The Underworld
Rin rode on Rubinrot down towards the flat ground, the ruins had been aboved a great pit that looked like over a mile across.
Rin's breathing felt odd, like there was not nearly enough air. With the strange nature of creation she doubted that it was just as she was high in the sky. So she asked Rubinrot about it.
"My lady, the underworld's essence flow is the direct inversion of the flow in creation. In creation, essence flows out starting from Mount Meru to the very edges of the Wyld. In the underworld the pit instead drags in any essence in the world. It is possible that the change is limiting our ability to respire essence but I personally haven't noticed yet."
Rin looked down and thought about that. She knew from her Lunar mentors that her body naturally absorbed essence with every breath and that filled her internal reserve. Did that mean she wouldn't have the ability to recover that reserve here? If that was true she would have to be very careful in how she decided to use her essence while she was here.
They flew in silence before Rin realised "Blutspucke! Silber! I can't sense them!"
Rubinrot nodded "The underworld is a world where we are locked in material form, neither of them possessed a means to fly like me so they had to remain in the ruins. While they will try and track you they are unable to reach us without some form of gate on more stable terrain. They will search for a shadowland through which they can make the journey."
Rin was worried at that "I just left two demons unsupervised in creation, that is not good." Her master had told her horror stories about demons left without a master, she didn't want to be blamed for causing that sort of disaster.
Rubinrot set down far outside of a city that Rin had seen wrapping around the great pit. As Rin dismounted Rubinrot told her about it.
"We are at Stygia, the Dark Jewel of the underworld. Basically it's the captial of the whole plane."
Rin looked up and asked "So I assume that the landmass we are on is the reflection of the blessed isle then?"
Rubinrot nodded but replied "Yes but that isn't that helpful, there are no shadowlands on the Blessed Isle itself. There has never been enough death to force one open."
"So," Rin put together "we will have to leave the island to find a shadowland in another direction?"
Rubinrot nodded in confirmation as Rin looked up at Stygia, taking it all in for the first time.
The city was vast, Rin would have likened it to a mountain itself. The castle in the center did reach up as high as any peak that Rin had ever seen. The city itself looked like some sort of many tiered cake but it was all in monochrome colours. Each level was bordered with a great wall.
Rin felt a tug from the city, she knew she wanted to explore it and discover secrets hidden within but they had to look for a shadowland and quickly. Rin doubted that food and water from here could sustain her.
Rubinrot knelt to allow her to remount and as they rose, they discussed which direction might be best for looking for a shadowland. Most shadowlands were ruled by Deathlords and so she would find it hard to leave through their lands. Worse was the fact that Rubinrot didn't know where the nearest shadowland was.
After putting all the facts together, Rin decided to gather information from Stygia itself before choosing her destination.
Rubinrot set down much closer to the gates then it had at first. From there, Rin and the demon trekked overland the rest of the way. Of course Rin didn't intend to actually enter the gates, that word spread word about her presence and the fact she had a demon. She planned to fly over the walls in the dead of night.
The underworld's nights was the deepest night Rin had ever known. Only in this darkness did one think of a cave instead of night. There was no true moon to shine down light, just a white circle in the sky that didn't shine enough to light the land.
She rode Rubinrot to the top of the walls and from there she decended over the wall.
As she entered the city she snatched a black sheet from what looked like a washing line before slinging it around herself as a makeshift cloak to hide her identity. A living the the capital city of the dead would be large news. Her cover story was to be an exiled sorcerer, banished and forced to flee creation.
In the dead of night she wandered town before finding an alley in which to rest. She settled down within. It wasn't a warm place to rest but Rin doubted there was any nice place to rest here in the underworld.
Before she drifted off to sleep though she heard a voice.
"Hey, you. You need to pay to sleep in our alley." Rin rolled her eyes and stood before seeing a group of thugs at the entrance to the alley.
She counted four of them, two were unarmed, one carried a knife and another carried a club. She was outnumbered but they were still outmatched, not that they knew it yet. Rin shrugged raised her hands, palms open. It was a challenge and so as she expected they charged.
It really wasn't a fair fight.
Rin was able to sit down to rest again, the thug spirits around her fleeing.
For a disguise there was an option, she had figured out the Knack to allow her to shift into a demon, she wondered if there was also one for ghosts? Something to investigate along with asking about shadowlands.
End of chapter.
Chapter 100! And still only in the first act! ...oh this is going to go on forever isn't it?
Regardless, I promised character sheets. These are there stats as of chapter 99, I haven't updated them yet. If you don't care feel free to skip as these are just written down in my notes and may not entirely reflect their actual character in the story (And my reminders of what each charm does has been kept)
Name: Shirou
Motivation: Find a way home back to my own world with my loved ones
Type: Solar
Caste: Twilight (Aura vision ability)
Attributes:
—
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 3
Stamina: 4
—
Charisma: 5
Manipulation: 1
Appearance: 3
—
Perception: 5
Intelligence: 3
Wits: 3
—
Abilities:
Archery: 4 (Spec, vs non-moving +1) (Favoured)
Martial Arts:
Melee: 5 (Spec, With twin swords +1, Against stronger foes +1) (Favoured)
Thrown: 3
War: 2
Integrity: 5 (Speciality; stuborn refusal +1) (Favoured)
Performance: 1
Presence:
Resistance: 4 (Favoured)
Survival: 1
Craft: 5 (Fire), 2 (Water) (Fire Spec with Swords +1 and Theory crafting: understanding the crafting method) +1) (Caste)
Investigation: (Caste)
Lore: 5 (Caste)
Medicine: (Caste)
Occult: 3 (Caste)
Athletics: 3
Awareness: 2 (Spec, Perciveing the unseen +1) (Favoured)
Dodge: 4 (Spec, Against stronger foes +1)
Larceny:
Stealth: 1
Bureaucracy: 1
Linguistics: 2 (Japanese, High realm, Riverspeak)
Ride:
Sail:
Socialize:
—
Backgrounds:
Artifact 3 (Blue Jade Long Powerbow)
—
Charms:
Reality marble [Reforged but unnamed]
Magecraft
Origin mind (The origin of swords is a secondary motivation, those things against his nature are unacceptible orders)
Solar:
Melee:
First Excelency
Call the blade (If the desired weapon is within (Essence x 10) yards, and a flight path exists between the weapon and her hand, this Charm draws the weapon into her grasp. He must own the weapon he calls. This Charm can be used to draw and ready a sheathed weapon reflexively.)
Glorious Solar Saber (+2 ACC, +2LD shortsword, normally made paired)
Summoning the loyal Steel (Store weapons in elsewhere)
Thousand Arms Prana (Fake UBW, part of the collection to recreate UBW)
Archery:
Third Excelency
There is no wind
Resistance:
Ox-body technique x2 (One -1 health level and two -2 health levels each time)
Integrity:
Second Excelency
Spirit Maintaining maneuver (Allows him to ignore mind control)
Lore:
Chaos-repelling pattern (Can cause surroundings to follow creation's rules)
Craft:
First Excelency
Peerless Paragon of fire (Adds (ESS/2) to all fire crafting rolls)
Object strengthaning touch (Makes things harder to break for a scene)
Durability-Enhancing Technique (OST but it lasts forever and costs slightly more)
Craftsman needs no tools (High cost but the crafting needs no tools to complete, materials are still needed)
Awareness:
First Excelency
—
Weapons:
Soak:
Hardness:
DV Dodge:
DV parry:
Virtues:
Compassion: 3
Conviction: 5 (Virtue flaw)
Temperance: 2
Valor: 3
intimacies:
Kiritsugu Emiya (Loved but curous about what he wasn't told)
Illyasviel (mourns as a sister)
Taiga (Amused by)
EMIYA/Archer (Pissed off by, but respects)
Saber (Wants to see again, Loves)
Rin (Sees as a sort of teacher, Loves)
Sakura (Loves and worries about)
The idea of being a hero (Respects)
Nereth and Rai (Friends)
Willpower: 8
Virtue Flaw: Heart of steel (Heart of flint)
Limit: 5/10
Essence: 3
Personal: 17
Peripheral: 41
Committed: 0
EXP: 6
health steps:
healthy
-0
-1
-1
-1
-1
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-4
incapacitated
Name: Rin
Motivation: Never abandon a loved one
Caste: No Moon
Spirit shape: Black cat
Tell: Command seals on hand/paw
Attributes:
—
Strength: 2 (3, xp has been spent but it will take 3 months for training)
Dexterity: 3
Stamina: 2
—
Charisma: 3
Manipulation: 4 (Favoured)
Appearance: 3
— (Caste)
Perception: 4
Intelligence: 5
Wits: 3
—
Abilities:
Archery:
Martial Arts: 4
Melee:
Thrown:
War: 1
Integrity: 3
Performance: 2
Presence: 2
Resistance:
Survival: 2 (Favoured) (Spec; in the north +1, The wyld +1)
Craft:
Investigation: 2
Lore: 3
Medicine:
Occult: 4 (Speciality: Gaian Thaumatology +2) (Favoured)
Athletics: 1
Awareness: 2
Dodge: 2
Larceny:
Stealth: 2
Bureaucracy: 1
Linguistics: 3 (Japanese, english, Old realm, Skytongue)
Ride:
Sail:
Socialize: 2
—
Backgrounds:
Solar Bond 3
Hearts blood 3 (Snowy owl, Wolf, Elk, Wild horse, 3 others from the north, 2 from the south, A gilmyne demon that was in Sakura's employ)
Reputation 2 (Uf-ya, "The Honored" She grew in essence quickly and became known for her skill with thaumaturgy)
—
Charms:
Innate:
Average one: 5 mote discount on sorcery, always has a 1 dice stunt on all "Magic" rolls (Counted as a foriegn charm) and can learn sorcery faster
Strength:
First excelency (Make martial arts hit harder)
Dexterity
First excelency (Make martial arts more accurate/makes parries better/boosts stealth)
Apperance:
Hide of the cunning hunter (Hides tattoos and other destinctive marks)
New friend aroma (Makes friends when meeting new people)
Perception:
Eyes of the cat (see invisable/notice hard to notice things)
Intelligence:
Terrestrial circle sorcery (yay sorcery)
Celestial Circle Sorcery (more sorcery)
Knacks:
Changing Plumage Mastery (Change forms clothing/apperance)
Subtle Silver Declaration (Hides tell)
Green sun child (Allows her to hunt demons)
Sorcery:
Demon of the first circle
The sacred Tongue
Sting of the ice hornet
Martial arts
Foot-Trapping Counter (Can stop a foe in melee range from running away)
—
Weapons:
Soak:
Hardness:
DV Dodge:
DV parry:
Virtues:
Compassion: 2
Conviction: 3 (Flaw)
Temperance: 2
Valor: 2
intimacies:
Shirou (Love)
Sakura (Sibling affection, worry)
Willpower: 5
Essence: 4
Personal: 14
Peripheral: 38
Committed:
EXP: 3
health steps:
healthy
-0
-1
-1
-2
-2
-4
incapacitated
Name: Sakura
Motivation: Love and protect Shirou
Urge: Recruit people to the yozi with love (Kimbery urge: Drown people in the yozi's affection)
Caste: Fiend caste infernal with kimbery as a patron
Attributes:
—
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 2
—
Charisma: 3
Manipulation: 4
Appearance: 4
—
Perception: 3
Intelligence: 3
Wits: 3
—
Abilities:
Archery: 3 (Favoured, Speciality: Against unmoving targets +1)
Martial Arts: 3 (Speciality: Form weapon lance +1)
Melee: 1
Thrown:
War: 1
Integrity: 1
Performance: 2 (Favoured)
Presence: 3 (Favoured, Speciality: Social Sneak attacks +1, Talking to Shirou +1)
Resistance: 1
Survival: 1
Craft: 2 (Water)
Investigation: 1
Lore: 3
Medicine: 1 (Favoured)
Occult: 3 (Favoured)
Athletics:
Awareness: 1
Dodge: 1
Larceny: 1
Stealth: 3
Bureaucracy: 1 (Caste)
Linguistics: 3 (Japanese, high realm and old realm (Demon dialect), Fire tongue) (Caste)
Ride: 1 (Caste)
Sail: 1 (Caste)
Socialize: 2 (Caste)
—
Backgrounds:
Backing (Kimbery) 1
Backing (Ebon Dragon) 1
Cult 1
Influence (Demons of Kimbery) 1
Past life 3
Savant 1
Unwoven Coadjutor 2
Artefact 4 (Compliant Umbral Panoply)
Mentor 1 (Head maid, teaching her Five-Dragon Style)
—
Charms:
Innate:
Holy Grail (Essence is treated as 1 higher for charm learning and essence pools) (Counted as a foriegn charm)
Kimbery:
First Kimbery Excellency
Intolerable Burning Truths (Trust is Naive (She won't believe bad things about beloved charicters), "Mother before daughter" (Can't knowingly betray family or beloved but can track them easier))
Retributive Tsunami Force (Magic Combo of harming actions)
Ebon Dragon:
First Ebon Dragon Excellency
Loom-snarling Deception (Disguise)
Eldritch Secrets Mastery (Upgrade disguise)
Witness to Darkness (Near perfect Darkvision, -1 penulty in creation during day time from light blindness, bonus to spotting lies, harder to convince people of the truth)
Our little secret (forces witnesses to stay quiet)
Cracked Cell Circumvention (Selfish, helps her brake out of imprisonment)
Sorcerous Enlightenment of The ebon dragon (Allows her to learn first circle spells, shadow spells are cheaper, cannot create light)
Endless desert:
Hellscry Chakra (Essence Sight)
Demonic Primacy of Essence(Social boost against weaker demons but weakened against stronger demons)
Transcendent Desert Creature (Survive deserts)
Sublimation of Ordained Purpose (Forces spirits to do their job)
Heritical:
(None yet)
Martial arts:
Five-Dragon Style
Five-Dragon Fortitude (Spend Motes to gain Soak)
—
Weapons:
Umbral Bow (Perfect long bow)
Umbral lance (Perfect spear)
Unending shadow arrows (Perfect arrows of various sorts)
Soak: (With her Umbral Chain shirt it gains a boost)
Hardness:
DV Dodge:
DV parry:
Virtues:
Compassion: 4
Conviction: 2
Temperance: 3
Valor: 1
intimacies:
Shirou (Deep love)
Rin (Sisterly affection)
Those who hurt their own children/descendents (HATE, deep hate)
Kimbery (Strong Dislike)
Ebon dragon (Respectful dislike)
Szoreny (Respect)
Willpower: 7
Limit: 0/10
Essence: 3 (4 with grail)
Personal: 19
Peripheral: 44 (6 currenly committed to artefact)
Committed: 6
EXP: 18
health steps:
healthy
-0
-1
-1
-2
-2
-4
incapacitated
