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Andyzero posted:Altera the Sun (ta) also uses the same type of voice Titan Altera uses. ....wow, I was amazingly wrong. It was still Herald Altera. Just with an "Underworld Cold" I liked my idea better.
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Dec 28, 2017 05:14
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Andyzero posted:....wow, I was amazingly wrong. It was still Herald Altera. Just with an "Underworld Cold" It may be a small thing, but Merlin shows up late in the event and references Titan Altera pretty heavily, and extella's plot in general, so we probably haven't heard the last of Titan Altera in other worlds. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Dec 29, 2017 |
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Dec 29, 2017 20:51
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For those who didn't hear, the new storyline of Fate/Grand Order that was announced yesterday, one of its chapters takes pace in 12,000 BC, right around the time Sephyr would have been wrecking poo poo up, so it's very likely a lot of extella's backstory will be relevant at the time that drops (which is probably a year or so away from now. It's not coming anytime soon). More relevant, the sequel, extella link, will see an early June release. Just from what we know now, it'll have the entire playable cast of this game + (at this time) Astolfo, Scathach, Charlemagne, and Drake as new characters. Drake was supposed to be in extella but it just wasn't meant to be. I saw it somewhere, but apparently there's 6 more characters to be revealed. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Dec 31, 2017 |
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Dec 31, 2017 21:56
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War Military Tactics  Oh, I think that's a great idea. But...how exactly would we do that? I nod silently, wondering if we're going to do some sort of simulation using the features of the Throne. It is settled! We will play Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum! What is that...? Hm. So knowledge of it has escaped your grasp. Imagine, my own Praetor, so robustly informed of so many divine myths and history, completely at a loss. Well, no matter. Exactly as its name suggests, it is a game played with twelve lines. It was supremely popular in Rome! Surely you know of backgammon? Think of it as the Roman version of that. Truth be told, the difference between the two is not so vast. Seneca said that the game originated in the region neighboring Egypt, but...even I remain unaware of its true origins. Essentially, it is a military strategy game played using a board with twelve spaces on two rows.Nero would be right to be wary of Seneca's explanation. Supposedly Ludus is based on the the Egyptian game senet, "but some consider this doubtful because, with the exception of limited superficial similarities between the appearance of the boards, and the use of dice, there is no known evidence linking the games. Another factor casting doubt on this link is that the latest known classical senet board is over half of a millennium older than the earliest known XII scripta board." Oh, and XII scripta is another name for the game. Easier to remember. Hm. I see. Frankly, the only thing I'm sure of is that Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum sounds like Latin... But if it's the "Roman version backgammon", as Saber says, it must have similar rules about getting all of one's pieces to the goal. ...Ah, I understand what Saber is trying to say. The battles that occur every day on this new SE.RA.PH are, in essence, one big conflict over territory. We could probably learn a thing or two from a game where we send our pawns to a goal point... Now, I shall explain the rules. Do not let your mind wander during my explanation, as I will say this once, and only once. And so Saber begins teaching me the rules. Her explanation definitely reminds me of backgammon, so I'm sure it'll be easy to pick up. We jump into our first game right away, but... I can't win... Whether it's her natural talent, or whether she's simply got me beat in terms of experience, Saber is too good at this! I can get on a point where I think I'm only a step away from winning, but I can't seem to clinch the last move. It's just impossible. I've lost twice in a row now. You were so close, my Praetor. You were one move away from your first victory, and yet the results speak for themselves. A single step, a single choice, is enough to decide the outcome of a match. It is not so different from the territory battles within SE.RA.PH, is it? Yeah yeah. Hakuno didn't get to where she is by backing down, though. We'll win one of these days. Splendid! As I expected, such is the indefatigable passion that lies within my Praetor's bosom! Now, let us play again! Steel your resolve, as I have no intention of holding back!The next stage is gonna be pretty tough, and you'll want to prepare anti-Fire / Poison code casts going ahead. Otherwise, when you're choosing Side Missions, you can choose from anyone on Tamamo or Nero's staffs. So if you need to raise a few bond levels, now's your chance.  Golden Poem Stage 4 So in pretty typical late-game fashion, you and your allies will be under heavy attack at the start. You'll start with three Sectors under control: one is where Cu Chulainn currently is, one is where Gawain is (he'll start off under attack from Jeanne, however), and the Sector where Nero starts. There are two high-profile Sectors, one right in front of you, and the other at the bottom left of the map. While it would definitely be most prudent to attack those two Sectors, Gawain can't hold out forever. If Gawain loses his fight with Jeanne and you haven't taken over one of the high-profile areas, that's your loss. My plan of attack is to hit the nearest high-profile, take it over, then take out the Plant at the bottom of the map, THEN relieve Gawain. You have to be fast doing this, however, since Gawain can't hold out forever. As a note, the stage video features only gameplay stuff. The story cutscenes will be in their own videos.  You can always count on Cu. After a certain amount of time has passed (maybe like 3-4 minutes), this scene will pop.     Start by surrounding their base! Third unit, get into position, got it?!What this scene means is Iskandar's calling his heavy units, and true to form, you're gonna be fighting a TON of these heavy Aggressors. Hope you like it.  And yeah, while you're busy with Iskandar's armies, Nameless will point out that Gil's just quietly hanging out in the upper left. Since Gilgamesh doesn't *do* quiet, you know he's up to something. Well, his plan is to invade the sector Cu is in, and we just can't have that. We'll intercept him as soon as we're finished with Jeanne.  Since you'll be fighting a lot of heavies in this stage, you'll quickly realize the importance in Nero's quick movements, since she can dash in the middle of a group of them, pull off a special attack to glide between them while doing damage. It's timing and position you'll have to make work for you, since you'll be facing groups of up to 4 or 5 of them at a time.  So Jeanne again. I had a pretty easy time here, if only because Jeanne is quite slow in comparison to Nero's blazing speed. As long as you don't get caught in the blast radius of her most powerful special attacks, you won't have much to worry about. If Gawain is still standing, he'll do a good job of keeping other enemy Aggressors off your back.  When it comes to Gilgamesh, Nero is definitely fast enough to allow Gilgamesh to fire some of his most powerful attacks, circle around him, and attack from behind. The problem for Nero here is her lack of power makes this quite the battle of attrition. There's really no way to get around the fact this fight will take a while, but as long as you dodge the heavies and stay focused on launching special attacks against Gil, he is also not too big of a problem. One of Gil's weaknesses is his long cooldowns between special attacks and resuming combat, so you can either use that time to break off and get some supplies or launch your own attack. As it usual, Gil will break off the fight when he gets low enough on health, but he will be back.  But yeah, just look at this clown parade. Those are some pretty big punching bags.  That was fast. Well, everything I said about him holds in your follow-up battle. I will not mention it further here.  Well, I will mention one thing. Getting too close to his Gate of Babylon, even from behind, is a bad idea.  Yikes. I came into this Sector with a full line-up of 11 Aggressors.  Alright. Almost time for Iskandar to make his grand debut. And oy. Look alive, Gawain.   The Path of the King of Conquerors *laugh* Splendid, splendid! I'm pleased you managed to defeat my men-at-arms and make it all the way here! Accept my admiration! However, I never expected this! How fortunate that I would cross paths with a Servant capable of keeping up with my army! Indeed, it was a vicious battle that had us on the brink of death! You truly are a Top Servant in command of superb men. Most impressive! But we reach the end at last. Prepare yourself, pawn of the Umbral Star! As long as I have my Praetor at my side, glory shall shine upon me! My talents are no less brilliant on the battlefield! My swordplay sings in dulcet tones that elicit the most thunderous of applause! Hm. You thrust your insults with grace and authority. Your boasts are filled with the pride and confidence of a rose that blooms on the battlefield. Allow me to state this plainly. You truly are a Hero. I pray that doubt will never cling to your footsteps, that you will neither bend nor break in the face of danger. Stand by your words even as I trample you underfoot! I can feel it even from within the Regalia. His spirit doesn't waver in the slightest, even though we've destroyed so much of his army. He is exactly as the record described. This pressure... This force...! I'm struck by a feeling of tension and bloodcurdling fear unlike anything I've felt before. Even standing in front of nine Heroic Spirits doesn't compare to this. I'm lad that I'm inside the ring right now, because if I had a corporeal form, I'm sure I would have embarrassed myself in front of Saber. An army of 10,000 men would be no match for this great Heroic Spirit. The great King who invades, trampling his foes, roaring the proud song of victory at the end of his march of conquest...I know his name. His name is Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, who established the supremacy of Macedonia...! Iskandar, you say! Even the enlightened ruler Gaius Julius Caesar admired the imposing great King! To face you in battle is the greatest of honors! However! On the battlefield, only one's sword speaks true! You have my respect, mighty King, but I shall cut you down along with your mantle! My name is Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus...! King of Conquerors, face my blade! Oh?! So you are that Nero Claudius! *laugh* Now that I have a closer look at you, my eyes are nearly blinded by all that red and gold! I see now, the air of Rome is all about you! But this is quite the surprise. I never knew that the famed tyrant was so skilled in the art of war! And for you to reveal my True Name... Do you have a particularly skilled scout on your side? Or could it be that the Wizard you have hiding in that ring has invoked some curious magic?Incidentally, Iskandar and the rise of Rome on the Mediterranean scene are somewhat contemporaries. Iskandar was born in 356 BC, and at the time, Rome had begun consolidating its power on the Italian peninsula. You have to keep in mind Iskandar's wars against the Achaemenid Empire were carried out over a short period of time, only 10 years. By the time Rome began looking toward the eastern Mediterranean, the remains of Alexander's empire in Egypt and southeastern Europe, they had been around for a couple centuries and were in decline, ripe for Roman plucking. Alexander himself probably was not familiar with anything going on west of Greece, and even at death he seemed mostly uninterested in European affairs (such as they were, and supposedly the campaign he was planning at the time of his death in Babylon were expeditions into what's now the Arabian peninsula), but Rome was a significant power by the time of his death in 323. In a certain sense, yes, but it's not something in the realm of a Code Cast. We've found ourselves in a rather curious predicament. ...Hm. ...Um, Saber? What is the matter, Emperor of Roses? Your blade is suddenly clouded with doubt. The reason why I waited for you here was to claim your head. Of course, if you speak your desire to join my forces instead, I'll take that under consideration. That is my line, King of Conquerors. I... I simply thought something to be strange. Huh? Well, you sure know how to pique my interest. That's what I like about you. You're too straightforward to be malicious. Speak, then. Sate your curiosity. ...Then I shall ask. What circumstances have led to you, of all people, standing among the forces of the Umbral Star? I know naught of the King of Conquerors' original nature, but your powerful words and overflowing spirit embody the Iskandar portrayed in legend. You are no Anti-Hero, seeking to thrust the world into chaos. Why is one of history's greatest Heroes content being a mere pawn of the malevolent Star? It doesn't look as though they have meddled with the inside of your mind... Hm... That's actually something I was curious about as well. What in the world is going on with this great Hero? Just as Saber says, he doesn't look like he's being manipulated, at least as far as I can tell. Then... He must be doing this because he has something else in mind. Ah... Well, you see, there are...certain circumstances, and I have my own reasons. You're asking me something that's difficult to answer. No matter. I'll reward you for masterfully defeating my men-at-arms up to this point. ...You know of the maiden who goes by the name "Altera"? ...Of course I know of her. I crossed blades with her. And I lost. Afterwards, I had to weigh certain considerations, and so I decided to fight on her side. She calls herself the "embodiment of destruction" or some such nonsense, but it makes not a shred of sense to me. Is destruction the true nature of battle? At the very least, that is not what I fight for. Then what does it mean to fight? For what reason do we raise our swords? That girl is missing those crucial answers inside her heart. So I thought to myself: I will ahve to fill in those answers for her by showing her the way I fight! Of course, I have no way to confirm that she's properly paying attention to me, but... I don't think I understand all of what he's saying. But maybe, just maybe, I understand a little bit of it. The King of Conquerors sensed something strange in Altera, who fights like a machine, and yet calls herself the "embodiment of destruction". So he's trying to convey something to her simply by being his true self, by fighting exactly the way he did when he was alive...Something like that, at least. ...I see. Even though we walk different paths, you and I have the same goal. My Praetor and I want to save Altera from her disastrous end. For that purpose, I will pick up my sword and cleave through an army of thousands. ...No, we are still not quite the same, King of Conquerors!Fun fact: Nero and Iskandar were explicitly designed to be similar in character. Iskandar's character in Fate/zero made such an impression on Nasu (zero was written by his buddy Gen Urobuchi), that Nasu wanted a character who was pretty similar to him, and out of that desire came Nero. Type-Moon Ace 7 posted:Q: Having the "black" one as the main character and the "white" one as the villain is a refreshing idea. Then, how about the red Saber (Saber Extra), who appeared in Fate/Extra? *laugh* That's right, tyrant! There is a slight difference between us. All I intend to do is teach her a lesson by showing her the extent of my might!      Hmph, the mongrels are at it again. Their barbarity shines through on the battlefield. Those cretins are like two peas in a pod. ...Now. What shall I do if this battle fails to amuse me? Perhaps I should put the mongrel on our side down, along with that charlatan Emperor. The flag-bearing woman. What is it? I am busier than you could imagine. Go speak to a wall if all you want to do is mutter inanities. Why... Why do you obey Altera? Unlike me and the King of Conquerors, you were not selected by the Moon Cell. I cannot see a single reason why you would bother with the Umbral Star. And yet, you even volunteered yourself to be second-in-command. ...Why would you do this? Obey? Me, obey? Hah! Woman, did you honestly expect me to bow my head in fealty to that girl? That is truly hilarious! You could moonlight as a court jester. That was such an amusing joke, I may even have to consider adding you to my vault! I-I do not jest...Jeanne is right there. There's always something fun about the overly-earnest person clashing with the dude not taking things too seriously. Ah, that was quite the accomplishment, making me roar with laughter. I'll reward you for it. Why, it's a simple story. As I was riddled with unimaginable boredom on the "Far Side" of SE.RA.PH, I felt an awakening in the Zero Dark. It had been 14,000 years since the advent of the malevolent star. I hold no memories of that event, but there remains a faint connection. Either way, I was certain this would all make for a grand spectacle. I mentioned my profound ennui, yes? And so, I took it upon myself to intervene. Ah, but this battle nears its end. My father's contract, the base of my divine legend, is nearly finished as well. I wonder what end she will bring upon this generation. Even I cannot see what the end entails. You, too, should ruminate on what may transpire as you babysit the Moon Cell.A lot to take in there. Besides the obvious CCC reference, it does lend credence to the supposition he wasn't making excuses to Altera back when he joined in the Dawn Arc, since he has nothing to justify to Jeanne regarding his current state of affairs, and that he does feel at least somewhat obligated to defend the honor of Urukians such as himself. For the record, Gilgamesh's 1/3rd human side comes from his father's side of his parentage. His "I cannot see what the end entails" is, I believe, a reference to Gilgamesh's Clairvoyance skill he actually has, but doesn't typically show. He's capable of quite a bit of foresight as to what will happen in the near future, but it's not something he can display as well as some others, but some accurate future-sight is possible. An EX rank in this particular skill would let the user see both the distant past and future with near perfect clarity. When Gilgamesh manifests as a Caster, he exercises it a bit more. On a final note, I love his "profound ennui" line. He's like "I did mention how spectacularly bored I was, right?" ...It seems you are correct. Who can say what might happen? If only I had the clarity of purpose that comes with facing a clear evil such as yourself. Hah, so you've finally regained your composure. Go on, then. Ride home on your high horse. Even your doubts will bring me some measure of amusement. *teleports out* Getting back to business, it's getting a little crowded in here, and basically everywhere the enemy still holds court. This is primarily what makes fighting Iskandar on this stage tough, just that there's so many enemies he can easily pull out some of his most devastating special moves and get you with those. You'll want to start attacks a fair bit away from the mass of enemy heavies, just so that your special attacks will do the most damage to the largest number of them.  And keep in mind, these heavies have a lot of health. Enough to withstand an un-upgraded Noble Phantasm.  That is indeed a mighty chariot. He pretty much just drops it on top of a target. Embarrassingly, I deleted the source video / battle video before I realized I posted a copy of the chariot screenshot here, so I'll just leave you with this as my finishing blow against Iskandar - Shoryureppa! Fill in the blanks for yourself.  Top Servants ...Hm. To place your pride on the line and fight for supremacy through a single sweep of your sword. That is what I mean when I speak of battle. To merely attack, and steal, and burn to the ground... How could that slake anyone's thirst? And especially if... Yes, this is good. This was a satisfying battle. As thanks for filling me with such joy, I'll allow you to trumpet your victory to the heavens! Indeed, this has been a whirlwind. I have no regrets! The King of Conquerors shall take his leave of the Moon! Emperor of Roses...no, Sword of Roses! ...Farewell! The Hero is gone. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a certain majesty in his exit. I feel it strongly within me. The Hero fought and fell in the heat of abttle. He lost every function of his temporary Cyber Frame bestowed upon him by the Moon Cell, and in the end, lost his life as well. I'm at a loss for words. If Altera were here, if she'd seen this, would she have felt anything from it? I don't know. I can't say for sure. But I want to hope... I want to hope that if she had seen it, she too would have felt something in her heart. To make you recognize him, to enthrall you, to make you submit to him in both body and mind... That was the "battle" of the King of Conquerors. Indeed, I could not imagine a greater King! Other battles have made my blood boil and my heart race, but this was the first battle that I almost wanted to lose! He was truly a fearsome opponent. I would not have been victorious without the power of the Regalia... No, without the support of my Praetor. I should be the one giving thanks, mighty King. The marks you've left as you chased your dreams to the ends of the Earth... I will never forget your bravery. I knew we'd been missing something...  What kind of Top Servant was that?! He was just a meathead with war on the brain! If that's all he could do, I'm way more deserving of that title! I'm the greatest idol of all time, an abominable Top Servant! Yeah, that's who I am! Everyone will know my name throughout SE.RA.PH as the most beautiful, the cutest, the most painful... No, I won't be limited to such a small stage! I'll be the number one galactic super idol in all of SE.RA.PH, the Umbral Star, and the galaxy combined! I know that voice... By the Gods, you are a blood-crazed beast when it comes to sensing the mood!Well yeah, she knows just when to arrive to ruin things, so yeah, I would think so. Praise me! Envy me! Sorry for being a little late to the stage, but here I am! Corroded Elizabeth Bathory. The final version of Elizabeth. I saw her like this in the record. Hmm. It looks like she's gained a lot of power. All right. At least her name is super straightforward...! So, Elizabeth, the Umbral Star has done its work on you... I-I see... It's exactly as you say... What should I...? Rather, I know not if I can... The King of Conquerors resisted the Umbral Star and remained majestic until the end, but you... How were you consumed so easily...? Y-You're wrong! I wasn't "consumed". I'm the one doing the consuming here! I'm taking advantage of its power for my own sake, okay?! I'm gonna invade the heart of every single intelligent being and consume THEM! That's what Corroded Liz is all about, okay? ... Hold up, what's going on here? Why are you guys so quiet? Is this thing on...? You're scared, right? You're horrified, yeah? I mean, I've seriously got over ten times the mana that you have! There's nothing I can't do now. No matter what anyone says, I can smack them down with my power. I won't let anyone say I'm not a top idol!What can you say? Idol business is cutthroat. ...I pity you. You once found salvation in the path of the idol, and now you've utterly forgotten what it means. it is not something one achieves with brute force. I must imagine you went looking for power and were swallowed up. Heartbreaking. Once, you were truly worthy of being called my rival. So this is how far you've fallen... Elizabeth Bathory, washed up... I didn't fall at all! And I'm NOT washed up! And hello, I am STILL your rival! Oh my god! Just shut up already! ...Just shut up already. I'm done losing. I clawed my way up to the top. No one will ever call me a loser again. I don't need atonement or redemption. Hey, you can hear me in there, right, little squirrel? The Umbral Star gave me what I needed to bloom with all my might as the incarnation of evil I am. So now I can do anything. It doesn't matter if it's my rival or a Top Servant. It doesn't matter at all. I could even kill YOU. Her voice... It sends a shiver up my figurative spine. Whatever else she is, Elizabeth is telling the truth here. She probably will kill anyone who gets in her way. Even if it's Saber. Or me. ...Elizabeth. If you are so determined, I will say no more. Regardless, it is not as if my words have ever reached you in the first place! I do not understand your pain and suffering. Or why you have suddenly changed. However... If you still call me your rival after all that you and I have been through, then I shall answer your call!  So I dunno what was going for me this time, but this fight was really easy for me. Elizabeth could barely even attack.  She really was just an extended punching bag. Quite a sad showing for the idol.   The door to the Zero Dark Strong, so strong! Good! You'd have to be in order to be my rival! Oh, you're so strong! *laugh* I can tell you have two pieces of the Regalia! It seems you're a hard one to kill! But that doesn't mean I CAN'T kill you! I haven't even started yet! Ugh...! ...She's strong! I can't deny that Corroded Elizabeth Bathory is a fearsome enemy. Even discounting the fact that we're exhausted from the fight with Iskandar, this Liz stands head and shoulders above her usual self. Yes, my Praetor. She is an entirely different entity from the Elizabeth we know. This is such a good feeling, Saber. *chuckle* I'm finally looking down on you, and the view is incredible. I should praise you. You're actually pretty strong. I have the power of the Umbral Star, you have the power of the Regalia. We're a good match now, don't you think? Guess it was a little presumptuous of me to assume I'd just squash you like a bug. So then... Come to the Zero Dark. I'll leave the door open just for you. ...I don't need the Regalia anymore. I'm gonna get my hands on something much, much more powerful. And I'll do anything for it. I'll be waiting to welcome you there. The more you struggle, the more everything will fall into place exactly like I have planned... Yeah, first I'll defeat Altera! And then I'll take care of that gross Archimedes! And after that... *laugh* You'd better prepare yourself, squirrel! *laugh* *teleports out* ...The entrance to the Zero Dark. We've completed our first goal, at least. However... It's true that we don't stand a chance like this. The power of the Regalia... I will have to truly brace myself... The Boss of the area should have been Iskandar. But seeing as how Liz opened the entrance, maybe the Boss fights were switched to her right before she was destroyed. Either way, just as Saber said, we've managed to complete our first goal...even if we did come out of it pretty torn up. We normally don't have a way to get to the Zero Dark from SE.RA.PH, but the path is open now. Although I don't believe everything that Elizabeth said to us, as far as I can tell, the entrance is stable. The observation results agree. The space that was opened as an entrance does remain stable, by the standards of such things. At the very least, it won't close of its own volition. You should head back to base first and rest before going any further. I salute the both of you. Now I highly recommend you recover your mana. Yes... You're right. Irksome as it may be, I fear I may be nearing my limits. I trust you have no objections, my Praetor? Let us nurse our wounds in My Room. ...The true battle is yet to come. For a pretty tough stage, just length-wise, that's about as I can do. Side missions were also a perfect 5/5. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 09:02 on Jan 3, 2018 |
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Jan 3, 2018 02:19
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Sylphid posted:
Once again, with the fate of the world at stake, Nero is busy thinking about how hot her enemy is. Well, at least this time she saved it for after the fight.
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Jan 4, 2018 01:55
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Home Roman luxury Rest easy, for I will keep you company as you sleep. Ah, what a perfect excuse... I am amazed by the magnificence of my own intelligence... Bask in the soothing relaxation afforded to us by the recovery properties of My Room. Yes... Your warmth is truly comforting. Now...as we lie here in languid repose... Her reasoning is sound. It makes perfect sense for us to make the most of My Room's recovery effects by sharing this single bed. But when I lay next to her... I mean, when we're so close... I can't really relax, because I clearly feel the shape of Saber's body against me... In short, even if my body can rest, my mind can't! I can't tear my eyes away from Saber's every movement. What she might do, what she might say... My heart beats faster with every possibility, so much that I swear I can hear it pounding in my chest. ...Yes, lounging like this so naturally arouses my...appetite! Your appetite? What exactly do you mean by...? I'm starting to get ahead of myself when I realize what she means. I imagine the lavish sort of mealtime enjoyed by the nobles of ancient Rome. Several people laying on the ground, grabbing all sorts of delicious morsels from plates, just like in the famous paintings from that era...Yeah, seriously. Just because you're dealing with Nero doesn't mean she's ALWAYS making euphemisms. Ah, how nostalgic. Grapes, apples, peaches, pears, apricots...a wealth of luscious fruits piled in a glorious mountain. Beside these were almonds, hazelnuts, and pignolia nuts. And pickled vegetables as well. Of course, these were merely appetizers. We ate main dishes of whole roasted boar, roasted wild rabbit, boiled escargot... The mere idea of such a feast has my mouth watering. It is said that Servants do not need to eat, but that applies only to the matter of nutrition. The hunger that lies in my mind cannot be sated. Gastronomy is pleasure made manifest. It is said to be one of the three great lusts, and rightfully so! The Roman Emperor in front of me loudly absolves herself of responsibility for her extravagant tastes. The culinary delights of the nobles of ancient Rome... I can hardly imagine such a luxury, but I'm sure Saber can recall everything about them with vivid detail. It would be a wonderful thing to recreate on SE.RA.PH. Naturally, I imagine that much of the food would consist of wild game! A feast of hunted food would make for a splendid wartime accompaniment. Such a banquet may not be beyond our means, as I hear that there are numerous territories where wild animals roam freely. Of course, we could easily produce food by utilizing spells or the functions of the Regalia, but... Nothing surpasses the feeling of hunting game with you own two hands, and with those same hands, bringing it to your own mouth. "With your own two hands..." Now that I think about it, the ancient Roman nobility didn't use cutlery like knives or forks when eating their prized cuisine. As ever, I am impressed by the breadth of your knowledge, my Praetor. Indeed, since we eat with our hands... Ah! S-So, in other words...! For instance, if I were to feed you...you would be eating directly...from my own hands... Y-Yes, that would indeed be marvelous. Let's cut to the chase. Imagine hating life so much you picked, and meant, option number two. ...Truly...?! Normally, you dither to and fro to avoid my physical advances, but...to so boldly accept them now... It would seem that your Cyber Frame is still fanning the flames of your passion. Then allow me to respond in kind, with every fiber of my being. *laugh* You had best prepare yourself, for on the day when peace reigns in SE.RA.PH...even if your passionate heat has cooled, I will not forget your words. ...I swear not to forget.Well, that's the idea. But now it's bedtime.  Saving a girl ...I had a dream. ...I don't think it was my dream. I think I was spying on a dream that "someone" else had. I'm strangely certain of this. It wasn't my own experience. It's like I was watching a film projected onto a screen. ...A fragment of the record.  The sea of stars. A teardrop. The burning Earth. The downfall of the gods, the ravaged planet, the end of civilization and the destruction of life. Destruction. Subjugation. Screaming and weeping. Terror and howling. The White Titan, swelling on the horizon. And... Something that shines so brightly... The light. The light. The light covers everything, covers the world. The titan, for all its power and savagery, crumbles to the ground and disappears.And then, in the darkness of the Moon... The Cyber Frame that holds the memories of the White Titan is all that's left. That which was left in the Zero Dark, forgotten by the Umbral Star as it headed into the sea of stars beyond. That which only exists to wait 14,000 years for the return of the Umbral Star. Without anyone to talk to. Without any outside interference. Without anything to do. Trapped in a cold cavern, little different from a coffin. The sweet embrace of sleep would ahve been a luxury. The Cyber Frame held life, intelligence, and all the necessary parts to function, but never knew sleep. Its brain never had a chance to rest. Without sleep, without dreams, without moving the slightest in the dark, without seeing anything. Only reflecting on the memories it had of destroying the Earth alone. All that time, in the place where it had no input or output, that Cyber Frame... There it's remained for eons.  All alone... ...My Praetor, you have finally awakened. You seem to have had a troubled dream. Your expression was stricken with grief. I half-expected tears. What manner of dream did you see, my Praetor? When I see your face in such anguish, I feel like my heart is being torn in two... My fuzzy consciousness clears as Saber's voice reaches my ears. Was this our first itme sleeping in the same bed? Or has she slept by my side for countless nights? It's comforting to wake up next to such a warm, soft presence. Saber's golden hair shines like the Sun, and the sight of it shakes some of the heaviness from my eyelids. How many times must I remind you that I'd rather be compared to the Muses than to the Sun god, Sol? I demand you greet me again...at least I would. Unfortunately, day breaks upon SE.RA.PH. The restfulness of the night is over, and we must ready for battle. We haven't the time to give ourselves over to the temptation of sleep. I must ask you, My Praetor. What did you see in that dream?It's interesting how many things I'll look up to fact check this game. Sol was indeed regarded as the Roman sun god (to be identified with the Greek Helios, of course. As a fun aside, one of Helios' children was the witch Circe, who recently became a playable Servant in Grand Order). For a while it was thought there were two Roman sun gods, with two names, one preceeding another. Sol Indiges was supposedly the first Sol, and the Syrian Sol Invictus being the second one. However, there was no real continuity break between the early and late Roman Sols, and thus, it always seems to have been the same deity.  Now's no time to joke around, and I suppose 2 would be more accurate, but let's say the third. Maybe Nero saw it too. ...I see. I thought it might be that. Then I must have borne witness to the same dream as you. At Saber's urging, my mouth opens on its own. I somehow string the words together. I tell her what I saw in that dream, floating somewhere deep within my mind... The story of the White Titan that turned the ground into a sea of fire, and then finally headed beyond a distant horizon of bright light. And the long, long, unbearably long days within the Zero Dark. All said, it must have been... ...14,000 years, you say? The Zero Dark. The territory that was rejected by the Moon Cell, yet somehow still exists within it. You and I know that it is not necessarily a world of darkness. We know this because we have touched the record that was sent across space and time. An isolated space, closed off for ages...that's what the Zero Dark is, as far as we know. Then there's the Far Side of the Moon... An imaginary space on the other side of the Moon, where all of humanity's evils are sealed away. That's separate from the Zero Dark, since the Far Side is still considered part of the Moon's system. The Zero Dark is a territory of deep shadows, visible from neither the inside nor the outside. We already know what lies there. The Ark of the Stars: The external memory unit injected into the Moon by the Umbral Star. We know the boundary is there to keep the Ark quarantined from the rest of the Moon Cell. I imagine its darkness resembles what space looked like before the sun. The space where nothing can be born. The Moon Cell named it the Zero Dark due to this nature. Its corruption is contained, but still festering inside. And there, the Umbral Star takes root. And of course...it's where the White Titan sleeps. Well, not exactly, because she isn't "sleeping".This all is referring to the cavern where Titan Altera is sleeping. You'll recall that the Umbral Star buried a piece of itself into the Moon Cell, which gave rise to what's now referred to as the Zero Dark. We...haven't seen that one yet. The piece of the Umbral Star buried in the Moon, you say? What I saw in the dream was nothing more than an all-consuming darkness. It would be no exaggeration to say that the only thing she saw for an eternity was the sight of that cavern. ...But I can scarcely conceptualize a span of 14,000 years. It is too long for me to even comprehend. ...I certainly can't imagine it either. There's no way I could. Even though I experienced everything in that memory as a dream, it was more like looking through sheets of data. It was nothing like living it myself. They say that a Master who forms a contract with a Servant sometimes experiences the events of their partner's life through dreams. The dream I had was even less real than that. It was more like a copy of a dream. I don't think that was I was able to pick up on the same things as the Hakunon who sent me this record. A record is a record. It's a combination of images and sounds. It doesn't copy over the emotions the recorder feels when the record is made. Since it's only a means of absorbing information, like reading a book or watching a movie, what you take from it is up to you. Oh, but still... I feel the same way. Did I not tell you earlier? That a Servant and Master see the same dreams. I cannot comprehend the idea of 14,000 years of solitude. The only thing I understand is the emotion stirred up within my heart. Is saving Altera, a vassal of the Umbral Star, truly the right thing to do? And more importantly, she's not going to steal my Praetor away, is she? Of course I fear that as well. But... No matter how I try, I cannot forget the sight of her at the end. I wish to save Altera, and not simply because you wish the same. Oh, ah, well, I suppose part of it is for your sake, but... This is something I...chose for myself. I will deliver Altera from that crushing darkness, simply because I want to. That is the reason I fight with you. It's different from the Holy Grail War, where we fought to stay alive. This is purely for another's salvation. Saber spoke calmly, like she was confiding a secret from deep within her heart. She will fight, but not as the Servant of Hakunon. She will fight against the darkness as her own person. All for that maiden... Not for any grand purpose, but for her. For her own happiness. As the Praetor's journey ended, to have reached out for her sake only... And as your Servant, how could I not honor such a noble request? I will not allow it to go to waste. Therefore, leave everything to me! My sparkling countenance will banish the ages of the darkness! This shall be no trouble! I shall enrapture her with the greatest of artistry and the ephemeral beauty of the heavens, using my Aestus Domus Aurea! It's exactly as you say, Saber. It's only natural for us to protect SE.RA.PH as the ones who live here. That's just our natural survival instinct as living creatures. But we have another reason besides that. Independent of my human desire to live, I want to save Altera.  Caster! You... How long have you been there?! You haven't been spying on us from the very beginning, have you?! Well, not from the beginning. I'm sure my delicate feet would have found your face otherwise. I just came in a moment ago. There was no answer when I knocked, so I thought, "This might be my chance to catch them sleeping!" But lo and behold. You two were gazing into each other's eyes while rambling about saving that White Titan. Anyone in my silken shoes would be frozen in shock. ...Hm. Are you against it, Caster? You seem to hold a grudge against her. I had suspected that you might not be enthusiastic about this plan... Well, of course I wouldn't be. Neither you nor my Husband have any idea how troublesome it was to fight that giant. But, well, it seems like the situation has changed since then, hasn't it? And I can't say I don't understand the tiniest bit about how she feels. In the past, all who fought to destroy the giant met their end. However... No one has ever fought to save her instead of destroying her. As someone she once vanquished, I want to see how this all ends. Caster... I never imagined you would say that. Did you become a better woman after my Praetor discarded you? Is that it? I have not been "discarded"! I'm merely letting you take point this time because you're more suited to hacking and slashing. Oh, dear... At any rate, I'm more worried about how my Husband will fare, being so unbelievably good-natured. Yes, yes, of course. I do love that you are so filled with the spirit of philanthropy that you constantly invite trouble to your side. ♡ Ah. I understand that. Truly, I do. But surely you realize my love eclipses yours? And that my Praetor loves me rather substantially in return? Say what you will. I'll be here, protecting our home base. My Husband's home, the place where my dearest rests and heals between battles with the Forces of Destruction. And so, Ms. Saber. Please remember one thing. Take good care of my beloved. ...Indeed. Of course I will. *nod* I know exactly what it is I want to protect. Now all I have to do is make it happen. ...Let's go. To Altera's home base. To the ends of the Zero Dark...! Ruminations Including Caster's forces, we have many Heroic Spirits gathered in Rome, and each has brought us new information. Now may be the best time to consider our options. What say you, my Praetor? It's exactly as Saber says. Since the decisive battle lies ahead of us, we should try to get as much brainwork as possible done beforehand. So...the problem lies in how we're going to answer the biggest question of all. How, exactly, are we going to save Altera? I seized every opportunity to question every Servant here. And indeed, each of them had a suggestion. So now we have the best advice of nine Heroic Spirits who carved out their legends across time and space. Each of them pondered our conundrum. Wait just a moment... Ah, I have compiled all of their answers into one sheet of data. ...I need only enter one command, and... Good. Now, let us begin. First, we have Cu Chulainn. He said, quote, "If we can kill 'em, we should kill 'em." Moving on... The Master of the Demon Fist said much the same... "First, we defeat them. Then we'll have time to think of a good plan". It seems they are rather alike. All right, yeah, that's true. Let's just pretend we didn't hear those two and move on. What about Gawain and Archer? Hmm... Allow me to review the data... They both displayed troubled looks and shook their heads. ...I expected as much from Archer, but Sir Gawain? Hmph, not particularly helpful. Well, it's not like we've come up with much better ourselves. After all, we're talking about fighting an alien enemy from the edge of space. And on top of that, we're not just look to defeat an alien, but to defeat AND save an alien. Rider gave the same response... Lu Bu was as stoic as ever, and Karna... Hm? Ah, yes, Karna did have something to say! How brilliant he is, graced with his extraordinary insight! Even in such a strange case, he was able to advise us. Now, as to what he said exactly... "To defeat someone and yet try to save them is a contradiction, like choosing between the Moon and the Sun. Without both, tomorrow will never arrive." ...What does it mean? It is in Karna's nature to look at the grander picture, of course, but that might be...a bit too grand. I imagine Caster must have her hands full with him. What do you think, my Praetor? That's probably what he was getting at. Karna can be an odd guy, but inanities are something he does not bother himself with. ...A fine choice of words, even if they bring us no closer to the answer we seek. Karna truly is a kind Heroic Spirit. It is no surprise that his legends detail him as an extraordinarily great Hero. Well, I still have faith in our planning. A way to save her... One single task to accomplish. And we may well already have the power to do so. The Regalia. The Royal Authority of the Moon's Holy Grail. As far as SE.RA.PH is concerned, it's a machine that can grant any wish. Since we have two-thirds of it in our possession, we should be able to do just about anything. So really, all we have left to do is hammer out the details of that plan... ... My apologies, my Praetor. I was ruminating on the battle we just fought. The King of Conquerors, Iskandar. He was truly a proud and brilliant Heroic Spirit. And above all, to put it quite simply, he was strong. You and I are alive now because we emerged victorious, but... Yes, if we were to fight him a second time, I am not confident we would win. Iskandar was a fearsome enemy. And at the same time, he was a "Hero", exactly as Saber says. He had the courage to do whatever it took to obtain his heart's desires, as well as an adventurous spirit that made it hard to tear your eyes away from him. Even as we were fighting him, even as his enemy, I couldn't help but think that. Indeed! Such is the sublime nature of a true Hero. My exploits and bravery are nothing compared to those of a more authentic Hero, like the King of Conquerors or my divine ancestor, Romulus. True, I did become irreplaceable the moment I took the throne of the Roman Emperor, but...there is no way I could be as great as King Iskandar. He subjugated much of the continent and made vassals of so many Kings. It is said that he was even made a Pharaoh. Even Gaius Julius Caesar, whom I admire, admired Iskandar in turn. Moreover... My uncle loved King Iskandar as well.Alexander really is one of the particular figures in history who became a legend pretty much instantly. Granted, you don't need to exaggerate about the deeds of a guy like Alexander the Great, since what we know of what the man accomplished is already staggering enough, but for a guy to be be universally regarded as The Real Deal so quickly after his own life and death is pretty amazing. Saber's... The person who was the uncle of the Roman Emperor Nero was... My uncle Caligula. He was the brother of my mother, Agrippina, and the Emperor two generations before me. He would often sit me on his knee when I was little, and regale me with tales of the heroes of old. He shared so many legends with me. The heroes of the Illiad, Heracles, Ulysses, Perseus... Of all the legends he told, his passion burned most brightly for the great King Alexandros... For the tales of Iskandar. Saber's eyes seem to search for something in the distance. Her thoughts are in a time long gone. Emperor Caligula. When I think of the third Emperor of Ancient Rome, I recall taht he was famous for being more of a tyrant than Nero. They say he was a blood-soaked despot... The Emperor of Death, who fell into madness. The greatest man in power at the time, he was tempermental and would steal lives away without a second thought. In the end, he was murdered in some internal plot. But...the words that spill from Saber's lips seem to pain an entirely different picture from the bloody legend I know. I recall that Emperor Caligula was considered an enlightened ruler, and not a tyrant, when he first took the throne. For the first few years of his rule, he was known as the shining star of Rome. Yes, just like the Saber I know. Perhaps the Caligula in her memories is forever in the shape of the good and wise king she was most familiar with.Ah, Caligula. A complicated fellow, and probably one we'll never know the full story behind. As Hakuno was saying, from what of the record remains Caligula was initially thought of quite postively, but within a few years descended into the depravity and madness that's become his defining legacy. Suetonius and Cassius Dio are the major sources on his life, along with, of lesser-importance on the man, Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, Seneca, and Pliny the Elder. Suetonius said he had some form of epilepsy, and, possibly related, could not swim. Suetonius is also the source of the claim that Caligula talked to the Moon, which is where Fate/Grand Order gets off classifying him as a Berserker associated with the Moon (with the added historical precedent of the Moon being identified with insanity). Overall, I'm liable to believe that Caligula probably went as insane as he's associated with popularly, but some of the tales of his depravity were probably invented long after the fact by the political enemies of Caligula that he naturally generated (he was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard, after all). The two major sources on Caligula's life were writing 80 and 180 years after his life, respectively, so it's probable they were working off only the most notorious stories from his life. Certainly not a guy with too many friends in his later years, that's for sure. Knowing the real Caligula is tough because like many other such ancient figures, a lot of what's supposedly known about him is from many decades after the fact (or centuries, in unluckier cases), and how much of what got written down was ancient Pop History and what actually known about specific people is in unknown quantities. ...To me, he was a genuinely kind uncle. There is no mistaking that. He always said that he did not necessarily strive to be like the heroes of legend, but at the very least, he wanted to be a good Emperor to his people. He said that so often... And also... He told me to grow up into a paragon of nobility. Hey, it's family. ...Yes. He always treated me with kindness.
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 10:00 on Jan 10, 2018 |
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Jan 9, 2018 23:34
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Incidentally, Nero's birth father was also a major rear end in a top hat. He stole prizes from winning chariot racers at the Circus Maximus, ran over a child with his chariot while on the road, ripped a man's eye out during an argument and murdered one of his former slaves for not getting drunk enough at a party. After he died, his mother married the Emperor, her own uncle. The Julio-Claudians were real winners.
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Jan 10, 2018 00:16
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Don't forget that Caligula's father was poisoned on Tiberius' orders, and the guy was forced to live with the sadistic pedophile killer of his father, that would hosed anyone up - no one has any real idea why Caligula suddenly went mad, some think it's syphillis, or lead poisoning from wine (that's how Romans made wine sweet, but sprinkling lead into it), or Meningitis causing brain damage. Or given the whole family, probably some unknown hereditary mental illness manifested then. Gaius Octavius is basically the only member who really got his head on straight, Claudius is still very much an enigma.
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Jan 10, 2018 01:42
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They also ate food cooked in lead vessels and had water brought in through lead pipes. Lead poisoning is a hell of a thing.
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Jan 10, 2018 02:32
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Vadoc posted:They also ate food cooked in lead vessels and had water brought in through lead pipes. Lead poisoning is a hell of a thing. Also, this wasn't a case of the Romans not knowing the dangers: they knew quite well that lead poisoning was a thing, and they decided it was worth it, because lead was so convenient and there were still lots of people who didn't die from it.
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Jan 10, 2018 03:21
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So now that I'll be getting back to work on the LP (after the most recent FGO event), it's time for a Thread Decision. After the next two updates, I'll be going into the Side-Stories. Naturally I'm doing all of them, but I'll leave who I start with up to the thread, somewhat. Here's how it goes: I'll throw out three names, you all choose one you want to see first, second, and third. Person with the most votes goes first (tiebreakers decided by me), second place goes next, etc. So the first three candidates are: Nameless, Karna, or Iskandar, the default Swap Servants for each main heroine. No matter what the rankings for this round are, these three will be the first. The non-faction aligned Servants (the secret character, Archimedes, and Elizabeth), the 1st and Elizabeth will face off against each other, because Archimedes' ties into the main story much more than all the others do. He'll be the last. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Jan 20, 2018 |
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Jan 20, 2018 06:56
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Sylphid posted:So the first three candidates are: Nameless, Karna, or Iskandar, Did you want us to order all three, or just pick one? Because if you wanted the order, go by the order listed. If you just want our top pick, go with Nameless. edit: In that case, Nameless, Karna, then Iskandar last. BlazeEmblem fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Jan 20, 2018 |
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Jan 20, 2018 08:35
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BlazeEmblem posted:Did you want us to order all three, or just pick one? Because if you wanted the order, go by the order listed. If you just want our top pick, go with Nameless. Ah yeah, list all the choices in terms of your preference. 1st choice gets 3 points, 2nd = 2, 3rd = 1.
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Jan 20, 2018 09:27
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I'll pick, in order, Iskandar, Nameless, and Karna since I find Iskandar to be pretty cool and Nameless a close second. Sorry, Karna.
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Jan 20, 2018 10:45
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In order, Nameless, Iskandar, Karna.
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Jan 20, 2018 16:22
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Nameless,, Iskandar, then Karna
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Jan 20, 2018 18:12
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Nameless, Iskander, Karna.
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Jan 20, 2018 23:19
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Karna, Nameless, Iskander Archerkins, he's had enough presence in F/Stay night, I'm more curious about Karna.
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Jan 21, 2018 00:17
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Karna, Iskander, Nameless
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Jan 21, 2018 00:26
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Current standings are: Karna: 13 Nameless: 17 Iskandar: 16 Close race between the two front-runners. This includes someone I asked privately who does read the thread.
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Jan 22, 2018 00:38
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While the next two updates are in production, as a fun fact, Fate/EXTRA: Last Encore starts airing tomorrow. I'll be watching for many reasons.
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Jan 27, 2018 05:56
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http://forums.nrvnqsr.com/showthread.php/5875-The-BAMBOO-BROOM-DIARY-%28Nasu-and-Takeuchi-blog%29?p=2800079&viewfull=1#post2800079 "Through "Last Encore", I tried to make it something that feels different depending on whether you know the premise. For the people who will watch this anime as their first "EXTRA" experience, I want this to be the starting point where they become interested in the original game and the comics (5 volumes in total, on sale from Kadokawa!)" Given how radically different CCC went, then Extella, it doesn't really surprise me. I'm betting Last Encore will tie into Extella better as a prequel.
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Jan 27, 2018 21:28
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Dazzle Behold: the last normal stage in the game. Both stages 6 and 7 of Golden Poem are boss fight stages. Let us begin.  Golden Poem stage 5 (this video contains all the gameplay of the stage. Cutscenes are in separate videos) No time for cutscenes, it's time for action! The set-up is exactly the same as the penultimate stage of Flame Poem, just with Iskandar replaced with Elizabeth. As before, my advice would be to go for the closest under-attack Sector, work through the middle, then aid Gawain in fighting off Gilgamesh's attack. It's worth pointing out that enemy parameters are increased from Flame Poem, so this is gonna be a long fight.  As always, as long as Gilgamesh is on the field he'll periodically attack one of your Sectors with long-range artillery, even if he's in the middle of a fight, damaging your occupying forces and making it easier for the enemy to take them over upon invasion.  I actually wanted to try and fight these things properly. Attacking them ground level is pointless. You'll need to maneuver behind them and hit them with aerial attacks, which is a lot easier said than done. Even if they're in the middle on attack, they're invincible from ground attacks, not counting EMs.  Cu will be our resident ally here (just like in the very first stage!), and he's pretty useful. He's quite good at quickly interrupting enemy attacks and dealing with crowds. May not have much killing power, but that's why you're here, right?  Two invasions stopped before they could start. Pretty good, unfortunately, we still have Jeanne and Elizabeth on the field, and Gil Gil Man will be rejoining us shortly. Also, here's something I discovered. I thought you had to use an antidote Code Cast to get rid of the Paralysis status effect, but nope. You can use any Code Cast to rid yourself of status effects, for some reason.  So, there choices here, of roughly equal importance: Elizabeth in the NE, Jeanne in the west, or Gil in the middle. I decided to go after Jeanne, but in retrospect, that was the bad decision.  Because of this. The ol' dog took more damage from Gilgamesh than I thought.  This late in the stage, for them to be pushing me this far... Quite a poor performance, or a pretty tough stage. I'd like to think the latter. Shortly after, I defeated the Holy Maiden, so now we can start to counterattack proper against Gilgamesh in the middle, before the damage spreads.  A long fight, but it's over. We'll never have him as an enemy again...in the main story.  Our fateful rematch...  Went about as well for her as last time, honestly. She got in a few shots, to be fair, but she just doesn't have what it takes. Corroded Liz, like Gilgamesh, will retreat when her HP gets to a certain threshold. We are not through with her, I will tell you that.  Tough battle. Well, as you might expect, there's not much else to talk about with the rest of the map, aside from my ol' "Get rid of status effects with any Code Cast" trick for the Sector Elizabeth started in, but otherwise, there's a big cutscene that occurs in the very middle Sector (the only one with a NP Circuit in it), so we'll finish the stage proper with that.  The sword ...We've come this far, at least. Altera awaits us just ahead. The outcome of this battle will be decided here. *teleports Hakuno out of ring* However, there is something I wanted to discuss with you before we move on, my Praetor. Would you mind? The portal is already open. Once we head in, it won't be long until we arrive at the confrontation with Altera. Honestly, I wanted to stop and talk first too, so I appreciate her asking. I don't think we'll get another chance like this if we don't do it here. I've used the Regalia to erect a barrier around us. It will be but a brief respite, but we can rest comfortably for the time being. Now, I have only one thing to discuss: the specific details of how we intend to save Altera. In a sense, this will also be how we defeat the Umbral Star. After all, rushing in without a plan will only get us so far. *laugh* To think that we face an unimaginably powerful enemy, and yet here we are discussing how to "save her". It may seem like we've only started thinking about how we're going to do this now that we've headed into enemy territory, but that's not entirely true. We've thought about this over and over, in My Room and at our home base. We just haven't come up with an answer yet. For that matter, it doesn't really matter where we think about it. We can make just about any phenomenon possible within the bounds of SE.RA.PH, using the Regalia, the Royal Authority of the Moon Cell. Now that I think about it, we've been traveling around SE.RA.PH all the time with a literal Holy Grail right in our pocket. Plans upon plans come to mind, but still no clear answers. However, we do need at least some sense of direction before we confront Altera. It's just as Saber says. Right now, we're still stumped. We filled our allies in on the situation, and we trusted their opinions. All the Servants did their best to think of a plan, but none of them were able to come up with anything solid. The Son of Light only said, "If we can kill 'em, we should kill 'em", and the Master of the Demon Fist suggested a similar plan. Lord Gawain and Archer only furrowed their brows, and added nothing to the discussion. It was the same with Caster's underlings. Though they are all dependable in battle, none of them are suited to this sort of thinking. It's a shame Archimedes isn't on our side. I'm sure he could come up with something... The engineer of the Moon Cell Automaton's system maintenance process that happens every 10,000 and some odd years. That was the title Archimedes introduced himself with. Truthfully, he did fulfill that role, and he had the skills to support it. Normally, Archimedes would be the sort of person we'd go to for this sort of thing. But that'll never happen. That "Hero" is the man who abused the trust of the Moon Cell, sided with the Umbral Star, and ultimately betrayed all of humanity. Of course, we do possess the power of the Regalia. If we can find an appropriate way of using it... Hm, a portable version of the Holy Grail that can grant any wish... What wish should we ask of it? Hmmm... Well, we've already tried the second and the third is positively absurd. I'm not entirely sure what the Mythology Mystic Code is, but Hakuno's thinking of it, so let's see what she's talking about. Ah, the Mythology Mystic Code! The physical manifestation of a Hero's Origin... The torrent of power that forms the root of a hero might be enough to face the Umbral Star... the only caveat is that my Cyber Frame would not be able to handle that amount of pressure for long... But with the Royal Authority of the Regalia, we have the power to make miracles happen. Indeed, that's not a bad idea. Yeah...Well, to be honest, even though I'm the one who brought it up, I'm not entirely sure it would work. Just as Saber says, the Mythology Mystic Code is just the "manifestation of a Hero's Origin". It's not enough to influence Altera, since her strength is backed by the Umbral Star, which is on a whole different level of power. We need power on the same level as Altera if we want to free her from the shackles of the Umbral Star. Even if we used the incredible power of the Royal Authority, and even if Saber was able to release her full power with the Mythology Mystic Code, the formats of the Moon Cell and the Umbral Star are too different. I feel like it doesn't address the root of the problem. Since its power is ultimately just a function of the Moon's Holy Grail, all we could hope for at best would be to destroy her. And even that's not guaranteed. ...That's true. Altera's existence is fundamentally different from a Servant such as Caster or myself. A power on the same level, hm...? In theory, my brilliant Praetor, what you say makes sense from a logical standpoint, but... I feel as though the solution to this mystery lies within arm's reach, and yet I remain vexed. Before us stands the final threshold. In our hands, we hold two-thirds of the Regalia. We are nearly prepared for the climax of our play, but... To break her chains, to change her fate... There has to be a way. I understand Saber's frustrations. I feel especially useless, because we have the Regalia with all of its functions at our disposal, and yet we can't see a way out of this situation. But we won't give up, no matter what. And we will never despair. Every part of me is sure of that. Mind and Soul. Even the Body. I know it. The three of us all agree. It's not impossible. We can save Altera... No, this time, we WILL save Altera... You need not speak your thoughts aloud, my Praetor. I understand. It is not necessary for us to reach an answer just yet. In any case, we must first confront her. We have no intention of killing her, naturally. That being said, she does stand a chance of killing us... No! No chance! I will not! Lose! To anyone! I never could. Not while you are with me. I face the destroyer who has laid waste to gods, and with you beside me, I have nothing to fear. First, we must cross blades with Altera and emerge victorious. After that, we can think of a solution together. An inelegant approach, perhaps, but a sound one. Moreover, Altera most likely knows more about her situation than we do. Yes... Haste makes waste. Well, she bounced back fast... I mean, duh. The Sword of Mars is her main power source. You know that, right? Nice barrier you've got here! I bet it would've stopped Altera cold. ...! Corroded Elizabeth Bathory. Could she have slipped past the Regalia's barrier so easily?! Regardless of how she managed it, she doesn't seem to have broken a sweat. She's positively brimming with confidence. *giggle* Oh, you should see your faces! You look like a baby-faced idol who's bumped into a top idol in the green room by accident, and she thinks to herself... "Oh no, tomorrow they'll find my body in the dumpster!" No, it's more like...like you found out some shameful secret on a talk show... Well, whatever. Anyway, I'm not int he mood to fight, so I'll let bygones be bygones for now. How're you doing, squirrel?As an aside, Elizabeth has always referred to male Hakuno as a "piggy", and female Hakuno as a "squirrel". However, I wouldn't really call squirrel an insult, so Elizabeth is really much more polite dealing with a fellow woman. ...She's not attacking us? Her words are sharp, but she seems to have come in peace. She's always been rather temperamental, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that she might join us... But even if she did, she'd probably...scratch that, DEFINITELY be watching for the first sign of the tide turning. In a twisted sense, we can completely trust her. No matter how powerful she becomes, no matter how cruel the expression on her face is, Elizabeth is Elizabeth. She's a cruel and reckless creature, but similar to Saber, there's a part of her that sticks to her own rules for what she considers "beautiful". Her own rules. No one else's. It's a problem. *giggle* What's with that face, squirrel? You got the right idea. Just stay there. Anything and I'll flat-out kill you. You want to do something about Altera, right? Then yeah, you'll have to steal her sword. You've already seen it, yeah? Altera's Noble Phantasm, the Sword of Mars. The physical embodiment of the concept of cutting. It's a super-old divine weapon. Back in the day, only the gods could even hold it. It used to belong to the God of War, one of the pillars of the original pantheon. Later, they'd call him Ares or Mars. Mars...? Wait a moment, you speak of one of the Roman gods. Who, of course, were based off of the Greek gods, but...what are you driving at, Elizabeth? You know, most people would've picked up on all the hints by now. Oh, whatever. I'll spell it out. You know ALL about Sephyr's battle on Earth, right? The one where she should've killed everything? Altera's sword is a spoil of that war. She fought the God of War, the guy she thought was her only threat, and then she picked his sword up off the ground... I don't know if I can keep up with all this information she keeps throwing at us. So what she's trying to tell us is... Altera's sword was plundered from the ancient gods?! Yep, that's right! One hundred points to you, little squirrel. Now, I don't really care about that. To me, a sword is just another tool. But she must've cared, 'cause she still has it. T-To think...she has been fighting...with a weapon of the gods...! Incidentally, it's not the same physical object from way back when. It totally became a part of her long ago. It's more like the core of her begin. Any weapon she holds will turn into it. Even if she touches a rusty old pipe, abracadabra, Sword of Mars. Over time, that precious little war trophy of hers became her own personal truth...her very identity. It's like the nucleus of Altera you know her, something that sets her apart from the White Titan. The ancient blade of the gods. In essence, it's the prototype of a Divine Construct. I wonder what sort of things might happen if you used that as a catalyst for the Regalia? Divine Constructs are weapons made / used by gods, as you might expect. We won't see too many examples of such things in this game, but Karna's spear is an example, having been bestowed by Indra. Hmph, she's gone... It would seem my rival moves at her own pace, no matter the situation. My Praetor. Do you think she came all this way to feed us falsehoods? I think not. Her words were replete with malicious mischief, but that hardly differs from her usual behavior. ...The Sword of Mars. Perhaps we should give it some thought. The theory itself makes sense. I can't say I'm not a bit overwhelmed by the enormous scale of what we're talking about, and I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around everything. If I heard this story out of the blue, I never would have believed it. But...both Saber and I touched that record. We both saw the White Titan's battle with our own eyes. Before it was engulfed in that light, before it fell to the ground, the White Titan had a sword in its hand. If Elizabeth is right about that sword...then there might be a way to unbind her with the power we have...no, we'd better not try it without the entire Regalia. At the very least, it sounds like a better plan than trying to directly negotiate with her or relying on the Mythology Mystic Code. I see. At the very least, there is a glimmer of possibility. ...But...Mars. It had to be Mars... Could it not have been the Muses, or...? No matter! Either way, we must first confront Altera, and then obtain the sword that acts as her core. Hold fast, Altera! My Praetor and I are coming for you now!So as I mentioned, you're free to complete whatever business you may have before going after Altera, but I already did that. So we're going on ahead to our final confrontation with Altera...   Theater Yes, of course I have! Coolheaded as ever, I see. The maiden in white stands before us. We've finally come this far. The wish of my past self resonates in me more strongly than ever. She stands by her role as she prepares to take a stand against Saber. The Body's wish was to tear her away from that role. To stop the Umbral Star, and to write her a new ending. And now, both Saber and I share that same wish. We'll make it come true, here and now! You are doomed if you engage me face to face. If you want to stop me, your only chance is a fighting retreat. ...And yet...here you stand, unyielding. You still point your sword at me, knowing full well the difference in our power. You fight to avoid destruction, but you do not deny destruction itself. You even see the value of it. You are strange, Red Saber. Who... What are you? I am myself. Even when I lived as a human, even as my story inspired a Heroic Spirit, and even when I was summoned as a Servant. Few can describe themselves clearly. But I shall make my best effort to indulge you, for you are a most worthy adversary. I am filled with arrogance and greed. I am a wicked monster who lusts for glory more than peace, and for luxury more than stability. I am lovesick for whirling flowers, lovesick for searing fire, and fascinated by the brilliance of the long-dead stars that litter the night sky. That is who I am: The tyrant who refused to change the way she lived, whose tyranny ran rampant through ire and condemnation! I am Nero Claudius! Nothing in this world is eternal, save the one thing I know to be everlasting. Bear witness to my soul! Know that not even the Umbral Star itself could ever change who I am! ...Eternal... You claim to be everlasting, do you? There is no such thing in the universe. Resign yourself to the truth. All is vanity. Your actions and existence have no meaning at all. Deny that truth, and I will force it upon you at once. ...After you hand over the remaining two-thirds of my Prisoner, that is. I don't see my Body. But I do feel a presence from within Altera's sparkling ring. Guess we know where it is, at least. No. Your words will not find their mark, Altera. What...? I refuse to accept such a hideous sentiment! What's more, none of those words belong to you! You speak on behalf of the Umbral Star! And so they are not worth hearing! Of all the things that ever were and shall ever be, the thing I hate most is not destruction, but ugliness! So that is the basis for your judgment. You are unlike any Heroic Spirit I have known up to this point. ...You are the slightest bit interesting. Oho. "Interesting", you say. You project an indifferent facade, but it is clear that you conceal something deep within your heart. Altera. You seem like a reasonable person, so long as my words happen to intrigue you. A "person", you say... You would call me a "person". I, who only exist to hunt down and subjugate the enemy. I, who only exist as a vassal of destruction... Sometime... Not too far in the distant past... I saw a dream. A dream of days spent in far-off grasslands. That... That was something we saw in the records. Her memories from many centuries ago, when the lifeform created from the remnants of the White Titan spent her time as a human. The days she spent running through the grasslands as Altera...as Attila the Hun. The dream she dreamed while she was awake, the dream that played in front of her eyes as she spent those years unsleeping in the Zero Dark. The memories of the grasslands. I knew when the record first reached us. It must have been the same for Saber. Even though it wasn't part of the recorded image I saw in my dream the other day, I knew. ...I was human then... But it was nothing more than an illusion. In the end, I am a monster. The Altera of the grasslands is nothing but an ephemeral dream. No matter where I go, I AM a monster. I will always be a threat to life and civilization alike. I will always be your "enemy". And so be it, because my Prisoner has accepted me for the monster that I am. So... Hm. So that is what you have to say. ...But is that truly what you think? ...? You truly think there is nothing you can do? Even knowing that you and I have not attempted every recourse, challenged every possibility? ...So suddenly?! ... We aren't going to be able to keep talking like this! It looks like we can't avoid this fight! Indeed. Regardless of our plans, I will have to begin by beating sense into that thick skull of hers! For the record, one of my Side Missions was to eat 5 loaves of Yakisoba Bread, but I hadn't taken enough damage / gotten the drops necessary to complete that one and go 5/5. However, if I fought Altera like I normally would, I probably wouldn't get the drops. So the hits I take at the start of this fight are in no way due to me falling asleep at the switch, no sir. Luckily, I only needed one. Otherwise, it's the same Altera fight. Nero kinda suffers in these head-to-head fights with lack of power, but she's also much faster than Altera, and can dodge out of the way of her most powerful attacks / rush in to do damage.  This was a pretty fun moment. Managed to stop her Photon Ray just in time.  Not bad, not bad at all.
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Jan 29, 2018 00:04
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Turn The entirety of this update will be one long cutscene (nearly a half hour long). There's no real natural breakpoint at all in it, so strap in. Beginning of a new story Aha!  Ugh... She hasn't weakened at all...! ...Flare Effect. Connecting with Mars. *gasp* Firing in two seconds. Mars, turn your rage upon me! Pierce the heavens with your tears, red star! ...Tear Drop Photon Ray!  Vanish, you flowering flame! Disappear from my sight! I have nothing but the power of destruction! ...So...! Do you believe that's your only path? That your hands can only destroy, that you will have nothing to call your own? Ugh, I am on the precipice of blind rage! Once again, you expose your single, glaring flaw! You think everything that exists can be seen, and yet you tremble in fear at that which you cannot see. You insist that you are not needed in this world. You and I are the same. In the end, we are mere mortals, and what we see is but a small fraction of the whole of all existence. We are sinners. We make mistakes. And eventually, the day of reckoning will come for us. But the bell does not toll for you, Altera! You, who knows so little of life, have yet to be properly born into this world!    I could never lose to a babe like you. ...I say this as someone who once gave up on everything and sealed myself away from the world. Look well upon the flower that blooms amidst thunderous applause! Submit and drown in its fragrance! This is the scent of desire, of human life!    Ah, ah...ah...! I don't understand, I don't understand...! ...Why? Why would you...show me such...beautiful things?! I...I...! The maiden in white is howling. The sound she makes is not one of fear. She is not trembling before an enemy she must defeat. She is in Saber's theater, where gold enshrouds everything the eye can see. She is fascinated, enraptured. Both by the Aestus Domus Aurea, and by the girl who hides this golden theatre within her heart. Saber's Aestus Domus Aurea isn't just beautiful. It's the culmination of her life as a Servant. The Emperor may have lived a flamboyant life, but was betrayed by everyone she knew, and died a lonely death after all was said and done. ...And even despite that, she raises her head proudly as she sings. She proves that her life was wonderful, including the glory and decay, the betrayal and destruction. ...I don't understand. How could you... The contents of Saber's heart rain down upon Altera. ...She understands the strength of Saber's Noble Phantasm. That it is more than a beautiful spectacle. That every atom of its existence is saturated with love and applause for all who live in the moment. That it is possible for us to understand one another. That even if she is a monster, it's worth taking her hand.     ... Forgive me, Altera. I relied on an unfair play in the end. If I had used the full power of the Royal Authority, I could have withstood that pillar of light, but I'm certain the Regalia would have cracked in two. And that would defeat the purpose of it all. So I used a rather...underhanded tactic. Yes, it was a method Saber wouldn't normally have at her disposal. The one who was swallowed up by the pillar of light wasn't Saber itself, but a fake Cyber Frame that was identical to her, down to the last detail. It was bait, made with the Regalia's functions and the majority of Caster's mana. In short, it was a sneak attack using a body double. Caster was the one who provided the decoy. She is undoubtedly the only one who could make a Cyber Frame convincing enough to fool Altera, especially during the heat of battle. All we had to do was wait for the right moment and switch it out with the real Saber. Saber succeeded in catching Altera off guard using the Presence Concealment skill temporarily bestowed upon her by a function of the Regalia. *teleports Hakuno out of ring* My Praetor, that must have been such a burden on you. You brilliantly manipulated that fake Cyber Frame. ...What...are... What are you doing...? You...have not destroyed me yet... I can still fight... I can...still...destroy you... So why do you...cast aside your sword...? So that we can speak, of course. But truly, what it is that you wish to do? What do you fear, and what do you long for? Saber is laying both her sword and her life on the line. We didn't plan this part beforehand, but I'm not surprised by her actions. It's just like Saber to do something like that. That's why I'm standing here as well. If Altera intended to continue fighting, she could defeat Saber without breaking much of a sweat. I'm not about to let her die alone. ...And I want to ask her too. I want to ask the maiden in white why she's given up on everything. Something restless stirs within you. That is why you cannot ignore my words. That is why I cannot cut you down. Answer me. What do you long for, and at the same time, what dreams have you abandoned? ...Saber is asking her what is precious to her, what she fears, and what she wants. I would like you to tell me. Otherwise neither my Praetor nor I will know. Perhaps you are not human. Perhaps you are a monster, as you say. But here, in this place, you speak human words, and we are able to understand each other. If so... Then you and I are the same, Altera! In this world, there are monsters who take human form! There are also monsters who freely display their true nature! But surely you are different! ...Why...? Why do you...? You don't... Why...? I don't know you at all. And there's no way you could know me... But even so, you... Why... Why do you insist on trying to reach me...? ...Because I do know you. At least, I have seen your story, the beginning and the end of it. So at last, let us take the time to say what we must. Saber begins to talk. About the record that came from a parallel world. About the Body of Hakunon. The record contained images and sounds that may not match up perfectly with what we find here...the Altera and her "Prisoner" of our world. There are plenty of differences, even in the short span of what we've seen for ourselves. However, they are fundamentally the same beings, so... ...So I was forced to watch it all. Yes, I was a captive audience! For an entire month! Although, being data, it took only seconds of real time. It was, without a doubt, the record of a lifetime... The gentle passing of days between you and the Body of the Praetor. How could I not be moved?! How could I witness the greatest of plays, a truly soul-shaking performance, and not feel a thing, you fool?! ...You saw...me? Me and my Prisoner...? In a parallel universe... You saw the Umbral Star...and the distant past...and what I am now... Then, both of you...knew me...from the beginning... You knew, about both of us... You even knew our ending... When I gave up... Lift your head. I declare that I shall stand by your side. And this is why: What you thought was beautiful in the other world, and what you were loath to part with... From the bottom of my heart, I, too, saw its beauty! And that must be true for you here in this world as well. Your life upon the grasslands. Your time with my Praetor. You cherished those times. And the Praetor did as well. Your Praetor chose this path out of a desire to tell you this, to protect you. And by means of a great self-sacrifice, your story came to us. ...So I have spoken! Altera! The Praetor of that far-off world no longer exists. And yet the melody of the story you shared still echoes within our reality. ...I...am...the vassal...of the... The vanguard of...the Umbral Star... The embodiment of destruction... A killing machine... Instead of that, I...! Right now, I...! I want to be with my Master...! I want to be with the Master who thinks of me...! I don't...want to lose her...! I want us to... To live...in this world...! I want...for the two of us to feel the winds of those grasslands... Someday... To live as much as we can, to live... To live... And to someday reach an end, like human beings. *teleports Hakuno out of ring* You had me nervous about how this was going to turn out. But you know what we have to do now, right? The Body looks a little embarrassed, but still extends her hand to Altera. The words that she said the other day come to mind. "Nothing would change then. That alone isn't enough to write Altera a new ending." ...That's what they meant. That we couldn't change her ending if Altera didn't want to save herself, if she didn't want to try to fulfill her dreams. Yes, there's no mistaking it. Your hopes, your dreams... I know them all. You are the maiden whom I claimed as my rival in the other world. Yes, there's no mistaking it. Your hopes, your dreams... I know them all. Yes, there's no mistaking it. Your hopes, your dreams... I know them all. You are the maiden whom I claimed as my rival in the other world. I would grant your wish this time. There is no reason to fear the malevolence of the Umbral Star. My Praetor and I shall use the Regalia to save you.Nero sure makes a lot of rivals. Tamamo, Elizabeth, and now Altera. What can you say? She's a people person. ...an... ...Hm? What is it? Hm? ...ank... "Ank"? What is this all of a sudden? "Ankle"? I see no tiny foes around my feet. ...ank...yo... Ankyo? Hm, could that be someone's name? Could it be a new Servant of the Umbral Star? Okay, I can ALMOST buy that much of a misunderstanding, but come ON, Saber. You know what she's trying to say. What is it, my Praetor? Your face seems to say, "This is no time to jest!" But I have made no jests here...Oh Nero. If we didn't already know you were a few fries short of a Happy Meal, I'd be liable to call you foolish. ...Th-Thank you, Saber. ...I would like to express my gratitude. I know now that there is someone who understands us. Even that is enough for us. So... ...! H-How adorable... I never imagined you were capable of such...cuteness! To make me feel this way simply by thanking me... My Praetor! Never in my life have I wished for any brothers or sisters, but I am beginning to think that having a little sister would be most agreeable. Saber. I understand how you feel, but we have things we need to do first, right? ...Yes. Yes. I am aware. After all, I am only as good as my word. I still stand by that word, and I intend to save you both. In order to do that, I believe we will require the Sword of Mars. ...I know how precious your Noble Phantasm is to you, but might you lend it to me? *nod* (Body) *nod* Altera's sword comes out. With this, we can change everything. But just as that confidence begins to set in, I feel like I hear a voice. "Thanks. I'll leave the rest up to you, then." Wha... Master?! What is going on?! Why is your Praetor starting to disappear?! Saber's surprise is understandable. I don't understand what's going on eith- ...No, I get it. It makes complete sense. I reluctantly understand that there's no other way this can end. But...was this really your decision, Hakunon...?! Wait...! Please wait... Please, Saber, Hakunon! S-Save my Master...! (Body) Come on, now. We've bent the rules more than we should've been able to several times already. We can't have everything, right? Let's be reasonable. Wouldn't you say so, other me? You, of all people, have to know this is the natural conclusion here, right? *nod* Wha... What is the meaning of this, my Praetor?! Her Praetor has suffered nary a scratch, and yet...! (Body) It is time. Right about now...is the time when Altera defeated Sephyr in the other world. This is when I vowed to myself that I would save Altera. When I sent my record back in time. As a result of that...the ending changed. We changed destiny. But in order for that to happen, one thing couldn't change at all. And that's the irrevocable truth that I'll disappear at this very moment. It's a fixed point in the timeline, no matter what kind of tricks I pull. If I don't disappear, it means I never sent the record. Or survived sending it, which isn't true. That would cause an error, so this is what happens instead. ...In other words, this is something we have to accept. I chose this fate when I sent the record. It was the only way. Even if I did survive somehow, I'd end up merging with the other me, and lose who I am anyway. So...I'm glad I made it this far. ...Because even if it was only for a moment, I was able to show you...not just tell you, but show you...that your humanity is real, Altera.Hmm...but if Body Hakuno's time to disappear is now, that means that Altera can't be far behind either... But... But... Ahh, you're disappearing... You're coming apart... No... But why...? I don't...understand why. You knew... You knew this would happen? You knw it and you... You were still... You were still so kind to me? You never resented me... You looked...happy...? ...That's right. On this day, at this moment, this version of Hakunon runs out of time. A willing sacrifice to change a loved one's fate. Only she knew that, and she kept it a secret. She yearned to spend those days again with Altera, and she chose to make the best of them not for herself, but for her. In saving Altera, she got to live through her whole happy life with her all over again. ...Even if she was secretly terrified of the inevitable end, she went on to face it. (Body) You guys did great. We only had one chance at this. Sending off the record was a one-time deal, so we couldn't have blown it. But you did it. I wouldn't expect anything less from the real me. You are the victor of the Moon's Holy Grail War, after all. She smiles with such pride. ...In that smile, I see trust, admiration, and her best attempt to put up a brave front. Her bravery in pushing aside her fear of disappearing and how much pain she was in. ...There's no way that I wouldn't understand her. Because she is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Hakunon. (Body) The Quantum Timelock is about to kick in. And when it does, this world will form the new trunk of the tree, so to speak. That's because this world is the firmest, the strongest, the safest, the rifest with possibility. Altera's dream is mere hours from coming true. So...I'm okay with this ending. I've accomplished my life's purpose. Even if I was never really supposed to exist...I had a wonderful time. No.. No, NO! Master...! No, you can't...disappear like this...! Master, you're going. I...! There's no point if that happens...! You said... You said you would be with me...! (Body) ...I did. I'm sorry for that. That was quite a lie, wasn't it? Please...forgive me. Don't... (Body) Altera. Listen. I'm glad you've learned how to grieve. And I hate that I have to go. But this is what it means to be human. Our lives are short. We can't live forever. So...we have to think about what we want to do with the limited time we have. My dream is that one day, you'll race through the grasslands together. And now we know that dream can come true. Even if you can't see me anymore, you'll continue on. And I will be with you... That's what it means to go on living. I think I understand that more now than ever. It's a wish that grows in every living body... "Every living body", she says. The consciousness rests in the Mind and the Soul. The Body only exists to produce those two, and so there's no need for it to have its own awareness. It's not even supposed to. But...although I can't quite put it into words, that awareness exists with more presence than any other right now. Someday, we will all be gone. Someday, all of our lives will end. And so the Body wished for that unavoidable end to mean something. "Please make the best of the time I've left you", I hear. "So that after I'm gone, you can someday find the place we couldn't both reach." ...But still, I... With you, I... We really are running out of time. I'll give you the Regalia. But don't even try to save me. Everything would be ruined if I merged into you.  ...I know. Now that the Mind and Soul are unified, my temporary spiritrons have stabilized, even without the Body. It's probably even possible to make a new Body and merge with that. It's just that...there can't be two of the same existence. The complete Hakunon cannot be created until the woman in front of us disappears from this world. You fool! Then what was the meaning of it all? What was the point of everything we did?! I know... I know well your determination! And I know your final dream! That is why I took up my sword! My Praetor... No, the Hakunon who stands alone. I longed to see your dream because I was so dazzled by its brightness! And yet... This cannot be. I cannot accept an ending like this! I... Even as I fretted at the sight of you and Altera joining hands, I still saw the beauty in it... (Body) *chuckle* I would fall in love with you all over again. I don't have any memories of you, Saber, but I'm a little jealous of myself. ...Don't move, my Prisoner. I won't let you have the last word. Here, at the very end, I will have my fill of complaints. (Body) You really want to go out on that note? ...Of course. What can I do BUT complain about a Master who goes off and does this sort of thing alone? So, I'm going to say it clearly. ...I'm going to say it. ...Yes. My days with you were truly...enjoyable. To be together with someone, to be by someone's side... It was incredible. There are... There are so many other things I want to say, but there is no time. I am... You said that to live was to continue on. That the true meaning of life lies in moving forward. ...I will live by those words as well. Even if I forget who I am, I will never forget you. Even if this body of mine crumbles, and even if this dream of mine disappears before ever coming true. ...I will always give thanks to you, my Master. Thank you. ...Goodbye, Master. I wish you a great journey.  ...Thank you. Ah, to think those words were once so unfamiliar, and yet all I've done here is repeat them again and again. It's not a bad thing. To be able to say thank you to someone. Altera...?! Why? Don't tell me YOU'RE going to disappear as well?! ...Yes. This avatar cannot hold together without a Master. This dream ends here. ...Then, in the end, my Praetor and I... ...No, you're wrong. You saved both of us. ...I'll simply return to my mainframe. I'll remember this day, and I'll find a way out of that cavern. But first, I want to tell you both something. ...Thank you. Did I say that correctly? ...Altera, no. You cannot disappear yet. It would be unforgivable! Unforgivable... It's thanks to you that I'm not as scared of this as I was before. For you two to be at my side, even in the moment I crumble away... I'm lucky not to be alone. And also, I felt it. Saber. In that moment, the fear that consumed me, the anxiety... I was able to forget it all, if just for a moment. I think that feeling must be what people call...hope. *materializes sword* The Sword of Mars... Yes, the sword I wrenched from the God of War. This represents the power that was once mine. It's the proof that I was who I was. Her speaking style has changed, and not just to the past tense. I think she's putting more than her warrior self behind her. She's also moving on from all the ages she spent resigned to captivity. The Regalia alone, even the fused Regalia, cannot shatter the fragment's core. But with the sword that houses both the power of the War God and the Umbral Star itself... I'm sure you can destroy the remaining Umbral forces on SE.RA.PH. And as the Titan, I will do all I can to lend you my power. ...So don't worry. If you two won against me, then surely... Ah. You two... May your lives and civilization continue on, unbroken. No, no, this isn't how it should be! Life and civilization WILL continue on, and we WILL defeat the Umbral Star, but...! But you... But you would not be there! You, who traded blows with me! You say that you are not as scared as you once were. But that means you are still afraid now! I will not permit this! I shall create a new Body for the Praetor, and for you, I'll... I'll! This dream... This...wonderful, ephemeral dream...is...coming to an...end... ...The white flower disappears. Her temporary Cyber Frame crumbles away, returning to the titan. The scarlet flame, the hand of the Emperor of Roses, cannot reach her. I couldn't hear most of her final words. But even so, I know what she said. Because...it comes so close to what I heard in the record. 
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Jan 29, 2018 10:16
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And so begins the 4th part of this LP: the sub-stories. At this point in the game (everything up to Stage 6 of Golden Poem), you can play all of the Side Stories except for Archimedes' (Elizabeth's unlocks after Stage 5), and you unlock the secret character's just by unlocking her. Archimedes you get by, you guessed it, finishing the entire game. First up will be good ol' Archer, then Iskandar, then Karna. Each Side Story will be three updates long, however none of them will be anywhere near as long as a typical talky update.
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Jan 29, 2018 10:19
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No matter what timeline we're in, there's no happy ending for the Body, and the outlook's not so great for Altera either. Given what we already knew, that shouldn't be a surprise, but it's still depressing, and the Body is just so tragically accepting of the whole thing. Also, I think the Mythology Mystic Code is a CCC thing, although since I haven't actually played CCC that's about the extent of what I know.
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Jan 29, 2018 13:34
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Hunter of the Red Plains - Nameless 1 Welcome to our first Servant Side Story. By popular vote, Nero's first lieutenant Nameless will be our first of many.   Yeah, I was using one of his DLC costumes to level grind a bit. So, what's Nameless' story? After all, unlike everyone else in the game, he is neither a famous mythological or historical figure, so he seems a bit out of place no matter where he goes. That's because unlike everyone else in this game, Nameless cannot be properly called Heroic Spirit. He is instead what's known in this universe as a Counter Guardian, but we'll get back to that. The closest Nameless has to a True Name is Emiya Shirou, the protagonist of Fate/stay night and hollow ataraxia. Shirou was a relatively ordinary magus who specialized in projection magic, the ability to conjure weapons (almost always swords, as Shirou's "root" as a magus is the ability to create swords) and items within his magical ability. However, Nameless comes from a Shirou that's never been seen, outside of a short scene in the anime adaptation of Unlimited Blade Works. The Shirou of that particular timeline won the 5th Holy Grail War of his timeline along with his Servant Saber (Artoria Pendragon, which is how Nameless knows of Artoria in the prologue of FSN, but Artoria doesn't know him). Upon winning his Holy Grail War, Shirou made a wish to the manifested Holy Grail, to receive the power to become, in his words, a Hero of Justice. It's around this point that his skin turns brown and his hair turned white, from extensive use of projection magic. As a Hero of Justice, he dedicated his power to helping the most number of people possible, even if that meant killing others, something he saw as an inevitability. In his mindset, not everyone could be saved, or even should be. As more problems came up, more people were killed by his hands. At the end of his road, only oblivion awaited, having been turned into a convenient enemy during some conflict he was involved in. However, instead of that being the end, he obtained Heroic Spirit-like status from a pact with the world, or in other words, the Counter Force (the same unconscious force that created Excalibur as a countermeasure to Sephyr). The Counter Force gave him the chance to continue his fight, and he accepted. As a Counter Guardian, he is dispatched to timelines and situations that threaten humanity's future, and his job is to set things right. In other words, an endless fight. The type of guy who always shows up where he's needed. So why doesn't he identify himself properly? Part of the reason is he's not always 100% familiar with his own story, part of the reason is he generally sees no reason to. The name Emiya Shirou means nothing to anyone but himself, and even then, the Shirou we're familiar with rejects Nameless' utilitarian philosophy and doesn't accept him, a sentiment Nameless shares. So, there's no reason for names with him. In spite of his own nihilistic tendencies, however, Nameless does retain Shirou's somewhat childish philosophy of wanting to be a hero to everyone. If you'll permit, it's just he's seen enough poo poo to be generally pessimistic about his chances of actually doing so, having seen what the interests of justice demand of him. So that's Nameless' story. I'll talk a bit more about his personal history in this franchise before the start of the next stage. One more thing I want to talk about before we start is his current costume. The name of this costume is "Slash and Connect", which is a reference you definitely wouldn't get if you weren't familiar with the name Emiya Kiritsugu, Shirou's adopted father. Kiritsugu's speciality as a Magus Killer was oriented around his Origin Bullets, which were bullets created from his ribs and designed to kill powerful magi. The concept behind those bullets is, upon contact, the bullets would slash apart the magus' Magic Circuits and retie them. Doing so makes these circuits weaker and embeds Kiritsugu's power in them. When a magus tries using magic again, their own circuits tear their body apart from the inside. As for the name itself, the kanji in Kiritsugu's name reads "Slash" and "Connect". This costume is Kiritsugu's working outfit in Fate/zero, a black suit / duster.  Everyone gets a short little line if you want to see what they have to say before a fight. They're always the same between all of a character's stages, so I'll only need to screenshot them once. Also, since you are using new characters, make sure to adjust their Install Skills as necessary. My personal guiding principle will be trying to create Install Skill setups as appropriate as possible to each character. So Nameless with a lot of killing power is right out, since he is pretty weak as a Servant, lore-wise.  I've actually never used his feature, but it is certainly there if you don't feel like grinding with a particular unit.  Most Side Story levels are based around main story levels. Nameless' first is based on Flame Poem stage 2 (the one with Blood Fort Andromeda), and his second is based on Flame Poem stage 4. You'll see how. As with free battle, you can select any side missions from anyone in the game (with the exception of the secret character if you haven't unlocked her).  This mission needs to be explained a bit, if you see it come up. When it says "During a battle" it actually means "In the first battle". So, for example, if you engaged Lu Bu during a stage, and he hit you first, you fail the mission, even if you engage Medusa later and hit her first. This makes it one of the easiest missions to fail.  Nameless stage 1 For all the Servants, their first two stages the intro, stage, and outro will all be one video, but for the third stage, the first two will be combined while the third will be its own video. Each of you, commence your attacks in unison from the entry point assigned to you! I shall give the signal shortly! Well well, it seems I'm finally in the thick of it. I'd committed to the military, but to think I'd be sent to the front lines... And to be paired with you. I wonder if our King even wants to win. Oh yeah, same here. There's no way I'd ever want to work together with you. You play defense, and I play offense. Our tastes and methods are complete opposites, aren't they? They are. So the two of us should attack from different routes. I hope you can take care of the enemy general on your end. That spear hasn't rusted from all your time as a court servant, has it? It doesn't rust, poo poo-face. And I see that big mouth of yours works too. ...But are you sure you're okay with all this? Don't you have other poo poo to take care of?As more lore, Cu Chulainn and Nameless quite dislike each other. While every time one has showed up, the other has as well, it's not really because of that, even if Cu is getting pretty tired of seeing his face. Mostly it's because Cu's the kind of guy who likes being in the thick of a fight, and not the kind of guy who approves of fighting from a distance or killing without the enemy seeing his face. Nameless prefers whatever gets the job done, and cares nothing for honor in a fight. Related, but Cu is one of the reasons Nameless was summoned during the 5th Holy Grail War we're familiar with. Early in FSN, Cu stabs Shirou right through the heart because the latter unintentionally saw his fight with Nameless during FSN's prologue. While Shirou is at death's door, the school idol Tohsaka Rin, Master of Nameless, came across his near-dead body and used magic stored in her pendant to bring him back to the world of the living. She leaves the pendant at the scene and takes off before Shirou recovers. Shirou pockets the pendant and later, during the Unlimited Blade Works route, returns it to her. However, Nameless already had that pendant on his person and gave it to Rin, and when Shirou did the same later in the story, that immediately aroused her suspicion regarding her Servant's identity. The answer, of course, was that Rin's pendant was her unintentional summoning catalyst for Archer, which he had held onto during his life as a reminder of happier days. Well, that's that and this is this. For now, my being a Servant takes priority. Besides, I have a bit of a connection with that Master. How should I put it... It's the first time we've met, but we're not exactly strangers. So I know the Master better than you might think. Right now, I'll just do the job I've been trusted to do. Yeah, that sounds like a pain in the rear end. So I'm guessing you want to keep this a secret from the little miss, right? Man, and you call ME a "court servant". All right! The troops' preparations are complete! All generals, charge in! And there's our Emperor's order. I'm going on ahead, Archer. Don't let your guard down and get knocked on your rear end. I'll keep that in mind. You just be careful to not get swept off your feet! So during Flame Poem stage 2, I talked a bit about Nameless' gameplay, but since, I've unlocked all of his abilities. He's kind of an awkward unit to play as, because his attacks are a bit on the slow side, and his most powerful abilities require a lot of consideration to use effectively, but used correctly, he's one of the most devastating in the game. His prowess is mostly at long-ranged engagements, and being able to extract himself from a tough spot with his second skill, which, as shown, has him jump high into the air and backwards, firing a powerful projectile at the ground to clear out aggressors.  So this move, S S S S T, owns bones, and is similarly one of the best and hardest to use moves in the game. Archer's S S T and this move both fire a sword named Caladbolg (which is the name of Fergus Mac Roich's sword) at enemies. Now, Nameless (or in more popular fan parlance, EMIYA) generally doesn't like to use swords other than his twin blades Kanshou and Bakuya to fight, but he does like to fire them as explosives, which destroys them, but does briefly raise their attack power. Caladbolg fired from the ground...  Fires a friggin' NUKE at range . Caladbolg flies a pretty far distance in front of him, somewhat dragging along a target, and once it reaches a boundary, explodes for huge damage to everyone caught in the blast radius. This move is pretty dangerous to use at close range, just because any attack that staggers will knock EMIYA out of the animation, and if the target just gets juggled a little, but not actually dragged along with the missile, it won't do what you want. It's most effective when you push a target or group of targets against a boundary, and then fire it. This limits the chance of the enemy being outside the blast radius. While it is hard to use effectively, this is fun as hell, and very few moves are as good as utterly annhilating groups of enemies or doing huge damage to enemy Servants. This move is so absurdly powerful when EMIYA is in Moon Drive mode. We're talking nearly the ability to take out an enemy Servant in one hit. Quite sure it's the single most powerful attack outside of a Noble Phantasm.  EMIYA's T T T fires out one arrow, then three in a spread-shot style formation, then the third T charges up a bunch of arrows to fire out in six directions, but it takes a few seconds to come out.  EMIYA's best facet is his ability to do damage at range and effortlessly switch to close quarters combat, where he's of middling speed and low power, but plenty of powerful long range attack. S T -> T T T is a pretty bread and butter crowd control for him, as the first part will end with him knocking a target up and away from him (except for the heavy Aggressors and the one that glides around a lot), while the T T T pushes the original back even further and the final part pushes away an enemy group. The S T has the added benefit of the original arrow exploding somewhat at range and scattering weaker enemies, which are the explosions you see in that screenshot.  His Extella Manuever is a reference to a line he has in Unlimited Blade Works, where he says he could project Excalibur (the sword he uses here), but the recoil from it would probably destroy him. When a weapon is projected, it retains its ability somewhat, but because it's not the genuine article, it is a bit weaker. However, even in a weakened form, people who are not Artoria are really not equipped to handle the power of Excalibur, and in one of FSN's endings, Shirou's projection and usage of Excalibur blows him to smithereens after usage. After this, Blood Fort Andromeda was activated, as we've come to expect. One thing I have to add...  I actually had to learn from an interview with Nasu he was somewhat surprised to learn people didn't really get what the eye was supposed to represent in Blood Fort. It's actually one of Medusa's eyes from under her visor, which she rarely takes off. I'll totally admit I never picked up on that.  S S S T throws down a field of swords in front of EMIYA, then after vacuuming a group together, he evaporates the swords or something and jumps forward with his twin swords and slashes the crowd away. Definitely more useful as a general rule than his other moves, and does a decent amount of damage, so in heavier pitched battles you'll be using that a lot.  I actually wasn't aware you could still have Blood Fort up while finishing the stage. However, while it's up it's still suicide to fight Lu Bu. Don't know about Medusa, didn't test.  You get accustomed ot it. Understand? Why don't you learn some new tricks? ...You sure like to stick your nose into other people's business. I'm sorry you've got such an annoying trait!Since Nameless keeps track of this stuff, this is not the first time he and Medusa have met, and he's familiar with Blood Fort's ability to drain mana out of people in a targeted area from his experience in Fuyuki. I always like callbacks like that.  Ground Caladbolg right to the face... Not the prettiest way to go.  It was bound to happen... I actually had to be careful to only take out enemy Aggressors instead of Medusa, so I could take the last Sector, THEN finish the stage.   Hold it, Rider. You should go back to Caster's base. ...What is the meaning of this? I thought you were on Saber's side? On Saber's side? Really, now. I'm just going along with that Master, the one called Hakunon. I'm not here to help the Emperor build her empire. Although that does sound interesting... And you? It's not as if you're drunk off of Caster's witchery and recalling your former passions, are you? ...You're a crafty one, aren't you? And what if that were true? What if I told you I wanted to become a monster? ...Frankly, I'd be surprised. And I'd probably swear off ever trusting women again. I'm joking, of course. I have my own reasons for serving under Caster. I'll take your kind suggestion this time around. To stabilize this new SE.RA.PH. It looks like we have the same goal, although our motives may differ. Good to hear. With that in mind, please forget our battle just now. No, that's a whole other matter. I won't forget the bad blood between us, and I will pay you back many times over. ...Well, she is a snake after all. Great, another problem for the pile. 
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 08:09 on Mar 2, 2018 |
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Jan 31, 2018 03:51
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Fifth holy grail war, not fourth. The fourth was the one covered in Fate/Zero. Also, I don't think that the Shiro that became Archer ever made a wish on the Holy grail, he just fought over and over again to save people, to reach his ideal as a Hero of Justice. At one point, he made a pact with the world to provide him with enough Mana to properly use his reality marble, instead of just projecting things from it. While he did everything he could to save everyone, people were unable to understand that he was doing it out a selfless desire to save everyone, and the people eventually executed him, believing that he had some ulterior motive for saving people. The pact with the world made him a counter guardian after he died, and he was sent out to multiple conflicts, where he was forced to kill by the counter force, because the counter force is willing to kill people in order to save more people than the people who were killed. His betrayal by the people of his time, and the counter force forcing him to kill, made him bitter, so when he was summoned in Fate/Stay Night, he tried to kill his younger self to prevent him from having to go down the same path he did. Of course, that is true for the Archer from Fate/Stay Night. This one made a pact with the moon cell instead of the world, and so doesn't have exactly the same history as what I just wrote, although some of it is the same.
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Jan 31, 2018 05:19
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It's me, I'm the one sneaking around in a suit of armor
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Jan 31, 2018 07:13
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Oh, hi Artoria. What the hell are you doing here?
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Jan 31, 2018 07:26
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She's here to sell you her $1.99 swimsuit DLC.
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Jan 31, 2018 07:31
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Sylphid posted:
Well that's because it doesn't look like her eyes.   Medusa in Fate has square pupils.
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Jan 31, 2018 08:57
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BlazeEmblem posted:Of course, that is true for the Archer from Fate/Stay Night. This one made a pact with the moon cell instead of the world, and so doesn't have exactly the same history as what I just wrote, although some of it is the same. According to Grand Order, this Moon Cell version abandoned his own name in order to become the symbol of nameless and forgotten heroes. Somehow, that also caused his Strength and Luck stats to go up an entire rank compared to EMIYA.
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Jan 31, 2018 12:50
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Worldwalker_Pure posted:According to Grand Order, this Moon Cell version abandoned his own name in order to become the symbol of nameless and forgotten heroes. Somehow, that also caused his Strength and Luck stats to go up an entire rank compared to EMIYA. EMIYA is a bitter and broke man, plagued by doubts and regrets. As an example, his plan in UBW involved out-stubborning Emiya Shirou, and he of all people should know that no one can out-stubborn Shirou, not even himself. Counter Guardian EMIYA is simply going through with the motions, I can buy a rank reductions in two stats, assuming Nameless didn't get screwed by the Moon Cell the way Gaia screwed EMIYA. E: his fighting style in Extella is absolutely in character for someone with Eye of The Mind Omobono fucked around with this message at 13:47 on Jan 31, 2018 |
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Jan 31, 2018 13:43
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Gee. I wonder whom this might be?
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Feb 2, 2018 04:49
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Nameless 2 W-Well, in my defense, while Kiritsugu's outfit may be the attire of a seasoned, professional operator, EMIYA wouldn't be much without his ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Sometimes you just want to break free, you know? Nameless stage 2 is based on Flame Poem stage 4, so your primary opponents will be Iskandar (with his "conquering Sectors increases his power" gimmick and Jeanne d'Arc. So, a bit about EMIYA's legacy. He has...quite a long pedigree. In fact, as a fun fact, he was the first-ever Servant seen in this franchise, his first appearance being after Rin summoned him during the prologue of Fate/stay night. In that game, he was a prominent entity in all three routes. In the Fate route, he was an antagonistic, but mostly easy-going guy who aided his Master and Shirou by standing against the seemingly-immortal Heracles at a crucial moment, and while he eventually got torn to shreds by the mad Servant, he didn't go down without killing Heracles a few times. In the Unlimited Blade Works route, this was his major role in the story. During the course of the plot as it develops here, EMIYA acts more and more as a chief antagonist, climaxing in the moment when he confronts Shirou about his identity and the the climax of the plot is him confronting Shirou about their respective ideals. In the final route, Heaven's Feel, he takes a somewhat minor role, with his most important contribution being lending Shirou his arm that allows his alter ego to somewhat match his projection ability. After FSN, he returned in the pseudo-sequel, Fate/hollow ataraxia. He missed out on the next two major entries in the franchise, Fate/zero and Fate/apocrypha, before returning in the EXTRA series, starting with the very first. And, of course, he's a summonable Servant by the protagonist in Grand Order. So he's a guy who's been around the block a few times. Like quite a few other Servants, EMIYA was recently (as of a year ago), given an evil counterpart. EMIYA Alter was released alongside the Shinjuku chapter in Grand Order's story. The backstory with him is in that, in an alternate timeline, EMIYA was summoned to deal with Kiara, the pleasure-loving antagonist of CCC, and the following she had accumulated. While EMIYA generally feels no problem with killing people to accomplish his ultimate objective, this assignment was far and beyond what he was used to, and after slaughtering so many of Kiara's followers, turned into an evil mockery of his former self. His skin was further blackened by extensive use of projection magic, and he abandoned his swords to replace them with similarly-colored firearms, which makes it easier for him to kill larger numbers of people faster than before. Basically, while EMIYA plays by his own rules in regards to how his mission is carried out, he's not the type to kill wantonly or involve people who don't need to be involved. EMIYA Alter is all of his moral restraints lifted, with all pride and honor as a Heroic Spirit replaced to finish the job by any means necessary.  Nameless stage 2 (We're getting close to the root of all this, but the problem is...) Oh. So you ARE here, Mr. No-Name. The battle is about to start. Shouldn't you be at the side of our King? "Archer" is fine, Archimedes. I'm more comfortable being called that. Not fond of your true name, are you? To say you'd rather be called by your class, even outside of a Holy Grail War. I wouldn't expect a scholar to understand. Especially some "man behind the curtain" who's never even fought in a Holy Grail War. Well that's quite harsh. But you do understand that I am a Heroic Spirit as well? Perhaps I was in a Holy Grail War, at least once, in a place you're not aware of... You haven't. The Hero Archimedes has never participated in a Holy Grail War. Or, to be more accurate...fighting in a Holy Grail War takes a certain understanding of others, which you don't have. You wouldn't even care about who you're fighting with or against. Am I wrong, Archimedes of Syracuse? ...Well, then. What are you two doing?! Having a little rendezvous behind the tent? When did you become so friendly? This battle has begun! Archer, I command you to stop that giant...thing! Immediately! The Emperor has spoken. It sounds like we have more to say to each other, but for now, let's go to war, scholar. ...Of course. I look forward to seeing your performance, Mr. No Name. So it's this stage again, with Li Shuwen handling the Sector nearest to where you start, at the bottom of the map, and Iskandar roaming about. Nameless has a particularly easy time here, as the heavy Aggressors are particularly vulnerable to his long-range prowess. Just remember that these guys can haul their big asses into the sky to jump at you, but even so, staying fast on your feet and paying attention will completely neuter the threat.  When it comes to fighting powerful enemies like Iskandar, keep in mind that most of EMIYA's strength comes from his ability to deal with crowds, and he's a bit vulnerable when it comes to fighting powerful enemies in areas like this, with lots of wide-open space and few boundaries to push targets against for ground Caladbolg. This is where his more bread and butter stuff, like S T, S S S T, and the long S combo sequence to fight one-on-one. Like Nero, he kind of struggles in close-range battle, but not so much that you need to wildly compensate. You'll mostly use his long-range attacks in these kinds of setting to harass the target at range.  Li actually took a really long time to finish this fight. I was briefly worried something had gone wrong and he had bitten off a bit more than he could chew. Luckily, that was not necessary. Less luckily, Iskandar chose that moment to reappear, and so I had to go bail Li out anyway. After I take out that enemy Plant in the top right.  EMIYA's long S combo is another reference to a particular staple of his, slashing a bunch with his swords, then throwing a copy around his enemy's back like boomerangs, then projecting another pair and hitting the enemy from two directions at once. It's pretty sweet, actually, and does a pretty good amount of damage.  Well, victory is ours, with all Sectors taken, but we've still got Jeanne and Iskandar to take care of. Unfortunately, we'll have to do it by ourselves, since Iskandar wouldn't chase me back to Li's Sector, and I don't trust my ability to take out Jeanne before Iskandar takes this area. Also, I didn't use Nameless' Noble Phantasm in the last episode, and I won't be using it in this, but trust me, I won't forget in Stage 3. It is probably the best Noble Phantasm animation in the game, after all.  So we're familiar with the 7 regular classes, how about the Extra Classes? Well, there's a lot, at this point in the franchise. We know of Jeanne's status as an impartial mediator of Grail Wars (the Ruler class), but there are also Avengers (Heroic Spirits of vengeance), Moon Cancer (BB's class from CCC, basically a glitch within the Moon Cell), Saver / Savior (the final boss of Fate/EXTRA was Buddha, so far the only Saver-class Servant in this series, though it's not hard to imagine other candidates), Alter Ego (a very odd class. Basically it's like alternate personalities of established entities. They're like personifications of wishes and such), and as of December 2017, the Foreigner class. The last one are a really special bunch, being individuals who have come into contact with eldritch gods and maintained some degree of their sanity while still wielding their power. The last one at the moment is Shielder, but Mashu Kyrielight from Grand Order is more of a case unto herself than a particularly established class. She represents a Heroic Spirit of the shield, but is basically a normal human using someone else's power. As a fun aside, the Shielder class was originally supposed to appear in Fate/stay night, but that didn't pan out, and Shielder had to wait 11 years to make its debut.  King of Conquerors, Iskandar! I get it, this was your intention from the start! Yes, I have set the requirements of victory. Prepare yourself, Archer! This isn't actually a part of the above conversation (though it's really cool that conversation is in the game. Both Jeanne and Iskandar have to be standing for it to happen, obviously), but I appreciated EMIYA's sarcasm here, while on low health. Shortly after this line, I managed to defeat Iskandar. Good thing, too, because it was proving pretty dicey fighting both of these goons at once.  ...This is why you don't use Caladbolg at close range.  Independent Action, baby. Well, I don't know if this is a result from the Install Skills I put in, but it definitely worked out if it was a result. Jeanne didn't last too long after that.  Jeanne nearly knocked me out of EX rank, but I just barely hung in there.  Even your True Name Discernment doesn't do much to me, since I'm just a placeholder for someone without much of a backstory. But maybe you could enlighten me instead. Why would you help Altera...? Never mind that, why would you join up with that Planet? Didn't SE.RA.PH summon you as a guardian? You know of the Planet... Who exactly are you? Like I said, I'm no one. I'm a John Doe.Did you know the name "John Doe" originated during the Middle Ages? England, to be exact, with Wikipedia telling me it may date back as far as the 1320s. Speaking of nicknames, "La Pucelle" (The Maid) is indeed a real world epithet for Joan of Arc. John Doe... Someone who does not exist in this world...! So did SE.RA.PH summon you as a Hero as well? Summoned, well, "summoned"... It would be a load off my mind if I HAD been summoned on purpose, but... Well, that's my problem, not yours. Let me figure that one out. Let's talk more about you, Ruler. Why are you aligned with Altera? Did she place some sort of geas on you?A geas is a special binding among Celtic warriors. Cu Chulainn mentions them a few times, and it's basically a magical oath binding a Celt's conduct, but the concept exists far outside of Ireland in the TM universe. Going against a geas usually ends pretty badly for the offending party. ...No, this is my decision. There's still a chance for the Hero Altera to survive. It won't solve the root of the problem just to defeat her. That is what the voice tells me. Hm. Is that what you call the voice of God? Unfortunately, no. It is something that my own hesitation... Something that my own heart feels. So that's it. Not an edict from SE.RA.PH or the one you believe in, but something of your own intuition. Then I can leave that in your hands without any worries. A Guardian's decisions are always wise, but the bigger decisions usually result in a mass wipe of SE.RA.PH. And if that happens, it'll ruin the new world we've built here. Let's put that option aside for now. I'll leave Altera to you and go on searching. Goodbye, Ruler. If we happen to meet again, pretend you don't know me. Oh... No, wait just a moment! All talk aside, you and I still have a score to settle!
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 08:03 on Mar 2, 2018 |
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Feb 5, 2018 12:13
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Nameless 3 EMIYA's a seasoned warrior, but when there's no fight to be had, he can be quite the domestic sort. For the record, every Servant has an idle animation, but you'll probably never see them for almost everyone since there's really very little reason to wait around in this game. EMIYA has the most elaborate, pulling out a teapot, saucer, and cup and pouring himself a drink. Oh yeah, and the costume. Well, every playable character in this game has at least one alternate costume (Elizabeth has 4 costumes, including her default one). Nero, Tamamo, and Altera unlock theirs' from bond level events (Elizabeth gains 2 from bond levels), whereas everyone else unlocks them from completing their Sub Stories. So, after I finished Nameless' first two stages, I quickly finished stage 3 so I could go through the last stage with this. Said stage is based on Golden Poem stage 4 (the one with Iskandar), so be prepared for a big fight.  Nameless stage 3 The enemy will use this opportunity to send their finest Servants against us. I will face Altera in single combat. The other enemy generals I leave to you. I'm counting you, Archer, Lancer, Praeceptor Assassin. This battle depends on your efforts!The game is using the Latin spelling of the word "Preceptor", but if you're curious about her meaning, she actually says "Assassin-sensei". Well, that's all fine with me, but...Saber, where is Archimedes? Our tactician? He said he'd forgotten something. He'll return shortly, no doubt. But never mind that, Archer. You're hiding something from me, are you not? You've been perfectly calm all this time, and now here you are, constantly looking all about as if you're expecting something. Highly suspicious, isn't it? Are you our Guardian? Are you my Praetor? Are you my father, perhaps?Nero's father was named Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, a name I had to copy+paste from Wikipedia, because I could never spell that name right for my life. Probably a few good reasons not many people have heard of this guy. Your name needs to be catchy, sheesh. Also, to quote "During his lifetime, Domitius did not enjoy a good reputation. He was accused of being the accomplice of Albucilla in the crimes of adultery and murder, and also of incest with his sister Domitia Lepida, and narrowly escaped execution only because of the death of Tiberius". Sounds like a guy who attracted trouble. I'd have hoped you would have guessed "big brother" or something, at least! Hm... No, excuse me. You're right, it is unlike me to be so tense. But Saber, our final battle is happening here and now. We can chit chat all you like after it's over. True enough, Hunter of the Red Cloth! One more thing to look forward to after my victory! Let us go, my three grand muskateers! Everything depends on our noble victory! Forward! At least the Emperor's still sharp. She seems like the big-picture type, but she doesn't miss the little things. If it's her and Hakunon, I'm sure they don't need any help. I'll focus on my role at hand. First, I have to finish this battle...! So here's a weird thing. Nero mentions Li Shuwen, Cu Chulainn, and Nameless during her opening speech, but Li is nowhere to be seen. Instead, we have Gawain in the middle fighting Altera. But I quite assure you she mentioned Assassin-sensei, so, based on this revelation I just had writing this, seems like this was a little screw-up. Ah well.  So, ignoring the top-most Sector, because Cu will handle it, you've got a number of ways you can start this stage. You can choose to go after the two highest-value Sectors, take out Altera, or take out the enemy Plant at the bottom of the map. I elected to take over the entire eastern part of the map, then the latter. Meanwhile Gawain will just have to deal with Altera for a bit. Soon after the stage starts, Iskandar will call in the heavy units. So, get used to those guys.  I actually forgot before I came in here, but this Sector is trapped with something I can't counter. Thankfully, I was able to get out of here before it fired. Just means I'll have to remember to come back here with a full Moon Drive charge.  Part of the fun with having an allied Servant fighting with you is that Nameless can charge up Caladbolgs from a distance, simply because the enemy will typically ignore your allies to come after you. Your buddy smacks your foe from behind? That's time they'll have to take to recover, and you can get some distance and fire.  I was pretty proud of how I fought Gilgamesh. I was mostly harassing him with long-range attacks, but I mixing it up with close-range harassment and keeping a good eye on how close we were so I could prepare my strategy. S T is very reliable.  During our rematch, I was actually pretty well delayed by Cu attacking. His enthusiasm, we shall call it, kept Gil's shields up for a long time. After I chased Gil off, I won the stage, and got Iskandar to show up. Unfortunately, I still have two Sectors to conquer.  Mission accomplished, right?   Maybe not. Well, we finally meet our secret character, Artoria Pendragon. Don't worry, I'll have plenty to say about her later. We've got a big fight on our hands at the moment.  The flames of war are spreading here as well... I can ignore this no longer. Same as always. Fine. It would've come down to us eventually.  Old friends... So Artoria is, um, dangerous. In terms of gameplay, I think she's by far the best character in the game, and that definitely shows up as an enemy. She has two extremely dangerous attacks: where she'll charge Excalibur for a bit and then fire out three waves of energy in a spread-shot formation, and the other is where she'll release the compressed air around her sword and fire off a few large tornados in a large circle (which is what was going on in the screenshot with her talking). Either of these projectile attacks can hit you from very far away and do a ton of damage.  The final move you really have to watch out for is where she'll launch a very fast sword combo at you that ends with her jumping into the air like a buzz saw. The reason this is so powerful is because if any part of the combo hits, you're gonna get hit by whatever remains. Normally one would wait for an enemy to attack, then counterattack, and to some extent that still holds up for the King of Knights. However, she can recover quickly and launch attacks with very little warning. You'll want to keep her at medium range and rush in when she's not attacking. Even then, reliablity is not 100%. For example...   I launched her into the air with S S S T, but while EMIYA was jumping forward to slash, she *immediately* responded by crashing down on top of me with her dive attack. There's basically at no distance or any state of damage where she's not dangerous, and you're probably gonna take a few lumps here and there, but fighting her in large area with lots of maneuverability can keep at least prevent her from taking advantage of her brutal close-range combos. Also, be forewarned that she will occasionally dash straight at you, which can close the distance between the two of you very quickly.  For old friends...      The end result of an ordinary magus who spent a lifetime making swords...Unlimited Blade Works.         Ack...! Your skills...gave grown... The way Unlimited Blade Works, lore-wise, is that EMIYA stored all the weapons he had ever seen in his life inside what's called a Reality Marble, a little pocket dimension he can create. While his mana can handle it, he can reproduce weapons extremely easily, and can call upon anything inside to fight with with low mana costs to himself. It's not something he can maintain for very long, but it's proof of a long, hard-fought life. I was actually surprised I took more than 200 damage and still managed an EX rank, but I guess the damage parameters are different depending on a particular level.[/i]  To the world of possibilities You know, she caused me all manner of trouble. Up until now, that is... You mean, up until now she'd unquestioningly destroyed the shards of that Planet along with Altera, right? ...As I thought. I wasn't sure it was possible, but you are indeed a drifter like me. But I don't understand you. I don't understand at all. You should know the outcome of this incident. If so, why will you not fight Altera? SE.RA.PH will be destroyed should you leave her alone. Haven't you been called from the future where that has happened? No. Unfortunately, I can't travel between worlds as freely as you can. I was just another Servant who lost to Altera. However... Whether due to my namelessness, or some glitch in SE.RA.PH, my "disappear" process got swapped out for "transition". So it's more accurate to say...I'm a stranger who wandered into this timeline. ...I see. So it's not that you've chased me here, but rather you just happened to survive. But then, why would you stop me? Since you should understand that Altera is wholly evil? Stop trying to lead me to the obvious path, "Great Scholar". My world was destroyed BECAUSE we fought with that assumption. The Extella I was in was a "Dead End World, a World Without Options". But this world is different. Altera is not wholly evil yet. That decision can only be made once the ending of this Extella plays out. I see... Although we both witnessed the same thing, you would talk of such an untenable future. It's no use talking to you. It seems we'll never understand each other. Didn't I say that before? That you were a man who couldn't understand others in the first place? ...Goodbye, Mr. No-Name. Soak in your languid hope while you still can. ..."Languid hope", hmm? He's not wrong about that. There are two more pieces to the Harvest Star. And there are tougher battles waiting for us ahead, but... As you can see, we have a Master made of pure optimism on our side. Someone who didn't exist in my Extella. Someone who didn't fall in mid-battle with me. A Master of the new SE.RA.PH who fought and won until the final round of the Holy Grail War. We have more than enough potential. You're the one who ought to give up, Archimedes.Well, it's nice that you saw I was late and came to get me, but... You're unwise to come here all by yourself. ...Well, whatever. I'm sure Saber will have plenty to say to me once we're all back home. 
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Feb 11, 2018 23:46
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Oh, so that's where the meme picture comes from.
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Feb 12, 2018 06:23
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Conqueror of the Moon - Iskandar  So, we finally ride alongside Alexander the Great. As we've been made very much aware, Iskandar is the legendary conqueror who rode out from Macedonia, conquered the entire Persian Empire after inflicting one massive defeat after another on its emperor, and invaded northern India. As the heir of Macedon's Philip II, he succeeded to the throne at the age of 20 and quickly embarked upon unifying all of what we now know as Greece, a task easily achieved after his only potential rival, the League of Corinth, was subdued. Before launching his Asian world tour, he also broke the power of Thrace, on Macedon's northern border. Soon after, in 334 BC, he began his invasion of the Persian Empire at Granicus, in Persian-occupied Asia Minor. While somewhat smaller of a battle than he would later experience in Gaugamela, Alexander nonetheless chased the Persian army from the field and gradually conquered the rest of Asia Minor in their absence. It's from this time where the famous incident of the Gordian Knot supposedly took place. As the story goes, the person could untie the knot would eventually conquer all of Asia (it's worth noting that the "Asia" of antiquity and the "Asia" of today are much different places. In that, the ancient Greeks did not have much conception at all of anything involving Asia east of what we would now call Iran). Alexander responded by withdrawing his sword, and hacking the knot apart. A cheat, perhaps, but he took it as a good omen. Following Asia Minor, he proceeded down the coast of the Levant. He met Darius III, the Persian emperor, at Issus. This was his first encounter with the emperor, and Darius' attempt to cut off the Macedonian supply lines ended in disaster, with the emperor forced to flee the field (which is the first time the Persian Empire faced defeat with its emperor in the field). In addition to defeating Darius' army, after the battle, Alexander also captured Darius' wife, their two daughters (one of whom Alexander would later marry), and even Darius' mom. The battle was such a disaster that Darius offered to cede what lands Alexander had already taken, but Alexander, feeling no small amount of pride, declined, saying the decisions about how to divide up Asia were his alone to make, as the already-King of Asia. Securing Asia Minor and Syria, he then subdued the coastal city of Tyre, whose fall so scared its neighbors that mot Levantine cities surrendered (Gaza being a notable exception. Alexander suffered a pretty bad injury to his shoulder while attacking that fortress). Egypt, however, quickly surrended to Alexander rather than fight. He was promptly declared the new pharaoh of Egypt, a title that had been in absentia during the Persian occupation. Following Egypt, Macedon's army then met the Persians at the Battle of Gaugamela in what's now northern Iraq. The Persian army, under the leadership of its emperor Darius III, met Alexander's army. Darius had hoped to use this chance to finally defeat Alexander, but as it went, Alexander was completely victorious. The Persian army was completely broken, ceded all of Mesopotamia, and left the door to Persia wide open. After Gaugamela, Darius had no army left to fight, and abandoned his homeland and capital to try and raise yet another army with his relations in central Asia. However, the hapless emperor was betrayed and murdered by his kin, an indignity Alexander would not forget when he caught up with the man who killed Darius. For most folk, bringing a centuries-old empire to its end would be quite enough, but for Alexander, it was just the start. Around this time, Alexander started to go particularly native, taking a few Persian women as wives and generally adopting the customs of the area (which is where the name Iskandar comes from). His occupation of the ancient capital of Persepolis ended in the city's destruction, an outcome Alexander may or may not have regretted. Shortly after conquering Persia, Alexander then turned his attention to central Asia, where Bessus, the killer of Darius, made his home. His central Asian campaign was mostly centered around Afghanistan, where founded a number of cities in his name (including what's now Kandahar), taking him as far afield as Tajikistan. His final campaign of conquest took him to India, where after gaining some local allies, Alexander won the Battle of Hydaspes in eastern Pakistan / northwestern India, but Alexander took another severe injury during the fight, and his troops refused to go any further. While he couldn't know it, his war of conquest, his journey to the world ocean Okeanos, was over. His army staggered back to Persia / Mesopotamia, where Alexander himself perished from disease in his newly-declared capital of Babylon. There's a lot more to his story, of course, including occasional assassination attempts, but I think that's enough. Point is, Alexander is one of very few special people in history: an undefeated commander and a man who seemed larger than life, even during his life. He didn't build the largest empire within a single lifetime (Genghis Khan would have that honor), but in all of ancient history, he had no peer as a leader of men.  Iskandar stage 1 You want to be the vanguard of the Forces of Destruction? What makes you say that, King of Conquerors? Ah, well, I mean... How to say this...? I might as well come out with it. You understand, I'm unfamiliar with the battlegrounds here on the Moon. SE.RA.PH, is it? All this ephemeral spiriting business is out of step with my nature. To cut to the chase, I'm in bad shape. I get that SE.RA.PH is just another version of our world, but that just doesn't sit well with me. So what I need to do is get out there and explore with my own two feet. I need to show myself that this world is worthy of being conquered. So, what do you say? I won't even ask for a reward, I'll even lead the troops for free. You could even use me as a scout. I understand... I see. You were not at your best. ...All right. I want to see you at your full power. King of Conquerors, Iskandar. I'll allow you to be at the vanguard. I won't be able to lend you the Forces of Destruction, but I doubt you'll mind that. Hm? You're a lot more generous than you look, you know. Ha ha ha, I don't mind at all. In fact, I SHOULD be going out there alone. It wouldn't be a personal journey if I brought an army with me! I wouldn't have time to get to know this place if I were busy giving orders. Ah, one more thing. Could you let your second in command know about this for me? He makes a great brother in arms, and a drinking buddy, but if I showed him my soft side, he'd never let me hear the end of it. Understood. I'll let the King of Heroes know. ...Now, go on. And destroy everything that is in your path. Oh, I'll go on the war path, but I can't promise I'll destroy everything! I'm off to conquer these territories! So look forward to my comeback! With every victory, I'll regain my former glory! So the template for this stage is the Dawn Arc's version of Fuyuki. So, you'll have Gilgamesh barking at you, telling you to go after Li Shuwen. But first, let's meet our new protagonist.  Iskandar's an interesting fellow. He is *really* slow, to the point where you'll really want to equip Reduced Earth (movement speed up), just to make any kind of decent time. He's not a character like Nero or Nameless, someone who uses speed and fast movements to overwhelm the enemy. Instead, he's more like a guy who takes control of a field from one spot and makes the enemy come to them. It can be a little frustrating getting used to him from faster characters, but he has his own bag of tricks.  His S T attack is pretty great. After the T, Iskandar will mount his trusted horse Buscephalus (where he gets his Rider designation from, alongside the chariot he likes riding in), and dash around the field, swinging his sword around. While he's mounted, keep pressing T to keep the attack going but it'll end by itself after 5 seconds or so. While, as you might expect, none of the individual attacks are very powerful, it does provide him with a lot of mobility and the ability to scatter a mob in a few swings. You can also use it to launch an enemy Servant away and follow up a bit, though keep in mind Iskandar can be knocked off his horse.  His S S T attack is more reliable. He'll summon two waves of ghostly Macedonian infantry to charge forward, doing damage. It's a pretty good way to push away attacks and do (relatively) fast damage.  And finally, his S S S T is just him using his massive voice to do damage. It...gets a bit more impressive when he's leveled up a bit.  Iskandar's lightning motif comes from the historical Alexander's claim he was a son of Zeus (apparently his mother Olympias began this theory. Alexander took it as a personal calling to live up to his supposed parentage, and his mother's influence played a large part in that goal). After he conquered Egypt, he was proclaimed the son of Amun (as well as pharaoh), and he began telling folks he was the son of Zeus-Ammon. Back to the game, this is his only triangle-based attack, just a single fast swing of his sword that admittedly does nice knockback damage, but it's slow to come out, so don't rely on it too much. It's really just meant to push people away when you don't have time or room to scatter with special attacks.  When he's at level 18, S S S T T becomes a massive chariot charge attack. Pretty good damage, range, and I believe it's not possible for enemy attacks to knock you out of it. It'll just charge in a straight line, but it's a good follow-up and the invincibility frames are always nice. Also, the chariot can go through walls, so keep that in mind.  Phew, all done with that... But aren't we forgetting something, moving on to the next Sector? Ah well, can't be that important, then.  And his S S S S T attack only deploys his massive chariot, so we'll just have to wait on the upgrade to that.  I've been wrong before, though... Sorry 'bout that. As an aside, Iskandar is a very boisterous dude and he hams it up spectacularly for his special attacks. It's hard to believe this dude is the same dude who voices Solid Snake in Japanese MGS.  Your expertise with those spears is extraordinary! But don't think they'll cut me down so easily!Unfortunately, yes, Cu Chulainn will be our enemy. This is a pretty poor matchup for Iskandar, since Cu has both speed and range over him, meaning you'll have to fight him pretty aggressively and not give him a lot of room to harass you. But we do have another thing the Son of Light doesn't have in his arsenal...   What would Iskandar be without the army that sought to conquer Asia? Death is no obstacle to service, after all. Ionioi Hetairoi, the army of the king.     Once you're done showing off, I should note that S T is a pretty good way to harass an enemy that's in Moon Crux mode, but it is kinda dangerous. Use it if you're confident in your ability to strafe the enemy.  Well, it's not Asia Minor, or Persia, but we've gotta start somewhere.  Ha, you of all people saying something like that. You were testing your Cyber Frame while fighting with me, weren't you? I see you're still a Top Servant, even if you're not used to SE.RA.PH. I should praise your spearmanship. Can't argue with that. The Holy Grail of the Moon, or whatever, definitely put a lot of faith in me when it called me "high-ranking". But I'm still off balance. I feel like a chariot with big, giant horses and flimsy little reins. Hm. Or maybe just really stiff reins. I guess you probably can't really relate. Well... I mean, it's not like I don't understand being summoned in a form you're not entirely comfortable with. And look at the state of your horses. Your chariot doesn't have a decent brake on it at all. You can see that it's riding you. Ah, so you saw through me! Cu Chulainn is famous for riding his ferocious war horses of Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend, after all! Ah, if you were a Rider, we could go out racing through the wilderness, clashing our swords, but...well, that's life for you. Guess I can't complain too much, being back from the dead and all. You're absolutely right. ...Ah, you just completely took the fight out of me. Things are gonna be different next time. The next guy won't go easy on you. He's more used to fighting on the Moon than I am. He can probably bend his Cyber Frame to his every whim. Look forward to that fight, King of Conquerors. Ah, yes, I'm looking forward to that already. Goodbye, Son of the Light! Well you might say that, but men like him are hard to come by even among my own troops. I could beat him again, but taking his head would be something else entirely. He'd probably take me with him, and I wouldn't care for that. How about if we poach him instead? He'd be better than a hundred warriors. The man just embodies what it means to be a Heroic Spirit. I don't need any more underlings. ...But go ahead and do as you like. Of course! I live to fight wherever I please! *laugh* Now, where's the next battlefield?Where, indeed. Sylphid fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Feb 22, 2018 |
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Feb 21, 2018 03:30
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Iskandar 2 Iskandar's only other major role prior to this game was as the Rider in Fate/zero. He was the Servant of Waver Velvet, a somewhat accidental entry into the Grail War, Waver was a student at basically the Fate equivalent of Hogwarts when his teacher put him down in class for suggesting mages from less established pedigrees could be capable mages, as well. After discovering the Fuyuki Grail ritual, he decided he would enter and win the War, for no other reason than to prove him wrong. To facilitate this, he stole his teacher's summoning catalyst, a scrap of Iskandar's cape, and summoned the boisterous conqueror after his arrival in Japan. Waver, kind of a shy dude, was unprepared for his Servant's personality, especially about the king's newfound love of video games and modern life. Iskandar for his part thought Waver was a bit of a stick in the mud, but otherwise fairly capable. Iskandar dragged his Master around everywhere he went, especially into battle. In the early part of the story Iskandar wanted everyone to join him as underlings as he embarked upon a new world conquest, something Waver wasn't into at all. However, problems with the summoned Caster, Gilles de Rais, caused Iskandar to temporarily ally with Lancer and Saber to take him down. Prior to Caster's defeat, Iskandar summoned the two other kings in the war, Saber and Archer, to a big meeting of kings he had arranged. During the fight, Iskandar mocked Saber's motivations for being in the war, before showing her the strength of his own kingship by destroying Assassin with his Noble Phantasm. After the defeat of Caster, Iskandar treated the rest of the war more or less the same as the first half, but he unintentionally acquired his first defeat after Berserker stole his identity to kidnap one of the pseudo-Masters in the war, and Saber chased him down and destroyed his chariot. As the climax of the war was approaching, Iskandar met Gilgamesh over Fuyuki's bridge for the last time. Iskandar had wanted to treat Gilgamesh as something like a confederate, a sentiment the ornery king didn't reciprocate. Iskandar tried to run down Gilgamesh with his Noble Phantasm, but Gilgamesh made short work of it with Ea. Iskandar mounted one final charge against the king, but Gilgamesh's Chains bound him, the high-Divinity ranking son of Zeus, and finally defeated him by stabbing him through the stomach with his own sword. After his Servant's defeat, Gilgamesh decided to spare his Master, seeing no reason to kill the boy. After the war, Waver held onto the memory of Iskandar as the guy who made him a man. So are there any alternate forms of Fate Iskandar? There is; just one, though. It's his child form, usually referred to as Alexander to avoid confusion with the grown-up version. In Grand Order, he is also a Rider. The young Alexander was taught by, among others, Aristotle. It helps being well-connected, doesn't it?  Iskandar stage 2 La Pucelle, is it? I have something to ask you. I know i shouldn't have to ask, but aren't we getting pushed back right now? Your eyes do not deceive you, King of Conquerors. The Saber armies have gained momentum, and they are indeed pushing us back. Our Forces of Destruction had been overwhelming their territories up until now. They way they're moving against us seems unnatural. They're hiding some sort of ace up their sleeve. And they intend to use it in full force here. Our armies are equal in terms of firepower, but all they have is brute force. I wonder if they could handle a sneak attack.Well, I don't think Iskandar DOES "sneak attacks", but the thought is what's important here. Ah, so that's what you think of it all. ...What do you mean? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking you seem fond of Altera. Didn't you want to help people NOT fight before? ...Of course, it is my place to mediate between those who would quarrel, and to bring an end to the fighting. But...when it comes to Altera... Eh, sorry to bring it up. You must be pretty flexible if you can put your feelings over your principles. Wha...? You say such things, but what about you, Iskandar? Altera is a greater Lord of Destruction than you, after all. The one who returns and the one who conquers. Did you come here to prove yourself the greatest warrior in history? ...Hmm. I never really thought to compare us like that, but I guess I see your point. Anyway, we've got a fight to win here. I'll just charge in headfirst and do what I can. Sometimes, a man's just got to blow off steam and crush his enemies. Especially when he's outnumbered! That's the best, don't you think? Not being a man, I'm afraid I don't understand that. Right, sorry. I shouldn't have put it that way. But you know, it's not about the sexes. It's all about war!After this intro scene, you'll get the next one, the one where Archimedes talks about infiltrating the Zero Dark with Nero. The one from the Dawn Arc stage where you had to achieve victory within 12 minutes to force Gawain out to fight. The Zero Dark's core is showing interference. Those bastards, are they planning to directly invade the base?! If Gawain infiltrates, our base will be lost. ...Stop him.Like in the Dawn Arc stage, Regalia Nero will be here to hunt you down. You'll start off in an allied Sector, so just take a few moments, relax, and wait for her to come for you. She'll take about 41 seconds to show up from the start of the stage. Since I'm *very* quickly getting out this Sector, this is the stage-unique dialogue between these two. The warlord of Macedonia...?! What marvelous luck. Let us engage in battle! Fine with me, Emperor of Debauchery. Ah wait, now that I think of it, ALL the Roman Emperors were like that! So our first real fight will be against Nameless. I suppose you could flee to the top right enemy Sector, but that's more putting off the problem. The problem is you'll need to take out Nameless fast, because dealing with him and Nero is...a bit much. This area is swarming with hammer Aggressors, so watch yourself. They can interrupt air attacks if you attack them mid-swing.  Once you're done with him, get the hell out of the Sector. If you take out Nameless, but Nero comes in after you're done, your retreat will be met with Nero very quickly taking the Sector back. The reason this is important is because the Nameless Sector is a pretty crucial one to actually winning the stage.  Howdy there. We're gonna wait for Nero to come fight Altera. While they're busy killing each other, we'll raise some hell.  Nero is a spawn camper.  Only one more Sector, and then it's time for a big ol' rumble.  Iskandar's final special attack is so drat cool. At the end of a S S S S T combo, press T again and he'll bring out his chariot again, but instead of just slamming it down on enemies, he'll spin a massive couple of doughnuts with it. Heavy damage, wide-ranging, it's a lot of fun. Definitely his most effective attack, which is only fair, as it takes the longest to come out. Crowds just have a way of disappearing with that move deployed.  Altera's taken a few lumps, but Nero has as well. I think it's time to make the difference. I spammed the doughnut move to do as much damage to Nero as possible. She's too unpredictable to rely on Iskandar's other attacks, which mostly focus on enemies in front of him.   Phew, that did a lot of damage. A ton of damage to Gawain, and forced Nero to retreat. Now the rest of the map is a cakewalk. The only challenge is making sure I don't kill the actual target before I conquer all the Sectors. Thank you. It looks like you're of some use. Hmph, very well, I shall retreat! But let me say, though you are my enemy, you are a splendid performer! Overcoming Saber in that state... Surprising, but not worthy of my praise.One of these things is not like the others.   And even still, most of that damage came from Nero getting a couple of cheap shots in. About as well as this stage can be fought.  I think I'm getting a feel for the Moon, too. There's people. There's countries. It's just like Earth. Who cares what's "real" and what's imaginary, or who's human, and who's AI, and who's a Servant? It's all the same to me. Did you say that was the Holy Sword of the Sun? So I saw the brilliance of the Sun with my own eyes. In the end, this place is just another world for me to ravage and conquer - with opponents worthy of all my might! Oh. An ambitious little mongrel, aren't you? Do I hear a hint of uncertainty in that bark? Seems that Cyber Frame of yours still doesn't quite fit. Don't say that, King of Heroes. Everyone has one or two weaknesses. Mine just happens to be that the Moon world doesn't suit me. But I'm close to reaching my former glory! At the rate I've been getting used to this place, I bet I could even keep up with you, one on one. Howl at me, will you? Well, luckily for you, I'm content to be a spectator for you, no matter how loudly the beasts might call. All that aside, I don't hear the wheels of your chariot. Are those bulls you boast of all filled with bravado and bullshit? Well, I'm glad the trip over here didn't dent your ego! With everything that's different here, it's great to see my nemesis is still the same as ever! Fine, you spectate. I'll trample the earth like I always do, and pull you right down off your high horse when you least expect it.For more information on why Iskandar and Gil talk like old buddies, check out Fate/zero. You moron. I'll pick off your filthy chariot the moment it appears on the horizon. You'd have to come from the sky to give me any sort of a challenge. Ah. I don't know what's changed about him, but he's much more reasonable up here! Guess I have something else to look forward to! That fight to the death with the Holy Sword of the Sun was great! Hope the next opponent's just as strong, if that's possible!
Sylphid fucked around with this message at 13:47 on Jul 18, 2018 |
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Feb 22, 2018 03:14
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