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Message: [QUOTE="Imperfect, post: 22118990, member: 181978"] [CENTER][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/RX82bvP.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [CENTER][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=18px]Workshop[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] [HR][/HR] [SPOILER="CE WIP"][FONT=Palatino Linotype][CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/lUABNgw.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [COLOR=#696969][B]Custom Element Japanese Name:[/B][/COLOR] Masōton [COLOR=#696969][B]Custom Element English Name:[/B][/COLOR] Moon Flower Release [COLOR=#696969][B]The Element is Based On:[/B][/COLOR] Yin Release + Earth [COLOR=#696969][B]Facts that Prove the Element to be Possible (in the manga context):[/B][/COLOR] [INDENT]As a Custom Element whose existence relies primarily upon Yin Release, an Element that only uses one's imagination to give form to the formless, the existence of Yin Release, Genjutsu, spiritually debilitating effects, etc provide the foundation for Masōton. Yin Release on it's own can achieve wondrous things, but as this is an Element that seeks to find a foothold within and encroach upon reality itself it requires fertile soil to affect physical matter, requiring the addition of the stable Element, Earth Release.[/INDENT] [COLOR=#696969][B]How It Works:[/B][/COLOR] [INDENT]At it's core Moonflower Release is split into three distinct stages: Propagation > Equilibrium > Abundance. Propagation is the initial step where the plants "seeds" of imagination within themselves, the environment or their opponent. The seeds start as pure intangible energy, either remaining dormant or allowing the user to perform and inflict illusions on themselves, their opponents and even the environment itself. The power of Yin Release removes any and all logical requirements that planting a "seed" may require, such as fertile soil, sunlight, water and other forms of nourishment. After a predetermined period which varies based on the nature and Rank of the technique the seeds grow and sprout, entering Equilibrium, where they evolve from purely spiritual forms into tangible, physical forms. This causes thorns, roots, vines and other miscellaneous plant life to take physical form with Yin Release's ability to give form to the formless. When applied to the environment the evolution from Propagation to Equilibrium can be instantaneous, whereas if it's applied to the user or another being with a Chakra system there will need to be a period between Propagation and Equilibrium during which time the foreign Chakra can be detected and purged if it's not dormant, much like an electrical device avoiding permanent damage from an EMP by being switched off or otherwise inert. Once the Element achieves Equilibrium it can then transition into Abundance, causing it's form and function to change, "blooming" into the white Moonflower, Lunar Tear. Within a single technique one can find a single, multiple or all stages of the Element with each technique carving it's own sometimes overlapping uses and applications. When performed on the user and their allies illusions and effects can be beneficial. For example, in a manner similar to many kinds of fungi, the flora borne from this Element can "communicate" with one another, even if it's still only an imaginary seed. Through means similar to traditional spiritual tethers they can link their soul to others, allowing for long distance communication, or the ability to encourage or command growth within other planted seeds.[IMG2=RIGHT]https://i.imgur.com/KpOGYwX.png[/IMG2] As an extension of this, they can also encourage their own seeds to grow, forming the Element from themselves to surround themselves in constructs, perform offensive and defensive actions, etc. When performed on the environment the user can inflict illusions upon the terrain itself changing it's form with a combination of Yin Release and Earth's terraforming capabilities. Once planted it allows the user to grow the Element in an identical manner to Wood Release but with none of the conventional requirements, as the Element is the product of the imagination. When performed on an opponent, they start as illusions and offensive or debilitating effects, similar to those found in Yin Release and Genjutsu. If allowed to achieve Equilibrium, the Element can perform critical strikes within the body by attacking organs, sprout out of the body, wreathe targets in physically restraining vines and other generic plant life. Regardless of which means is performed, once the Element is planted and evolves into Equilibrium, the user can then initiate Abundance, causing their constructed plant life "bloom" into the creation of the eponymous Moonflower, Lunar Tear. Once created the flower begins to "shed" in a display similar to the pollen-related techniques for Wood Release. Like the White Tiger of Yang Release, contact with the shed portions heavily imbalances the spiritual to physical ratio of inner energies of people who come into contact with the flower and it's particles, rapidly trending towards the former. This occurs at a given rate over a period of turns or instances of contact, contextualized in a similar manner to the Sanity system, filling it's own status condition which naturally rests at 0 and has a max condition of 100. The status is inflicted through a number of calculation types, including condition over time effects from being within a certain radius of the Moonflower, others through condition per turn from contact with the flower, which persists over a given number of turns even after the Flower is removed, or the affected party leaves the Flower's active range, and others inflict a set amount of condition upon direct contact. The amount of condition inflicted is naturally limited by the Rank of the technique the Flower blooms from, with weaker techniques providing less condition than higher ranked applications, using the following table as a general guide. [INDENT][B]D-Rank - C-Rank:[/B] 10% max. [B]B-Rank:[/B] 15% max. [B]A-Rank:[/B] 20% max. [B]S-Rank:[/B] 25% max. User can be affected up to 10% as recoil. [B]Forbidden Rank:[/B] 35% max. User can be affected up to 20% as recoil.[/INDENT] Upon reaching 100% the target(s) is/ are affected by a condition called "White Chlorination Syndrome" or "WCS". Those affected by WCS begin to disintegrate like the flower itself, their physical presence entirely overwritten by the spiritual, causing their bodies to wilt and crumble away to nothingness. This occurs over a period of three turns, where first those afflicted with notice their skin start to disintegrate, then the underlying tissues and bone, and then finally even their own Chakra. The only way to recover from WCS is an incredibly high influx or Surge of Yang Release Chakra, or similarly potent field with a heavy emphasis on Physical Energy, to offset the imbalance.[/INDENT] [COLOR=#696969][B]Jutsu Usage Examples:[/B][/COLOR] [SPOILER][B](Technique Name) Technique Name[/B] [B]Type:[/B] [B]Rank:[/B] [B]Range:[/B] [B]Chakra:[/B] [B]Damage:[/B] [B]Description:[/B] [B]Note:[/B][/SPOILER] [SPOILER][B](Technique Name) Technique Name[/B] [B]Type:[/B] [B]Rank:[/B] [B]Range:[/B] [B]Chakra:[/B] [B]Damage:[/B] [B]Description:[/B] [B]Note:[/B][/SPOILER] [SPOILER][B](Technique Name) Technique Name[/B] [B]Type:[/B] [B]Rank:[/B] [B]Range:[/B] [B]Chakra:[/B] [B]Damage:[/B] [B]Description:[/B] [B]Note:[/B][/SPOILER] [COLOR=#696969][B]Conditions to be Able to Use It:[/B][/COLOR] Jōnin Rank, Yin Release, Earth Release & Medical Ninjutsu. [COLOR=#696969][B]Is Weak To:[/B][/COLOR] Neutral to all Elemental Fields. Weak against Yang. [COLOR=#696969][B]Is Strong To:[/B][/COLOR] Neutral to all Elemental Fields. Strong against Yin. [COLOR=#696969][B]Co-creator:[/B][/COLOR] N/A [COLOR=#696969][B]Students I Passed this Custom Element on to:[/B][/COLOR] N/A[/FONT][/SPOILER] [SPOILER="PCCJ WIP (Submitted)"]Clan Approval: [URL="https://animebase.me/threads/custom-clans-submission.27962/page-3#post-21248132"]Here[/URL]. Permission to submit PCCJ from Heroic Spirit Rank in the Clan. [B](Sōken: Sōzō no Hahen) Surge of Reification: Shards of Adonalsium[/B] [B]Type:[/B] Supplementary [B]Rank:[/B] C-Rank [B]Range:[/B] Short [B]Chakra:[/B] 15 (-5 per turn) [B]Damage:[/B] N/A [B]Description:[/B] Shards of Adonalsium, otherwise known as Spren, are unique Prana-based entities that fall between the Surges of Evocation and Augmentation under their own Surge, (Sōken) The Surge of Reification. Physically they appear as small beings of pure energy, though their exact appearance varies wildly. Their physical form can appear like wisps of Prana, formless and shapeless, or, as they are a Surgebinder's ideals made manifest, with strong enough concepts or ideals they can resemble something animalistic or even humanoid, and like the Prana that constitutes them their colors can vary wildly. As they are creations of Prana Spren can't exist outside of the Throne without the help of a Surgebinder, requiring them to act as doors and anchors to the physical world. Spren materialize within Short Range of the user, but can exist at any range provided the Surgebinder maintains their form, and in return Spren assist their Surgebinder in combat. Surgebinders up to and including Servant Rank can maintain a single Spren for 5 Chakra per turn. Heroic Spirits and above can maintain a second Spren for an additional 5 Chakra per turn. As manifestations of their users Prana, they have access to the same techniques their Surgebinders have under the Surges of Evocation and Armament. They can perform Evocation at the same level as their bonded Surgebinder. With the Surge of Armament the Spren physically calls forth the chosen Noble Phantasm using the Prana contained within their body, physically becoming the chosen armament themselves. Regardless of the user's Rank or capabilities within the Clan, this doesn't count towards the user's own Noble Phantasm limit. If the user has two Spren, only one can perform the Surge of Armament. While housing a Noble Phantasm the Spren can act in a similar manner to their normal state, allowing for flight, communication, and other actions they would normally be capable of, can perform any actions the chosen Noble Phantasm can, and any techniques the Surgebinder themselves know for the given Noble Phantasm, such as Kenjutsu for a sword-based Noble Phantasm. [SPOILER][CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/hrRgvrG.png[/IMG][/CENTER][/SPOILER][/SPOILER] [FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Arriving from #285, the [URL="https://animebase.me/threads/garden-of-the-gods-285.781582/post-22160163"]Garden of the Gods[/URL]. This post contains a mission using the following custom Storyboard Element. [INDENT]Explore a landmark, interact with the locals and reunite with a friend. (3)[/INDENT] [B]Mission Summary:[/B] Being Shirō's first time setting foot in Ekur, the home of Enkidu and the majority of the Arali population on Kamiyasumi, he naturally has to explore the ancient structure and it's more recent additions, and make his first official impression upon the Arali. And just as Emiya studies them, the Arali in turn must come to understand the human wandering among them. Complications arise when their reunion invites disaster, as the uneasy feeling that has been following Emiya since Sanctuary makes it's presence, and intent, known. [HR][/HR] Shirō traversed the verdant plains surrounding Sanctuary with that same malicious intent looming over him. Even now as he approached the former Lost Temple he could feel that sense that he was being watched, but nothing was revealed by his Atavistic enhanced sense. If he was being followed they were either very skilled at not being sensed, or more concerningly they were outside the limits of his Ancient Insight. The prospect that they weren't alive was a concerning one. The Raid on Irkalla already showed the issues and complications with the idea of "killing" something that was already dead. But he was jumping to conclusions. Assuming he would have to kill whatever was putting him under their scrutinizing scrying eye. Or maybe he was simply paranoid after his dealings with the Fae King. He'd already fallen prey to a technique whose only condition was to engage in conversation. There was no telling what else was out there, especially after his sabbatical from himself. [INDENT][SPOILER="Ancient Insight"][B](Kaen Kakkusei Iden: Kodai Dōsatsu) – Atavistic Flame: Ancient Insight[/B] [B]Type:[/B] Supplementary [B]Rank:[/B] A-Rank [B]Range:[/B] N/A [B]Chakra:[/B] N/A [B]Damage:[/B] N/A [B]Description:[/B] Ancient Insight is the inner focusing of the user’s Atavistic Flame to empower their awareness. The technique is activated at the cost of a move but not occupying a slot in the timeframe. Grandmasters are able to activate Ancient Insight passively. Once activated Ancient Insight channels similar awareness bonuses as granted during Will to Survive. The user gains tracking, reflexes, and perception increased by x3 while Ancient Insight is active, lasting until deactivated. Each turn Ancient Insight is active the user suffers from 5 spiritual Health Points lost, though the user will regenerate 5 every other turn.[/SPOILER][/INDENT] Within seconds of entering the region one could see signs of the Monks of the Human Order's presence on Kamiyasumi, of the temple sitting at the heart of this corner of the forest. Though it's purpose [B]was[/B] lost to time, it had been given a new one. Trees whose trunks were larger than entire blocks of homes and structures in Dawnport and Sanctuary both gave way to paradoxically ancient and pristine stonework. A raised stone path similar in appearance to ancient aqueducts one could find in the Freehold yet infinitesimally older tangled in vines yet it's integrity was not diminished because of it. If anything it was stronger, bolstered by nature. Cradled by life itself. This was the first sign of Ekur, Enkidu's home and the place where the Arali gathered on Kamiyasumi. Walking on the stone path Shirō could feel the overwhelming vitality leaking from the surrounding land. It was clear that Enkidu had spent no small amount of time using his presence, his authority and will, to influence growth within the Cedar Forest. And while this wasn't the lands "natural" state there was nothing unnatural about it either. He took what was there and build upon it, encouraged it's growth, made it more of itself, nurtured it to this bountiful state just like he had learned and put into practice on Theodoro. It was one thing to hear of these exploits, but another entirely to see them in person. To know that the presence, the active concentration of a God, could encourage such growth in the surrounding life. And this gave way to a much darker thought. What if it wasn't just trees? The surrounding flora? Though brief, Shirō's time in Solanaceae gave him an ill feeling simply from being there. What if Divinities couldn't just encourage [I]growth[/I] in the things within range of their authority? What if they had less... desirable intentions for those around them than to nurture? A terrifying thought, but not one he would have time to indulge as Shirō felt a large number of beings shuffling out of the temple. It wasn't an assault, but the number, their gait, the pace of their steps, there was equal chances of it being excitement at a visitor or defensive posturing at the perceived intruder on their relatively recently sanctified grounds. [HR][/HR]The Arali had carved out a space for themselves in this place where the God Enlil fell. Though the eternal storm that had been raging was quelled, the divine fragment of Enlil keeping raging it spent, there was still a semblance of his existence spread throughout the western half of Kamiyasumi. And now this forest, through the active efforts of the new Divinity Enkidu, was an almost flawless recreation of the forests of the Era of Gods when Marduk and his siblings walked the earth. If there was one place in the world they should allow to call their own, with no caveats or conditions, it would be here. But there were whispers in the corners of Ekur, whispers about the other deities, the other children of Tiamat and Abzu, who held dominion over entire civilizations. Who welcomed their Arali brothers, sisters and kin with open arms in a place that wasn't literally in the furthest flung corner of the known world. Where they lived not just in the open, but as the dominant peoples, in grand cities. Rulers like Aureliana offered shelter and protection in the remains of the Human's greatest city, rebuilding it, while Tanacetum was far more open about his hatred for the Humans, building forces and power to wage a siege, a war upon the world, just as his father had created him to. But they were part of a four-way struggle of power between the other Divinities and what remained of the Humans who originally infested the mainland. And Enkidu, while not offering the world, offered them peace, a home. Under the guidance and protection of Enkidu the Arali here were diverse and, much like their Monk neighbors, peaceful. Or rather, mostly peaceful. Some still struggled with desires, urges to haunt and attack humans. To do the very things they were created, born to. Some wondered, if Tanacetum could not escape his purpose how could the Arali ever hope to? The answer being simply that Tanacetum didn't want to escape his purpose. He reveled in it. Embraced it while the Arali had the closest thing to free will that they'd had in millennia. Some even harbored ill intents, silent though they may have been in Enkidu's presence, to attack the humans before they would attack them as they had been in the days after the Cataclysm. There were humans back on the mainland who had done just that, blaming the Arali, the "Demons" for the Cataclysm, the destruction of the world. And then there were Arali like the Utukku, who even the Pantheon couldn't fully control, who were especially invested in not allowing themselves to be attacked in this space after the fall of Eanna. This was [B]their[/B] home, [B]their[/B] place in this world that wouldn't be infringed. So when a human was sensed approaching the temple, one accompanied by some fragment of Divinity? Some were curious, while others were tentatively prepared for a fight... No, it was more accurate to say they were [I]looking[/I] for one.[HR][/HR] Shirō felt a flash of warmth, a rush of adrenaline at the number of sources of life responding to his presence. It was a sensation not unlike those first moments after a hive has been disturbed, as potentially insulting as the comparison was to the denizens of Ekur. He didn't let it stop him, though he would be lying if he said he didn't care that his presence caused such a commotion. First it was merely the curious, those faces poking out from the entrance to the grand hall, or the window-like openings carved into the face of the temple. Those who wanted to see which human was visiting their home. Some were familiar with humans from Sanctuary after all. Not familiar enough for visits to be a common occurrence, but still. Then there were the bolder Arali, those who sensed the unknown fragment of Divinity within Tsumukari and needed to know who it belonged to, whether they were a threat, an emissary from one of the other Divinities, or some other unknown identity. Many Asag began to flow from the entrance, curiosity and a desire to protect their territory in equal parts. And all of them were eclipsed by the sheer presence of the final inquisitor of their remarkable visitor. From the top of Ekur a shadow descended, engulfing the faint glimmers of light that pierced the canopy of the Cedar Forest, swallowing all of the light. It dove down to Emiya with a predatory speed stopping mere inches from his face, claws extended, wings fanned out in a territorial display, all but engulfing the human standing on their front door with it's presence, one that pressed down on the flow of Emiya's Chakra like a thumb placed upon the jugular. [CENTER][i][color=#000000]"S[/color][color=#000005]t[/color][color=#00000A]a[/color][color=#000010]t[/color][color=#000015]e[/color][color=#00001B].[/color][color=#000020].[/color][color=#000025].[/color] [color=#000030]y[/color][color=#000036]o[/color][color=#00003B]u[/color][color=#000041]r[/color] [color=#00004B]p[/color][color=#000051]u[/color][color=#000056]r[/color][color=#00005C]p[/color][color=#000061]o[/color][color=#000067]s[/color][color=#00006C]e[/color] [color=#000077]h[/color][color=#00007C]e[/color][color=#000082]r[/color][color=#000087]e[/color][color=#00008D],[/color] [color=#000097]m[/color][color=#00009D]o[/color][color=#0000A2]r[/color][color=#0000A8]t[/color][color=#0000AD]a[/color][color=#0000B3]l[/color][color=#0000B8].[/color] [color=#0000C3]W[/color][color=#0000C8]h[/color][color=#0000CE]y[/color] [color=#0000D9]d[/color][color=#0000DE]o[/color] [color=#0000E9]y[/color][color=#0000EE]o[/color][color=#0000F4]u[/color] [color=#0000FE]a[/color][color=#0000F9]p[/color][color=#0000F4]p[/color][color=#0000EE]r[/color][color=#0000E9]o[/color][color=#0000E3]a[/color][color=#0000DE]c[/color][color=#0000D9]h[/color] [color=#0000CE]o[/color][color=#0000C8]u[/color][color=#0000C3]r[/color] [color=#0000B8]h[/color][color=#0000B3]o[/color][color=#0000AD]m[/color][color=#0000A8]e[/color] [color=#00009D]w[/color][color=#000097]i[/color][color=#000092]e[/color][color=#00008D]l[/color][color=#000087]d[/color][color=#000082]i[/color][color=#00007C]n[/color][color=#000077]g[/color] [color=#00006C]t[/color][color=#000067]h[/color][color=#000061]a[/color][color=#00005C]t[/color][color=#000056].[/color][color=#000051].[/color][color=#00004B].[/color] [color=#000041]a[/color][color=#00003B]b[/color][color=#000036]o[/color][color=#000030]n[/color][color=#00002B]i[/color][color=#000025]m[/color][color=#000020]a[/color][color=#00001B]t[/color][color=#000015]i[/color][color=#000010]o[/color][color=#00000A]n[/color][color=#000005]?"[/color][/i][/CENTER] The Arali's words were measured, even as their entire body bristled with offence in the presence of the God Slaying Tool. Monks with their flames were one thing, but it had been quite some time since any of them had seen one of humanity's trump card, the tools that helped them overcome Ummu-Hubur, the Mother of all Things. But none of them had met Shirō whose tool contained a sliver of the Void itself, the raw power of creation, the power of a Divinity, small though it was. It's mere existence was a threat, to them, to Enkidu, to the peace they had established in this, their new home. In their mind they were completely justified to loom over the human, provoking them. Shirō was far too naïve to believe for even a moment that one of Enkidu's friends would harm him though. He had to tilt his head back slightly to look the Utukku in the eye, but he held their gaze with the innocence of his visit. [CENTER][COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"I'm Shirō. I'm here to see Enkidu."[/I][/COLOR][/CENTER] The Arali, Algol, wavered for a second, his eyes flickering with recognition. The bristling ceased though Algol continued to loom, still not quite sure how to respond to the blade, Tsumukari. [CENTER][i][color=#000000]"H[/color][color=#000008]m[/color][color=#000011]m[/color][color=#000019]m[/color][color=#000022].[/color] [color=#000033]T[/color][color=#00003B]h[/color][color=#000044]e[/color] [color=#000055]m[/color][color=#00005D]o[/color][color=#000066]r[/color][color=#00006E]t[/color][color=#000077]a[/color][color=#00007F]l[/color] [color=#000090]f[/color][color=#000099]r[/color][color=#0000A1]o[/color][color=#0000AA]m[/color] [color=#0000BB]t[/color][color=#0000C3]h[/color][color=#0000CC]e[/color] [color=#0000DD]m[/color][color=#0000E5]u[/color][color=#0000EE]r[/color][color=#0000F6]a[/color][color=#0000FF]l[/color] [color=#0000EE]d[/color][color=#0000E5]e[/color][color=#0000DD]p[/color][color=#0000D4]i[/color][color=#0000CC]c[/color][color=#0000C3]t[/color][color=#0000BB]i[/color][color=#0000B2]n[/color][color=#0000AA]g[/color] [color=#000099]t[/color][color=#000090]h[/color][color=#000088]e[/color] [color=#000077]b[/color][color=#00006E]i[/color][color=#000066]r[/color][color=#00005D]t[/color][color=#000055]h[/color] [color=#000044]o[/color][color=#00003B]f[/color] [color=#00002A]G[/color][color=#000022]o[/color][color=#000019]d[/color][color=#000011].[/color][color=#000008].[/color][color=#000000].?"[/color][/i][/CENTER] Shirō was genuinely surprised. Enkidu had depicted that moment with enough detail to specifically make him recognizable? It would be flattering if it wasn't embarrassing. Even with his identity known now, Shirō could still feel the apprehension at his presence, and specifically the eyes burning a hole into Tsumukari. [CENTER][COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"If it makes you feel better, I've never killed anyone with it."[/I][/COLOR][/CENTER] [CENTER][i][color=#000000]"T[/color][color=#000017]h[/color][color=#00002E]a[/color][color=#000045]t[/color][color=#00005C].[/color][color=#000073].[/color][color=#00008B].[/color] [color=#0000B9]d[/color][color=#0000D0]o[/color][color=#0000E7]e[/color][color=#0000FF]s[/color] [color=#0000D0]n[/color][color=#0000B9]o[/color][color=#0000A2]t[/color] [color=#000073]h[/color][color=#00005C]e[/color][color=#000045]-[/color][color=#00002E]![/color][color=#000017]!"[/color][/i][/CENTER] [CENTER][I][COLOR="#0096FF"]"Oh knock it off, you big brute. They already told you who they were. Please, forgive my big brother. Several millennia in isolation, surprisingly, did nothing to help his non-existant manners."[/COLOR][/I][/CENTER] Shirō wanted to snap his head around to see where the second voice came from, but knew a sudden movement wouldn't help any of them in this situation. He did lean back slightly, looking over his shoulder to see a pair of dazzling blue eyes staring back at him from an uncomfortable, claustrophobia inducing, distance. Shirō recoiled slightly, his head and neck reflexively sinking down into his torso in surprise and a futile desire to get some distance. Perched on Algol's wing, and making the human very uncomfortable was a second Utukku Arali, their presence just as smothering. Though this one didn't seem to be harboring active malice, leading Shirō to believe that was just something these Arali happened to possess. A suffocating aura the same way Prana ran through his veins. [CENTER][i][color=#000000]"M[/color][color=#000024]e[/color][color=#000048]t[/color][color=#00006D]i[/color][color=#000091]a[/color][color=#0000B6].[/color] [color=#0000FF]G[/color][color=#0000DA]e[/color][color=#0000B6]t[/color] [color=#00006D]o[/color][color=#000048]f[/color][color=#000024]f[/color][color=#000000]."[/color][/i][/CENTER] Metia huffed ever so slightly, but spread her own wings and gracefully lifted from her brother's wing, landing softly and took a few steps towards the temple. Her plumage refracted the light in a way that made her entire body shimmer with a blue hue in stark contrast to her brother's pure black pinions. With Metia no longer perched on his wing, the elder Algol withdrew his wings from their posturing position around Emiya, only to take off from the ground with a single beat, returning to his perch atop the temple. [CENTER][I][COLOR="#0096FF"]"You know he talks about you. Not a lot, but when he does? Well..."[/COLOR][/I][/CENTER] The surprise was plain to see on Shirō's face, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape that this person he'd never even met before even knew [I]of[/I] him. That his existence was significant enough for Enkidu to memorialize even just a moment of it in stone. He'd never sought to do good things for a reward, that the act of saving people in itself was enough. Journey before destination... But knowing that even a moment of his journey was worth retelling? It was an immense feeling. Shirō was not a prideful man, but he felt like this could be something he could indulge just a little bit of pride in without feeling bad for it. Metia gestured for Shirō to follow, leading the way into the temple with an playful waltz, skipping too and fro with her wings to make her movements effortless and graceful. The entrance hall a sprawling space filled with all manner, shape, size, color and nature of Arali. Some stopped to gawk, others far too busy to care about a single human. The Asag who had gathered at the entrance closed in after, pooling around Emiya to personally inspect Tsumukari. Though anxiety inducing, Shirō didn't stop the craggy, earthen beings from inspecting the blade in it's scabbard, and a few even dared to touch it, astounded that Divinity could even be captured within an object. Some of them had been crafters themselves before the God's civil war, and the imprisonment that followed. They hadn't seen anything like it, though the name Marzan did raise a few of the stonemen's eyebrows. While he had the chance Shirō looked out over the grand hall before him. Four intricate murals dedicated to Marduk's and his siblings had been erected on once barren walls, a tribute to the Gods who gave what remained of their lives to help Enkidu defeat their father. Several colossal open framed doorways lead deeper into various corners of the temple, each one containing murals that detailed the history of the Gods, and the battle against Abzu. Shirō walked passed stories immortalized in stone and clay, each one a slice of history, some of which he hadn't even heard of before. When he walked passed one doorway he saw a mural with a human shaped swordsman foolishly falling into a clouded ocean, crack at the bottom symbolizing the rift that he pulled Enkidu from. But only one lead into Ekur's deepest chamber. A familiar but changed green-haired individual sat surrounded by all kinds of animals from the surrounding Cedar Forest. Birds perched atop horns that Emiya was seeing for the first time, a pure white wolf lazily sprawled across Enkidu's lap ravenously seeking attention. Most alarmingly of all however was a [URL="https://animebase.me/threads/greater-cedar-forest-282.781579/post-22127722"]colossal being composed of a white, clay-like substance[/URL]. Even without directly inspecting the being, Shirō could tell that it was... not just one thing. It would be more accurate to call it a "they". One... Two... A dozen... A hundred... A thousand... Shirō was picking up a truly gut-wrenching number of souls or similar spiritual entities contained within a single vessel, almost all of which were experiencing one thing, and one thing only. Pain. Suffering. Torture. The horror must have been painted all across Emiya's face, as Enkidu registered it and immediately stood up. None of the animals, nor the giant stirred with the motion, as though Enkidu were a tree branch, or a blade of grass swaying in time with the breeze. Just another part of nature. He quickly walked up to Emiya and gently began to turn him with a touch of his shoulder. [CENTER][COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"Enkidu... That-"[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#50C878"][I]"Not here, Shirō."[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"But they-!!"[/I][/COLOR][/CENTER] Enkidu calmly escorted Emiya out of the sanctum of Ekur, and back out into the larger chamber. Before anything else, Enkidu embraced Shirō in a quick, but relieved embrace. Evidently he'd been far more concerned about his state than Shirō assumed. Shirō felt slightly awkward as Metia was still with them, looming over the reunion with a smug grin, her earlier teasing fresh in the human's mind. As quickly as it happened, it ended, with Enkidu stepping back and giving Emiya a knowing look, part understanding and part scrutiny, or borderline judgement. [CENTER][COLOR="#50C878"][I]"I know you must have questions, but-"[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"Questions? Enkidu, that thing might as well be a walking graveyard. I'm sensing at least a thousand souls inside that thing."[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#50C878"][I]"Two thousand, eight hundred and ninety one. And please refrain from any unnecessary comparisons, she's quite lively. And contrary to what her appearance might imply, she's also very fragile."[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"She?"[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#50C878"][I]"The dominant soul, a girl no older than five. As far as I can tell she was... part of an experiment on the human soul. Along with the other two thousand eight hundred and ninety human souls contained within that vessel."[/I][/COLOR][/CENTER] Shirō's eyes went wide at Enkidu's words. Almost three thousand souls? An experiment?! Enkidu saw the shift in Shirō's emotional state and placed a hand on his shoulder, telling him this wasn't something he could fix, nor find the culprit for. "Humbaba" as they were known for now appeared after the Cataclysm and the destruction of Eanna, meaning she had to have been sealed there like the Utukku, or like the Asag in Mount Katsuryoku and those who originated from Irkalla. Their existence was an anomaly, a truly unfathomable motive gave rise to it. But considering it involved the human soul... Enkidu reasoned that Nergal, architect of the human soul, was involved. Whether directly or someone wanting to try and emulate his creation, it didn't matter. What it gave rise to was a terrifying existence, but one that was completely innocent. Enkidu shared some of his discoveries from the girl's more lucid moments. Memories of falling ill, being read stories by their mother, a peaceful but painful existence. She was the only soul who had retained their individuality in the "experiment", thus it was going to require a considerable amount of effort to unravel them, if it was even possible. She had also mentioned another human who "played" with her, the [URL="https://animebase.me/threads/greater-cedar-forest-282.781579/post-22128116"]one with the grumpy cat[/URL]. Enkidu had an idea of who she meant, but hadn't had the pleasure of meeting the kind stranger yet. Shirō tried to process all of this information, but couldn't help but feel anything but pity and rage on behalf of the souls used in the construction of the unfortunate being. Enkidu could sense the discomfort simmering beneath the surface, and knowing Shirō as well as he did, knew he wouldn't leave it alone. But Enkidu wasn't a child anymore, powerless to affect those around him beyond a simple miracle to remove a pitiable fever. He tightened his grip on Emiya's shoulder and in no uncertain words told him that this was his responsibility, his burden to bear and to drop it. This wasn't something that he could fix, someone that he should try to save. Shirō was about to argue his point, his borderline masochistic tendency to throw himself into situations to try and save people flaring up, but he stopped. That nagging sensation, the overwhelming feeling that he was being watched flared up again, this time reaching a blazing crescendo of such intensity. A pair of dark, vacant eyes staring at him from across a vast expanse. Whatever this was, it was no longer hiding it's pure, concentrated vitriol for him and the God who'd finally come out of their little den. A violent explosion tore through the wall of the temple, fragments of stone and splinters of rough wood flying everywhere, and amidst it all a bullet tearing through the air at an immense speed, and it was travelling straight for Enkidu's head. Golden chains of divine energy manifested from thin air, intercepting the bullet, but it continued to drive it's way towards it's target. The mere fact that it could even contend with the Chains of Heaven meant this was no ordinary bullet, or a projectile fired from a simple weapon. There was no presence of human soul in the ammunition, excluding techniques or weaponry of an Atavistic nature, narrowing it down to very few kinds of weaponry. The chains went from slack to taut in the space of a breath, and the bullet continued it's destructive drive towards Enkidu. As it was neither a spiritual entity nor a form of extant life Shirō hadn't seen it coming, but the moment it met Enkidu's chains he drew Tsumukari and lashed out. Not with the reality warping Tsumukari Muramasa, but the Yōtō, a weaker but no less destructive slash. It struck the bullet as the Chains of Heaven recoiled at the presence of the God Slayer, arresting the bullet's momentum, neutralizing it. [INDENT][SPOILER="Tsumukari"][B](Tsumukari) – Heaven Reaching Blade[/B] [B]Type:[/B] Artifact [B]Rank:[/B] S-Rank [B]Range:[/B] Short – Long [B]Chakra:[/B] N/A [B]Damage:[/B] 100 [B]Description:[/B] Tsumukari, or the Heaven Reaching Blade, is the first katana reforged in the Armory of Marzan after the raid on Irkalla, the Underworld. The sword was reforged using the remnants of the God-Slaying Tool Blessings from the End of the World. Tsumukari is the first of a new generation of God-Slaying Tools, weapons noted to be the great “equalizers” in a cosmic conflict between the gods and man. Forging the blade was a cooperative effort between Marzan, the original engineer of the God-Slaying Tools, and his apprentice Emiya in the aftermath of the demise of the Domain of Death. Because its former iteration was rife with Void energy, Tsumukari has been endowed with unique abilities that go beyond what a standard God-Slaying Tool is capable of. On a basic level Tsumukari and the techniques it produces, be it through the sword or the sword as a proxy, contain proper Divinity to damage and slay a god. Passively, Tsumukari increases the user’s Kenjutsu techniques that utilize the sword by 30 additional damage. All the user’s Kenjutsu techniques, with the exception of those of Tsumukari’s active abilities that explicitly exclude them, gain a single range unit. Visually this appears as crescents and strikes of energy lashing out from the edge of Tsumukari, extending the range when necessary. Tsumukari is unbreakable; though its unbreakable nature cannot be used defensively alone. Use of any of the active abilities of Tsumukari puts the other two on cooldown for two turns. [I]Yōtō (lit. 妖刀, "Wicked Katana"):[/I] The first and most basic attack afforded to the wielder by Tsumukari. The user adorns the edge of the blade with Chakra, infusing it with trace Divinity, and performing simple slashes or piercing attacks with the sword. The user can either maintain the energy along the edge of the blade, empowering its basic attacks to inflict considerable damage for up to three attacks or five turns, whichever comes first. Alternatively, the user can consume the adorned edge and focus it into an arc of Chakra as a projectile with long-range reach. In either case, the blade strikes for 100 physical damage. This damage is treated as strong to all natures and abilities, with the only exception of Anutu and its components. Can be used four times per battle. [I]Will of the God-Slayer:[/I] A state activated through Tsumukari. The Will of the God-Slayer is the legacy of Marzan himself; through raw determination and human ingenuity the blacksmith forged the first God-Slaying Tool. It is an evocation of tenacity and hope, the desire for a better tomorrow by equalizing the war of today. When activated the user’s Kenjutsu prowess is further augmented, increased by an additional 20 damage while gaining an increase of three times their base speed. Additionally, any critical strikes they land with Tsumukari are increased by 30%. Lasts for four turns, can be used twice per battle. [I]Tsumukari Muramasa:[/I] A unique technique that emerges from Tsumukari’s unique composition between Void and Divinity. In short, this ability affords Tsumukari the power to cut causality. The technique is initiated through the user’s Chakra, costing 120, though its true cost lies in the Health Points it drains. Because the user possesses no Divinity the combination of Void and Divinity siphon the user’s health, costing the user 70 Health Points to perform. This health cannot be regenerated while in a battle unless the user possesses full Anutu or Atavistic Flame, in which case it can only be regenerated four turns after Tsumukari’s use. In the case of Atavistic Flame it heals at a rate of 50%, meaning if the user heals for 70 Health Points with Atavistic Flame it will count as 35 toward their total. In essence, when this technique is activated it becomes able to ‘cut’ causality and concepts that the user is capable of perceiving. It cannot cut the concept of ‘life,’ meaning to instantly kill another target. When Tsumukari is used like this it does not physically cut the target, rather it performs a metaphysical cut. There is no visible slash, gash, or piercing wound left on their victim, though contact with the blade is still required. Tsumukari Muramasa can cut Chakra, bonds, summoning contracts, and even Edo Tensei links. This ability can be used thrice per battle. [B]Medic:[/B] this God-Slaying specialization is designed to provide medical support to their team. They are not particularly well suited to combat, much like a Support specialist. But they are able to cure debuffs, diseases, and provide significant benefits to their teammate in the way of bulk healing, healing over time, and area healing. [INDENT][I]Grace of Ishtar (Passive):[/I] Medics gain an increased 30% healing to all their abilities. Their healing techniques have a 20% chance to critically heal, causing them to heal for 100% increased healing. [I]Composite Healing (Passive):[/I] A Medic's healing techniques gain Composite Healing. This causes all healing to simultaneously heal Spiritual and Physical damage. [I]Embrace of Nannar (Active):[/I] At the cost of a move and a slot in the timeframe the user is able to heal all allies within mid-range of their position for 30 Health Points and cure them of all negative debuffs, as long as they can be cured. Usable once every four turns.[/INDENT][/SPOILER][/INDENT] Enkidu and Emiya exchanged a glance then looked up at the sizable chunk blown off in the wall of Ekur. That shot had come from a weapon that, theoretically, could have killed Enkidu and it wasn't from a God Slaying Tool. Neither of them were aware of the existence of the (Kodokuna Kami) Lone God rifle, a Relic Weapon forged from a relic core and adorned with the bones of Tiamat. Luck was on their side however, as the [I]Arbiter[/I] wielding the Relic Weapon had failed to launch a Mulligan, saving them from having to contend with a second shot. [RIGHT][SPOILER="Lone God - Mulligan"][LEFT]Mulligan (F-Rank, passive): Should the user’s active bullet miss its intended target then the user has a 20% chance to replicate that exact bullet from the barrel of their gun without needing to aim down sights or cost a move. Lone God will, in effect, aim itself at the target that dodged. Mulligan created bullets cannot replicate themselves. D100 Roll Result = 24. Fail.[/LEFT][/SPOILER][/RIGHT] [CENTER][COLOR="#50C878"][I]"It came from the North West."[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"The forest? But there's no one there!! I felt like I'd been being watched since I left Sanctuary, so I've been keeping an eye out. There's no one over there."[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#50C878"][I]"You misunderstand. It came from far to the North West, beyond the bounds of the forest."[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"What? But there's nothing over there but that shanty town, and I'm sorry to turn this into a competition, but not even I could make that shot!!"[/I][/COLOR] [COLOR="#50C878"][I]"Well they just did, and I won't let them launch another!!"[/I][/COLOR][/CENTER] Enkidu enveloped himself with an aura of golden light, preparing to tear through the skies above Kamiyasumi to confront the shooter, but Shirō grabbed him by the front of his billowing robes, halting him momentarily. The unknown Arbiter studied the exchange through the adaptive lens of the Lone God, the MARCH Telescopic Optics allowing them to view the scene from an incredible distance. Their shot had missed, but they had so many more targets to choose from. How would the God react when it's supplicants started dropping like flies? Would they become vengeful? Leave the safety of their temple? The Arbiter would have preferred a swift kill, but a direct confrontation was something they wouldn't mind either. Anything to reveal the [B]true[/B] nature of these demons... A righteous intent honed in on the pair like a scalpel, it watched the minor disagreement between Emiya and Enkidu. [CENTER][COLOR="#CC0000"][I]"You can't leave, your people need you here!! Fast as you are, you can't fly over there and protect your people. And as much as I like to play the hero, I can't protect this many people at once. I'll go."[/I][/COLOR][/CENTER] Shirō didn't wait for permission nor confirmation, he wouldn't let Enkidu abandon his people. In a flash of Prana he vanished from the Temple and began sprinting towards Last Contact. Expecting more long range attacks, he made his approach as haphazard as he could without wasting any time, meanwhile Enkidu ordered the Arali to return to the Temple, before returning to the sanctum and expending active effort to surround Ekur itself in an all encompassing barrier of golden divine chains. [HR][/HR] End of Mission. Leaving Landmark. Traveling to #282, [URL="https://animebase.me/threads/greater-cedar-forest-282.781579/page-3"]Greater Cedar Forest[/URL].[/FONT] [/QUOTE]

Name

Verification: What animal is associated with Naruto's inner demon?