User:Nextoy/TRPG/Fate

It all began with a dream, shared by people who had found themselves bound by fate. A dream of darkness, fire, and the eyes of a monster gazing upon them. A dream that none who dreamt it quite knew what it was. Yet this dream was short, and they each awoke peacefully.

Ten had been chosen. Ten had been revived. Yet only the lives of three were recorded.

First was a simple librarian. A curator of fiction. Magnus Beaumont. His dismay was perhaps the most evident. A knight had suddenly appeared in his home, searching for a cat. A lion. Such an intrusion was not to Magnus’ liking. Yet this knight rang true for an obscure portion of one of the most well known legends in the western world. A knight of the round table. The Knight of the Lion, Yvain.

The next was a dancer, and a night worker. A man simply known as Gwain. He awoke to buzzing and flickering lights. Yet he only found an old man awaiting him. The two shared confused looks. Neither wished to be in this situation. Especially not with the old man’s writing having come to life. This man introduced himself as Lovecraft, and unwillingly brought with him the nightmares he wrote down for the world.

The third was a crafter of gems. Kuro Knighthart. He was the most receptive to his visitor; a dragon girl who only called herself Berserker. Yet Kuro simply took her in as a guest of honor, rather than struggle against fate like the others.

Today the three had little time to familiarize themselves with their allies. Instead they are rushed off to the local park. A dense forest that concealed what these three were expected to take as their allies.

Surrounded by strangers they approached. A Russian calling himself Ruler stood before them, talking to them about a coming danger. The twilight of the gods. He knew not why a slav was called to do the work of a nord. Perhaps the world had mistaken the Rus for remaining in their Swedish blood. He had the same disbelief for that shared blood as the summoned warriors had for their mission.

Though of all the apathy, distrust, and ignorance among them it was only Bathory that spoke. A heated argument was brought forth between Ruler and Berserker raged forth. One that hadn’t been calmed, but instead merely teetered off until Bathory and Kuro had left.

Others left, but a few had stayed behind. Magnus and Gwain had forged a pact with their allies. They agreed to stay in communication with their unknown comrades. In exchange, all would reveal themselves.

Inigo and the Dread Pirate Roberts. Browning and Big Boss. Crainer and Attila the Hun. Montgomery and Dr. Moreau. These were the group of allies that agreed to follow Ruler’s insane claims. Not for a sense of duty, but to simply share information and better understand the situation they had been thrust into. The rest had no part in this coalition.

Kuro had instead wandered off to show the modern world to his medieval companion. Food, clothes, and drink were shared between them. Though her taste in drink was unusual. The dragon girl craved blood. Were it not for the healing gems Kuro had at his side, he may have perished from his own voluntary offering.

This would be the first of many attempts fate would make on Kuro’s life.

Though his day ended with him meeting a strange man in military garb. The second attempt on Kuro’s life followed the first. This man could seemingly turn invisible at will, followed his prey silently, and could take full advantage of the forested park that the three of them had found themselves in.

A snake in the grass, unseen by men and unharmed by dragons. Packing modern firepower where his prey relied on magic and archaic weapons.

A shot from the trees.

A thrust into hollow wood.

The two felt as though they were fighting a ghost.

Yet this battle ended in a draw, as another came forth to halt its progress. This man called off his assassin and introduced himself as John Browning. A private investigator, former military, and fellow champion against the coming ruin. As an apology for the hasty actions of his subordinate he offered to buy them drinks.

Though this assault was not made in error. It was a calculated decision. The dragon girl would be trouble. To the snake, it was only a matter of when.

The four wandered into a small diner. They sat, ate, and talked together. Though the warriors of the past distrusted each other, the people of today were fully civil. They even had a drinking contest between Kuro and the assassin. One that the soldier just barely lost. His prize was the further anonymity of Berserker and the name of the soldier: Big Boss, the legendary soldier of fortune.

Yet, there was another. A man lost to history known only by Crainer. Before that fateful day he was known to be a medic at a local mages guild. After the meeting with Ruler he made full use of those resources, finding what he could on Fenrir and Ragnarok. He had even gained a servant of his own and assisted Montgomery with preparing for the battle. But his movements during and after these events are unknown beyond that knowledge.

The next morning they each arose in different sorts. Kuro with a hangover, Magnus with the sounds of breakfast being made, and Gwain with a buzzing in his ear.

Kuro had no memory of leaving the diner, let alone returning home. Berserker had carried him home after Browning had paid for the meal. She offered herself as a cure to his hangover, and she offered her name in exchange for his eternal devotion. Berserker was then revealed as Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess. Though their understanding of the situation did not mirror the other. Kuro saw her as his future wife, Elizabeth KnightHart. Bathory held no such desires or emotions. Instead she saw Kuro as a reliable servant who had pledged life and loyalty to her.

Magnus would receive a more muted token of appreciation from his knight. Yvain had been making breakfast for the two of them, as the dead needn’t sleep. Though it didn’t come out quite to Magnus’ liking. He had made a second breakfast for them to compare the two with the opposite response. Magnus loved his cooking, and Yvain longed for the days where he could have a professional chef cook for the Knights of the Round. Though he feigned joy in eating it. It was merely polite to be a gracious guest, after all.

Gwain had no such happy morning. He dreamed of a planet where giant wasps roamed, no sun shining in the sky, and asteroids block the view of the stars. His morning was merely an extension of this as well. The buzzing in his head wouldn’t stop until he came face to face with Lovecraft, who seemed to notice nothing amiss. Yet he knew the precise origin of these symptoms. The one who forces the true state of the world upon others, with Lovecraft being but an unfortunate ambassador. Nyarlathotep.

Kuro fought through his hangover and took Bathory with him on a trip into town. The two couldn't care less about their given orders. They had a rare opportunity. He got to be the dashing prince protecting his princess. She got to be a queen with a servant to care for her. Though the two didn't agree on why, they were happy with each other. They bought clothes, shared ice cream, and wandered around the city. Kuro even shared his blood with Bathory when she grew hungry. This would be fate's third attempt on his life, however. His healing gems only barely overpowered her hunger.

His savior would come just as Bathory released her jaw. One of his companions, a foreigner named Ren, had walked by in time to see the twisted embrace. Ren brought Kuro into his home to rest. Though Bathory's boredom would lead them elsewhere. The forested park where the two had first met Ruler. Yet their happiness would end when they begun to play in this forest. Another one of the chosen was there. Alexander. He made small talk, and a misunderstanding occurred. Berserkers are known to be difficult to manage, and he gave his condolences for Kuro's misfortune. But this was taken as an insult.

Kuro reached for his bag of gems. Though he was experienced in making them, having been trained since a young age to, his anger at this time and the inherent uncertainty when it comes to crafting his gems compounded. At this moment the gems had turned from single use magical instruments into unstable bombs. Using them could have been likened, in this moment, to a roll of the dice.

Thus was born the sacred technique. Unlimited Dice Works.

Kuro threw his gems into the air. All of them. Lights, shields, elemental forces, and raw energy rained down among them. Some say this event took hours to complete, others say it took merely a second. But in that moment, Bathory tasted something that she had never felt before. The dragonborn tasted power.

Raw, and unfiltered. True power.

In a flash of light she raced off. Alex, his Servant, and even a third party we're slaughtered. Her spear carved through them with speeds and strength she couldn't control. Like someone had snapped their fingers and men had vanished into a red mist.

She threw herself onto Kuro. Her face red, her heart beating, and her claws digging into him. He was happy to see her like this. But such power lasts but an instant. And Bathory could feel it draining from her. With her powers quickly fading, she demanded more. But Kuro hadn't anymore to give. So again, Fate had him killed. A dangerous game of cat and mouse had raged between them at that moment.

One that attracted company. A large wolf had interrupted them. One of Fenrir's sons, as Kuro would later learn. Bathory brought her anger onto it. But without her enhanced power, it wasn't enough.

Toppled. Pinned. Crushed.

But Kuro wouldn't accept Fate. It wouldn't take him or his beloved. He had one last power, and sacrificed part of his ability to tether his love to this world to bring her back to life.

A roar of anger erupted from the wolf's belly. Bathory arose and sent her killer into the stratosphere. But this would not satisfy the Blood Countess. Destruction raged in the forest yet again. A loss of power, dying at the hands of a mongrel, and the police sirens she knew were intended for her.

Bathory had hit her breaking point.

In this moment she embraced her true nature. She had become the Berserker. And the destruction of the forest destroyed the records of what happened immediately after between the two.

Having a night job let Gwain wake up in the afternoon. The gun store was open, and he could gain a weapon to help him. But in his way back he would see a strange creature. The wasp from his dream. He gazed into it, and night had instantly fallen. Work awaited him.

“Let's have fun”, he heard.

“Let's have fun”, he agreed.

And the ladies at the club saw something they had yet to witness again. Distortions, tendrils, and enhanced muscle. In exchange, Gwain got a raise.

Meanwhile, Magnus embraced his inner librarian. He and Yvain spent the day researching. His large collection of books went to good use.

When Kuro awoke Bathory had already been up and about. Her hunger had lead to her rummaging around in the fridge. He talked her into waiting just long enough for him to make them breakfast. His blood made for her dessert.

Such a mundane morning wouldn’t explain their wide smiles and cheery demeanor. The night before they agreed to get married. Though they had only known each other for a few days, neither hesitated. Although Kuro didn’t have much of a say in the matter. He may have agreed of his own volition, but Bathory would have forced his hand if he hadn’t.

Sadly such happiness was left at the door.

Rather than the city they’ve come to know, Kuro and Bathory had found themselves in an open plain. The door had disappeared behind them, the wind blew in their face, and a single man sat upon a horse. The servant of Crainer, Attila the Hun, had shown himself.

This warrior from the past had been tasked to watch them. Should the Berserker show her true colors and pose a risk to her own allies, she was to be taken out. This condition had been met.

Though Bathory would not be so easy to fell. She was still a dragon.

Attila and Kuro began negotiations, however it was simply a formality. Bathory would not be commanded to simply remain in one place. She attacked, and Attila responded in kind. It became a clash of their ultimate weapons, their Noble Phantasms, with Kuro caught in the crossfire.

A hunnic invasion force sent to topple Cachtice Castle as it was summoned by Bathory into the pocket dimension Attila had trapped them in.

But the real battle took place atop the cursed prison.

Attila himself and Kuro stood upon its roof. Kuro talked down an arrow pointed at his head. The two instead wrestled each other until Kuro came out with a bare victory. Though the fight brought Kuro to his limits, and succumbed to exhaustion the moment he was safe.

During all of this, Magnus had decided to learn a bit of swordsmanship from Yvain. The two sparred with each other in a much less hostile manner than the fight they were unaware of. Compared to the Mongol horde that Kuro and Bathory were engaged with, the training session played off more like a dojo bout between a student and his master. Although Yvain did receive some mixed messages on what he was to be teaching.

Initially Yvain simply thought that he was training Magnus against danger. Yvain grabbed his blade, Magnus took ahold of a shield resting against the wall, and the normally honor-bound knight swallowed his pride to show the tactics that Frank's and Northmen used against him in his time.

But such dirty fighting confused Magnus. When confronted, Yvain lamented that his honor was tarnished in vain. As atonement to himself, his student, and his Lord, Yvain used his own fighting style.

Things changed this time around. The quick movements, dancing steps, and lack of dishonorable technique showed Yvain's true skill in a way his previously clumsy aggression could not.

The two wore each other out after a hard day of training. Both were impressed by the other: Magnus for the skills of his newfound ally, and Yvain at the way his student could pick up what he was being taught.

Gwain spent his day in a far less interesting manner to the others. He awoke to Lovecraft not wanting to be apart of the world again, this time talking to some invisible horror. While it is unknown if it was out of respect or pity, Gwain had sealed a contract with Lovecraft during the first of these episodes to keep him out of harm's way.

Theirs was a strange relationship. One where the summoned warrior required protection from his assigned magus. Yet Gwain happily complied. Especially now that he had gained an ulterior motive.

The night before he had walked downstairs after hearing a stir. Like the previous nights, he awoke with a buzz in his mind. He saw Lovecraft completely still. Almost as if he had fallen asleep sitting on the couch. When Gwain approached, Lovecraft slumped over.

But something else remained seated.

A black, humanoid mass. It turned its head towards Gwain, no face to be shown. The magus walked away, retreating into the hallway.

The mass followed.

Gwain attempted to speak to it, but with no intelligible reply. Only an increased buzzing. He backed into the kitchen to create more space.

The mass followed.

Finally he got it to speak. It announced itself as having many names. To Lovecraft, it is the Truth Sayer. To the ignorant masses, it is the God of a Thousand Faces. To those knowing of the Eldritch Horrors, it is the Crawling Chaos. But to Gwain, it revealed itself as Nyarlathotep.

The mass grew out metal as it spoke. Armor reminiscent of ancient Egypt, still in all black. When it finished speaking the metal was shed and revealed nothing beneath.

Though the voice continued to speak from behind Gwain.

A tiny cat-like creature offered a contract. Lovecraft rejected his role in this war, Gwain could cut out the middleman. Forge a pact with Nyarlathotep and take control of his crippled position. When Gwain agreed the cat jumped off to the side and vanished.

An older man, dressed in a stereotypical pulp fiction detective attire, appeared in Gwain’s peripheral vision. It offered a warning it would offer few others. There were inherent dangers to such a contract, and Nyarlathotep was in a position where it felt the desire to explain such dangers. Loss of life, sanity, and free will. Three existential threats that may come unexpectedly and at random.

Yet Gwain still agreed.

The coat and hat dropped to the ground. Whoever, or perhaps whatever, was beneath them had vanished. Now a high school girl with platinum hair stood beside him. She accepted the contract as sealed, and vowed to stay by his side until all comes to a close.

He had awoken from this dream aware that Lovecraft had no knowledge of what happened. However, Lovecraft knew that something was wrong. He just wasn’t sure what. Gwain dissuaded such fears and carried on with his day.

Magnus awoke to a stir. Yvain was in the kitchen, though not cooking anything this time, while his lion stared at the door as if awaiting danger. Despite these signs, Magnus noticed nothing amiss.

Until he saw a giant wasp in his living room. One without a face, and instead a fungal mesh where it's facial features should be.

The tables had turned. Only Magnus saw it. Yvain and his lion were oblivious.

When it approached Magnus all in the house went blind. Their vision filled with black, their minds and ears with static.

Then, they were somewhere else. A different time and place. Night had already fallen despite Magnus only having just awoke. In front of him was a dance club, and behind him a familiar voice.

Browning had just arrived. He was here investigating a rumor. Upon being asked, Magnus joined him. However the librarian was in a foul mood from the wasp, and Yvain was uncomfortable with the venue entirely.

As the dancers for this club were men, wearing little more than underwear to protect their modesty. And Magnus had recognized one of them.

Gwain appeared under the stage name Crawling Chaos.

When the dancer’s shift was over, the three had their true meeting. A place where Hati would be found. They embarked, with the aid of their summoned companions. Browning’s wallet didn’t enjoy renting the star performer, but it was for the greater good.

The three travelled to the edge of town, where a great wolf descended from the sky. Few words were exchanged before Magnus went off to defend himself. Yvain charged forward, acting as a mighty shield, and the rest began to mow down the wolf in a hail of gunfire.

As it turns out, Browning had no magic to speak of. But Gwain did. He was proficient in summoning arts, able to conjure forth creatures and then sacrifice them for magical power. What killed the wolf was not blades or bullets, but a toxin that stopped its blood from clotting. A trick on Gwain’s end that he left unexplained.

Though the battle was short, it felt long for those involved. They felt the need to retreat home after such. This would mark the first time Nyarlathotep openly showed its presence. The god called upon another set of wasps, transporting and incapacitating the gallant warriors so they may recover.

Morning came without it’s usual fanfare. The sun had gone dark. Yet Gwain was the only one of the three to initially notice it. Waking up to only dim light had thrown him off, and had alerted him to something having gone terribly wrong. Kuro only saw his Bathory, but when she pointed it out he simply accepted what had happened.

Magnus, however, was only concerned about the sudden meeting.

Ruler called them together once more. Each stood in a circle, this time everyone felt cooperative. One of the wolves had ascended to devour the sun. Though everyone was convinced that both wolves had been defeated.

All except for one, who only now made herself known. A girl by the name of Angelica wondered openly about deception. Ruler did not take kindly to this. Especially with Bathory joining in. Though their bickering was overshadowed by a strange turn of events.

Kuro had suddenly been requested to stand trial for the deaths of his teammates.

Two summoned warriors and one of their companions had been killed by Bathory’s earlier rampage. Not to mention, Kuro had acquired a second bond. Ruler had prepared a sentence, but the foreign mage decided to handle it himself. For when his summoned warrior, Guan Yu, was slain his spear was left behind.

Trial by combat was agreed upon. Kuro had agreed to a non lethal combat. But as they fought, it became quickly apparent that his opponent had not. Kuro’s life had yet again been plunged into danger. This time Magnus stepped in. A glyph he had drawn into the ground earlier lit up, attracting all manner of magical objects to it. Including the spear.

When everyone had settled down, Magnus returned that he deemed as cursed. Though Ruler had an odd request. He wished to have a cigarette case that was attracted by the glyph disenchanted. Magnus happily agreed.

Yet the moment that was done Magnus was approached by his past. Montgomery and he had shared a connection once. Two school boys who had fallen for each other. Passionate minds studying magic. Magic that turned on them, leading to an incident that forged their current paths. One became reclusive and learned how to defend against, and even defeat, magic. The other founded the local mages guild in further pursuit of understanding it.

Their shared past had to be reconciled, yet neither wanted to do so. Instead they simply shared empty words and parted. Just as they had done before. Rather than deal with his past, Magnus focused on the now.

And that focus lead Yvain to teach him archery. Learning the bow and handling the arrows begun to hatch a plan in Magnus’s mind.

Little did Gwain know, he would be recognized by Angelica. She had known him from work. An unfortunate detail he wished had kept hidden. Though it was one he could take advantage of. He feigned mutual desire; he let himself slip into the mindset he has at work. The two escaped to her home. Angelica found herself being questioned while bathing in her own lust. She answered honestly, trapped between a summoned octopus physically holding her down and her own desires mentally handicapping her.

Gwain left with the knowledge that she had gained Simo Hayha as a partner. Though he didn’t know the significance of this information just yet. Nor why Simo had to be dismissed when magic was being drawn to Magnus’ glyph earlier.

Angelica was full of secrets. All of them were his for the taking, so long as he didn’t mind taking advantage of both her and his own fame.

That night it was Kuro’s turn to be the recluse. He had spent his entire night creating gems for the upcoming battle. What time wasn’t spent on his gems, was spent on his beloved. But it didn’t take long for the night to turn sour.

For some time now Bathory hadn’t fully embraced their relationship. Affection was met with gratitude and joy, but never returned. Eventually it slipped how Bathory truly felt. Becoming Berserker had robbed her of emotional intelligence. Whatever feelings Bathory had was clouded. Rage, desire, and pride were all that shined through. Like a fog had descended upon her heart and soul.

Fate had failed to take Kuro’s life thus far, but it had shattered his heart. Their marriage was Bathory’s idea, her demand, but she felt no love for him. They had potentially one day left together, and it was spent learning the truth of a hollow bond. The days they spent as husband and wife, prince and princess, was revealed to simply the master and servant roles they were assigned. The only thing that changed is who was which.

The next morning around with the group having found themselves in the forest. Everything before then was but a blur, with no records left to show their final preparations. They had learned that Ruler’s meeting place was where Fenrir would touch down. That almost every day they found themselves sitting at the foot of destruction.

And today the wolf had appeared.

They walked upon where he stood. He did not attack them initially. Instead Ruler began negotiations. In the end, however, it was Magnus who lead the discussion with Fenrir. He laid a trap, a fake grail, which caused the wolf to be imprisoned beneath magical binds. But it wouldn’t be enough to keep him still.

Yet they had a chance.

Everyone sent out what they could. Kuro unleashed a volley of gems, Browning and Gwain emptied magazines into it, Snake sent forth rockets, blades and spears carved into his flesh, and Montgomery revealed an army of beastmen that had been created by Dr. Moreau.

The binds did not last. Their assault was not enough.

Fenrir broke free from these chains, just as he did Gleipnir.

The beastmen were batted away like flies.

Weapons barely pierced his hide.

Gwain’s summons did little to hold him back. Both with their physical state, and their sacrificial one.

Only Yvain held onto the beast as it rampaged through their forces.

They were capable of stunning and staggering the beast, but not hurting it.

That is, until they got help from an unlikely place.

The battle hit a sudden lull. Gwain had tossed away his gun and walked calmly up to the wolf. Fenrir immediately noticed what the others didn’t. Only one exchange between the two has been recorded.

“What are you doing here!?”

“I got bored.” Gwain’s voice did not come from his body. The wolf destroyed his arm with a slash of its claws. A mass of darkness poured out, forming into a tendril-like arm ending in a jagged claw of its own. His face twisted into an inhuman smile, eyes widened and nearly popping out of his skull. The claw went forth and everyone’s vision went dark.

After hearing Fenrir cry out in ephemeral agony, all regained their vision. Except Gwain.

His body turned to the group, its arm flung into the air as it took an exaggerated bow. All stared in confusion and awe. Before, Gwain had claimed his summoned ally to be Nyarlathotep. At the time this was a lie, but for entirely different reasons than it was now. Lovecraft no longer had a contract with the Truth Sayer. Now it was Gwain who must bear the burden of harboring the eldritch within himself.

But their fear came from the fact that only Fenrir’s head remained where he once stood.

Nyarlathotep promised to return Gwain his body, and Ruler told the group to scatter. So they can make their final goodbyes. Yet many were too shaken by the sudden change to immediately act. between Nyarlathotep’s assurance that he came to aid humanity and Ruler’s explanation that the summoned warriors would vanish at midnight they were eased into action.

Magnus had more to say to Montgomery than Yvain. The two had a storied past, and were once lovers. They came to avoid each other. Mental and emotional scars had consumed them both. But now they could rebuild the bridge two young boys laid down the foundation for. And the entire time Yvain watched from a distance, having nothing to say to his lord and wanting to see Magnus happy.

It was at the point where Yvain refused to be around during that night. As a knight, he wished not to bring sadness to this otherwise joyous day. Instead he left behind his lion, who became a house cat that next morning, for Magnus as an apology and a parting gift.

Kuro made amends with Bathory. The battle against Fenrir had scabbed over their night before. Plans were to be made. The two devised a way to bring her back. She left behind one of her scales, which he could use to bring her back to this world. With this gift, and the help of his comrade skilled in summoning, Kuro vowed to bring her back to his world. Permanently.

Gwain did not reawaken until the next morning. All three servants had left, but he woke up to an entirely different surprise. A violet, slime-like material above his bed. A single eye opened up from it’s center and stared, uttering a single question:

“What fun shall we have today?”