This is the Glossary of the non-canon, partially canon, and AU objects and concepts prevalent in HV-S02: QGF in alphabetical order. Like the Character Sheet, this contains spoilers for the story. I suggest you read the entire story first, and only use this page as reference. Once again, spoiler warnings apply.
If there's anything you feel I left out, do let me know, and I will update this page accordingly. Thank you, and enjoy the main story.
Disclaimer: Some spells may be inspired by a real-life poem written by a real-life author. I have noted their sources accordingly.
B
Black Arts Decapitation Method, Alter Ego
Katou Danzou's personalized modification of the Fuuma shinobi clan's ougi (hidden techniques) after receiving a new body. Installed with partial knowledge of Heroic Vessel SHIROU's various realities, she glimpsed upon a series of concepts which married incredibly well with the ideal shinobi techniques she wished to actualize before her original body and mind broke down. Unknowingly, this has also been achieved by the first Fuuma Koutarou, who in a fit of paranoia, chose not to install these techniques – at least their original versions – to Danzou, or pass them down to any of his successors.
1. Passionate Tulip - Love & Hate (Breasts)
Enlarging mass, volume, and density of any body part while ignoring the Conservation of Mass law, enabling the user to keep their agility and speed while simultaneously multiplying the impact their limbs have on their surroundings.
2. Melting Amaryllis - Joy & Pleasure (Feet)
Transform one's body into [Fluid], either liquid or gas or plasma, depending on the user's Elemental affinity, completely removing the conceptual restrains the universe enacts on solids while also keeping their consciousness intact.
3. Kazuradrop (?) - Purity & Chastity (Eyes)
Create a black hole proportional to the user's affinity and power output. Limited to objects the user considers 'smaller than themselves', and thus relies heavily on their perception of the universe instead of actual laws of physics.
4. Pure Violet - Compassion & Affection (Lips)
Lock the [Space] around a designated area, with size and strength proportional to the user's Conceptual Weight and Origin. Within it, apply negative Agility bonus to the victims according to the difference between the aforementioned attributes against the user.
5. Kingprotea (?) - Desire & Yearning (Back)
Summons pure extra [Mass] to the [Space] designated in size and shape by the user, creating an invisible force which pushes against everything around it. While very powerful, it depends on the universe's fundamental laws, as it takes advantage instead of going against them.
D
Dragon's Heritage
Along the decline of Mystery and mass migration of Phantasmal Species to other realms, there existed a transitory period where they and humanity lived in perfect balance and harmony, resulting in various half-breeds and the birth of new mutated species. These bloodlines, fortified by humanity's far superior breeding ability, enabled various abilities and Sorcery Traits to be passed down. Those families who properly prepared for the ebb and flow of Mystery, owing to the presence of various Heroic Vessels in history, retained more of their purity without losing their humanity.
One of the most prized was a draconic lineage, inherited by various ruling families in different Textures. The combination of both natural and artificial strengthening was at times necessary, or the drying up of worthy heirs, conflict with ancestors from the Reverse Side, leyline quality shifts, and various other problems would cause the migration of this 'blessing' into other accepting bloodlines.
F
Fusion Phantasm
True to its literal meaning, this is a combination which occurred when timing and execution overlapped perfectly. Even so, if two Noble Phantasms of opposite natures – or the fact the users couldn't find common ground between them – the result would return to [Zero]. When used around a shared Origin, this technique multiplied the destructive power and Conceptual Weight of the end result. Personalities weren't necessary, but a good relationship eased the combined calculation process and reduced the risk of self-harm.
G
Guardian Spirit
As the name suggested, it was a supernatural spirit inhabiting a person, usually in the shape of mythical beasts. Their level of power and intelligence differs irrespective of the owner – it could be said the most important element between the two parties was the intangible compatibility. It didn't matter whether they're inherited from birth or acquired from battle, naturally evil or artificially good… all which mattered was the way they're used by their owners.
Originally, they passively watched on their matching owners from the Reverse Side of the World. However, since the Heian Period blurred the boundary between it and the Outer Side, they were able to inhabit a permanent place in the latter so long as they had a host. Normally benign as their true function was as a grave keeper, they could become twisted and feral if left too long unattached to any physical anchor, growing more and more powerful the closer they were to vanishing.
H
Hyakki Yakō
Night Parade of One-Hundred Demons. A pandemonium unfortunately happening so common prior to the human-yōkai non-aggression pact signed by the Minamoto Shogunate during the Heian Period. More of a freak natural occurrence than an intentional attack, it's caused by sudden thinning and breaking of the barrier between the Reverse Side and Outside World at random points. However, the openings weren't large enough to allow incredibly powerful beings to go through, meaning usually only low-levelled, unintelligent beings were able to rush and strike at human settlements.
Of course, some individuals thought of it as something they could use against one another, and soon ritual circles and formulas were created to invoke this phenomenon at will. Eventually, Divine Spirit-level yōkai were able to make it through such as Tamamo-no-Mae, Otakemaru, and Shuten-dōji, each establishing their own residence and realms in the Outside World permanently. Their relationship with their human counterparts differed just as much as that among humans.
I
Inverse Form
The corrupted method of Divine Apotheosis, particular to students of the Abrahamic Thaumaturgical Foundation. Unable to attain the blessings and favours of the 10 Sephira, they are usually tempted by the angels' 'mirror reflection', often mistakenly called 'demons'. They are closer to fallen angels, if anything, and people usually place great importance on the number '10' due to their attachment to what they view as 'mainstream'.
In fact, any high-level Divine Spirit in said school of thought has an Inverse Form, existing both as a warning and balancing act between [Light] and [Dark], [Good] and [Evil], [Order] and [Chaos]. Thus, for instance, the three levels within three Orders all has innumerable 'mirror reflection', which is of course too much for mortal minds to understand.
Their names – or the ones popular enough to be used widely – are:
1. Satan
2. Beelzebub
3. Lucifuge
4. Astaroth
5. Asmodeus
6. Belphegor
7. Baal
8. Adramelech
9. Lilith
10. Nahemah
Ippon-Datara
One-legged, one-eyed yōkai with exceptional physical abilities. They usually wield large hammers or oversized ōdachis, making them suitable for high-intensity labour work. They are quite popular among humans because of their surprising intelligence, and while they lack the vocal cords to properly speak the human language, they are expressive enough to work alongside humans without much of an issue. Farming, blacksmithing, tilling, etc. have become their forte in exchange of money, food, and lodging.
K
Kosen
Tiger Drill. Deliberately disconnecting one's arm bones and joint, the user created an extreme rotation which propagated up to a blade's tip. A thinner end was preferable to produce as sharp a drilling motion as possible, as well as reduce the strain on the body when the arm structure returned in place either naturally or healed by Magecraft.
Kuchiyose
Summoning Technique. A signature skill of bringing either living beings or inanimate object from a separate dimension. Its most famous uses – and, ironically, also its rarest – was to bring forth a contracted Phantasmal Species from the Reverse Side of the World. The magic energy cost of performing this technique was shared between the user and the summoned, and even weapons had to be modified and enhanced to withstand the rigours of interdimensional travel, no matter how minor.
Kusanagi-ryū
The martial arts techniques imparted by Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, its forms recorded in the divine blade's soul automatically from the struggle between Susanoo and Yamata-no-Orochi, with no human hands and minds to tarnish its divine purity. It contained two distinct forms: [True Light] and [Double-Edged]. The former was distilled from the 'divine punishments' enacted by the gods to humans, specialized in harvesting lives from these livestock. The latter was distilled from the 'god-killing' ambitions of humans who desired to rebel and be free of their masters… or even the desire to ascend the mortal plane and be equal to them.
L
Living Weapon
The optimal state of using one's Guardian Spirit in combat, as handed down from past warriors and masters. Channelling their supernatural powers through an inanimate conduit wasn't just safer, but often times more efficient if accompanied with a well-made catalyst. As technology and Magecraft's fusion grew more and more perfect, so too the ease of achieving this state, though it didn't mean someone unqualified could use it casually.
One could say this was a state of pseudo-Noble Phantasm, limited only by all aspects of endurance of the host. In its 'Broken' state, one might be granted powers beyond what's normally possible, but the rule of Equivalent Exchange would always strike harshly. Very little techniques could reverse those who had already embraced this state apart from outright killing them.
M
Minamoto Clan
The current Japanese Imperial Family. Originally, their members were 'castaways' from those who were unable to inherit the throne, their chances having passed the moment their siblings grew to such a large number the royal family was unable to support them. Still, they maintained a strong relationship with the 'main branch'.
This changed during the Heian Period after their then-Clan Head, Minamoto no Yoritomo, successfully build upon what his ancestors had laid down before him and not only united Nihon, but also mediated the backing of supernatural beings. Having established a nation-wide pact among humans and them, he successfully brought back a level of Mystery lost through advancements in human science and discrimination against yōkai.
The clan dominated the first few generations of the Shogunate, as Yorimoto was succeeded by the first female shogun and his younger sister, Yoshitsune. However, mysteriously, they withdrew from all official positions just a few decades prior to the Ōnin War near the Sengoku Period. It was rumoured they integrated themselves fully to the Imperial Clan and controlled things behind the scenes, regardless of the current shogun.
Famed for their military and martial prowess, every Minamoto Clan Head was required to either master all of the arts available to them or contribute significantly towards a new technique branch, necessitating every successor to be at least as powerful than their predecessor in every area. Therefore, it's commonplace for someone to hold onto the position of Clan Head for several decades – not because of greed and pride, but due to a lack of suitable successors. The chosen successor might or might not assume their position immediately – it was at their and the current Clan Head's discretion.
It had strong connections to Mt. Ōe, the Animal Realm's mazoku, Amaterasu, and other powerful spiritual factions. Over time, humans and low-levelled supernatural beings saw them as no different than the higher deities they worshipped, despite their members and Clan Head regularly living among humans discreetly.
Mt. Ōe's lineage
A prominent oni clan descended straight from the infamous Yamata-no-Orochi himself. At the time of his defeat in the hands of the [Storm] god Susanoo, his full being was sealed into a container, while his bloodline and abilities were scattered along his eight heads across many yōkai clans. The onis in Mt. Ōe inherited the purest bloodline, as showcased by the strength of their current head, Shuten-dōji.
While in another timeline they would be exterminated down to the last member by the Clan Head of the Minamoto in the Heian Period, a twist of fate meant they joined hands instead after a long time of fighting and rivalry. Intense emotions strode the line between affection and hatred, swinging one way or the other in a fickle. With the two factions joining hands, it enabled the Minamoto Clan to dominate their battle against other noble families, culminating in Minamoto no Yoritomo's inauguration as the first shogun.
Murasame
Passing Rain. An iaidō technique emphasizing on stealth and sudden strikes. Unlike traditional draw-cut, where the user ideally must execute from a wide, low stance while hiding the length of their blade from the opponent, the user of Murasame initiated their first, fully-extended, and final movements from a relaxed, biologically-ideal unguarded posture. The most important aspect was 'confidence'; if the user was tense, the slightest hesitation would compound and slow down the flow to a stop. It's suitable for assassination – for example, killing a person who had just walked by the would-be killer casually. Like a sudden shower which disappeared before anyone's prepared for any of its forms, so too must the user stay out of their opponents' guarded state.
Mutsu Clan
A high-class Tengu Clan, existing before the first Emperor/Empress took their seat above Nihon. They were unusual in their combination of love for humanity and the insistence to separate themselves from the latter, despite mostly appearing in human forms to travel. Like most yōkai clans, the strongest member was usually chosen as the Clan Head, with the second-best either serving the former throughout their lives or join their offshoot family branches.
A champion of barehanded fighting techniques, they dedicated their lives to overcoming every weapon and martial arts solely with their bodies. They were the purveyors of early Japanese martial arts, before integrating elements from foreign cultures for the sole reason of researching methods to defeat them.
Ordinarily, every generation would only have a single child, preventing any major infighting among different branches. However, once siblings were born, if they exhibited similar martial talents, they were nurtured until they were capable of slaughtering their enemies with their bare hands. To choose the next 'Mutsu', a contest was always held if more than one successor were eligible – it could end either fatally or not, depending on the agreement. Once chosen, they would receive the blessing of [Asura], increasing their combat prowess and bloodthirstiness even further.
They maintained their social status among humans by intermarrying with the local ruling families, on occasion choosing the less-talented members as grooms and brides to produce the next heir if the current Clan Head died prematurely. An example was shown with Kiichi and Suzuka Mutsu, when the older brother and Clan Head perished in battling the Taira while the younger sister married the future shogun, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, to continue the bloodline.
Their Sorcery Trait was [Inheritance], allowing undiminished transmission of knowledge and techniques between generations. Their union with the Minamoto Clan during the Heian Period meant this was also bred onto the latter's heirs as well.
N
Narukami
Rumbling God. Ideally initiated from a Shidensen, the user deliberately took a cross-step with their hind leg in front of their lead one, slightly slowing down their forward acceleration. Keeping their posture low, the 'misstep' would instantly change the user's direction to the side of the opponent's field of vision, enabling them to land safely in the blind spot either side of the latter. In essence, it's simply shifting one's centre of balance extremely from side-to-side during mid-movement, enabling it to be chained with a variety of techniques.
New-Generation Karakuri Puppet
A modification made from the initial design by the infamous sorcerer Kashin Koji. Initially, it was along the lines of western automata created from inorganic substances which mimic human flesh, but still left obvious connection and assembly marks all over the product. He felt the process of creating homunculi to be too expensive and full of hassle, as the soul inhabiting any created homunculus would be random – unless kept at a stasis – and thus a risk to manipulate the same way. In this manner, a reliable and accurate production line could be built, all creating the same specification karakuri.
However, as Katō Danzō's inherent qualities necessitated moving away from this concept for her repair and upgrade, the Muramasa household chose to copy a 'template' of the remaining soul, destroyed the body, and prepare a new one made of magical nanoparticles for the soul to return and nourish itself back to completeness. Truly an outrageously luxurious and wasteful process, but to her new 'parents', it was worth it to attain a full person instead of a broken mechanical doll. Perhaps, the underlying wish from this transformation was fully subjective, instead of filled with inhumane objectivity.
Unlike a mechanical connection, nanoparticles could fully move in a true spherical freedom, as well as assemble and repair itself through intangible means. The new generation could thus theoretically reform themselves through any obstacles or opponents thrown in front of them, but at the need of a sufficiently mature and fast processing core. Said object couldn't be artificially produced, and must be naturally formed inside one's spiritual centre, requiring time and effort to utilize it to the fullest.
O
Ōgame-ryū
Giant Tortoise Style. The martial arts techniques imparted by Genbu, one of the Four Divine Guardian Spirits. Currently practiced by Akechi Mitsuhide, it demanded equal mastery of both physical and spiritual arts. Split into six forms for ease of learning, each one basically represented the Elements [Fire], [Lightning], [Water], [Wind], [Earth], and [Void]. While seemingly fragmented at first, its true goal was for its practitioner to find and build the connection between each separate form, before culminating into one indistinguishable essence. While it's focused on katanas, its techniques could be applied to a wide variety of weapons.
P
Pistol
An extremely short-barrelled projectile weapon, inspired by Nanban firearms. Difficulties in reliably manufacturing its miniaturized parts when compared to the larger rifle meant its development was stunted, before foreign merchants eventually got their hands on a permanent source prior to the supposed national lockdown against foreign influence.
Instead, the blacksmith Sengo Muramasa was the first to establish a genuine production system to create a version even more sophisticated than Nanban ones. Instead of solely relying on 'worldly' material, he combined Thaumaturgical processes to simplify and improve the methods, taking advantage of the abundance of Mystery since the Heian Period.
Its physical size meant accuracy was lessened, but a carefully-engraved spell along its barrel formed a virtual space to increase both its firepower and long-range lethality. By drawing Od from the wielder, it's possible to engage the automated reload system – otherwise, a manual reloading was necessary every few shots, much like later traditional flintlocks.
Princess General
Himekishi. A title born after the first female shogun and second overall in history, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, took office. Realizing the overwhelming chauvinistic tendencies of the reigning feudal lords, which weren't only abusing women in general but also undermining the respect she deserved and demanded, she abolished the male-centric rules and empowered firstborn and/or eldest daughters to take their families' reigns whenever the chance presented itself.
In the Sengoku Period, these feudal daimyos were coined by the term 'Princess General', because they're expected to perform the duties of both a female heir to the clan as well as a capable leader to their underlings. The Minamoto Shogunate's reforms were so successful the majority of the current daimyos were indeed women, though this was more of a coincidence than by design as a sudden female baby boom happened in almost the same generation.
S
Sengo Clan
The newly-formed shinobi clan serving the Oda Clan, separate from the Minamoto Clan branch family who specialized in metallurgy production. Technically led by Muramasa, its day-to-day operation was overseen by Chiyome and Danzō, deputized by Goemon and Hanzō. In that way, they also influenced the Kōga, Fūma, and Iga Clan, with considerable amount of members formerly of these clans.
Its structure borrowed heavily from already-established clans – genin, chūnin, jōnin, Kage – but there were specialized groups within the jōnin rank: Lone Shadows and Named Ones, which consisted of the clan's most capable fighters. Neither was considered above the other, but the Named Ones often had members modifying their bodies to increase their lethality in combat, while Lone Shadows operated more traditionally in mastering the basics to the utmost.
Sephira
The Guardian Spirits inhabiting believers of YHWH. Consisting of ten angelic figures, they channelled various aspects of the omnipresent deity to aid their hosts. Uniquely, they rarely made appearances among official members of the Holy Church, undermining their authority in the eyes of the people since these Sephira often chose people of ordinary background who held great potential to become saints.
The Immortal Saint of Orleans was an aberration, who held an angel outside of this group of ten, though she was perhaps the worthiest to receive their powers. The number '10' was assumed solely from what humanity could gleam from the ancient texts, and their actual numbers were unknown – neither were their preferences nor personal judgements.
Their names – or the ones popular enough to be used widely – are:
0. Ain Soph Aur ↔ Ain Soph ↔ Ain
1. Metatron
2. Rasiel
3. Zafkiel
4. Zadkiel
5. Camael
6. Michael
7. Haniel
8. Raphael
9. Gabriel
10. Sandalphon
Shidensen
Purple Lightning Flash. A combination technique between Magecraft and physical dexterity. The user lowered their centre of gravity to the extreme by initiating a 'falling flat' movement, and when their body was nearly parallel to the ground, the kinetic energy was interrupted in its vector by forcibly doing a 'step forward' movement. The two energies compounded each other, creating an otherworldly sudden burst of acceleration from a standstill. Reinforcement was required to withstand the torque generated at the ankle joints, back and leg muscles, or this technique could rip the user apart by itself.
Shimon
Four Gates. Mutsu Enmei-ryū, Ōgi. The four pinnacle barehanded martial arts techniques of the mysterious Tengu clan, the Mutsu family. Taking inspiration from the Four Divine Guardian Spirits' physical and conceptual movements, the practitioner forced their bodies beyond their 'safe' limit – i.e. the line their bodies naturally maintain to prevent themselves breaking down – and strike from multiple directions at the same time following the principle of Second Magic. While not technically Magecraft, it was close enough the universe acknowledged it as so.
Shirafune
White Sword. A spell to gather moisture from the air along a surface, before drawing out every available heat energy to freeze it to absolute zero. The shape created was flexible, depending solely upon the user's power and skill and imagination. Upon touch, the spell would continue 'freezing' the surrounding area, propagating from the point of contact, until the duration or magic energy ran out. The accumulated heat must be dealt with separately, however, necessitating the user prepare a suitable Equivalent Exchange after use.
Shiratsuyu
White Dew. A defensive technique emulating a slipping and falling dew in a frosty morning. Concentrating on rolling with the opponent's blows, assuming them to be the leaf the dew was always moving with, but never destroying its form in the way. A more advanced application of this philosophy was the latter part of the text above: 'frosty morning'. Would the dew fall to the ground? Would it freeze on the leaf? Would it transform into icicles, or snow? A master practitioner would be able to apply this Schrödinger-like philosophy into every defensive movement, flowing into counteroffensive in an instant.
Species Transformation
The skill of utilizing another species' traits to enhance any attribute of the original one. Its extent depended on how far the user was willing to risk losing themselves in their transformation, as well as how their own Conceptual Weight interacted with the universe's restrictions and penalties of attempting to deviate from the natural order. The degree of this skill's influence could be generally categorized as followed:
· Humanoid Compression: Used by various powerful yōkais to limit the pressure they'd receive in the Outer Side and away from the Reverse Side of the World, cladding them in a roughly humanoid form and restricting their peak powers and forms. An example was Shuten-dōji's miniature disguise and Otakemaru's persona as Kashin Koji.
· Living Weapon: Channelling one's Guardian Spirits' powers through the body, it enhanced some physical and magical attributes without any major changes to the user's appearance. The difficulty in maintaining this form depended solely on one's relationship with and mastery over their Guardian Spirits. An orthodox combination between two different species, mastered by many great warriors.
· Yōkai Shift: A form unique to half-yōkais/shiftlings, where the user used their Guardian Spirits' powers to trigger a transformation to their other 'form', either to yōkai or human and vice versa. While the latter dictated what passive attributes were increased, the user's other forms were the dominant factor in changes both physical and magical in nature. An example was Saitō Yoshitatsu's and Hachisuka Goemon's control over creating and entering Yōkai Realms.
· Sage Arts: Occurred when one formed a blood and soul contract with an entire tribe of yōkai instead of one individual as a personal Guardian Spirit. While this enabled the user access to far more techniques, they also had to forge a strong personal, respectable relationship with an entire group, with all the risk and responsibilities involved. Another advantage was the durability of this transformation, as depending on the strength of the contract, it might be indefinite. An example was the Mochizuki Clan's affinity to snakes and the Iga Clan's long-standing partnership with the toad yōkais.
· Apotheosis: The most dangerous, often fatal, and irreversible method, also often called Realm Descent. Fully embracing 'the other side', the user would be granted power beyond any of the preceding techniques at the cost of their sanity. A slim chance to revert 'back to normal' was dependent on one's fixation of their Origin and 'objective', channelling the madness in one direction only. A human would have their bodies transformed beyond recognition by [Expansion], while a yōkai would have their original bodies cast away by [Expulsion]. An example was Miyoshino's self-crippling method in order to stay with her husband and child in the Outer Side.
Y
Yōkai Transformation
A skill to partially or fully shift between yōkai and human forms, available for all races for whoever had the potential and drive to do so. Partial transformations indicated many things, such as insufficient strength and willpower, inadequate resources, an accidental aftereffect, and so on. Mastery of this change required a complete immersion and willingness to surrender or accept one's 'other selves'… among other things. A human could transform into a yōkai and vice versa, though usually the latter involved sealing one's overbearing presence to blend in better in the Outside World, owing to humanity's usual lower Conceptual Weight.
Yuudachi
Evening Squall. Powerful series of full-powered strikes without pause. Able to be executed either one- or two-handed, with a sword or a halberd, its core philosophy was a non-stop, seamless flurry of movements strong and fast enough to prevent the opponent aiming for any openings which might crop up. Incredible body control and strong physique was necessary to execute the most basic sets, with Magecraft acting as support to prevent the torque from overwhelming the user's body. Its precise movements were free-flowing, depending on the user's creativity. A master should be able to attack without pause and holes in their defences.