retreated into. Perhaps an alliance was in the making? He played idly with the piece of rock he had used as a makeshift tracking device. The spell he had worked had accomplished its purpose with a great amount of mana still left over. Maybe I'll hold on to this one for a while.
Caster wondered what his Master was doing. Probably something more pleasing than sitting around, waiting for something exciting to happen. He was disappointed in the fact that he appeared to be the group's only pursuer. I'd really have liked to see that lady in action... Well, at least I've got a location down. Caster stood up, wondering whether he should make his way back to his Master.

[DoctorFaust]

"Well, do you have the time?" Julien asks, looking around the room for a clock. "If it's getting near to dawn, we may need to postpone any actions until they are less likely to be noticed. The Church would probably be my first pick, for what its worth. The Mage's Association has always had a fairly cordial relationship with them."

[bekeleven]

Caster surveys the area before returning to Brenton, and her territory.

Discernment: [roll0]

[Snacs]

Rider

"Of course little Boss! Why don't you stay here and observe?" The tall servant laughed softly, leaning forward against Jin Eun's back as she stood, setting the bike's kickstand below her and faded from existence to accomplish her mission at the behest of her Master.



Check to hit car. I'll edit in more information on what happens/any aspects I want to invoke:D
EDIT: Im bad at rolls too apparently.

[AmberVael]

"And... she doesn't eat people?" Elf said in a questioning tone, before moving on to address Archer's concern. "Yeah, I thought that too. We're lucky her master wasn't there."

She paused in the clearing. The area was ideal, but on the other hand, there was absolutely nothing here. No cover, no shelter from the weather, no amenities... perhaps she should just search for a decent hotel. "Maybe we could make a camp here." Her suggestion didn't have much heart to it though, which was all the more evident when she looked up at Archer again. "What do you think we should do for a base?"

[Snacs]

Rider

It was dark, and the police vehicle's spotlights coasted along empty, quiet streets. Jin Eun could see it just about to turn the corner, when a voice like a temple Bell spoke beside her.

Keu nhu sam!

The front of the police car suddenly bent downwards. There was a horrifying crunch and its lights shut out. Its rear heaved upwards as the entire vehicle bent in half, as if an angry god had smashed down on it from the sky. Glass haloed outwards, and the front tires popped instantly. The two police officers in the front seat had never stood a chance, the frame of the car denting in and down in two tree-trunk thick impacts. The car creaked as it was ground into the pavement, while something gripped the door by its frame and tore it, sending it skittering carelessly down the lane. Its alarm finally went off, as if realizing the danger far, far too late. The woman's seatbelt snapped as that same force ripped her from the ruins of the car, hefted carelessly in the air.


"Ahhh. That was too easy, too easy. Well Little Boss, I've got her. Back home now?" Rider's voice appeared before she did, slipping effortlessly on to the motorcycle where she'd been. "We caught a cute little guppie though, I'll give her that. Hmmmm" The Tohsaka girl hung limp in mid-air in front of them, about five feet off the ground.

[7th son of sons]

Rhune/Berserker

Rodderick sighed as he got to his feet. "Assassin, take your boyfriend and keep watch, alright? Anything happens, one of you get me, one of you get our... host." He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I'll go master huntin' with ya. Anythings better than waiting to die with these two." He knocked back most of the bottle in his hand as he moved towards the guest house, Juliet closely behind.

Caster

Your wish is quickly granted, as you catch another shape moving across the rooftops. Upon closer examination, you recognize the Lancer from earlier, carrying her master in her arms as she leapt across the rooftops, before setting her down not too far from where you currently stood. She crossed her arms across her chest, as her master began to set up for, seemingly, another shot.

Julien/Berserker

"Hmm, perhaps you're right. The night grows later, and our enemies grow less worried. On the night, then, we shall reconvene at this location, and decided on our next endeavor."

Bronton/Caster

A quick scan of the area reveals nothing dangerous or even particularly noteworthy around the ground levels of the safe house. Entrance is as easy as the front door.

[Yabex]

Archer

Archer laughed a bit at Elf's question. "I don't think so, no. But then again, wouldn't that be quite the surprise?" The Heroic Spirit made another attempt to make his Master smile, he hoped she found the idea of Caster eating people as entertaining as he did. "If your interested, I'm sure we could set up a meeting with her Master?" He had no idea how his Master would respond. Elf seemed like the loner type, in this war by herself with no interest in allies. Then again, Archer and Elf hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk.

Archer continued his smiling as he gazed at the new location they had found. "I think this is a great place to set up camp. Deep in the thick of the woods, I like it." When he looked back at his Master, Archer could see that she wasn't very confident. "I think it's best to move every few days, no reason to stay put in one place, but this is a great location to start. I'll have this place set up in no time, you'll see." He winked at Elf then immediately began preparations. Several minutes into his en devour, his mouth opened as if to speak, but then he paused. After a brief delay in his work, Archer simply closed his mouth and returned to his duties. I suppose that can wait until morning....

Craft(T) to create perimeter defenses [roll0]
Magecraft to create base defenses as well [roll1]

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

The left side of Eun's lips curve upwards into a half-smile. She doesn't tell Rider that she has done well. It would insult the woman, considering how easy it was for her. All the same, it boded well for their future in this Grail War.

I'm not done just yet.

She dismounts the motorcycle with a swing of her leg and crosses the way to the crushed car. She approaches the more intact of the two fresh police corpses and tugs her gloves a little more securely. It wasn't their original purpose, but she is glad of them tonight since it means she won't be leaving fingerprints. She takes the shattered ivory pommel from its place on her hip and, without ceremony or warning, delivers three solid hacks to the juncture between the dead policeman's arm and shoulder. Blood sprays indiscriminately, the man not yet dead enough for his circulation to have stopped, and stains Jin Eun's formally pristine white clean pressed shirt. Once she has nearly severed the limb she puts her boot to the side of the car and yanks, pulling it free.

With the resulting blood she writes, in large letters on the pavement next to the car


Love, Shi-Lang

There we go she says out loud, only Rider close enough to hear her. The cops are already looking for one serial killer - there is no need to confuse them with a hunt for a second.

She slings the arm casually over her shoulder and turns to Rider.

Hey, Neesan. Given what we're carrying - and my state - maybe we'd better take your ride back to the warehouse. We'll come back for your motorcycle later.

Since it's so easy for Rider to carry the Tohsaka girl, Eun thinks nothing of asking her to carry her to an empty warehouse full of nothing but barrels and crates. She places the girl on a solid metal chair in the middle of the room and handcuffs her wrists behind her back, then handcuffs each of her ankles to the respective chair legs behind them.

Eun herself is a frightening sight, sprayed with drying blood as she is, and still with the limb over one of her shoulders. For the moment, though, she turns off all of the lights in the warehouse save for one, which she positions to illuminate only the Tohsaka girl in a small ring. She then steps back a few paces out of that ring of light and holds still.

It might take a little bit for her to wake up. You don't have to wait around, Neesan, but you are welcome to.

Hiding in the shadows, with my knife, the pommel and the policeman's arm.
[roll0]

[AmberVael]

Elf pondered Archer's suggestion of a meeting while she joined him in working, watching his actions for a few moments before following his lead. Mostly she focused on simple, menial tasks, while letting Archer handle anything more complex he wanted to try. She cleared a level area of detritus, gathered larger tree limbs for use in a fire or perhaps construction of a rough shelter, and generally did the best she could to make herself useful. "An ally would help." She eventually acknowledged. "But it would be dangerous."

She thought for a while more, then seemed to reach more of a conclusion. "The war is larger than normal, so winning on our own would be hard. We should get allies." As she snapped off the branches of a fairly solid tree limb, she made one more suggestion. "We could ask her what her master is like."

[DoctorFaust]

"Very well," Julien says, standing from his chair. "In that case, I will bid you good night. Or, I guess in this case, good morning. Berserker, let's go."

The Servant stands reluctantly from her chair, and follows her Master as they make their way back out of the house after exchanging a few more pleasantries with Reynard and Lancer. The two get back into Julien's car with Berserker's mace stored safely in the back seat, and begin the drive back into Fuyuki city.

[Yabex]

Archer

"Allies are useful, but I agree about being risky. We should think carefully about how we want to approach this." He advised. Archer climbed down from a tree he had been working in. He assessed the area for more tasks that needed doing, then settled on fabricating a small shelter camouflaged in the bushes using the sticks Elf had gathered."The woman we met said her Master was nice, but that's about it. I think she would be the logical place to begin searching for partner."

[Sith_Happens]

James

James McAlester reviews his work. After what must have been dozens of tries, it seems he's finally produced the right combination of factors that will let him move to the final stage. Sitting down to catch his breath, he decides to call up his Servant and break the news.

"How are things on your end? I finally worked all the kinks out of this damn bike so once you're back here we can finish the ritual."

[Pending additional conversation if any.]

After hanging up, James decides to take advantage of the lull to devote more attention to his familiars; Memory Partitions aren't meant for multitasking, after all, so even one such as him might conceivably have missed something important up to now.

Somewhere over Fuyuki City a crow flies methodically, its focus suddenly redoubled.

Investigate to survey those parts of the city that seem especially ripe for Grail War-related activity and see what turns up; thanks to [REDACTED] I can track relevant persons by the residual magic energy they leave behind, and my guess is the trails left by Servants are especially distinctive: [roll0]

(Not sure if that's more of an overcome or create an advantage action. Possibly even depends on what I find?:smallconfused:)

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

Your gang gives you both a wide berth as you return with the woman in question. The man you put in charge of police traffic delivers the news to Jin while Rider sets up the warehouse. "Whatever Bomb ya set off up there, police chatters crazy. Huntin' for Shi-Lang like 'e was the most wanted man in the country. Sayin' he's cleanin up lose ends, and tryin' to get all his suspected employe's into custody. Definitely some fun times there, I can tell." He backs off to return to work, letting you put together your own menacing scenario.

A scenario you are allowed to fulfill less than an hour later, as your captive barely comes too. She's without serious injury, somehow, but definitely shaken, and definitely not at her 100. Even still, she waits till she's fully in her headspace to speak. "What the hell's going on here!?"

James

It takes only a glace through the birds eyes to catch a massive source of intrigue. Near towns square, although you can't place how many, or where exactly they now reside, there's certainly a meeting of some number of grail war participants. It's ludicrous how much magical energy is emenating from that location.

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun does not answer, at least not right away. She takes her favorite knife from her hip in one hand and the late cop's arm in the other. She separates the cop's pinky from his hand and tosses it lightly, letting it roll far enough to bump into Tohsaka's foot.

Using my Inhuman Butcher stunt to create the aspect "Confused" on my prisoner. She defends with Will.
[roll0]
Only then does she speak, not bothering to come forward from the shadows.

I took you. Right from police hands.

The cop's second finger, his ring finger, follows the first - landing near the first.

Using Inhuman Butcher to create "Alone."
[roll1]
No one knows where you are.

Now the middle finger.

Using Inhuman Butcher to create "Afraid."
[roll2]
Next, the index finger.

Using Inhuman Butcher to create "Terrified."
[roll3]
Finally, Eun walks forward into the light. She drops the rest of the arm, with the thumb still on the hand, in front of the girl. Then she unbuttons her bloody, stained shirt and drops it from her shoulders, leaving her in her undergarments, pants and gloves and displaying the traditional tattoos that cover every inch of her skin between her neck and wrists, associated so strongly with violent crime.

So you are going to tell me everything you know about Shi-Lang.

She doesn't go into the 'or else.' Let the girl extrapolate her own 'or else.'

Using Inhuman Butcher to make a Social Attack, using any of the Aspects that stuck for a +4 bonus each because of her No One Is Safe stunt.
[roll4]

[RdMarquis]

Rider is leaving the park when he receives the message from James. Regarding the Central Park and general area across the river. Apparently this is the only part of the city untouched by tonight's festivities. Are you having any better luck? He continues walking, a smile playing about his mouth. Excellent. I will return posthaste. It wouldn't be quite proper, charging into battle without a mount. Rider vanishes with a gust of wind.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun

The Tohsaka girl gulped audibly as the first finger rolled into view, but with each successive digit, she grew more and more confident. As you step out into the light, your captive seems more calm than ever. Shaking at her arm, a small gemstone falls to the floor, bringing the entirety of the room into brightness.

"If you wanted to talk about Shi-Lang, you could have just asked. No need for all the pomp and circumstance. But now you've really gone and pissed me off, so let's really talk then, shall we?"

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun takes a step back in surprise and shields her eyes from the sudden light.

Magic?

How many of these mages are there? I didn't think for a moment this girl would be one too. And I told Rider I wouldn't need her... She flexes her hand, thankful for those gloves. That means she doesn't know that she is in the Grail War, right?

[Sith_Happens]

James

Spotting a promising lead, the crow alters its course, landing atop a building in the Square and examining the scene from much closer.

"What do I see" should be fairly obvious, so I'll skip to analyzing the magic and creating an advantage based on my findings: [roll0]

Given that there are/were multiple distinct sources present I'm guessing I'll need to roll a few more times to cover them all, but I'll do that once I know how many.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

"That's right, it's magic," she spat. "The Tohsaka family specialty, Gem Magic... Wait, don't tell me. You actually kidnapped me to talk about Shi-Lang, and you don't even know about who I am? Wow, you're either a sorry excuse for a criminal or a sorrier excuse for a mage. Hmph..." she finished, turning her face away from you. "Go ahead then, ask away."

James

By the looks of things, your raven can pick up three different zones of powerful magic, but all but one of them are unoccupied. Given what you know of Heroic Spirits, that would mean that a trio of servants were outside this one building, each hidden away in spirit form. Well, all except for one. Atop the tallest building, besides an older woman with a surprisingly large sniper rifle, even by modern military standards, a physically imposing, dark skinned beauty, her body barely covered in what could be construe clothing. The obvious heroic spirit/master pair seemed to be paying special attention to the building just across the street from them, oblivious to the existence of the other two servants so close by.

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Whatever magic the girl had, she isn't currently using it to free herself. Either she can't, in which case there is no reason to change the plan, or she wants to see where this goes, in which case she might be courted as an ally.

Eun hadn't made a good first impression if the girl was going to be useful, but if she wanted to talk, well, Eun wanted to talk too.

Shi-Lang moved into my territory and killed two of my men. He needs to make recompense - or I need to kill him.

He has worked for you before. How did you reach him?

[bekeleven]

Caster returned to her territory only to find Bronton sprawled out across the ground, eyes closed.

He didn't open them as she entered. "D'you know." He pointed vaguely in her direction. "D'you know that you left vodka in here? vodka. Doesn't even make sense, miss... raincoat girl."

Caster had been gone for less than an hour. "Perhaps I should get you to bed."

Bronton nodded, hitting the back of his head against a rock. "Gotta be up bright and early. Daylight. Best for you, right?"

She smiled, on the off chance he'd open his eyes and see it. "Light is helpful. It changes how people think."

"'Swhy my eyes are closed." Bronton smiled, then rubbed his head.

"Tomorrow," Caster sang. She needed no warm-up. The voice flowed from her.

"All will be well, all will be right.
We'll sleep safe and sound to wait out the night.
Come the horizon, then we shall see.
A beautiful grail, for you and for me."

Bronton snuggled into his pillow as Caster tucked him in.

And waited for the sun.

[RdMarquis]

Rider returns while James is still peering through his familiar. He stands at attention as he watches his Master, mostly as a matter of habit. This was a partnership, and in any case, he was the only officer in the room. "I take it you've spotted something interesting."

[Sith_Happens]

Still focused on his familiar's vision, James doesn't turn to face Rider even as he replies.

"Interesting is one way to put it. I'm still working out the details but it seems a fair number of our fellows have already crossed paths. You might be waiting here a while, I wasn't expecting you to come back right away and I certainly can't give up this lead."

[RdMarquis]

"Understood." Rider fills a glass with water. It was his custom not to drink until the (preferably successful) completion of a battle. He takes a seat near the doorway, a machine pistol in his other hand. "Have you spotted anyone I would recognize?" The question was more of a lark than anything. And after an earlier conversation, Rider felt compelled to offer a gentle reminder that his comrades had been men of heroic caliber.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

"You want to talk to Shi-Lang? Be my guest," She shook in her chair. "Tomorrow night's sunday. He'll be reporting to the Tohsaka house, likely to apologize for breaking his contract. You can wait for him there. Oh wait, no, you can't, because your kidnapping of his employer was about as subtle as a heard of rhinos. He'll be looking for me..."

James

As you get a good eye on the only servant in physical form, she turns to the woman who is, presumedly, her master. They exchange a short dialogue, before the servant took the older woman in her arms, and leaped off across the roofs, moving with quickness away from their perch.

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

You have an active contract with him? Even better.

Do you know, then, who 'Archer' is?

Edit: Hehe. Herd of rhinos. Close, actually.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider
"A-Archer," she muttered on surprise before turning away. "So, that bastard really did get himself a servant..."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

What's a servant?

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider
Your captive let out an annoyed sigh. "It means my working relationship with Shi-Lang is as good as over..."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun considers her captive seriously.

You've got major guts, girl. You've also got good information, and it seems as much a reason to want Shi-Lang dead as I do.

Help me kill him, and you'll get out of this alive. I'll even get done whatever you hired the idiot to do. No additional charge.

[AmberVael]

Archer/Elf

Elf hesitated, then made her own suggestion. "We might ally with my family. I know they have a master."

"We should report to one another." She added suddenly. "You don't know me. I don't know you. It makes tactics harder. So. My name is Elf. I am not a magus. My family assigned me as a scout for the war effort. But... I had a wish. I stole a catalyst, ran away, and summoned you. They may think I am a traitor."

Her utterance of her name was distinctive, the sharp, clear chime of a bell that drew attention. Like a ripple spreading across a pond, it affected Archer's perception of her. There was a sudden clarity to this shift, an indication that everything up until now had been off, fogged and muddled in a way that somehow hadn't been noticeable. Now though, Archer could tell that she was speaking in a noticeable accent, that her eyes were a truly peculiar split of crimson and teal, and that her skin and hair were milk white. She had a thin, slight build and wore a formal suit that was looking a little worn now, some slight stains on its cuffs and certainly on its shoes and knees. Despite the fact that she looked rather like she was made out of porcelain, she showed no signs of fatigue or even exertion after her long, rapid jaunt through the forest carrying a weighty arbalest in her hands the entire way.

She looked away from Archer self-consciously, apparently aware of what had happened. "Sorry."

[Sith_Happens]

"Have you spotted anyone I would recognize?"

"Not unless you knew any African spearwomen or mysterious robed men. A Lancer and a Caster, respectively, in case you're wondering."


James

As you get a good eye on the only servant in physical form, she turns to the woman who is, presumedly, her master. They exchange a short dialogue, before the servant took the older woman in her arms, and leaped off across the roofs, moving with quickness away from their perch.

The crow's eyes dart back and forth between the various persons and points of interest as James attempts to take in as much information as possible before it's too late.

I was going to try and uncover that rifle buff, but you sort-of-functionally-double-posted on me here and I'm just going to roll with it.

Anyways, to start, IMO that first advantage roll I already took makes the most sense as being for the leftover energy from the Servants not obviously present; I'm creating the Backtrace aspect representing James' efforts to follow the trail backwards and discern where the Servants in question came from to get here. How many invokes do I have on that? I rolled a [5].

On the opposite front, James is visually following the sniper and Lancer's escape for as long as they're in sight and trying to memorize the "signature" of the latter's magical trail so that he can start tracking them in just a bit. Investigate to create the On Lancer's Trail advantage: [roll0]

Once that's done he turns his attention toward the "two sources akin to servants" and mentally picks through their composition to determine whether they are, in fact, Servants in spiritual form, which I'm guessing is an Investigate overcome: [roll1]

If you want to preempt the second roll by having something happen first then go ahead, though keep in mind that the main point of Memory Partitioning is that he can do this sort of thing really, really quickly. I'll save any actions against Caster for my next post so as to not push it, though.

[Shiki-pon]

Oh. Lancer and her Master actually did follow their prey, just as Caster had presumed. Man, am I good or what? The Master seemed to be setting herself up for another shot. Caster, observing this, wondered idly if he should interfere, but ended up deciding against it. He had, after all, instructed his Master to wait for information before making his move. He felt it unbecoming of himself if he didn't adhere to his own instructions. No matter how hard he wanted to.
His attention was drawn to a source of foreign magic somewhere nearby. Glancing around, Caster sought out whoever might be out in the night. Just in case, he returned into spiritual form. The source might be another Servant, after all.

I guess its not too far-fetched that Caster at least has an inkling that someone might be observing him through magic, so...
Heightened Senses: [roll0]
Also, if that attempt of mine to create the aspect Eagle Eyes on page 1 was a success with style (+7), I'm using the second free invoke on this roll.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

"Hard to trust you when you still have me tied to a chair," Rin muttered. "But, I guess, it's my best way of dealing with the situation. So... I will help you in eliminating Shi-Lang and Archer..."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

What does Eun think, 7th? Is she being played?

Potential Deceit vs Empathy contest
[roll0]

[Ezeze]

I'm going to assume this is for me

Deceit: (4d3-7)[2]

Jin Eun

Eun pulls the keys from her pocket, holding them in the air for just a moment. A sign of my good will.

She crosses to her prisoner and unlocks only one half of one of the cuffs - the one around her wright wrist, specifically - and then drops the key into that hand.

[Yabex]

Archer/Elf

Archer listened intently to Elf as she spoke. This was the most she had said to him thus far. Maybe she just needed to warm up? As her facade faded and Archer was allowed to look upon the true image of his Master, he couldn't contain his grin. How didn't I notice?

"Well, Elf, it's a pleasure to formally meet you." Archer had stopped working and was stood directly in front of Elf. "The name I am known by is [CENSORED], and you've nothing to be sorry about. Well, at least not to me anyway. I don't know exactly how your family feels about theft, but as long as you did what you feel is right they should be understanding. If not, we can persuade them." He paused to gauge his Master's reaction before continuing, speaking through his grin. "I have to say, I'm surprised and excited about hearing that you're apparently quite devious, but why run away from your family, only to ally with them? Is your wish at odds with theirs?" Archer certainly had his theories, but he wanted to let Elf explain herself. "Regardless, if that is the path you'd like to take, lets do it. I am your humble Servant, after all" Archer flourished his cloak and bowed.

"Your not a mage you say? Well, can you put that crossbow to good use?"

[Fearan]

Ignacio
After Assassin was gone, Ignacio with some time of calm to reflect on what he had just did. He breathed heavily in and out for nearly a minute, returning to calmer mindstate? Did he just prepared himself to trade blows with a Servant? A special, anti-Master kind of Servant? And did he just arranged a showdown at the following night? Yes, he did. Wooden flutes and zithers started playing Morricone tune somewhere in his mind. Now, he only had to ensure his survival before the big event. He focused, and attempted to reach Caster through Master-Servant link. To transmit a simple order. Caster. Return ASAP

Okay, so Ignacio is trying to reach Caster with Master-Servant telepathy. Sure, there are tons of distance between them, so throwing in the excessive mana from the prior advantage. Don't willing to use a command seal, just for that.
Magecraft roll (I guess, it's magecraft)[roll0]

[AmberVael]

Archer/Elf

Elf didn't show any sign of recognition of comprehension as Archer stated his name. If it meant anything to her at all, she was hiding it pretty well. On the other hand, she looked apprehensive of the idea that they could persuade her family of anything. "I'm not supposed to be a master. Or have a wish. They have a master; they have a wish. I was supposed to help them with that. And there's only one Grail, one wish."

Up until this point, Elf had been working steadily, but now she faltered, looking conflicted and confused as she sat on the ground. "They have reason to stop me. But I can't let them. If I let them stop me, I can't help them anymore. I'm... wrong. But I still have to help. I can still support them." She frowned, trying to resolve her confusion. "There's difficulties. But they're family. I know them, and want to help. I don't know anyone else. And they'll see what we can offer. A second servant is more important than my error."

When asked about her skills, she seemed to be more certain, settling into familiar territory. "Yes." She lifted the arbalest and placed it in her lap, displaying the design. "Its a mystic code. It breaks things." The furrowing of her brow indicated that she knew that her explanation was inadequate, but she didn't seem to know how to explain better than that. "And I was made as a scout; eyes to see everything, a face to blend in. Stealth. Observation. Rapid movement."

[DoctorFaust]

Not too long after arriving back in his suite, Julien summons up a second familiar and sends it flying towards the Einzbern estate in the outskirts of Fuyuki City.

I don't know which check you want me to make, so I'm just going to roll Magecraft and Investigation again.

Mage:[roll0]
Investigation:[roll1]

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider
The Tohsaka girl unlocked her other arm, rubbing her wrist. "Well, let's keep this simple. I don't know you, you don't know me. This is strictly a business relationship. I'll tell you everything I know, and when Shi-Lang and Archer are dead, we'll go our seperate ways. Agreed?"

Caster
You get an incredibly, almost unnoticeably faint tingle in the back of your skull. It's magical in nature, but... from where?

Julien
The Einzbern castle is all but silent. Your familiars at this distance can't seem to gather much on the place, not that they're all that spectacular. Perhaps the late night was starting to get to you, but you could swear you saw flickers of motion, not even a second worth of activity, but it was something, going through the woods.

[Sith_Happens]

James

James' prior overcome action against the intangible Servant gives him the Eureka! boost due to certain gaps in his knowledge he just incidentally filled in.

Investigation to rapidly cross-reference these observations with prior examinations of Rider in spiritual form and create the Servants Can't Hide from Me advantage, representing that he's now familiar enough with what a Servant's spiritual form "looks" like that I won't have to roll any more every time I want to confirm that a suspected ephemeral Servant is in fact an ephemeral Servant: [roll0]

Preemptively invoke Eureka! on the above, picking the +2 if the dice come up -2 or higher or the reroll if not: [roll1]

TL;DR: I just blew a boost as part of an overly-involved method to justify a minor convenience feature that I thought would be a given but turned out not to be.:smalltongue:
After the above, James turns his gaze back on Caster in an attempt to uncover what all his current buffs (i.e.- magical situation aspects) are: [roll2]

Descriptively-speaking I should really probably be able to peek at all of them at once/in succession, but one-aspect-per-advantage-action is a pretty important rule that I don't have a stunt to ignore so... I guess on a success just tell me the one most directly relevant to physical conflict?

Actually, if the in-game timing works out to target the rest in immediate succession without interruption then here's for that (if not then ignore these):
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
(I think that's enough?)

I'm... not really sure what if any skill Caster might be able to use to defend against this or if it's just against passive opposition, I guess that's for 7th to decide since he knows the details of the power that's letting me do this in the first place.
Having gathered all the information it cared to from the current location, the crow promptly takes flight and follows the glowing (to its eyes) trail left behind by Lancer until she and her Master are back in sight, then discretely monitors them until such time that they seem to have retired to their base of operations.

Investigate to conduct surveillance on Lancer and her Master, placing the aspect Seen How They Operate on them if successful: [roll6]

If and only if I actually need a Stealth roll to keep on them all the way to their hideout then here's that (if some other skill is more relevant then tell me which one and I'll manually adjust the result): [roll7]

Oh, and at some point along the way now that I have the chance again I want to know what sort of spell is on her gun: [roll8]

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun raises an eyebrow.

I suppose that gets me everything I want.

She reaches over and grabs her shirt from its place on the floor. She shrugs it onto her shoulders, but doesn't button it.

What do you know?

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider
Rising to her feet, Rin explained the situation as she got the blood flowing back into her legs. "Shi-Lang operates out of the Miyama Town. Couldn't tell you where exactly, but that's at least where we've met when we needed to see him. He's annoyingly good at what he does, and he does a lot. And now he's got himself Archer. Archer is a... weapons specialist, we'll say. As you'd guess by the name, Archer specializes in long range engagements. Putting it bluntly, Shi-Lang has a world class sniper support on his side now. Get all that?"

[YuweaCurtis]

Rei mumbles, Well, it looked like you were about to challenge me... she says, making excuses and actually relaxing a bit... Well at least as far as trying to look hard. It was the Grail War, you should never fully have your guard down. She then looks at him quizzically, understanding whom he was and being surprise by what he said even before that. Is your life that worthless, or boring that you'd risk death for something you don't even truly want? As she speaks, she tries to think of Assassin's possible identity in the back of her head. Pushing that out, she focuses more on the situation at hand. Well forgive me if I can completely believe you given the circumstances. Any thoughts Saber? You are free to speak you know. None at the moment, I'll trust my Master's judgment. Though, if you insist on actual input I think we should trust them for now. Rei nods and turns back to Assassin. I'm thinking not, but do you have any information about anyone else who is in this War?

[Shiki-pon]

Huh. Nothing, I guess. The sensation of a presence he had felt was gone as fast as it had appeared. Caster was still suspicious that someone was sneaking around. After all, even he was doing the same. I guess it fits my Class, but... He couldn't deny that he was itching for a fight, if only his capabilities allowed for such activity. He stared longingly into the direction Lancer had departed with her Master.
Oh well, guess I'm pretty much done here. He lingered for a moment more, hopeful that something of interest would happen.

[Yabex]

Archer stayed quiet while Elf spoke and for a moment after, a serious expression across his face. "That sounds like a complicated situation." It sounded familiar to him, her moral dilemma. Archer suddenly felt closer to his Master. "You and I are more alike than I had expected. And you say that you stole my catalyst? Summoned me by chance? How amusing!" Archer was smiling again. He seemed adept at quickly changing between a grinning idiot and contemplative tactician. "It sounds like there are a lot of details we will need to work out, but your goal seems noble. I won't let anyone stop you, don't think about that. Stay focused on your goal." He tried to reassure his confused and distraught Master. "How do you propose we contact you family then? We could just go say "hello" in the morning."

Archer crossed his arms when Elf started talking about her skills. "Very nice, valuable skills to have to be sure." He was excited at the news of a magical crossbow and stared mostly at it for the moment. It seems Elf's more subtle confession was lost on Archer. "I possess a very similar skill set, although I am in fact capable of magic as well." His hand emanated a green light for a moment and a flower instantly grew from the ground beside Elf. "I also make a great stew."

[7th son of sons]

Rei/Saber

Assassin tooks a step back, taking a look at his masters now fully sutured arm. He sighed in relief, wiping his forehead. "No," He replied to you both, not turning to face you. "You were the first pair we bumped into, hence why we approached you. A pair of masters and servants draws more intrigue than just one alone."

Ryoma steadied his breathing, taking slow, deep breaths, obviously fading out of conciousness fast. "Life's not worthless... it means everything to me... but to take the chance to meet... heroes from across time.. it's worth the risk... once in a lifetime..." He closed his eyes, the adrenaline of the last hour catching up to him, waring out, and letting him rest.

Assassin nodded, before turning to face the two of you. "He's quite right. The opportunity to take part in the greatest ritual in the world should be more than enough for any hero to oblige, whether he has a wish or not. You two are free to stay here, or free to return to your own home. Be wary of the sniper, I assume he is hunting servants."

[AmberVael]

"Not by chance, but... trial and error." Elf corrected. "I did select the catalyst at random. Servant identification wasn't part of my training, we were supposed to rely on our master for that."

She frowned as she considered the best avenue to make contact. "My family has a base on the other side of Fuyuki. We need to be... peaceful. So milady isn't hostile. But we also can't- I can't-" Elf's voice slowly trailed off into confusion, a look of bewilderment on her face. She started speaking again after a minute, staring off blindly into the woods, talking more to herself than to Archer. "...a wish. I have a wish. I must win."

She nodded absently to his explanation of his skills, and then she looked up at him. "The war is different. Did you know?" She closed her eyes, then spoke again deliberately, her tone and phrasing changing notably. As far as we know, the previous Grail system was dismantled in order to permanently end the Grail War cycle. At this time, we are unsure how it is still operating. In addition, our intelligence indicates that the previous limit of servants and masters has been notably exceeded, and we are still gathering reports on participants of the war; we are unaware how many participants there will be or how the Grail is capable of supporting so many summons. We know the class system is still in place, so we expect there will be multiple servants for any given class."

Elf broke off and reopened her eyes, looking up at Archer questioningly.

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

And what might Tohsaka Rin want from a hired goon that she couldn't get with magic?

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider
"Absolute assurance," Rin replied. She held up her hand, revealing the long faded symbol on the back. "I don't play to let these start cropping up again. And Shi-Lang has a knack for dealing with this kind of thing."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Jin Eun gives Rin a completely unscripted, completely honest, completely confused blank look.

Huh?

Edit: In retrospect, this is probably another compel on Eun's "Entirely Unitiated" aspect.

I'll take it to go up to 4 fate points - and it's up to you whether or not Rin realizes she has it. If it comes down to a Deceit roll on my part, I choose to lose it.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

Rin looked at her kidnapper with outright confusion. Was this... a trick? She hadn't seen a master in a decade, but she was still a mage. She could feel the girl in front of her leaking mana at a rapid rate. If she was a mage of any quality, she'd be able to at least somewhat obscure the telltale emenations. Well, whatever the case, she seemed to be genuinely confused by what Rin meant. So... an 'explanation' was in order. In a language she could understand.

"Let me put it this way," Rin began, pointing to the mark on her hand. "This mark is like a contract. It marks you as the 'boss' of one of the best... mercenaries in the world. Maybe you've got a real gun nut, that one's called Archer. Maybe you've got the getaway driver, that's Rider. Or maybe you get someone like me, someone with magic, a Caster. Whichever you get, your job is to take out the rest of the gang to get the biggest piece of the take. Do you follow that?"

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Sure, that makes sense.

But what do you mean you don't want to 'let these things crop up again'? What does Shi-Lang specialize in dealing with?

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

"I mean, this isn't the first time these contracts went out," she replied, pointing again to her own withered command seals. "Mine are from the last one of these, which was supposed to be the last one. Now, normally, these only go out to mages. But Shi-Lang is something of an... anti-mage. And with one of these servants, he's more dangerous than he was before."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

So you hired him to - what? Kill all of the mages that got those marks?

She thinks for a moment, then asks an additional question.

And how does one be an 'anti-mage'? Are you guys weak to silver or something?

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

"That's right," Rin replied flatly. "Anyone who wants to win this contest has to come to Fuyuki, that's the rules. And Shi-Lang knows the city, so he can get eyes on anyone coming in. Easy targets. And no, being an anti-mage is more to do with the way you fight than how you fight."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

So he is going to kill all of the other 'Bosses,' but then he's going to claim the loot.

You are welcome, by the way. This man wants to kill all of the mages in the city to make sure he's the one to claim the prize. He specializes in it, even. You are a mage - and you expected him to come on friendly terms tomorrow night. Tohsaka Rin, if I hadn't grabbed you from your home, that man was going to kill you.

She gives that a moment to sink in.

You know, even with all your talk of 'this is just business' - I think we could be more useful to each other. I was entirely sincere in my offer to pick up Shi-Lang's task. Let me help you kill some mages. Starting with him.

I just need a little bit of help finding him. Is... Is there such thing as a tracking spell? If not, what other mages are there in the city? We could always use them as bait.

[YuweaCurtis]

You may want to be more careful in the future. Someone else would have just finished you off. Approaching other pairs will in the very least end up with you setting up a face off at a later date. Rei would warn, trying to give insight into what was considered normal for these type of situations. Not that she had been in the Grail War herself, but she had members of her family in them and heard tales of former wars. She would listen to his earnest sounding reason for participation. You're right, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And being able to met legendary figures from the past does hold interests. But, I just can't help be think it may not be worth to join this just for that. It is probably fair to assume no one else shares in that process of thought. Also, while there's a certain leeway with it, isn't it ultimately up to the Grail who enters? With that thought in the air she stands up. Thank you for your hospitality, but the night is still pretty young. Come on Saber. The two would go to leave, letting themselves out rather than waiting to be seen out.


Empathy to see if he's being truthful
[roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider
Rin smirked at this. "Most of the mages coming in to the city are new, and the one's who aren't are likely already in Shi-Lang's sights. Like you said, if he's coming for me tomorrow, then he'll be sure to bring Archer. So... why don't we just meet him there?"

Rei/Saber
Assassin allows the two of you to vanish into the night, into what would become much quieter affairs. Although, as perposterous as his claims may be, you get the sense of genuine earnestness from Assassin and his master.

[Yabex]

Archer/Elf

Archer could see how much Elf's wish meant to her. It's exactly what he had wanted to see. He was now ready to bring everything he had to this war, it's why he was summoned after all. Archer crouched down in front of his Master so he could look her in the eyes. He tried to boost her confidence with some optimism and a joke. "We'll just have to be careful then. Besides, there is nothing more disarming than my smile."

Archer plopped himself down completely to the ground and sat in a relaxed pose, his hands supporting his weight as he leaned back. "As for the war, I didn't know any of that. It certainly adds an element of the unknown to our planning. Hmmm." He fiddled with grass and stared at the ground while he thought. Then, after a minute, he spoke. "You say nothing is working as before, yes? There are even more Servants than usual? Maybe more than one wish is possible as well." Archer wasn't sure if what he suggested was even possible, he was no expert in the matter. "Maybe it's a side effect of all the extra mana it would take to sustain the extra servants?"

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Sure thing, Tohsaka-hime. Eun offers her an exaggerated wink.

He'll expect a fight, I'm sure, but he will probably at least come by to see what has become of you.

In the mean time, though, I hate to inform you - the police are looking for you. You'll be spending tonight with me.

[7th son of sons]

Jin Eun/Rider

Rin sighed for what might be the last time that night. "I guess if that's how it has to be, I can live with that."

[Ezeze]

Jin Eun

Eun leads Tohsaka back out and to where the rest of the gang is working. If they are surprised to see the girl alive they are at least smart enough not to question Eun directly - the fact that she is half dressed and covered with blood contributes to that.

A few barked orders later and Rin is set up with her own room and a clean night shirt.

As soon as she is done she murmurs

Hope you don't mind staying hidden a while longer - the less she knows the better.

[Sith_Happens]

[Lancer and her Master are] staying somewhere in the Hyatt Hotel, as best you can ascertain

Finally releasing his direct control and most of his sensory focus from the crow, James stands up from his chair and stretches.

"I think that's enough of that for now. Shall we begin? Just summon a weapon to one hand and place the other on the vehicle, if you would."

Once Rider has done as instructed, James stands at the edge of the carefully-designed ritual circle and begins his aria, causing the whole of the room to fill with swirling light.

"Mount from the World
Spirit from the Grail
In accordance with the Law
As the Root binds all I bind you in turn
Extend the selves
Two become one
I who have seen your Mystery
Twist the paths
Rewrite the Law
My will be done"

Once the light show has faded James promptly begins picking up the pebbles he'd made the circle from.

"Well, that should take care of that problem. I was not expecting the procedure to be so complicated but I guess that's the Third Magic for you. Not the sort of thing you just up and tinker with."

Tying the motorcycle to Rider's existence as previously discussed via PM. Given the extensive offscreen prep work and the lack of pressure I'm assuming I can leave it unrolled.

[bekeleven]

Bronton's head hurt. Why did he get a servant capable of giving him all the sin he could drink and all the water he could chase it down with but no spells to cure a hangover?

Oh, she had the spells. That was child's play for a servant, a caster no less. She was just holding out on him. Teaching him a lesson. She could be so smug... And now the morning was gone. All that love of daylight must have just been talk.

Bronton shook his head. He'd arrived, at least if Caster's directions were right. And she took too much pride in these things to get them wrong. He activated his origin, just in case.

Activate origin for a defensive advantage. [roll0]

Then he knocked on the door. Caster was nearby, in spirit form, perfectly content to watch him poke this beehive of a house that she'd tracked two masters and their servants to the previous night. Sure, this was fair.

Oh well. He was only here to talk. And if that didn't work, well, maybe only one master would be home.

Caster gives Brenton a weapon. [roll1]

[7th son of sons]

Bronton/Caster

It was not his master, but the man you instantly recognize as Assassin who opens the door. "Hello?"
Strength E, Endurance E, Agility D, Mana D, Luck EX, Noble Phantasms B

[bekeleven]

"I need to speak to your master. I offer an alliance." It was a waste of time. This was the servant of the wounded one. Probably dead without intervention. "And any other masters present."

Bronton walks through the door past the servant, waving his other hand to signal Caster to follow. She'd be close, somewhere.

[7th son of sons]

Bronton/Caster

Assassin eyed up Caster as the still injured Master rose to greet his guests. "Uhh... Hello? You're... Looking for an alliance?" The man inquired, genuinely confused by the sudden appearance of the pair.

[RdMarquis]

"I will take your word for it." Removing his hand from the motorcycle, Rider dismisses it. "And remember, there is still the matter of testing my new equipment." He smiles slightly in anticipation.

[bekeleven]

"Seeking is a strong word. Where is your master? It's no good if I don't speak in person." Some servants just didn't know when to quit. The words had to reach the master or he was wasting his time.

"I am here to speak!" he shouted into the house. "I will grant you an alliance!"

Roll Discourse: [roll0]

[DoctorFaust]

Having only been able to get a few hours of sleep that night, Julien wakes up shortly before noon. Not content to waste the time between then and when he is supposed to meet with Reynard, he summons two familiars and sends them flying towards the houses of the two Great Families that he was unable to check on the previous night.

[7th son of sons]

Bronton/Caster
Said master roused himself from the couch he had passed out on, wincing in pain as he moved his still chunked arm. "An Alliance? ...What are the uhh... terms?" He asked, obviously in pain.

Julien/Berserker
Your familiar gets a good eye on both households, and while the Matou estate is as quiet as the Clocktower would lead you to believe, the Tohsaka residence is not so calm. An investigation of some sort. A destroyed police car in front of the house, seemingly struck by a meteor. Anything else going on is muddied through your familiars senses.

[Sith_Happens]

"I will take your word for it." Removing his hand from the motorcycle, Rider dismisses it. "And remember, there is still the matter of testing my new equipment." He smiles slightly in anticipation.

"Don't hold your breath, you're free to go for a joyride tomorrow but if we see any action any time soon it'll be because something went horribly wrong. Wars are won on intelligence and I intend to gather as much as possible. First it's time for some shut-eye though, wars are definitely not won on sleep deprivation."


Leaving his hotel a little after noon, James McAlester heads straight for the square to follow up on the leads he'd gathered overnight. First thing's first, it seemed at least one pair was holing up in the building right there. Walking in, James follows the trail of mana for as long as it will take him, hopefully to the specific room that his fellow Master had chosen.

Given how Waver tracked Caster in Zero it seems that risidual mana sticks around at least a decent length of time, so the trail to Ryoma and Assassin's room should still be fresh enough to follow. Do I need to roll to tell from looking at it that two Servants went that way last night and a third just before now?

[7th son of sons]

James
Do in no small part to your own rather unique skill set, getting back on the trail on the servants is no great feat. Walking through the back alleys, you eventually stumble on an especially fresh trace of mana. Servant mana. Following the trail leads you to a rather lavish suite, clearly occupied by a pair of masters and servants, the door sealed behind them.

[bekeleven]

"We don't kill each other until we're the only masters left. Then we decide who gets the grail among ourselves."

The method didn't concern Bronton overmuch. That was missing the point.

Bronton nodded towards the man, hoping Caster would pick up the hint.

When he responds, regardless of response:
[roll0] Caster wonders if he's lying.
[roll1] So does Bronton.

[7th son of sons]

Bronton/Caster

"Is that all?" The master inquired, plopping back down on the bed. "If that's it, then sure, the alliance is set in stone. Do you mind leaving me to heal now?" He finishes genuinely. Neither of you pick up any lies from the man. His servant stood at his side, nodding along with his words.

[Sith_Happens]

While a part of James would love to stay and eavesdrop, the other, wiser parts know that to be a suicidal risk given that two of the people in that room could very well have superhuman senses of their own. Instead he makes note of the room number, keeps walking until the next elevator, and takes it back down to the lobby.

Notice roll to see if James is able to catch any of the last two posts' worth of dialogue as he walks by: [roll0]
Before leaving the building, however, he makes a stop at the front desk and quietly speaks to whoever's there in Japanese.

"Good day. If you don't mind, would you kindly tell me who's currently in room [number]?"

Magecraft to initiate hypnosis: [roll1]

[bekeleven]

"Good." Bronton wasn't smiling. "When my servant determines us to be the last, I will contact you again."

He walks out.

[AmberVael]

Archer/Elf

"Or there is no wish at all; all the mana was spent on servants." Elf said. She picked up her arbalest and got to her feet, beginning to pace a tight circuit around their camp. "The Grail was broken. It shouldn't work. Perhaps only part of it still works. It would make more sense." She paused and looked towards Archer as she suggested the possibility, her pale face blank, then returned to her circuit.

She widened her circuit a little as she continued to walk, her stride brisk, probably faster than it needed to be. Every so often she glanced around, sometimes sweeping her gaze over the trees, other times darting a quick look up. Her glances upwards became more frequent, until finally she slowed and stopped to look up through the trees at the night sky, staring at the stars and moon. Her furrowed brow relaxed and her eyes opened a little wider as she took in the sight, giving it a lingering moment of consideration before she turned away, looking back to the camp and Archer.

"Maybe we should go to my family at dawn." She said, slowly returning to center of the campsite to reclaim her previous seat. "I need to rest."



* * *

Bright light, the taste of brine. There was the rising sense of warmth. Soon it burned, then scalded, a heat pressing in on all sides. And within, something boiled cold, bubbling and expanding uncontrollably...


* * *


Elf had indeed risen with the dawn, and given that she was again walking briskly about the camp and had no circles under her eyes, she didn't seem to be suffering from her fairly short rest. She spent the early hours of the morning quietly prowling the immediate area to make sure no one had approached. Once she'd done that to her satisfaction, she gestured for Archer to follow her and then set out deeper into the forest.

Elf will be leading the way to Einzbern Castle, which I guess is somewhere in F, technically?

[7th son of sons]

James
You get the gist of the conversation in question, hearing of some sort of... aliiance, between the two teams? An interesting development, for certain. The woman at the help desk, however, is much more talkative. Her face takes on a red tint as she explains the circumstances. "W-Well uhm... th-that would be M-Mr. Giacomo and h-his associate. They p-p-payed for the room in a-advance about a w-week ago. Business trip, they said. Although they are... certainly here for pleasure as well..." she continued, unconsciously rubbing her arm. It's obvious your magic was more than enough to get into the woman's head.

Archer/Elf
The way from your camp is mostly heavy forest, and it's certainly a bit of a trek. As you near where you know the castle to be, the forest grows... gloomier. Darker. There's an unnatural air to the whole place. Like something's watching you...
You both may want to make notice checks :smalltongue:

[Sith_Happens]

James

"If you don't mind, does Mr. Giacomo have a full name? Oh, and what do he and his 'associate' look like?"

[7th son of sons]

James
"That would be Giacoma... de Seingalt," she replied, quickly checking her computer to confirm. She then went on to describe the pair in enough detail you can put their images together in your mind. The two certainly stood out from the usual sort to come through the city, with her paying special attention to the refinement and class of their clothes, even more than their demeanor or facial features.

[DoctorFaust]

"Oh, hell." Back in his suite, Julien paces back and forth, thinking about what to do about the discovery of the going-ons at the Tohsaka household. Eventually, he settles on diverting that familiar to Sir Reynard's house to relay the information to him, and resumes his preparations for the night.

[Sith_Happens]

James

"Thank you. Forget that you ever met me and that this conversation ever happened."

I forget, is memory alteration bundled into hypnosis or is it its own spell that I need to cast separately?
On his way out of the building a thought suddenly strikes James; pulling out his phone, he promptly Googles the name he was just given.



Giacomo Casanova (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Casanova), known to have often used the alias "Chevalier de Seingalt."

James scratches his head. Surely no Servant could possibly be so careless, at least not if their Master had any say in it... Then again, it would explain that receptionist's behavior...

He immediately calls Rider, speaking in Arabic just in case after making sure that no other Servants are around who might understand him.

"Answer me truthfully, are you attracted to men, women, or both? Either someone's pulling my leg or one of our foes is the Casanova."

Simultaneously he wastes no time in getting back on the trail, this time choosing to retrace the steps of whichever Servant had accompanied the newly-identified Casanova the night before (the more recent guest could wait; always better to start with the colder trail just in case).

Attempting to locate where Rei and Saber came from before running into Ryoma and Casanova; their trail should still have the Backtraced aspect from before, with a free invoke if I need to roll this.

[7th son of sons]

Elf/Archer
Both of you can see, moving quickly, and disturbingly quietly through the trees, a massive figure of inhuman form. Even at this distance, it towered over the both of, it's form one of nightmarish proportions, barely more than bones. At the end of both arms were a set of massive claws, and it's alien like head was topped with two massive steer horns. It seemed to watch the both of you before vanishing into the woods, as soundless as when he appeared.

James
Although following the path of the other master is easy, entering the hotel itself is not. Just from the outside you can take note of not just one, but two magical defenses surrounding the building. Specialized defenses for keeping a specific group of people out. And those people were Mages, and Servants. Problematic, to be sure.

[RdMarquis]

"Answer me truthfully, are you attracted to men, women, or both? Either someone's pulling my leg or one of our foes is the Casanova."

"The French fellow?" The voice on the other end barks a laugh. "To answer your question, women, though I rarely had the pleasure." To be frank, he hardly remembered a moment when he wasn't accompanied by his brothers in arms. Nor was he ever married.

[Sith_Happens]

"The French fellow?" The voice on the other end barks a laugh. "To answer your question, women, though I rarely had the pleasure." To be frank, he hardly remembered a moment when he wasn't accompanied by his brothers in arms. Nor was he ever married.

"Italian, actually, but yes. I almost feel sorry for any women who've found themselves in this contest; if he lives up to his reputation they'll never know what hit them."
James stops just outside the first barrier and pretends to check something on his phone. In actuality, he quickly analyzes the spell's function and composition and then whispers an aria under his breath.

"Accessing source
Altering mana flows
Rewrite the Law
Inserting permissions
My will be done"

Investigate create an advantage with Memory Partition bonus to uncover the spell's defining aspect and determine what it does: [roll0]

Magecraft overcome with McAlester Prodigy bonus to permanently alter the barrier so it doesn't trigger for James or Rider: [roll1], spending or saving the invoke(s) from the above roll as necessary once I know the difficulty of this one.

If my understanding of magecraft is correct then James' tampering should be undetectable without senses similar to his own. Or I suppose a Caster with the right skillset and/or background could probably discover it should they think to check.
Confirming that his handiwork was successful, James immediately enters the building and climbs the stairs until reaching the second barrier, which he makes even shorter work of (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21334100&postcount=262) after observing it to be the same spell as the first. Continuing undaunted, he nonchalantly follows the trail to its end.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, a paper doll changes the channel on a police scanner and overhears some rather worrying chatter implying that a certain woman has been violently abducted. For the time being, though, that would have to wait.

Need to confirm whether Rei and/or Saber are currently "home" before knowing what to do next.

Confirmation that James has approximately just now learned of Rin's disappearance came via PM, for any other players who might be reading this.

[YuweaCurtis]

Eh, that is a pretty strange individual... Rei would spend a few more hours trying to keep an eye out for more masters, this time making sure she was paying more attention. She and Saber would also familiarize themselves with a wide area around their hotel. If she manages a few more hours without confrontation, she would do a small amount of shopping, get something to eat and head back to the hotel. Saber is alert enough, but many of the modern wonders that are plain everyday things to use keep distracting him.

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

Not more than ten minutes passes between your message being sent, and another one returning.
Yes, I've heard of something like that Stop
Sent Lancer to take a look Stop
The kidnapping was committed by a man named Shi-Lang Stop
Worth Investigating, will discuss later Stop
RRR

Rei/Saber
The rest of the night is considerably more dull, probably for the better. With no approaching masters or from nowhere sniper fire, the events of the evening go off without a hitch. Obviously, not as much would be expected to go on within the city center, hence why the meeting of another servant would certainly be seen as an anomaly, rather than the norm.

[Snacs]

Rider

"Sheesh... and I just got that new ice cream that just came out! Jin Eun!" Rider's warm voice sulked in Jin Eun's ear, though the Heroic Spirit wasn't visible just now.



"Ahhh...but I guess it doesn't hurt us if that Tohsaka girl doesn't know you're part of the game yet. I'll stay out of the way...for now. Just be careful. If that woman survived the last grail fight she's either really lucky, or really tough. Well, not that I have to tell you that" She was glad she had chosen not to appear. They had an ally, a name, and bait. Who knew, if that Tohsaka girl bought it fighting Shi Lang well, that was only the better of two options.

[Shiki-pon]

Caster had drifted back to his Master's camp once things had died down in his scouting location. He materialized upon seeing his Master, who seemed to have kept himself alive for the night. "Yo, Master. How did your night go?"

Note: This is a flashback.

[bekeleven]

After he left, Bronton looked around and sighed.

"You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," said a voice in his mind.

"I don't care to catch either, but we have to win this grail together. Where to next?"

Caster attempts to locate another master using... Magecraft, I guess? [roll0]

[Fearan]

Ignacio/Flashback
When Caster had returned he had found their camp clouded in mist and his master in quite an agitated state. -Ah, you arrived. - Ignacio said with a hint of relief - - We need to relocate urgently - somehow, I've missed another Master's base right nearby. Now - he said, while picking up his already tightly packed backpack - We've got an appointment tomorrow night on a bridge - I understand, that may be not your forte, but it was either that or me trading blow with Assassin right here. We'd better get ready. Anything crucial you found in the city?
Action: Relocate into J than focus on preparations for the showdown.

[Shiki-pon]

Flashback
Caster nodded his assent when his Master informed him of the need to relocate. Though a forest was favorable ground to him, it offered little in terms of defenses most magi would consider defenses and was thus hard to fortify. Not that his Master seemed to be in the habit of doing that.
At the mention of the 'appointment', Caster stopped for a moment. "Really? I leave you alone for one night and you rope us into a duel?" He didn't consider himself to be in prime dueling condition as a Caster, after all. Otherwise he would've had no complaints about the situation. "Well, at least you told me ahead of time. With your permission, I'll make some preparations once we've set up shop in the city..."
"Oh, and I discovered quite a few things during my scouting run... For starters, I know the location of one Servant, and spotted Lancer and Saber to boot. Saw their Masters too, if you're inclined to look for them... But please don't do so on your own."

[AmberVael]

Elf/Archer

Elf eyes the figure lurking in the woods warily, but doesn't let it stop her. She continues on to her destination, glancing at Archer before focusing on her goal in the distance.

[7th son of sons]

Elf/Archer

Pressing on through the forest, you both catch brief glimpses of that same something movie through the woods around and above you, never stopping as it had when first it saw you, but always at a distance, always perfectly silent. As you grow closer to the castle, these sightings become less and less frequent, until said castle is in your sights, and that thing is not. As you step through the still ruined front gate way, that thing quickly drops down from the ceiling, standing directly in front of you, it's breath still visible despite the warmer weather. It had to be almost twelve feet tall, before its horns, and it's face was a twisted and distorted version of what could have, at one point, been described as human.

"Berseeeeeerkeeeeeer~~~" Sang a voice from behind the creature. The voice was instantly recognizable to Elf as the voice of the Einzbern Master, Aurelia. "That's no way to greet our guests."

[Yabex]

Archer/Elf

When Archer spotted Berserker for the first time, a chill ran down his spine. He didn't like the look of that thing one bit and it made him uncomfortable. He whispered to Elf when it vanished from sight. "A friend of yours, I hope."

As they approached the castle, Archer felt like he was in familiar territory. Then Berserker re-appeared and his feeling of uneasiness returned. At that moment, he was great-full they were here to broker an alliance. Archer remained silent, but stood confidently beside his Master, staring at the monster before them.

If the servant is what I think it is :smallwink:, then there might be a chance Archer would have heard of it. Knowledge of Legends [roll0]

[Fearan]

Flashback
An annoyed 'tsk' was the answer to Caster's latest words. - It's not like I've actively look for those. Assassins don't work that way. Now - Ignacio followed. - Those Assassins, Romeo and Juliet are... quirky. They are some kind of dual-body entity. Also, instead of sneaking and, you know, assassinating - he let out a forced laugh, no doubts thinking about how close he was to death - it came almost openly with challenge issuing and banner waving - figuratively, of course. Let's think about how to deal with them first, and Lancer and Saber later. What you think?

[AmberVael]

Elf/Archer

Elf did her best not to react to Berserker, but her eyes followed his every movement and appearance, never leaving him once he had shown himself. Nonetheless, she kept up her steady pace, and did not turn aside or away from her destination. Aurelia's voice, on the other hand, caused her to stop and finally tear away her gaze from Berserker. She looked past the servant, trying to spy the other master, then looked down at her feet.

"I - a guest, milady?" Elf asked, uncertainty tinging her question. "I'm sorry. I ran away, but - I'm still loyal. I still want to help. I just worried. I know this wasn't the plan. Wasn't how I was supposed to work. But..."

She took a single, deliberate breath, then looked up. "We can use this. It can be an asset. A second servant is more important than me, than my flaw. I can still be of use. Please, milady. Forgive my error."

[Sith_Happens]

James

Seeing that this room is also presently occupied, James analyzes the trap on the door and notes the room number as he walks past, then proceeds as before: go downstairs, hypnotize the front desk into telling him who's in the room in question, and leave.

Since James was able to see through the previous door that there were people in the room I assume the same goes for this one.

Magecraft for hypnosis: [roll0]

EDIT: Uh oh.:smalleek:

[Shiki-pon]

Flashback
"Two Servants as one? I guess that's possible, if their legends are intertwined to enough of a degree..." Caster found himself somehow knowing details about Romeo and Juliet, probably supplied by the Grail. He couldn't fathom the two being too great of a threat to him, as neither was renowned for particular skill in combat or magecraft. Perhaps Romeo is the combatant while the girl provides moral support? Though amusing, the assumption could prove a threat in and of itself, so he dismissed it. If I had to guess, their strength probably lies in their Noble Phantasm...
"I suppose it would dishonor both you and me if we didn't meet their challenge. Though their challenge makes me think duels are their forte. Perhaps even their Noble Phantasm is tied to that?" Caster mused. His own Noble Phantasms ought to level both the playing field and his enemies if things went south. "Still, its their fault in not setting down rules beforehand. I think it would be best for me to establish my Territory on the bridge and fortify the area into something more favorable... What do you think about that, Master? Can you handle yourself for the day without roping us into more duels?"

[7th son of sons]

Bronton/Caster
Despite your best efforts to find some sort of magical lead as to where the enemy servants were, it seemed there was just nothing to latch onto to lead you to their base, aside from the Assassin you had just had an arrangement with. Then again, this type of thing usually takes an extensive amount of magecraft, and your hurried attempts aren't exactly in your field of specialty, either. That is to say: Magic at all.

Elf/Archer
Aurelia giggled at this, stepping down the stairway in full view of the both of you. She continued walking calmly till she stood besides berserker. She was definitely an Einzbern Homunculus. Red Eyes, White Hair, a certain inhuman quality to her that made her older appearance seem... off. She wore a simple white dress, and smiled at the both of you when she saw you. "And of course I recognize your loyalty, Elf," she replied. "And the purposes of a second servant under the Einzbern family name is a welcome addition. I had no need of those other catalysts anyway. Not after I realized just what Berserker was capable of! Elf, you remember Delta, don't you?" She inquired, giving Berserker a pat on the back.

Delta. the name of one of your "Sisters", the other scouting class Homunculus in Aurelia's possession.
Strength A+, Endurance A, Agility A+, Mana D, Luck D, Noble Phantasm B

James
The woman looked at you questionably, and then her eyes glazed over, and she smiled to you warmly. "Well, that would be Rei Kevlar, sir," She replied. "She's been within the building for about a week now. A good customer. Paid ahead of time, keeps to herself, and keeps the place tidy."

[Sith_Happens]

James

"How would I recognize her, and is anyone staying with her?"

-----------------------------------------------
[Very slight flash-forward for expediency's sake:]
-----------------------------------------------

Once James has all the answers he needs he wipes the employee's memory as before (or so he thinks) and leaves, moving with urgency due to the other matter that had just come to his attention. He buys a newspaper from the first stand he passes, sits down at the nearest café, orders a coffee, and assumes control of his familiar, willing it to fly with haste to the Tohsaka estate.

[bekeleven]

"All right, Caster. You don't like me, and I don't like you."

"I like you."

"Oh." Bronton stopped on the sidewalk. Honestly, he'd been itching to use one of his command spells - literally, his hand wouldn't stop itching, probably due to his origin. "Well, anyway, that Assassin is a nonentity. We can't depend on allies like that. If he was even telling the truth, which I doubt."

"Hmm." Caster materialized in front of him and stared down into his eyes, exploring without judging. "No, you don't," she decided.

Luckily, the fading light kept her actions from attracting attention. Or some magic thing. Bronton could never be totally sure with a servant like her. If only her personality were as powerful as her magecraft.

Well, maybe lack of powerful was the wrong accusation. She seemed to loom over him conversationally as well as physically.

I have the command spells.

"Fine. I don't. You're the one that wants to talk with the masters. Send out some familiars and find them."

"I can't."

"Why..." Bronton lowered his voice. "How can a caster not have familiars?"

She turned around and began to walk down the street. "I don't fight outside of my territory. The war's just begun, master." Bronton wanted to read derision into the title, but she was too damn proper. "There is no need to take risks yet."

"Yes there is. I want to."

Caster turned around looked him up and down, again doing her not-quite-judging that made the judgement all the more scathing.

"Fine then." He pointed to the nearest fire escape. "Let's go and make some territory."

Caster makes some territory for the pair to hide in. Stealth: [roll0]
Caster creates the no mortal magecraft advantage to represent her subtlety with the craft. Then, she'll invoke it for a +2 to create a low-profile, hard to spot barrier built to spot mages in the area (the building and a bit of nearby street)
[roll1]
Bronton spends his time sensing for nearby servants: Notice [roll2]

[Athelstan]

Rhune sat looking out the window as the afternoon came "You know berserker, I don´t mind if you want to go outside into the forest, just remain unseen, I will not hold you down here if you wish to run around and bask on the sun light just be mindful to not be seen and come back at sun down, I don´t like another surprise visit where I don´t hold the upper hand" Rhune turns and goes to his work table were he begins to clean his hand gun and a sniper rifle. A Barret .50 No master should be able to survive a shot from this at range if I hit them

Berserker stays for a moment watching his Rhune being dutiful, he could go out but he settled for remaining inside letting the sunlight hit him from the window, observing his master not sure what to do. Stay or go outside? Freedom to roam the forest a strange master. A man that did not fear him.

Rhune turns to find Berserker staring at him, with a strange feral look not sure if it´s about to pounce on him or he is just observing him, either way he had command seals if he really needed them, but since he wasn´t going outside "Berserker can you go to the guest house check our friend did not leave something behind, or a trap? I will check with magic also."

Berserker takes a long time to move before grunting something Rhune was unable to hear.


Check guest house for any magic in it that is not my own [roll0]
IF successful and I do find something dispel the magic [roll1]
Create advantage Precision Shots bonus to hit with my Barret (using Shoot) [roll2]
Create advantage Shiny Light when someone enters the barrier they receive a bright light in their face for a moment to blind them [roll3]

[7th son of sons]

James
The familiar takes off into the last hours of daylight, quickly scoping out the house of Tohsaka, it's evident something terrible has happened. A police car in the front has taken major damage to it's hood, practically leaving a hole through the engine. The entirety of the hood has been ripped off as well. And on the outer walls of the estate is the name "Shi-Lang". It's readily apparent that police are closing up shop on this investigation, but just as well, that they have no idea where the owner of the house, Rin Tohsaka, is.

Bronton/Caster
A few slow hours pass by before any action seems to go on. But, sure enough, it does come. The building you're camped out on seems to be a place of interest for a certain pair. An older woman, clearly geared for a long night. At her side, a tall, athletic, full figured woman with dark skin and very little clothing. It doesn't take much magica talent to realize they are Master and Servant. And it doesn't take much to deduction to find the woman leveling an impressively large sniper rifle at the door from which Assassin and his Master would have to leave.

Rhune/Berserker
The room is without any magical residue, or at least nothing beyond general "A Servant was Here" traces of mana. Emphasis on "Was". The room is, as it stands, totally empty. No Roderick, no Romeo, and no Juliet. They had, however, left behind a note.
Thanks for the rest, Guy, but I got a date with another servant. Time to put these two to the test. Can't be worse than sittin' around waiting to die, right?
See ya when I see ya
- Roderick

[Athelstan]

Rhune exhales and rolls his eyes Fear will get him killed, but that is none of my problem, is not like he was paying me to do a job

Rhune sits and waits, he was a patient man and he would let the other servants kill each other wasting their prana, only the Caster and Saber servants may be an issue, but then again one more day alive is another day I stick it up to them. A feint smile in his face as Berserk enters the room dropping a deer in the floor and points at it in demanding attitude.

I know you like bbq sauce and the way I can cook it, but you best calm down, there is still some left over and this is not the place to bring it, put it out back and hang it in one of the hooks. I will need your help skinning it and then we gut it. Rhune stands defiant showing no fear to Berserker, but no contempt either Tonight we wait for visitors, remain invisible or inside the house and out of sight, it´s the best thing we can do for now.

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio/Caster
As night falls, foot traffic on the bridge dies down, and by full darkness, it's all but vanished. Aside from the man Ignacio call the servants in the first place. With a sigh, he tossed down his cigarette, stomping out the embers as his Assassin's materialized in front of him.

"Come now, Servant hidden away!" Romeo called out, brandishing his rapier as he stepped in front of Juliet. "Step unto the spotlight that this duel may begin proper!"

Juliet however, took her lovers free hand into her own, holding it close to her chest. "My love, perhaps he has seen reason. That to cross blades with you is a folly akin to death. A love such as ours is without match in any force!"

Their summoner shook his head. "They're here, you morons. Feel the magic in the air? Telltale sign: We're in a workshop..."

Rhune/Berserker
After a long time staring out at your grounds barriers, a small shape reveals itself. A girl, with wild clothes and hair, barefoot, standing just outside the bounds of your defenses seemingly... looking at them. Studying your invisible barriers with a look of wonderment and curiosity. Every now and again she'd peek towards the house itself, but never once took that last step through your carefully laid defense. Even at this distance, even in this darkness, that she was a servant was unquestionable.
Strength D, Endurance E-, Agility A, Mana A+++, Luck D, Noble Phantasms A

[Shiki-pon]

Upon being called out, Caster materialized near the pair of Assassins and their Master. "Yo. So, shall we begin immediately or is there time for a chat?" He took measure of his opponents, laying his gaze on the Master last. "And yes, I did convert this bridge into my Territory, since nobody said anything against it. Please don't call it a workshop, by the way... I'd call it a Grove if it were in a forest, but..."
Caster was silent for a moment. "Workshop it is, then."

[7th son of sons]

Caster/Ignacio

"For truth, a chance to commune with a spirit of heroics!" Assassin lauded, folding his arm before his waist and bowing deeply. "Perchance to witness magic, to see that my blade and passion are a match to the incantations of time past, truly it is our honor."

The woman followed suit, grabbing the hem of her dress and offering a practiced curtsey. "Ay, my love. Remarkable must we be, to be in the same league as one such as he! Alas, to know we now stand as enemies, that our talents must be used for violence, it does the heart a diservice. Do not let the airs of tonight taint your image of fair Romeo, good sir!"

"And do not let my own brutishness besmirch the heavenly perfection that is Juliet!" The first assassin cut in, taking the girls hand as the two stared longingly into one anothers eyes. Behind them, their master, remained silent, but evidently crestfallen. He brought a hand to his temple at the first mention of his servants name, and the other followed suit when they both through their names out.

"All the heroes in all the legends and I get a couple of kids..."

[Shiki-pon]

Even with the hood hiding his features, Caster's nonplussed expression was clearly visible. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth at the show the Servants and Master were putting on. The Master, especially, seemed exasperated at his Servants' antics. Then again, he couldn't fault the man for that. "You are bold to give your names so freely. I'll keep mine a secret for now, so call me Caster."
"As for what I wanted to talk about... I assume the battle will be between us Servants? I don't want to assume anything nasty about you guys, but you did manifest as Assassins and all... Also, will the lady be fighting too, or will this be a battle between men?" Caster sought to confirm whether he had to be on the lookout for sneak attacks towards his Master. The Assassins seemed honourable for their ilk, and being allowed to concentrate solely on the battle at hand would tilt the odds even more in his favour. So he assumed, at least.

[Fearan]

Ignacio stood a bit behind his servant both amused with the chat, Caster had with the Assassins, and the reaction from their master. - So, what about you? - he asked the facepalming magus - You seam to be of "reasonable" type - the world "reasonable" sounded like something awfully boring in his mouth - How did Assassin manage to rope you into this? Oh, sorry, for not introducing myself, I've got reasons. - the cowboy-looking magus asked in a carefree tone.

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio/Caster

"Well, way I see's it," Roderick offered to his fellow master, "If these two are gonna run out and get themselves killed, might as well take out a servant or two, eh?"

"A clash between servants, of course!" Romeo replied, taking a step with his partner away from their master. "There is no honor in a duel with unwilling combatants. The ease in striking down yon master is matched only by the shame that it would cause to do so!"

Juliet nodded her head in agreement. "But just as well, Sir Caster, know that we will never apart! So long have we been distant, even in battle will I stay by his side, and he by mine. That we have stepped unto your grove, to face us both is without issue, do you not agree?"

[DoctorFaust]

Later that day, having spent most of the rest of his waking hours preparing various magical implements, Julien and Berserker once again pack into the rented car and make their way to Sir Reynard's house on the outskirts of town.

"So," Julien says, while they're still a few minutes out from their destination. "You know that there is a very high likelihood of one or the both of us dying tonight, correct?"

"...Uu."

"Just as you know that we may be betray by Reynard, right?"

"U...u? Bu...t...nice."

"Nice enough, but also a Magus of the Clocktower. Like as not, he's plotting against me just as much as I am against him. So always be on guard. Especially around 'Lancer'."

As they go around one more corner, the house currently occupied by their ally comes into view. "Ah, speak of the devil. Just, don't mention any of what I've said to either of them. There is a small chance that they were genuine about what they said last night."

The compact pulls into the driveway, and Julien and Berserker get out. He pauses momentarily to let Berserker retrieve her mace, and then the two walk up to the front door.

[Shiki-pon]

"Alright, suit yourselves. I don't have anything against fighting women." Caster materialized his staff, rapping it on the concrete. "You lovebirds ready to begin?"

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker

Lancer jumped down from her perch on the roof, bowing politely to the both of you as she opened the door for you, her eyes never quite leaving the direction of the road which lead to the house. Within the abode, it seems Reynard has busied himself with some sort of research, piles of books strewn about the main room, and a large map having been put up across the floor.

"Berserker and Julien," he greeted, not looking up from the cloth map of Fuyuki. "Glad to see you are both well. And both willing to work beside me for this venture. Feel free to sit, sit anywhere. Now it appears we have a few leads to go on, yes? The Church has been noticeably quiet as of late, denying contact to Lancer for whatever reason. Perhaps they know something? And then there's the kidnapping of the head of the Tohsaka family. Also troubling, but for different reasons. Either of these could prove fruitful, but they may also prove dangerous. What information have you found?"

Ignacio/Caster
Releasing (reluctantly) one anothers hands, Romeo gripped tightly the rapier in his hand, his off hand behind his back. Juliet, meanwhile, had one hand upon her dagger, and the other to her chest.

"The first move belongs to the challenged," Romeo offered, steeling himself for your attack.

[Shiki-pon]

Caster let out a bark of laughter at his enemy's offer. "Its nice to see that there can be honour between us, despite different backgrounds. I'll take up your offer." He raised his staff to the sky, beginning to move it in patterns. As the crook of the staff moved, it left contrails after it, shaping forms into the air. As he drew the combination of runes, he drew mana he had bound to the surrounding area into the spell.
"Hagalaz. Thurisaz. Sowilo." Naming the glowing runes he had drawn into the air, Caster motioned towards Romeo and Juliet with his staff. The runes blazed brightly, seeming to convulse, then expelled a mighty wave of fire towards Caster's targets.

Attacking with Rune Magic (I can probably target both of them with such a spell) and using one of my free invokes of Mana-Saturated Ground: [roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Caster/Ignacio

The wave of fire rushed towards the pair. Instinctively, they stepped towards one another, an almost unnoticeable light washing over them as well as the flames. Steeling themselves as best they can, the two seem almost surprised when they stand without much injury. Romeo lunges with surprising speed towards Caster, the previous attack seeming to spur him into action, while Juliet clasped the pendent around her neck, a bright light surrounding Caster. It seems at least one of these Assassins was a mage as well.

Romeo: Attacking Caster with Weapon Mastery (Swords): [roll0]
Juliet: Attempting to Create Advantage "Binding Circle" with Magecraft. Witchcraft Skills provides +1. [roll1]

[Shiki-pon]

Caster was hardly surprised that the pair had survived the first attack. Still, he hadn't expected them to just stand there and take the spell. I guess they do have some tricks up their sleeve. Just as he finished the thought, a premonition flashed across his mind, warning of an impending attack. The spell he had worked earlier told him of Romeo's movements moments before they happened, and Caster sidestepped deftly as the rapier pierced nothing but air.
Caster swept a hand across the air in front of him, drawing another rune into the air. Sowilo shone bright, unleashing fire that quickly enveloped Romeo inside a makeshift pyre.

[roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio/Caster

The fires again scorched Romeo, but this time he lunged straight through, throwing caution aside to attack at Caster. Behind him, Juliet closed her hand, the shining light surrounding Caster restricting his movements, letting Romeo get off a better strike. As soon as her hand closed, she began offering up another incatation, this one focused instead on Romeo's sword.

Romeo attacks with Weapon Mastery (Swords), using the free invoke of Binding Circle: [roll0]
Juliet uses her turn to let Romeo use the Aspect.

[Shiki-pon]

This time the forewarning came too late, and Romeo scored his first hit on Caster. As he leapt back, Caster made note of the binding that had accompanied the light from Juliet, a binding that he hadn't even noticed, lifting from him as he exited Romeo's attack range. Well well well, the lady seems to be a mage as well.
He raised his staff to the skies, gathering the Mana he had poured into the earth. "Ansuz!" The rune flared into life with a practiced twist of his staff, providing concentration for the energies he was harnessing. "Thurisaz. Hagalaz. Isa!" The three runes he had drawn into being formed the spell he had in mind, shaping the magical energy into a condensed storm of hail and lightning, laced with a curse calling for the demise of his target. With a swing of his staff, he sent the end result speeding towards Romeo. Just as it made to connect, the storm expanded, raking its surroundings with icy shards and lightning.
Its been a while since I last cooked up something like that...

Attacking Romeo while using my second free invoke of Mana-Saturated Ground: [roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio/Caster

Romeo did his best to avoid the storm of magic, but even still, the wounds ripped through his outfit and muscles, especially across his arms and chest. Still, he steeled himself, ready for the offensive. Behind him, his partner had now pulled her dagger, holding it in both hands.

"O Happy Dagger," she spoke, magical energy whipping out and around her as she did, Romeo's fists clenching white as it did. "Here is they sheath. Within the heart do you find your home!" And with those words, she plunged the blade into her chest. And though it made no contact, the wound was mirrored upon Caster. Jumping to her side, Romeo held the girl. Even if her wound was barely a graze on her flesh, he could not bare the memory of her pain.

Juliet takes One Stress. The Attack is made with Empathy, and must be defended with Willpower. Juliet gets a +3 to the roll. [roll0]
Romeo cannot take action when Juliet uses her NP

[Shiki-pon]

Caster smirked as his spell hit home, wounding Romeo to a greater degree than he had hoped. As he prepared to weather another of the enemy's attacks, he became aware of the magical energy gathering around Juliet. Before he could fathom a method to suppress whatever it was the girl was doing, Juliet spoke her Noble Phantasms name aloud, stabbing herself in the chest with a blade. At the same moment, a crippling pain flashed into being on Caster's own chest, mirroring the wound Juliet had inflicted upon herself.
Caster let out a shout of pain, falling onto one knee in surprise. What the-? She had something like this up her sleeve? The wound wasn't lethal, he was certain of that. As he lacked many of his myriad abilities, his ability to survive even the most grievous wounds was missing as well. He was therefore fully capable of living through the attack just now on his own merits.
He suddenly lifted his downcast gaze back towards the lovers, red eyes gleaming in the shadow of his hood. "I'll praise you for that. I didn't expect that I'd be taking such a heavy blow straight out of the blue..." An excited smile appeared on his lips, and he got to his feet.

He cocked his head to the side, as if thinking. "I don't think it'd be proper conduct to respond to your Noble Phantasm without using my own." Holding his staff to the side, Caster swept his free hand in a series of quick, complex movements, drawing streams of runes into the air. "Burn them to ashes, o wooden giant..."
He thrust his staff to the skies as he named his Noble Phantasm. "Wicker Man!" The streams of runes he had drawn ignited, swirling in rings around him. Then the bridge below them began to rumble, as the runes wove a ring of fire around Caster. Suddenly, a wooden construct, seeming almost like a cage, burst forth from the fire, next to Caster himself. The construct rose, revealing a set of shoulders, followed by the upper body, arms and legs. The colossus stepped onto the bridge, and Caster peered down at his enemies from his vantage point on its shoulder.
As fire erupted onto the wooden titan's limbs, Caster raised his staff in a clear challenge.

A flaming golem is summoned, with one moderate consequence and Stress points equal to: [roll0]. The golem operates until the end of the battle or until all of its stress and consequences have been expended.
Wicker Man attacks with Brute Strength +4, Defense +2, and it possesses the aspect Burning Colossus. In addition, if an enemy suffers 3 or more Stress from a single attack by Wicker Man, they gain the aspect Blazing Sacrifice, which Wicker Man (not Caster) gains a free invoke of.

[DoctorFaust]

Julien/Berserker

Lancer jumped down from her perch on the roof, bowing politely to the both of you as she opened the door for you, her eyes never quite leaving the direction of the road which lead to the house. Within the abode, it seems Reynard has busied himself with some sort of research, piles of books strewn about the main room, and a large map having been put up across the floor.

"Berserker and Julien," he greeted, not looking up from the cloth map of Fuyuki. "Glad to see you are both well. And both willing to work beside me for this venture. Feel free to sit, sit anywhere. Now it appears we have a few leads to go on, yes? The Church has been noticeably quiet as of late, denying contact to Lancer for whatever reason. Perhaps they know something? And then there's the kidnapping of the head of the Tohsaka family. Also troubling, but for different reasons. Either of these could prove fruitful, but they may also prove dangerous. What information have you found?"

"Unfortunately, less than you have," Julien replies. "My efforts last night were focused in your direction, so by the time I got around to investigating the houses of the three families, there was enough sun that it interfered with my familiar's senses. At best, I was able to discover that there hadn't been much activity beyond what you already knew about the Tohsakas."

[YuweaCurtis]

Having stay up all night, Rei slept most of the day away. She makes sure to set an alarm for nightfall however. Saber would busy himself watching TV, but would get annoyed at the stupidity of the modern age. So instead he would go fact finding on the internet, clumsily using Rei's laptop. Walking up to catch a glimpse of him tooling around with it her initial response is a soft panic. Do you even know what you're doing? Saber shrugs, Somewhat, I've figured out what I need to know. I've been using it a while now. Rei sighs, figuring its too late to stop him now. I'm getting ready then we are checking the industrial part of town tonight. Saber nods, then sees if he can find the map to that area of town.

By the time she is out of the shower, Saber has another set of common clothes on, some colorful button up shirt and slacks. She would wearing pretty much the same thing (still actual different clothes), save for a shirt with a different design. After slipping on her hoodie she would place her concealed handgun and check her katana and p90 before securing them back in her case. Speaking of guns, that person last night was specifically aiming for me. Assuming he isn't a fool, we should expect they have some sort of trick. Also, isn't there some sort of armor you can invest to protect yourself? I believe these are called bulletproof vests? Yea, yea. I'll see what I can do. As she speaks she dials the number to the person responsible for outfitting her for the war. Yes, this is Rei. I'll need a bulletproof vest dropped off in my room. Also if you can get any information on Ryoma Kanzuki... No more specifically his being mages. He is in the war and I'm unsure if he got lucky or if there's some sort of training behind him.

[7th son of sons]

Caster/Ignacio
As the burning Colossus stepped into being, Romeo helped his beloved back to her feet, still clutching at her dagger. "My love, a behemoth without match. Truly shall our love be the one to conquer such a golem!" Romeo pleaded, smiling when his wife followed suit.

"Take point, fair Romeo, for I will be behind you. Soft at the wind, but twice as sharp!" Hand in Hand, the pair raced towards the golem, Romeo brandishing his Rapier, and Juliet her dagger, still dripping faintly with her blood.

Julien/Berserker
"Hmm, I see, troubling indeed." The older man replied. "Either way, it would seem as though the Tohsaka residence would be more the 'hot bed' of activity between it and the church, wouldn't you say? The heir of one of the three founding families may just have insight into why this War has started up again."

Rei/Saber
The bulletproof vest arrives quickly enough, but information not so much. "Sorry to tell you this, Rei, but it looks like we've got no accounts of a Ryoma Kanzuki as any type of mage, official or no. He's either self taught, or very very lucky."

[Fearan]

To observe the Servant fight was astonishing - the magecraft clashed with swordplay and Noble Phantasms were drawn out at Ignacio's first battle. He shrugged when Caster responded with his Wicker Man against the obviously half of the enemy's Noble Phantasm, but said nothing - after all, wasn't his Servant a great hero, or something - he probably knew a thing or two about tactics - or guts to ignore it. Instead the magus focused his attention at his counterpart. - So, what about you? Gonna fight? - he asked, again in his annoyingly carefree tone.

[Shiki-pon]

Caster seemed pleased that the two Heroic Spirits hadn't lost their courage at the sight of his Noble Phantasm. What surprised him more was that this time, the both of them decided to charge into the fight. The golem moved, the groan of moving lumber and the crackling of flame accompanying its booming footsteps. Before the giant could respond, the pair on the ground had already made their attacks. By the sound of splintering wood, Caster figured they had inflicted pretty minor damage.
Still, no harm in playing it safe... "Algiz." Caster drew the rune into the air in front of Wicker Man's head, and as the rune blazed into life, the spell's effect was transmitted onto the entirety of the giant's body, reinforcing the structure of the golem and hardening it. Now then... Creaking, Wicker Man swung its burning arm toward Romeo and Juliet.

Wicker Man attacks Romeo, unless its possible for its swing to hit both of them at once. Its going to be using a free invoke (I assume a +8 was a success with style) from Hardened Shell as well: [roll0]

Wicker Man Stress: 5/8

[DoctorFaust]

"Probably," Julien replies. "Yesterday, I would've said we should go to the Church first, but it might be a better idea to find out what happened to Tohsaka first."

[AmberVael]

Elf/Archer

Relief showed on Elf's face, though she kept an alert, cautious stance. "Of course, milady. Why do you ask?" The change of topic seemed a little odd to Elf, but she went along with it for now. Despite Aurelia's words and what Elf hoped for, she wasn't entirely at ease yet. It was easy to say something, but it could be a trick or trap. Elf wanted to be loyal, to serve, but if Aurelia planned to do something, she was ready to protect herself.

[7th son of sons]

Julien/Berserker
"Very Well, our hunt begins!" Reynard replied with a certain excitment. "May we take your car? I'm afraid my own mean of transporation is a bit more... conspicuous."

Elf/Archer
"Well, what do you think?" Aurelia replied happily, presenting Berserker to you. "Do you like her new look? We found that almost none of the other homunculus were compatible with this current Holy Grail War, leaving them improper masters. A trivial concern, but when Berserker was born, the ability for they to take on his much more useful form became a lynch pin to our grand strategy. Granted, Berserker is hardly as subtle as it would be liked, but now that you and... your servant have come before us, this plan holds much higher chances for success."

[bekeleven]

A taller woman rounded the corner to the location of the woman and her servant. A small, sensible hat sat on her short hair and she wore a navy coat over a blue dress. In her right hand, she carried a large black suitcase.

"Hello, you two." She smiled. "Care for a chat?"

Bronton is armed with an SMG from Caster and ready to exit the territory at a moment's notice to assist - this was their compromise.

She also has a barrier prepared.

Caster's Rapport: [roll0]

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio/Caster
Roderick shook his head at the obvious provaction from the American(?) master. "As much fun as it would be to level you in a punch, drifter, I don't think my servants are going to last all that long. And the big wooden burning thing isn't exactly something I want to tangle with neither." He held out his gauntleted hand, opening his palm towards the pair. "Romeo, by the power of my command seals, draw forth your Noble Phantasm!"

Juliet put her hands to her face, as Romeo was forced to his knees drawing forth a golden goblet filled with a mysterious black liquid. "The Door of Breath... A dateless bargain to engrossing death... thus with a Kiss a Die" Raising up the goblet, he took a long breath of the draught, releasing a cloud of virulent mist towards the Golem, as well as Caster himself. The young man struggled to remain concious, as he lie in his lovers arms now, the goblet vanishing back into Prana.
An attack made with Empathy, which Romeo receives a bonus to the roll equal to the damage he takes for using it. In this case he's using his Severe Consequence, giving him a +6. Can be defended against with Defend OR Willpower. [roll0]

Bronton/Caster
As soon as you materialize, the dark skinned woman's spear materialized in her hand, holding it out towards Caster. "You stand before a Warrior with intention to speak? Very brave or very foolish..."

The woman, however, simply smiled at the company. "Now now, Lancer, no need to be uncivil. Believe me, we should take the conversation while we can get it. A servant, I presume? Go on then, let us discuss"

[Shiki-pon]

Caster swept his gaze towards the enemy Master as the man used his Command Spells. That bastard... Interfering with a duel like that! It seemed clear that with Wicker Man's power, he was going to carry the night. Shame for the two lovers, but that's the way that wars worked. Caster thought they'd fought well for relatively young Heroic Spirits, especially considering the fact that their legend didn't involve much mention of the strength the two displayed.
Wicker Man moved its arms into a more defensive position, in preparation for the enemy's second Noble Phantasm. As Romeo collapsed, a cloud of mist rose toward the golem as well as Caster himself. The flames on Wicker Man's body flared in an effort to disperse the approaching mist, seeming to deflect the attack for the most part. It seemed as though the mist was corrosive in nature, as the wood began to blacken and fall apart in the places where the mist had reached through the flames. Suddenly, Caster felt the attack reach himself. A heavy feeling of guilt fell upon him, and the pressure it caused on his mind was almost another pain unto itself. He knew the blame for the young couple's deaths rested solely on his shoulders. Wait, what?
He had never felt guilt for his actions in life, and he had done far worse than duel a willing pair of opponents. At this realization, the foreign feeling of guilt dissipated somewhat, though the damage to his mental state was done. Still, I can't help but feel a bit sad... Resorting to Wicker Man against these two began to feel like an adult using weapons to beat two unarmed children. Nevertheless, his duty as a Servant remained. He wondered whether the latest feeling was also a result of Romeo's Noble Phantasm, or if it was something of his own mind.

The wooden moved once again, the wood groaning under the strain of movement. It settled into a crouch of sorts, but clearly ready to attack the prone lovers at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, Caster steadied himself on one of the branches jutting out of the colossus' shoulders, fortifying himself with a few choice runes. Ansuz. Uruz.
"You two. Before I finish this... What is your wish to the Grail?" Caster called out, staring downwards.

Wicker Man is going to try and create the advantage Protective Stance with Defend: [roll0]
Caster tries to create an advantage on himself too, lets call it Fortifying Rune: [roll1]

[DoctorFaust]

"Alright," Julien replies, pulling the key fob out of the pocket of his jacket. "Berserker and Lancer will be having to follow alongside the car, though. It's not meant to hold four with weapons."

[7th son of sons]

Ignacio/Caster

Juliet sighed, Romeo having fully been knocked unconscious for his efforts. She put a hand on her heart, and another on her loves, her smile belying both pride and sadness. "The only wish that matters, Sir Caster," She offered to him. "A Happy Ending."

Off towards the side of the bridge, Roderick shook his head, already beginning to make his leave of the pair.
Romeo and Juliet have bowed out of competition. Their fate is in your hands.

Julien/Berserker
"Of course," He replied, turning to his partner. "Lancer, you don't mind accompanying Berserker to the investigation sight, do you?"

The woman shook her head, looking to Berserker. "If it is as my lord wishes, than it shall be done."

[Shiki-pon]

Upon hearing Juliet's answer, Caster merely sighed. He made a gesture with his hand, and Wicker Man began blazing brighter, the flames starting to consume the Noble Phantasm's woodwork. The construct collapsed slowly, bringing Caster neatly to ground level. All that remained of the colossal golem were ashes. Even they would fade away in a few moments. Somehow, this victory doesn't taste as sweet as the ones I remember.
"Oi, Master." He said, turning towards Ignacio. "Its your call on what we do with them now. Just give the order." He turned back to Juliet and the unconscious Romeo. "Come what may, I don't really have a wish for myself. So how's about I fight for your wish instead?" He kept his eye on the leaving Master, though. The duel was over, and thus Masters were fair game once more. The man could do a lot of harm if left to roam. He also knew Caster's Noble Phantasm, and thus held a key to discovering his identity.

[YuweaCurtis]

Fine then. Let my father know he is in the Grail War with an as yet unnamed Assassin. She says before hanging up and waiting for her vest to arrive. Taking her package at the door and pretending to pay for it, she then goes to the bathroom and puts the vest on under her shirt. I get the feeling this may be completely unnecessary. He's shooting at servants and who's to say this vest will be enough to stop it? Saber sighs, Better safe than sorry. Though, now that I think about it perhaps I should have looked for those bullet shells. Oh well.

Rei steps back into the main room. Alright. Let's go.” She would grab up her guitar case and head out the door with her Servant tailing behind her. She takes a few moments to resecure her traps by muttering some incantations under her breath before heading to the elevator and ultimately leaving the hotel. The two would head for the industrial part of town as planned, this time taking care to remain down low as possible. They would also keep an eye out for other participants of the Grail Wars as normal, and an eye towards the rooftops in the case the sniper shows back up.


I should have do it like this the first time lol.

Rei's Notice for the sniper and generally keeping alert for Masters and/or Servants.
[roll0]
Rei's Stealth to blend into crowds and remain out of sight without people around.
[roll1]
Saber's Heightened Sense to notice sniper, Masters and/or Servants.
[roll2]
Saber's to blend into crowds and remain out of sight without people around
[roll3]

[7th son of sons]

Rei/Saber
You're stopped by the receptionist as you leave. "Excuse me, Ms. Kevlar, but someone came by asking about you earlier. Well, asking about your room, anyway. Very... charming gentleman. Very inquisitive. I think you may have an admirer, miss." The young woman offers.

Making your way to the heart of the city, the crowded city streets aren't exactly a place teaming with space for servants to clash. At least, not those who know what they're doing. The streets are buzzing with normal activity for this time of night. Beyond Ryoma and his Assassin, there's not really any reason for servants to be in the heart of the city. Of course, the bridge is a natural point of interest for activity of that scale, and Ryoma's hideout (assuming he remains there tending his injuries) isn't too far off either.

[YuweaCurtis]

What? Rei says, taken back a bit. Thanks for letting me know. For future reference don't tell anyone my room or name. Anyone I'm expecting will already have that information available. She feigns a smile and continues on her way out, catching up to Saber whom was already standing outside. Ugh, someone knows we are here. I'm wondering if we should rotate hotel rooms now. Well, they haven't attacked yet for some reason. Saber replies looking around. I propose a gambit. We wait for them, should they be so brazen to attack us in the hotel room. Otherwise just stay vigilant when we level the hotel room. We should stand our ground and not have them run use off.

Rei looks as if she has a stroke of genius. Stay here. She runs back up to the front deck and gets some paper. She makes a note that says “Meet me at the bridge.” and hands it to the desk person with instructions to hand it to whomever acquired about her if they are seen again. She then catches back up with Saber, telling him what she did. No point in postpone the inevitable. Speaking of the bridge, lets check that out. The two would make their why to the bridge, keeping there heads low.

[DoctorFaust]

"Very good. I do apologise for the inconvenience, but, well, it's not exactly a big car," Julien says, motioning towards the door. "Shall we be off?"

[7th son of sons]

Rei/Saber
The bridge itself is a decent walk from your own hotel room. There seems to be a noted lack of any traffic, whether it be vehicle or foot traffic, save for a lone man passing the both of you so close to the bridge itself. On said bridge, you can make out 4 figures against the dark lit sky, but nothing specific. What you could grasp, however, was the large outpouring of mana coming from the sight. Servant mana. It seems you weren't the only pair hunting for interest on the bridge that night,.

Julien/Berserker
Lancer vanished into spirit form, as Reynard made his way to the backseat of your car. There's a certain nervousness to him about the whole car ride, but he denies any such feelings if pressed. Without really much traffic this late in the evening, the drive to the Tohsaka house is smooth sailing. And with the police having long since left behind the investigation, you both have the chance to hunt for clues yourself.

[bekeleven]

"I propose a truce. A ceasefire until all other servants are eliminated. Then we decide who gets the grail, and the loser dismisses their servant." Caster stepped forward, still maintaining a healthy distance from Lancer's spear.

"You don't have to work with me right now, we simply agree not to work against each other. There really is no downside." Caster matched the woman's smile. "Wouldn't you agree?"

[Fearan]

- And what's with them? - Ignacio shrugged. They're out, so just capture the master, remove his remaining command seals for us and leave them be. If he has multiple left, I guess, we can use one on something like "Hey, you two, enjoy the company of each other for a day before vanishing". And that's all. As for the wish - well, we'll burn that bridge, when we get there, but for now, I'll be fine with keeping the Grail out of outright villainous hands - He turned to the Assassin's master - No offence, but I'm taking your command spells. I'd rather not do it violently, but it's up to you.

[Shiki-pon]

"Alright." Caster responded, glancing in the direction of the Assassin pair's Master. "And on the subject of the wish, I was actually talking to these two." He indicated the prone Romeo and Juliet. "Come on man, you ruined my big heroic moment... Besides, fighting for the Master's wish is kind of the main deal with Servants."
He moved suddenly, almost instantaneously appearing in front of Roderick. "You heard the Master. Use or surrender your Command Spells and you can go. But just so you know, if you make a threatening move... I won't hesitate to take you down."

[YuweaCurtis]

Sensing the Mana, Rei would get a close enough to make out figures and drop behind the best cover she could find. Go check it out Saber, but do not engage yet. Of course, if opportunity presents itself for us to both take out a target go ahead. Nonlethal means if possible. I get what you mean, I'll go see if I can figure anything useful out. Saber says, activating his Presence Concealment. He would move in closer to the battle, his main focus trying to identify the servants, followed by looking into opening of the masters themselves. Rei could feel tension mounting in her chest, but she was also excited as this would possibly be her first serious engagement. Even if she was just observing, this w


Rei keeping out of sight with Stealth
[roll0]
Rei observing for tactical information with Notice
[roll1]

Saber being careful just in case there's a detector with Stealth
[roll2]
Saber trying to identify and and openings with Discernment
[roll3]

[DoctorFaust]

Berserker arrives a few moments behind them, leaping down from a nearby building and landing by her Master. "Uu...," she says, pointing at the house.

"Of course," Julien replies, pulling a jewel tipped walking stick out of the boot of the car. Tapping it onto the ground, he intones, "Geister, lass mich deine Arbeit sehen.", and then sits back and waits as purple lines begin racing along the ground onto the Tohsaka estate.

Trying to see if there are any active spells around, like wards or magical alarms. Using Magecraft to find them, since I don't think they're generally visible to be noticed, at least in the show.

[roll0]

[AmberVael]

Elf/Archer

Elf wasn't sure what she thought of what had happened to Delta. But then, she wasn't entirely sure what had happened to Delta. Had she somehow become a servant? Elf looked up at Berserker, searching for any trace of the homunculus she had once known. "I don't understand." Elf said, her face blank. "What did you do, milady?"

Though she was entirely ignorant about the lore of servants, Elf had been briefed on the nature of the classes and their common attributes. Berserker, she knew, lost sanity and coherence in exchange for power. That was something concrete she could react to, and it amplified the reserve and heightened uncertainty that Aurelia's revelation had awakened in her.

[Yabex]

Archer/Elf

Archer felt an immense sense of danger. This Master seemed off, not to mention the already unsettling Berserker. Archer didn't understand exactly what a "Homunculus" was, he would have to inquire later. The cloaked figure laid is hand on Elf's shoulder, preventing her from moving any closer to the pair ahead of them. All the alarms in his head were going off, but if this was Elf's family he would see this though. That didn't stop him from forming an escape plan.

I'd like to use Heightened Senses to create the advantage "Escape Route" [roll0]

[Athelstan]

Rhune curses under his breath "A Caster... what rotten luck. Turn the lights off. Berserker let us go meet our guest of tonight, but first take a look to see if you find the master" berserker bloodlust permeates the room immediately "I do wish to know what she ahs to say before you split her in half Berserker" a feral growl and a glare from Berserker is all Rhune gets, and more than enough to test his resolve.

Can I create a familiar to use like a "phone" and talk to caster?


Use both advantages I have created
Predator Eyes so I can see in the dark perfectly fine, Eagle Eyes to improve my eye sight while I´m within the barrier.
[roll0]
Heightened Senses [roll0]
IF allowed:
Create Familiar to communicate [roll1]

[7th son of sons]

Bronton/Caster
Lancer extended her spear out towards Caster, her eyes narrowing. "Already have we decided who will get the Holy Grail. My master and I. There is no discussion."

The older woman, however, put her hand on the spear hilt, lowering it slightly. "Now, Now, Lancer." She smiles at Caster, "Sorry for her, dearie. She's a handful. If you are indeed committed to remaining an ally of sorts, I would love to have you help in thinning the field a bit!" Lancer's breathing was heavy, but steady. Clearly the agreement wasn't to her liking, but what could she do about it against her Master? Reluctantly, she lowered her spear, turning back to the edge of the building.

Ignacio/Caster
Roderick sighed. "Guess there aint much I can do, when ya go me at staff point. Aint exactly fair to throw a couple'a teens at the legendary Cu Chulainn," he mused with a smirk, holding up his hand. "Romeo and Juliet, here these orders and obey. Spend this time with one another... and find Drachenheim..." His hand released two bright flashes of light as Romeo and Juliet returned to spirit form. "There, happy?"

Julien/Berserker
It's obvious the Tohsaka house would have a layer or two of magical defenses, although the three you find may be a little much. They're alarm spells, first and foremost, nothing really noteworthy considering the master of the house is away. What is of some concern, however, is the form moving about on the rooftop.

Elf/Archer
Aurelia tapped her chin, contemplating how to phrase her thoughts. "Think of it as this," she finally began, putting a hand on her servant. "Berserker's catalyst is a human sacrifice, you knew as much. However, the servant summoned is... comparable to a disease, shall we say. Berserker can 'infect' multiple bodies, and thus, create multiple berserkers! Now, controlling so many servants would be more hassle than it's worth, even with my Mana Circuits, so we exploited those very same mana circuits! A few tests confirmed that Berserker planted into bodies with exceptional mana circuits, like those of the homunculus, proved no strain on my own mana supply! So, Delta, Castiel, Queen, and Brunswick have all been made into Berserkers proper!" The girl said with a cheer, clearly proud of herself and the efforts she went into to do something so... horrible, really.

Rhune/Berserker
Caster turned her attention to the familiar, holding out a hand to the creature. "You are not animal, little thing. Magic thing. Why come you?"

[Athelstan]

Rhune wasn't sure how to answer her, but he would play along "Master sent me to talk, what's your name? Where is your Master?" Worst case she destroys the familiar, best case I get an answer to one of my questions.

[7th son of sons]

Rhune/Berserker

"I am Caster! Master is away now."

[Sith_Happens]

James (Evening)


James
The familiar takes off into the last hours of daylight, quickly scoping out the house of Tohsaka, it's evident something terrible has happened. A police car in the front has taken major damage to it's hood, practically leaving a hole through the engine. The entirety of the hood has been ripped off as well. And on the outer walls of the estate is the name "Shi-Lang". It's readily apparent that police are closing up shop on this investigation, but just as well, that they have no idea where the owner of the house, Rin Tohsaka, is.

The crow lands atop the ruined car and surveys the scene from up close. Through its eyes James takes in every minute detail of both the physical damage and the surrounding magical residue, simultaneously performing dozens of mind-bending calculations at the speed of thought in an attempt to reconstruct the moment of the attack.

Investigate to deduce as much as possible about the nature of the attack/Phantasm that Rider used here, which I'll tie to an advantage called Phantasm Clues (Rider): [roll0]
Once James has uncovered all the information he can here, the crow takes off back into the air, homing in on the kidnappers' escape route and following it to wherever it leads.

Don't know if I actually need to roll to follow Jin and Rider's getaway trail given how "bright" and distinctive it probably is, but if so then here's that: [roll1]

And while he's following it, James will analyze the trail to glean as much information as possible about the nature of that NP (and add more free invocations to Phantasm Clues (Rider)): [roll2]