The sun dipped below the horizon as Abid Armitage stood before the dilapidated building that was rumored to be a site of the Holy Grail War. The wind rustled through the trees, causing the shadows to dance around him, but the mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes remained undiminished. The building's grim façade seemed to dare him to enter, and Abid, never one to back down from a challenge, took a step forward.
"I've come a long way to find you," he murmured to himself, his fingers absently toying with a meteor fragment in his pocket.
With a deep breath, Abid twisted the space around him, crossing the distance to the entrance in an instant. He found himself in a dimly lit room filled with the scent of dust and age. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spotted a mysterious figure standing in the shadows.
"So, you're the one seeking to join the Holy Grail War," the cloaked figure said, his voice raspy with age. "Do you understand the consequences of your actions?"
Abid smirked, unfazed by the ominous atmosphere. "I've been through enough in my life, old man. I'm not afraid of some high-stakes competition."
The enigmatic figure chuckled, intrigued by Abid's nonchalance. "Very well. Then you must perform the ritual to summon your Servant. I'm sure you can do it alone, can't you?"
Abid nodded, retrieving the meteor fragment from his pocket. The fragment glowed with an otherworldly light, filling the room with an eerie energy. As he began the incantation, the air around him seemed to tremble, and a powerful force surged through his body.
"I ask of you… Are you my Master?" a voice whispered, emerging from the shadows as a cloaked figure materialized before him. Abid could feel the power radiating from the Servant, and his excitement grew.
"I am" he declared, a grin spreading across his face. "And together, we're going to win this Holy Grail War!"
The figure before Abid gave a curt, approving nod, before discarding their cloak, revealing a pale, gaunt face with intense, sunken eyes. The figure spoke, his voice a low, haunting whisper...
"I have gone by many names in my time. Some know me as 'The Gentleman Who Travels Through Time and Space, Randolph Carter', others know me as 'Cosmic-Traveling Gentleman, Chandraputra'. You may know me by the name I went by to the masses, that which carried my hidden warnings to those who needed them, of things best left unknown if at all possible. Warnings born of my dreams at a time where I was still an amateur at the art of walking between worlds...
...I am H.P. Lovecraft, Servant of the Voyager class. I am at your command, Master."
Abid's eyes widened in surprise, recognizing the famous horror writer's name.
"Lovecraft, huh? That's… unexpected. But I can work with that," he said, the mischievous glint in his eyes returning.
Lovecraft studied Abid, his gaze penetrating as if trying to decipher the enigma of his Master. "Your Magecraft is unconventional, and your spirit is unlike any I have encountered. Tell me, Master, what do you hope to achieve in this Holy Grail War?"
Abid shrugged nonchalantly, his fingers playing with the meteor fragment once more. "I want to free myself from the shackles of my past and forge my own path. I've been controlled and manipulated for too long, and I won't let that happen again."
Lovecraft's expression softened, and he nodded. "I understand the desire for freedom and autonomy. My works often dealt with the insignificance and helplessness of humanity in the face of the unknown. But, perhaps together, we can defy those cosmic forces and seize control of our destinies."
As they spoke, Abid noticed that Lovecraft seemed to grow more at ease, and the eerie atmosphere that had accompanied his summoning began to dissipate. It seemed that, despite their differences, the two shared a certain kinship in their struggles.
"Alright, Lovecraft," Abid said, extending his scarred hand to his new Servant. "Let's make a pact. We'll help each other overcome our pasts and carve a new future for ourselves."
Lovecraft hesitated for a moment, then took Abid's hand in his own. "Agreed, Master. Together, we shall face the unknown and emerge victorious."
With their bond solidified, Abid and Lovecraft turned their attention to the upcoming battles, knowing that their combined strength and determination would be put to the test in the Holy Grail War.
Shortly after, Abid and Lovecraft found themselves sitting in a dimly lit room, sharing stories of their pasts and discussing their aspirations. As they spoke, a mutual understanding and respect between them grew stronger.
"An Armitage eh. How nostalgic, you really do resemble... ah... well... nevermind. I'm sure you already have an idea. And many more questions to ask me regardless."
"Yeah. So, Lovecraft..." Abid began, curiosity shining in his eyes, "...what was it like being a writer in your time?"
Lovecraft's gaze drifted into the distance, recalling memories of a life long past. "It was a struggle, to be honest. My works were not well-received during my lifetime, and I lived in poverty for much of it. However, I found solace in my writing, in crafting worlds and entities that defied human comprehension. Those based entirely in fiction... and others with some fact behind them, if you can call beings outside of the logic of the human mind 'fact'. More like lies and half-truths which insist on being correct..."
Abid listened intently, the mischievous glint in his eyes replaced by genuine interest. "Really, don't you think it's fascinating how your works have endured and grown in popularity? I guess that's why you've been summoned as a Voyager. You've transcended time and space through your writing."
Lovecraft nodded, a slight smile crossing his lips.
"That's one way of putting it. You know, when I died, I never really 'died'. My body did, certainly, but my spirit itself just went where I normally went when dreaming. I've travelled so far, met so many things good and ill. I've seen what lies beyond this calm island we live on, of the things in the deep, of other islands beyond it, continents, even. Even so, despite all of that, it is humbling to know that my creations continue to captivate and terrify even after my physical death. I'm sure it's my cosmic travels, and actions as an 'ambassador of humanity' to other races throughout the various faucets of existence, which earnt me the 'Voyager' Class. Yet, the fact even one person can think it was my work, and not my deeds, which earnt me a place as a Heroic Spirit... I wish I had been so honored in life, truly I do..."
As they continued their conversation, Abid shared his own experiences, telling Lovecraft about his family, the burden of their expectations, and his desire for freedom. Lovecraft listened attentively, relating to Abid's longing to break free from the constraints of his past.
With their newfound bond, they felt prepared to face the challenges that lay ahead.
As the time for the pre-battle meeting drew near, Abid and Lovecraft rose from their seats, ready to embark on their journey together.
"Come on, Lovecraft," Abid said, a determined gleam in his eyes. "Let's show them what we're made of."
Lovecraft nodded, his expression resolute. "Together, Master, we shall face the coming darkness and emerge victorious."
Together, Abid and Lovecraft departed for the pre-battle meeting grounds, ready to take on the trials of the Holy Grail War and carve their own path toward freedom and destiny alike.
Addendum: Character Profile
Master: Abid Armitage
Appearance: An unusually handsome man with a hooked nose and piercing blue eyes. Short of stature, with scars that cover his hands and forearms. Wears a simple shirt and shorts with an abundance of pockets. His Command Seal are in the shape of a slanted tree with six branches, three on each side.
Personality: Abid is very laid back and lackadaisical. He is never found without a smile on his face and mischief brewing behind his eyes. However, despite his love of fun and schadenfreude, this hides a deep resentment that he holds towards those that wronged him and the distance he feels from the common man. He will keep up this happy joyful personality even as he charges headlong into a confrontation between Magi and Servants.
Backstory: Raised in a small rural town composed mostly of the same family Abid represented the last of dwindling hope. Over the years his family's Magecraft has declined due to copious inbreeding, a strange sickness poisoning the land, and hostilities that such a large family would brew. Fortunately, Abid escaped almost completely unscathed by the poor genes his parents had, and was the first in years to be born with a healthy body, mind, and strong Magical Circuits. However, it was almost impossible to force him to do anything due to his attitude and self-imposed distance from the family. This led the elders to buckle down on him and attempted to utilize him whether he wanted to or not.
Many hundreds of years ago a meteor crashed into a small town and polluted the earth around it. Rather than leave the townsfolk lived on and over time mutations arose that led to magic circuits. Over hundreds of years, these circuits and barebones knowledge were been accumulated until they started to fail as poor genes and old grudges started to kill them off. This slow end was averted by the birth of Abid... however... he wouldn't train, so, the elders then implanted shards of this meteor inside of him to enhance Abid and bend him to their will. This led to the young Armitage running away and stealing the last fragment of the meteor. In the years that passed he had wandered from town to town learning about his own Magecraft, till he eventually stumbled upon the False Moon-Cell Holy Grail War.
Abilities: Having only barebones knowledge of the fundamentals. Abid is almost completely unable to use basic Magecraft aside from hypnosis.
He is quite skilled at sleight of hand, sneaking around, and is adept at running schemes.
His family Magecraft is one based on manipulating distances. This allows him to take a single step and arrive dozens of feet away, or to twist space and allow him to avert a blow. This is limited as anything can travel through the space he changes, and his reaction time is only slightly faster than that of a normal person.
Origin: Distance
Catalyst: A meteor fragment