WEEK 1

[whimsicalism]

Well! That was some tea party, huh? You've finally seen the faces (or perhaps the singular is more proper here?) of your captors. A pair of creepy twins seem to fit the overall theme of the Castle at least. Why not have Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum, after all?

Regardless, it doesn't seem that they're changing their minds any time soon. The first floor of the Castle is still open up to you. The Audience Hall is still locked most of the time so perhaps you can meet the Alices there if you need to. There are plenty of things to occupy your time before the inevitable slow erosion of your memories. If this is a game, who will make the first move? You or the twins?

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday

((OOC: Welcome to peace week! There will be no case this week so just have fun and explore. If you want to investigate please put Investigation in your top level. Don't forget to put threads in for regains or go to the Audience Hall to meet the Alices.

Also, if you want to keep up to date on things we now have a discord server!))

Comments

my hands, shaking as i type this question, knowing exactly what i'm asking for

[prescience]

That, I think, is something worth looking into.

Can an author be a Servant? Or perhaps a fictional character? Just what, exactly, are the parameters for becoming this type of being?

inhales deeply

[immaculacies]

An author, mm-hm. A fictional character—mm, that's a little more complicated. You can't summon something that isn't real, but that doesn't mean there isn't a replica that can be summoned in its place. They're usually weaker, but... It's possible to summon a wraith in place of a usual Heroic Spirit, if you mean to summon an entity of pure fiction. A soul that can take on characteristics akin to the character they're to portray... There's more nuance to it than that, especially when we're talking about folklore where there isn't only a single inspiration behind the tale, but that's the gist of it.

As for becoming a Heroic Spirit at all... Well, I suppose there are two main components: fame and mystery. It's a lot harder for people who were born in the modern era to become Heroic Spirits, even if they were really famous when they died. That's because there hasn't been a lot of time for their legend to grow, and also because there just isn't as much mystery left in the world. It's a lot different now that we have so many cameras around, right? Things can be recorded and analyzed... That's also part of why magecraft has been getting weaker ever since the Age of Gods ended, but that's another topic. Um, to put it simply—the older a legend is, and the more famous it is, the more likely it is that that soul will be summonable as a Heroic Spirit.

Oh, and another thing—a Heroic Spirit has to consent to answer the call of the Holy Grail! That means that, with a few exceptions, the Servant will always have a wish of their own... Some regret from their own life they would like to change, or something they would like to redo, or something like that. But... I guess we already know that's the case with Alice the Servant, don't we? That's what Allen was already told.

laughs nervously in fellow fate/ player

[prescience]

Thank you for the information. I will be thinking about what this might mean for some time.

[She considers whether the process of elimination would itself be worth it: What stories don't exist in the library? Time consuming, but for now they seem to have an abundance of that.]

As for Alice, we can assume that's the case. I can't think of a single wish that's ever been granted without a price.

Let's consider a different order. Could a Heroic Spirit of "stories" not themselves gain the power to "write" something and make it happen? Maybe the first answer isn't the wish that was or wasn't granted, but the power given as a means of obtaining it.

[immaculacies]

Mm, of course. After all, they've already confirmed that Alice the Servant created this whole castle with her abilities. Whatever her true identity is, bringing imaginings to life is within her capabilities.

What's more impressive is her ability to create something this large, and to maintain it for even this long. A normal Master would be exhausted by now, from the amount of mana that would require.

[prescience]

Could they be taking that from us?

No, that's almost guaranteed, isn't it? They made it quite clear they intended for us to give them "gifts." I wonder how our deaths would help or hinder that goal.

[She, of course, would have once been worth far more magical energy alive than dead.

Oriko closes her eyes, frustrations mounting.] You would know: Is it worth it to divert our energies to breaking the illusion?

[immaculacies]

Mm. If a Servant loses its Master, or its Master doesn't have enough magical energy to give them, it can consume the souls of the living to fuel itself instead. But... Even if all of us died right now, I don't think it would be enough to maintain this place for very long.

Hm... The rules even mention the 'outside world,' don't they? The trouble is that we don't know where we are, or what kind of world we'll end up in if the illusion breaks. Is it better to stay where you understand the danger you're in, or jump into a situation that might be better or might be worse — that's the kind of gamble we're discussing, before anything else.

[prescience]

That rules us a source of magic out, then. Unless, perhaps, that's the fate of those who lose the game.

[The prospect is a little terrifying, isn't it? Going by Manaka's words, that would mean hundreds our thousands of "losers" supplying their life force.]

Yes, that's the risk we must decide on, and it will trickle down to the rest of our actions. Personally, I believe it is always preferable to be free first and handle the rest later. What do you think?

[immaculacies]

...I don't know. I've never had to make that choice before.

[ Manaka breaths out a soft sigh, and for a moment, her expression looks tired. ]

Whatever happens doesn't make much difference to me. I'll leave that question for the rest of you, and follow whatever decision the group decides on.

[prescience]

[Manaka briefly looks as tired as Oriko remembers feeling sometimes.

Her brows draw together into a concerned expression. It's a huge change in energy from a significant portion of the meeting.]

Why is that, exactly?

[immaculacies]

Does it make a difference? It is what it is.

[prescience]

I suppose it makes a world of difference, given that you're so far the only one I've spoken to who has any idea what these forces are.

[There is, perhaps, the smallest of implied suspicions there in Oriko's voice: Does Manaka want them to begin to suspect some deeper involvement?]

You're helping us by providing this information. I should think we'd want to help you in turn.

[immaculacies]

There's nothing to help. [ Manaka doesn't sound like she's digging her heels in; it's a simple statement of face. ] I'm not hiding anything from you. They and I just didn't take part in the same Holy Grail War. Whatever happened in mine is irrelevant to what has happened here.

[prescience]

I see. That much doesn't surprise me.

[She never believed the implication; Oriko had just wondered if the power of suggestion might elicit something else.]

I'm surprised that it doesn't matter to you how we try to overcome the challenges of this game, though. There isn't anything you're worried about returning to?

[immaculacies]

It makes just as much sense for me to ask you the same sort of thing, you know. What is it that you're so concerned with, Mikuni-san?

[prescience]

[She gives her a little smile, as if agreeing that it does make sense.]

I would like to avoid the worst outcome for everyone here, and I believe that ending the "game" early through the best possible solution is how I want to achieve that.

Or are you asking about something else?

[immaculacies]

I'm saying that if you're going to ask about someone's personal circumstances, you should be prepared to answer about the same. What is it you want to go back to?

[ She means the question rhetorically, for the moment. ]

[prescience]

[Does she? Oriko has to doubt that intention, at least for a little bit.]

And if I told you that I have already achieved all I intended to?

[immaculacies]

Then I would say that I've done the same. There isn't anything I need to get back to, so however things turn out, it doesn't make much difference to me.

[prescience]

[Just a little, tiny, marginal widening of her smile. Perhaps they have an understanding?]

But for me, it is important to right things for everyone who is here now...and everyone who was here before us.

So, for the sake of that end, it would still matter to me.

[immaculacies]

That's why I'll leave the decisions on how to proceed to you.