Owain Leomachus Gorgonsor stood at the edge of the ancient graveyard, his eyes scanning the hallowed grounds where the legendary King Arthur was allegedly laid to rest. The cool wind tousled his gray hair, as if whispering the secrets of the past. The weight of the task ahead weighed heavy upon his heart. The Holy Grail War was his chance to bring about a change that humanity desperately needed, and he was determined to summon the only one who could make that change possible.
His gaze fell upon the grave of King Arthur, and his mind began to churn with thoughts of the alternate version of the King of Knights. He sought a king who bore the darkness of their lineage, a ruler who could understand the harsh decisions that might need to be made. Owain knelt before the grave, clutching the catalyst, Rhongomyniad, tightly in his hands.
"Now to see if the Blackmore spoke true. Preparations complete, conditions... acceptable. Let the summoning ritual commence without further delay."
Already, he rehearsed his heavily modified summoning incantation in his head. Purpose made to call forth the Servant he'd so fervently sought out since he first heard whispers of this Holy Grail War.
"O King of Britain, I call upon your spirit," he began, his voice steady and unwavering. "From the depths of the Spiritual Tomb of Albion, I beseech you to answer my call. Embrace the primeval darkness that your bloodline wields, and become the king that humanity needs in this dire hour."
As Owain spoke, the wind began to pick up, stirring the air around him. His Command Spells pulsed, and an ethereal light suffused the graveyard. The ancient stones seemed to resonate with the power of his words, and the very air seemed to hum with anticipation.
"I offer you this catalyst, the spear Rhongomyniad, as a symbol of my desire to summon you. Let it be the bridge between our worlds, and bring forth the King of Knights who has embraced the darkness of their lineage. Arthur Pendragon, heed my call and become my Servant in this Holy Grail War!"
The gusts of wind swirled around him, as if responding to his plea. A blinding light erupted from the grave, and Owain shielded his eyes, waiting for the moment when his chosen Servant would appear before him.
As the blinding light began to subside, Owain cautiously lowered his arm, his eyes widening at the sight before him. The figure that emerged was not quite what he had expected. There, standing tall and imposing, was Artoria Pendragon Alter, clad in dark armor, aura radiating a powerful yet sinister presence. However, something was different-they held the spear Rhongomyniad, identifying them as a Lancer rather than a Saber.
Owain stared in disbelief, his mind racing to comprehend the implications of this unexpected turn of events. While it was not outside of the realm of possibility, especially considering his catalyst, it was still a jolt to the system to have summoned The King of Knights in anything less than his strongest class.
Even so, he couldn't deny the strength that emanated from the dark knight before him.
"It seems I have been summoned," The Alter intoned, voice cold and commanding. "I am Artoria Pendragon, the King of Knights who has embraced the darkness. I shall be your Servant, Lancer, in this Holy Grail War."
"...Artoria...?"
Owain hesitated, still processing the fact that his summoning had brought forth what continued to appear to be a different version of the King of Knights than he had anticipated. He decided to address the matter. "I expected to summon you as a Saber, but you have come forth as a Lancer. What has caused this change? More than that, why do you address yourself as 'Artoria' and not 'Arthur'?"
Artoria Alter looked down on Owain, their dark helmed visor seemingly staring into his very soul.
"The catalyst you used, Rhongomyniad, in concert with the altered summoning chant which you used to call me forth from the Throne of Heroes, has bound me to the Lancer class. Rest assured, with this spear, I shall serve you well in the war to come."
As they spoke, a gust of wind swept through the graveyard, chilling Owain to the bone, and causing Artoria Alter's armor to shift ever so slightly, revealing a glimpse of the figure beneath.
"As for my name, it would be best that I show you." Artoria declared as the black clad servant reached for their helmet, and took it off without a moment's hesitation.
"You... you are a woman?" Owain stammered, trying to reconcile the image of the legendary King Arthur with the person standing before him. Her long pale hair flowing in the cold wind.
Artoria Alter's eyes narrowed, her expression betraying a hint of annoyance. "My gender is irrelevant. I am the King of Knights, and I shall fulfill my duty as your Servant. Do not let such trivial matters cloud your judgment in the battles to come."
Owain nodded, chastened by her words. He knew that regardless of her appearance, Artoria Alter was the powerful Servant he needed in the fight for the Holy Grail.
As Owain and Artoria Alter conversed, Lysander observed from a distance, his expression inscrutable. He could sense the power that the Lancer possessed, and he understood the potential she held as a contender in the Holy Grail War. Satisfied with the results of the summoning, Lysander approached the pair.
"You have summoned a powerful Servant, Master Owain," Lysander said, offering a respectful nod to the dark Lancer. "The King of Knights in this form is a formidable ally. With her at your side, and your own talents further considered, I'll be surprised if you don't find some measure of success in the war to come."
Owain looked at Lysander, then back to Artoria Alter, still grappling with the situation. "Yes, it seems as if I've already won the Holy Grail War with her on my side. I hope that together, we can bring about the change I desire."
Artoria Alter inclined her head. "I shall fight to the best of my abilities, Master. My allegiance is to you, and I shall serve you faithfully in this conflict."
With the introductions and formalities complete, Owain turned his attention to the upcoming battles.
"We must prepare for the challenges that lie ahead. There are other Masters and Servants who will stop at nothing to claim the Holy Grail for themselves. We must be ready to face them."
Artoria Alter nodded, her expression stoic. "I understand. I am prepared to face whatever enemies we encounter, and I shall not waver in my duty."
In the following days before the start of the Grail War, Owain and Artoria Alter trained together, learning to anticipate each other's movements and strategies. The bond between Master and Servant grew stronger with each passing moment, solidifying their partnership as they prepared for the trials that awaited them.
As the time for the Holy Grail War drew near, Owain and Artoria Alter stood side by side, a united front against the forces that would oppose them. Together, they would face the battles that lay ahead, determined to claim victory and bring about the change that Owain so desperately sought...
Addendum: Character Profile
Master: Owain Leomachus Gorgonsor
Appearance: Owain appears to be a young man with greyish-green eyes, looking to be in his twenties despite his slicked back gray hair, wearing a dark blue tuxedo.
In truth he's almost 40, but his family has always been a regular purchaser of the anti-aging medicines sold by magi specializing in Botany.
His Command Spells vaguely resemble three draconic wings forming a triskelion.
About: Owain is more compassionate than his polite yet detached demeanor would lead most to believe. However, he's been tormented from a young age by the visions of humanity's future self-destruction (Land of Steel) passed down through the Gorgonsor Magic Crest. After studying at the Clock Tower's Department of Archaeology, he spent almost two decades trying to make the world a better place, but his failures to make significant changes left him cynical. He's now of the opinion that the current Common Sense of Man will inevitably lead to humanity's complete extinction, and that this might be the last generation able to do anything about it, even if it requires... drastic measures.
Thus, he's planning to use the wish to force the Human Order to change, one way or the other. To bring back the time of Mystery and allow humans to forge a new path for their Primacy. While he hates the thought of all the death such an event would cause, he believes at this point in time smaller and kinder changes are no longer enough to make a difference: a single great tragedy followed by new progress is preferable to complete extinction, and he refuses to let the opportunity slip just because it's not a perfect and ideal solution.
Abilities: He has a Wind element and an Origin of Memory. Other than the direct use of wind and sound for nature interference, his Magecraft specializes in bringing back the past: be it to heal a wound by reminding the body of its former shape, to listen to a conversation that already happened, or some other purpose.
Catalyst: During his travels he met a member of the Blackmore family, and learned of his village's failed attempts at creating a vessel for King Arthur. In preparation for the Grail War, he visited that village and, after great effort and a lot of deals, managed to obtain Rhongomyniad as a catalyst. While he can't use it without the Magic Crest of the Blackmore gravekeepers, he hopes that it will ensure the summoning of the King of Knights.
However, trying to summon a true king of Britain that could have led humanity down a different path, he then searched the Spiritual Tomb of Albion for reagents with which to modify the summoning, to call a king of Camelot (Artoria Alter) that inherited the primeval darkness that Uther and Morgan wielded.