prologue
From the exterior, the Catholic church on East 17th Street was a pretty but unremarkable building - a glazed terracotta building with cracked stained-glass windows, crowded on either side by tenements boasting hand-painted signs that labelled them as takeout restaurants or laundries. From his position at the window, Monsignor Motisi could look out across the narrow, tree-lined avenue and onto the tranquil greenery of Stuvesant Square Park, where children were playing, dogs were running, couples were walking hand in hand. They were ignorant of the conversation unfolding only a few dozen metres away, where a group of mages had assembled to discuss the battle that would shortly tear this city apart.
The devastation would be considerable. More than seven lives might be lost. Motisi wondered if any of the people walking on the street now might be one of them. Their families would never know the reason that they were forced to mourn.
And all in the name of a single wish?
The Mexican man sitting on the steps that led to the altar was just finishing a list of names. Motisi refocused on what was happening behind him, and turned from the window to take in the rest of the room. The light streaming through the stained-glass windows stained Ángel Sepulveda's hair in interesting hues of green and red, shifting as he shook his head. "...Caster, Assassin, and Rider. Those are the traditional seven, right? Why should we stray from such a formula?" Ángel Sepulveda was the local New York ambassador from the Mages' Association. Though he was essentially an elevated bureaucrat, he had overseen two Grail Wars in the past, so Motisi was glad for his expertise.
The Japanese woman sitting in the front pew smirked and leaned forward. In the warm light of the lit candelabra, her grey hair looked like so much spun silver, bundled into a knot at the nape of her neck, making her look like some sort of austere Empress Dowager. Gold glittered at her neck and fingers. "That is tradition in Fuyuki-shi, of course. But if you are about to begin a new Grail War, here, in New York City, why wouldn't you start your own traditions?" Fuyumi Konegai had been the most recent victor of the old Grail War, some thirty years prior, when she had been a little-known and little-respected mage of unremarkable family lineage. Now, of course, there weren't many magi who didn't know her name, and exactly how powerful she had proven herself - the first Master to survive a war with a Berserker Servant at her side. She had, Motisi thought, earned her fearsome reputation twice over. And yet, to see her on the street, you might mistake her for anyone's obaasan, and never expect the power that lurked within.
Sepulveda blanched. "Are you suggesting including an extra class of Servant? How could you even perform such a task?"
"I have heard of such a thing in Trifas," Motisi said softly. "Though they gave that Servant the role of a mediator, similar to mine... they created a Ruler class. That's what you mean, right, Konegai?"
Fuyumi Konegai nodded amiably, a slight smile curling her lip. "Correct. Though, of course, we need not restrict ourselves to a Ruler class - we could create a Watchman class, or maybe a Guardian class..."
"Guardian sounds fine to me," Sepulveda said shortly. "A Ruler might be too powerful for a fair fight, and a Watchman couldn't do much that an Archer or Assassin doesn't already have covered."
"So that means eight Masters for eight Servants," Monsignor Motisi said thoughtfully. "I don't know. Seven is a good number, a magical number, chosen in Fuyuki City for a good reason..."
"But eight will provide more mana," Fuyumi Konegai explained. "A more stable Grail, more fully realised Servants, a more contained and containable war. When I fought in Fuyuki, many Masters caused a great deal of suffering to try and sustain their Servants. This should offset that, even slightly."
Servants fed on the power of their Masters, Motisi knew that much, but they were produced by the Grail to begin with. A more powerful Grail might indeed help to ensure that Masters did not need to look elsewhere for magic to feed their Servants. Reluctantly, he nodded, though these departures from traditions disquieted him more than he wanted to admit to either Sepulveda or Konegai. A formula was a formula for a reason, he thought. Any changes, and the War in New York might grow out of control - or prove to be explosive.
"Very well. Sepulveda, you will handle the Association's side of things? I expect to hear from Masters in the next few weeks. Shall we name the solstice as the absolute beginning of the War?"
"That sounds good to me," Sepulveda said, and Konegai nodded in agreement.
Motisi looked out the window. Though the sky had darkened only a smidge during their conversation, the park was now empty, the streets devoid of life. For the sake of the civilians, he hoped that it would stay this way. The battle that was about to begin would be, Konegai had told him earlier, like nothing you had ever seen before. In a way, Motisi counted himself lucky to have the chance to observe such a concentrated display of raw magic. And yet, seven lives would be lost in the pursuit of power, and no amount of magic or wonder would let the Monsignor feel fully at ease with that fact.
"Very well," he said softly. "Let the Holy Grail War of New York City begin in earnest."
New York City—a buzzing city of skyscrapers and tangled alleyways becomes the setting for an age-old ritual. To realize the mythical Holy Grail, which is said to grant any wish from its possessor, seven masters are given seven heroic spirits chosen by the Grail. Each master will enter into a contract with their assigned servant – and fight to the death.
This story is set in a slight AU, where many cities across the world have their own Holy Grails, and their own Wars, though the one in Fuyuki City is the original that they all copy. Each War is a chance for a mage to prove their worth, settle old scores, elevate their family name and earn a life-changing wish. This will be the first such War in New York, overseen by the Monsignor Motisi, and eight mages are required to take part, each summoning a heroic spirit as their Servant. Will your character win, or will they fall on the battlefield?
To submit a character:
i. Remove italics from the form.
ii. Fill it in (with as much detail as you like, the more the better!)
I have done my best to keep the form as short as possible!
iii. PM it to me, with the subject line as follows: [OC NAME/INTENDED SERVANT CLASS/FATESTAR]
For example, Fuyumi Konegai would be submitted as: [KONEGAI FUYUMI/BERSERKER/FATESTAR]
iv. I will get back to you as soon as possible!
v. Feel free to leave a review while you wait!
To reserve a character slot
i. Send me a PM, with the subject line as follows: [FATE STAR/RESERVED/INTENDED SERVANT CLASS]
ii. To make it more likely I will accept your reservation, give me some idea of your character idea, so I can plan some plot!
iii. I will get back to you as soon as possible!
Character form (also on my profile)
BASIC ELEMENTS
name: include any nicknames
age: must be realistic for their power level and experience. ideally between 16 and 60.
gender: gender need not align with birth sex
sexual orientation: this story is lgbtq+ friendly
race and ethnicity: the more diversity, the better!
hometown: does not have to be nyc, as mages travel from all around the world to take part
face claim: this should match their age
occupation: not all mages have a profession outside of simply being a mage, but some do
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PERSONAL DETAILS AND BACKGROUND
appearance: details, please!
personality: details, please! please try to make them unique.
fatal flaw: everyone has one!
personal history: at least one paragraph, please
family members: include relevant details, such as your OC's relationship with them
friends: include relevant details, such as your OC's relationship with them
hobbies: be as creative as you want!
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AS A MAGE
preferred type of magic: be creative!
natural number of magic circuits: maximum is 50, average is 20. remember, even a mage with a low number can still be very skilled.
are they from a magus family?: if yes, please also provide their family's reputation
do they have a crest? only one member of a family may have the crest. if yes, please say what age they got it at.
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AS A MASTER
what servant class do they intend to summon? please include a backup as second preference - not all summonings go to plan!
do they have an artefact they intend to use? i cannot guarantee they will get the heroic spirit they want
what is their strategy for the grail war? be as broad or as specific as you want
what is their wish if they win the grail? immense power, so be as creative and grandiose as you want here
has their family participated in a grail war before? if yes, please include the city, and some details on how their family member performed
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ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO INCLUDE