61

Chapter 61: Essential Material

Aífe [Heroic Spirit]

Queen of Warriors

A warrior queen from Celtic mythology, the Ulster cycle. A queen of fighters surpassing even her sister and rival, Scáthach, a prodigy of the martial arts that can be said to have been the greatest of her era. One of the two who might have held back the countless ghosts of the Land of Shadows — if fate had had such in store.

However, her talent with the mystic arts was not as developed as that of Scáthach. As a specialist who achieved mastery of the Celtic arms, her lesser skill with magecraft resulted in her sister being chosen for the role for which both had been raised.

Proud and unbowed.

An unstained ruler, tainted by a single defeat.

Possessing a natural talent for leadership, she could nurture skill in nearly any student and turn even the mediocre into heroes of the highest class. While she cannot see through the character and traits of others, rather, she has an intuitive grasp of "limitations" that allows her to bring out the abilities of those she tutors.

Having her legend cut short by Cúchulainn, it might be said that she was fortunate not to share her sister's fate, and she died as a normal woman after many great battles. If there is a wish she has for the Holy Grail, it would be, "To teach a student who can surpass Cúchulainn." For a woman and a warrior who has fulfilled nearly all other dreams, this one last regret remains.

Aite Láechrad [Noble Phantasm]

Mentoring Great Heroes

The crystallization of Aífe the teacher, who mentored heroes in Celtic myth. The crystallization of her legend of teaching warriors the arts of combat.

Sublimated into this Noble Phantasm, it is the ability to create "heroes" that are on the level of Servants and endow them with combat related skills. Any skill possessed by a hero, even some that are unique, can be learned and taught by Aífe.

However, the difficulty of learning and the time required to do so will be increased as the compatibility of either Aífe or her student with the skill decreases. Furthermore, the further from her sphere of influence the skill originates, the more time and effort is required to acquire it.

Normally, the maximum effective result would be the rank of A. However, if it is a skill originating in Ireland or Scotland, then it may be mastered to the rank of A++, no matter the era of its conception.

Aífe cannot create a hero more powerful than herself.

Amulet of Arrow Protection [Term]

A golden amulet. A simple charm made of gold, lacking in any complex designs or ostentatious ornamentation. Small and innocuous, it could be mistaken for an ordinary piece of jewelry.

In spite of its unassuming appearance, however, it is a powerful magical artifact, endowing the wearer with an absolute protection against arrows, projectile weapons. Even if it comes from an unexpected angle, even if it is launched from afar, even if it is fired with expert precision or high attack power, if it is a weapon that attacks by traveling through the air to strike the target, this amulet will protect its wearer without fail.

However, if it is something like a missile that explodes on impact or otherwise a weapon with a wide-range, area of effect type of attack, then this amulet is useless. Because it is designed to protect a single target from ranged attacks, fundamentally, the attacks it protects from are those designed to defeat a single target. Anything that is meant to deal damage over a broad area will naturally surpass it.

Of note, Taylor Hebert's version of this amulet is more ornamented than the other versions. Though it naturally performs better, this is a result of the greater time and effort invested in its creation, not the quality of its appearance.

Arachne [Heroic Spirit]

Orb-Weaving Seamstress

A legendary seamstress from Greek mythology. A weaver of exceptional talent and skill, a centennial genius who cannot be surpassed if the competition is the weaving of cloth and fabric.

Born to a famous dyer, she began weaving almost from infancy. Possessing great ability and quickly surpassing those many times her senior, by the time she was an adult, she could rightly claim to be the best weaver in all of the world.

However, her boasts attracted the attention of Athena, the Goddess of Weaving, who challenged Arachne to a contest to determine who was truly the better weaver between them. A rigged contest that Athena was supposed to win with ease, a method of humbling Arachne's hubris, however, Arachne's work was far superior to Athena's and the contest ended in an unexpected way.

At the end, Athena could not accept defeat at Arachne's hands, tore up the beautiful tapestry Arachne had woven depicting the cruelty and abuses of the gods, and cursed her to take the form of a spider and spend the rest of her days weaving.

Argaleiós Arákhnēs [Noble Phantasm]

Weaving Divine Raiments

The signature Noble Phantasm of the legendary Greek woman, Arachne. The Noble Phantasm embodying her sublime, unmatched skills as a seamstress, combined with the legend of weaving story and myth into her fabrics.

Possessing no offensive attributes, it is a Noble Phantasm that cannot be used to attack others or cause them direct harm. A purely support type.

A passive kind of Noble Phantasm, it transforms the material Arachne works with as she weaves it, adding strength and mystery with every weave and knit. Even ordinary cloth becomes extraordinary when she handles it, gaining supernatural quality and beauty that surpasses the works even of the Goddess of Weaving, Athena.

Furthermore, it becomes possible to utterly transform the material itself into another substance. It is even possible to turn common cotton strands into wool from divine sheep or tail hairs from a unicorn, or even into materials harvested from long gone magical beasts from ancient mythology. As long as it is "a material that can be woven," it can even become something with a grand and storied history stretching back thousands of years.

This efficacy of this Noble Phantasm increases when Arákhnē Metamórphōsis is active. However, simultaneously, the only thing which can be produced is silk, even if it is of the highest quality.

Blood-Stained Queen [Skill]

A unique skill derived from Aífe's dual nature as both a queen (leader of armies, ruler of a nation) and a great warrior. It is a representation of her ability to both lead her army against another and to fight duels against other powerful foes one-on-one.

Whereas certain other queens would not lower themselves to engage in direct combat and dirty their hands or else do not possess the mental capability to switch from regal queen to bloodthirsty warrior, Aífe considers one a mere extension of the other and acts with elegant brutality in all aspects.

Thus is the nature of a queen who rules the battlefield and her kingdom with the same ruthless smile.

Whenever she is simply one combatant amongst many, or when her opponents are a group or an army, the effectiveness of her own Anti-Army, Anti-Fortress type Noble Phantasms is increased, allowing her to show an increased performance befitting a queen of her stature. Similarly, whenever she is engaged in single combat against one foe, all of her abilities related to battle are significantly boosted, however, as a result, the effectiveness of all other types of Noble Phantasm except Anti-Unit are drastically reduced.

For any other Heroic Spirit, such a limitation might indeed be a great burden. However, for Aífe, it is only a matter of course. It is only natural that a duel between two warriors should be limited only to Noble Phantasms designed for use against a single target, after all.

Cáe Cless [Skill]

The Path of Feats, the lost martial arts of the ancient Celts of Ireland and Scotland. It's an ancient art of fighting which developed independently of the martial arts of the Far East, a skill which focused on the development of physical prowess rather than the objective of becoming one with the universe. A purely combat art, designed solely for the purposes of war and eschewing concerns unnecessary to the field of battle.

These are the heroic feats of skill taught to the warriors of the ancient Celtic world, those exalted heroes such as Cúchulainn, Ferdiad, and the Knights of the Red Branch, present in the Ulster cycle of Irish mythology. The talented masters who tutored these warriors in this art were Scáthach and Aífe.

The number of feats is difficult to measure. The exact count varies depending upon the source. However, it can be certain that there were at least twenty-one, and though few ever mastered them all, most warriors were expected to learn and master a certain number before they were considered truly ready for battle.

Those who learned them all wielded their bodies as weapons.

At the highest levels, the fabric of space and time can be warped on a local level.

This great art was lost to the ages many centuries ago. However, some degree of the feats belonging to it survived to the modern day as sports, although the degree of proficiency is paltry by comparison.

Cast Me Away [Noble Phantasm]

Tithing to the Lake Goddess

One of Nimue's two most characteristic Noble Phantasms. An innate ability representing the legend of receiving Excalibur upon King Arthur's death, bolstered by the practice of the ancient Celts of casting trinkets and armaments into sacred bodies of water as a form of sacrifice to life-sustaining lake and river goddesses.

Embodying just such a practice, sublimated from the story of Sir Bedivere casting Excalibur back into the lake, this Noble Phantasm is the ability of Nimue that allows her to take ownership of any item, even the Noble Phantasms of other Heroic Spirits, that falls into a body of water within the area established as her territory.

However, unlike a certain guardian, whose abilities also allow him to reproduce the skill with which a Noble Phantasm was wielded, this Noble Phantasm only bestows the title of "owner" upon Nimue. No additional skill in its use is given to her as such, and so she is limited to her own proficiencies. Furthermore, the size of the body of water must classify as a pond, at minimum, and therefore, Nimue does not automatically take ownership of every bar of soap her subjects drop in the bath.

According to the legend, written upon one side of Excalibur's blade is the phrase, "Cast Me Away," said in some stories to symbolize the wisdom of the king to know that his rule must one day end. In others, it is meant as a sign that King Arthur was only ever borrowing Excalibur, and that it must one day return to the hands of the Lady of the Lake. From this legend, this Noble Phantasm receives its name.

Castle Avalon [Noble Phantasm]

Fortress Beneath the Lake

The castle built beneath the lake which is the home of Lady of the Lake Nimue. A fortified defensive construct built entirely through the usage of magecraft, it is also a fortress befitting a sorceress of Nimue's level. Every brick and even the layout of the buildings and walls is optimized for magical formulae, allowing her to perform large scale thaumaturgy quickly and easily.

The main attribute of this castle is its ability to be further fortified, even after it has been established. Through the magical formulae inscribed into the walls, defenses may be added or modified with relative ease, to the point where even the castle's rank as a defensive construct may be increased. Naturally, there is a limit, and though it performs well, it was not designed for the purposes of withstanding a siege or defending against anti-fortification Noble Phantasms.

The truly unique attribute of this Noble Phantasm, however, is its innate function: when the Noble Phantasm is materialized, the area encompassed by its walls is automatically established as the territory of Lady of the Lake Nimue.

Incidentally, the original castle was created by Merlin in an open field. After she had learned all he had to teach her, Nimue tore it apart brick by brick and rebuilt it beneath the lake. For this reason, unlike normal Noble Phantasms that may be materialized at will, the castle must be rebuilt with magecraft before it can be established as "Castle Avalon."

Crown of Administration [Term]

The passenger of Taylor Hebert, Apocrypha. The shard cannibalized by Alaya and repurposed to allow for the channeling of the power of Heroic Spirits. The means by which Taylor Hebert's powers function.

Also, were a "Heroic Spirit Apocrypha" to form, the name of her primary Noble Phantasm.

This is the Administration shard, originally destined to specialize in the original timeline's "bug control." Here, it has instead become something more than a simple shard, and has been transformed into an existence that is both shard and beyond, possessing all of the same biological functions of its predecessor form, but realigned towards the goal of human survival, at all costs.

In this form, it has been granted permissions to access the Throne of Heroes that exists outside the axis of space and time, and it acts as such as a channel, a connecting link, between Taylor Hebert and the Throne. However, it also acts as a buffer, a "step between" that keeps its host from being completely and utterly overwhelmed by the ego and the spiritual weight of the Heroic Spirits.

Furthermore, it serves as a repository of magecraft, a "collection of magical foundations," inscribing each unto a partitioned portion of itself as needed to allow Taylor Hebert to utilize the magecraft of a given Heroic Spirit. Undoubtedly, if anyone else were to find a method of connecting to it, they may make use of those magical foundations, as well.

Naturally, as it was and remains a shard of the Entities, it has access to multiple worlds, including those that thrived without the presence of humans, and can freely leech off of the abundant magical energy on those worlds. In essence, its nature as a shard means that Taylor Hebert may make use of nearly infinite mana.

Discernment of Potential [Skill]

A skill related to Aífe's nature as a teacher.

Differing from her sister, who overflowed with talent in many respects and possessed the ability to see through the character and traits of others, Aífe instead had an intuitive grasp of "limitations." Rather than being able to determine one's worth in such a manner, it allowed her to grasp exactly how far any of her students was able to go in a given discipline.

Rather than allowing her to separate those of great talent and skill from those who were merely mediocre, she could instead bring out the latent potential in even the most hopeless of students.

This ability to discern not the talent of her students, but the limits of their capacity for growth, informed the structure of her school and teaching methods. Rather than setting a high bar for entry, she accepted anyone with the willingness and the desire to learn from her. Even if they possessed no talent whatsoever, she pushed them to their limits and trained them until they could advance no further.

Aífe utilized this skill primarily for the training of her students, so there is limited use for it in battle. However, it does allow her to know when her opponent is not fighting to his utmost and can allow her to grasp the existence of his trump card. Even so, it is not developed to the point where it is possible to completely understand its nature.

Exalted Queen's Solitude [Skill]

The barrier which protects Apocrypha. An automatic ability of the highest class, a constantly-active type power with minimal upkeep. An imitation of the King of Knights' defensive Noble Phantasm, Avalon: Everdistant Utopia, it is an isolation-type ability that protects the user by removing her from the normal fabric of space and time and placing her in a higher dimension. It is an absolute protection that defends not with raw power, but rather by being beyond reach.

However, it is not as perfect as the original which it copies. Though it can absolutely defend against purely exotic attacks, such as skills or Noble Phantasms that create or alter the fabric of space-time or bend the laws of physics, the barrier itself can be shattered or breached by sufficient force, such as high caliber bullets or explosives of enough power.

Furthermore, since it cannot itself put her in the land of paradise, Avalon, its isolation is not complete, and so it is not impervious to the True Magics or abilities of a similar class.

Also, though it can absolutely defend against nearly any exotic effect, if that power is also accompanied by an attack sufficient to penetrate the barrier, then even this defense is not enough to protect her.

Gáe Bolg Prototype [Noble Phantasm]

Soaring Spear of Deadly Thorns

The original form of Gáe Bolg, one step older than the spear wielded by Cúchulainn. Possessing neither the attribute of attacking an enemy army nor the homing function of its descendant, nor reversing causality to pierce the heart, it might best be described as a weapon truer to the myth.

The spear is cast by Aífe with all her speed and strength, streaking through the air like a missile, and when it pierces the flesh of its target, it sprouts dozens of deadly thorns from its blade that rip and tear the enemy apart from the inside out. A sure kill technique that will absolutely result in death, no matter where it lands.

The thorns which sprout rupture organs, shred muscles, and rip arteries. Only those with enhanced constitutions who can fight with deadly wounds will not die instantly. For those who are not immediately killed, the bleed effect deals constant damage that will inevitably result in death. Even those who survive the initial wound have only a temporary reprieve from their final fate.

Geis [Term]

The curse of the ancient Celts. A form of spell wielded by the peoples of Ireland and Scotland, commonly seen in the mythology of the Ulster and Fenian Cycles. Has equivalents in other cultures, as well.

When one is broken, great misfortune befalls the oath-breaker.

The primary and most commonly known form of geis is a form of contract or oath. Cúchulainn made several of these, including the oath to never eat the meat of a dog, and the breaking of this geis is what led to his eventual death. In such cases, there is often a tacit or explicit agreement by the person or people undertaking the oath that they will abide it. This form also applies to geis that are placed on positions of power, in that a person taking such a position agrees by the act of taking it to the Geasa that are placed upon it.

However, there is also a secondary form that exists as a curse one places upon another, regardless of consent. This form, utilized by Grainne against Diarmuid of the Love Spot, is one that requires power and authority over the one being bound, such as a princess or queen over a knight or a goddess over a mortal man.

Of note, the form of Geas Rin Tohsaka uses in the Heaven's Feel route of Fate/stay night is the Germanic equivalent, a weaker binding curse that cannot dictate action, only forbid it. As a form of binding, it is absolute, but as a curse, it is a weaker effect.

Hotswap [Term]

Serial Summon (Hotswap).

The practice of Apocrypha switching from one Install to the next without stopping in between. A quick and effective method of bypassing the ordinary delay between the usage of Installs by cutting it out entirely.

Naturally, in terms of speed, it is the fastest method. However, in terms of stress, it puts her real body under a great deal more than an Install would otherwise.

As a result, performing a Hotswap is a maneuver with a much greater chance of inflicting serious damage or even death and carries with it a proportional amount of pain. Whereas an ordinary Install causes little to no pain, a Hotswap causes what might be described as adolescent growth pangs, the so-called "growing pains," only increased by orders of magnitude.

Because of the pain involved and the incredible stress endured by her real body, it is only natural that this is a method Apocrypha does not use very often. However, in a situation where time is of the essence and even the few seconds of delay that normally occur between Installs can have dire consequences, this last resort maneuver may be employed.

In Glenn Mór [Noble Phantasm]

Great Valley of the Warrior Queen's Battlefield

The crystallization of Aífe the general, Aífe the queen, Aífe the leader of armies. The manifestation of her nature that is related to leadership and battle, rather than the tutelary aspect of her other Noble Phantasm. It is the creation of an advantageous territory through the overlapping of space upon the real world.

Through the utilization of this Noble Phantasm, a great valley, bordered by impassable mountains, is formed. Within this valley, as Aífe's territory, the rules regarding the summoning of Heroic Spirits are temporarily relaxed, and Aífe may call upon the various heroes and legendary warriors who learned and fought under her. They are summoned as temporary existences akin to Servants, possessing only enough power to maintain their form for a scant thirty turns.

However, as this is the territory on which they trained and did battle, they may each utilize a single Noble Phantasm once before fading away, and the more of them that do so cause the fabric of the valley to fracture and dissolve. Furthermore, the burden upon Aífe and her Master to supply magical energy to maintain the structure increases drastically should Noble Phantasms be used.

Naturally, should one attempt to leave the area encompassed by the Noble Phantasm either by travelling beyond the mountains or surpassing the boundary of the sky, he will find himself returned to the real world. Even so, to attempt to flee opens him up to the attacks of the warriors called upon to fight.

Though it has similarities to the King of Conquerors' Ionioi Hetairoi, it is closer in form to the Noble Phantasm of Emperor Nero or the spear of Achilles.

Has no relation to Scotland's "An Gleann Mór."

Khepri [Heroic Spirit]

Hero of the Dawn

A Heroic Spirit born in a grim, alternate future. A version of Taylor Hebert from a different timeline who went down a different path.

Previously known by different names, she committed great and terrible deeds in the name of what she believed was good. At the end of a long and harrowing tale, with her mind fraying and falling apart, she had her powers removed by two bullets, aimed precisely, through her head and retired permanently.

The Hero of the Dawn who slew the Entity Zion and saved the world.

The Skittering Warlord who slew the hero Alexandria and conquered a city.

Possessing attributes of both a hero and a villain, she is a Heroic Spirit that refuses simple classifications. As such, her exact alignment would depend upon which facet of this Heroic Spirit is summoned, with her younger form aligned to Lawful Evil and her older form aligned to Chaotic Good.

Naturally, as a Heroic Spirit of the future, her fame in this era is nonexistent. However, as Heroic Spirit with worldwide fame in her own time period, she boasts a disproportionate level of power, so even though her general performance is low, her Noble Phantasms are of the highest class.

In An Essence of Silver and Steel, this is the first Heroic Spirit the protagonist utilizes. As a future version of herself who went down a path and became a person she cannot approve of, naturally, she rejected this Heroic Spirit and refused to consider her use. After all, when one looks upon her own mistakes, she can only look away.

Khepri [Noble Phantasm]

Queen of Administration

The signature Noble Phantasm of Khepri (Taylor Hebert). The ultimate expression of her absolute control, representing the part of her legend wherein she bent thousands of great warriors to her will and enthralled them to herself.

Embodying that legend, it is an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm that allows her to take control of the bodies of anyone and everything within her range, including those of other Servants. The only way to resist is to have a high enough resistance to magic or a mental skill that protects or alters the mind sufficiently to prevent Khepri from exercising absolute control.

It is not an effect similar to the Mystic Eyes of Enchantment of a vampire or simple hypnosis. Rather than "coercion" that may be shaken by circulating magical energy through the magic circuits, it is instead "hijacking," rendering control of the body to Khepri rather than simply bending the mind into the preferred shape.

To boil it down, it turns those in range into her familiars.

As a Noble Phantasm of such class, it naturally requires mental or magical resistance of the highest class in order to be thrown off.

However, the disadvantage of the Noble Phantasm is in the danger of its use. By activating it, A-rank Mental Pollution is also equipped by Khepri, twisting her thoughts and interpreting the actions of others through the lens of conflict and fighting. The longer the Noble Phantasm remains activated, the further her mental state deteriorates into something utterly inhuman. Furthermore, the efficacy of her skill, Familiars (Arthropods), also decreases drastically.

Nicolas Flamel [Heroic Spirit]

Eremitic Alchemist

The great mind that plumbed the secrets of alchemy. The hermit who discovered the process for the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. A humble bookseller who spent his riches on philanthropic projects to better mankind.

Sometimes also referred to as the Father of Modern Alchemy, Nicolas Flamel is all of those things as well.

He was a hermit who studied alone, a prodigy from a minor line of magi who never attempted to join the Mage's Association nor teach a student.

As a reclusive genius, he laid the foundations for the practice of modern alchemy that Paracelsus von Hohenheim established one century later. Though he shared his studies with no one, his intellect was undeniable, and many of the basic principles behind the thaumaturgical processes of alchemy can be traced back to his original works. A real once-in-a-century mind that never failed to grasp the "truth" of his studies.

It is said that all of his discoveries were based upon his translation of an ancient magical text, the Codex Abramelin, but those are only rumors.

He is the creator of the true Philosopher's Stone, rather than the imitations patterned after it.

And then he immediately destroyed it, to prevent the dilution of its mysteries.

He died without an heir, and the transcripts of his discoveries were either lost or scattered in the wake of his death.

Centuries later, accounts of his skill with alchemy spread to the mundane world. As a Servant, he laments that the secrets he never wanted told were somehow revealed to everyone.

Nimue [Heroic Spirit]

Lady of the Lake

In the Dark Ages of Britain, a young girl was born to a faithful devotee of the goddess of the moon, Diana. In repayment for his steadfast faith and worship, the girl was born with the attribute of the fairies and blessed with a bewitching beauty that bordered on a curse. It was this beauty that drew to her the Magician of Flowers, Merlin, and which convinced him to take her as his apprentice.

In Lancelot's story, she is referred to by the name Vivian. When the king and queen were driven from their kingdom, carrying with them their infant son, as the queen tended to her husband's wounds before succumbing to her own, at that time, this woman appeared and took the little prince into her kingdom beneath the lake.

It was also she who delivered Excalibur and its sheath into the hands of the king, and later, she who accepted it back upon the king's death.

This woman, appearing often in the tales of King Arthur and his Round Table as the queen of half-fairy women, is the Lady of the Lake, Nimue.

Old Town [Term]

A section of Brockton Bay, a subsection of the Docks.

An area of the city comprised almost entirely of old buildings dating back to the turn of the century — or earlier. Consists to a large degree of abandoned warehouses and run-down residences, left to rot by the corporations downtown and miles of red tape and disputed ownership. In the wake of the crash of the shipping industry, even those which remained in use for decades have been left behind.

Now, "unofficially" owned almost in its entirety by the pan-asian gang, the Azn Bad Boys.

It was here that the heroine, Apocrypha, made her first base in one of the abandoned warehouses.

It was also here that she confronted and fought Lung for the first time.

Outsiders [Term]

The Entities. The Parasites. The Worms. Referred to by these and several other names, these are the beings that came upon the Earth and seeded it with the phenomena known as "parahumans." It is from their shed fragments that such powers arise and are made possible.

They are great beasts of outstanding might which naturally evolved an ability similar to the Operation of Parallel Worlds, the Second Magic. As one of their primary defenses against annihilation, they are capable of inhabiting multiple separate realities simultaneously, shifting and spreading their mass throughout multiple realities. Keeping the majority of their mass on "dead" worlds allows them to escape the planetary consciousness of a chosen host world, for those who follow the primary model of experimentation.

These beings are stuck in a cycle of growth, reproduction, expansion, overpopulation, and culling. Unable to break this cycle on their own, after thousands of repetitions, they left their homeworld and journeyed into the stars, seeking a method of overcoming this loop by piggybacking off of the cleverness and ingenuity of other species. There are many models by which this experimentation is carried out, although most of them might be described as parasitic.

Those who follow the Warrior and Thinker template are adept terraformers and have developed techniques both subtle and unstoppable to subvert the collective will of the species which form their test subjects. Not only by keeping themselves untouchable on a remote, unreachable alternate world, but by inserting their own logic into the native Order of the World, akin to adding a section of code to an already existing computer program, rather than outright forcing their logic onto the World in the manner of a Type, they can create a self-reinforcing loop that prevents correction by the native Counter Forces, a kind of Forced Cohabitation Procedure (Deadlock Symbiosis).

Even in the case where the local Counter Forces act to remove the outside influence, the Entity's existential inertia disallows for their being casually erased. In the rare cases where their primary defenses, that of hiding their main masses on uninhabited worlds, fails, even then, it is not possible to defeat them easily.

For this reason, very few civilizations — and consequently, the planets they existed on — have overcome these roving titans and cast them down.

Pseudo Magic Circuits [Term]

The apparatus utilized by Taylor Hebert as a means of enacting her powers are what might be called Pseudo Magic Circuits. They are the artificial organ through which magical energy is channeled in her body, and thereby also the means by which she fuels her Installs.

Unlike the true Magic Circuits of a magus, the nature of Taylor's Pseudo Magic Circuits is closer to a muscle, which can increase its functionality through damage and self-repair, than a nerve, which can become more efficient through repetitive use but is unable to repair itself when damaged. Rather than having a set load capacity that cannot be increased, these may increase their load capacity after reaching a certain level of stress and then being allowed to recover.

However, contrarily, because Taylor herself has little control over them, throttling the amount of magical energy which is passed through is difficult. Furthermore, unlike true Magic Circuits, they are unable to connect to magical foundations engraved upon the World.

This is because these Pseudo Magic Circuits are only imitations of the real thing and are more like extensions of Taylor's Corona Gemma and Pollentia, therefore what Taylor is connecting to are her passenger and the magical formulae stored within her passenger every time she calls upon the power of a Heroic Spirit. Even were she to activate traditional magecraft without the use of an Install or Include, the actual act of injecting magical energy into a magical foundation would be performed by her passenger.

Taylor herself possesses no inborn Magic Circuits.

Queen of Escalation [Noble Phantasm]

None Shall Strike Me With Impunity

The Noble Phantasm of Heroic Spirit Khepri. An innate ability, a constantly active Noble Phantasm that is more like a burden of the body than a tool she treasured in life.

Whenever the enemy she faces is superior to her, in terms of physical capabilities especially but also if they are using a Noble Phantasm to support their own abilities, all of Khepri's abilities are significantly boosted to compensate. Furthermore, the success of all saving throws on Khepri's part is doubled, and the minimum requirements for any Luck checks she undergoes are reduced by two ranks.

This is a significantly powerful Noble Phantasm, an "equalizer" that works as an "evening of the playing field" in order to negate the advantages of the opponent and allow Khepri to fight without being so easily overwhelmed. It is a nonstandard ability that does not boost physical parameters, but rather vastly increases the performance of Khepri's skills and buffs her "success rate."

Although it was not the most characteristic deed of her legend, Khepri was well-known for being able to leverage her skills and creative use of her abilities in order to defeat enemies who should normally be a great deal more powerful than she is. This Noble Phantasm is the result of that aspect, embodying that particular facet of her legend.

Resonance of Saint Graph [Term]

In a word, harmonization. The degree and strength of the connection between Taylor Hebert and the Heroic Spirit which she Installs. The level of synchronization between her and the Heroic Spirit. The more complete the harmony, the more she can display the power and skill of the Heroic Spirits.

There are several factors that affect this parameter. One such factor is the situation: by utilizing a Heroic Spirit that has a connection to the situation via either an event in his legend or his strong feelings (regrets, trauma), the degree of cooperation between her and the Heroic Spirit is increased. As an example, to utilize the Heroic Spirit, Siegfried, in a situation involving a dragon, the Heroic Spirit's true strength can shine through most completely. This is a result of Harmonization of Ego Pattern, where the mindset of the Heroic Spirit and the mindset of Taylor Hebert are in sufficient agreement regarding the situation.

Another such factor is how deeply Taylor Hebert draws upon the Heroic Spirit. Though most scenarios only require a basic level of cooperation, such that the influence of the Heroic Spirit's ego is negligible or almost unnoticeable, if she draws upon the personality and experiences of the Heroic Spirit to help her handle not only the rigors of physical combat but also the mental stress of the situation, the ego of the Heroic Spirit becomes more pronounced. In this case, she will display personality traits and act more in line with that of the hero she has Installed.

Take Me Up [Noble Phantasm]

Grace of the Lake Goddess

The second of Nimue's two most characteristic Noble Phantasms. It is the embodiment of the legend of King Arthur receiving the sword, Excalibur, and its sheath. Clothed in white samite, the Lady of the Lake's hand held aloft the sword from the surface of the water and bestowed it upon the King of Knights, a show of her support for his reign, of her grace and blessing for his rule.

As the embodiment of that legend, it is the innate ability of Nimue to append the ownership of any item she owns, including that of Noble Phantasms, to another person. Even if it is a Noble Phantasm originally belonging to another Heroic Spirit, as long as it falls unto Nimue's possession, it is possible for her to append its ownership.

Having said so, even though it is a Noble Phantasm of the highest class, there are still limits. Though it is possible to change the ownership even of other Noble Phantasms, it does not bestow any skill along with it. The appended owner must himself possess the necessary skills and proficiencies in order to wield it properly, and the performance will naturally suffer if he does not.

As the legend states, on one side of Excalibur's blade was written the words, "Take Me Up," a reflection of its nature, contrary to the sword of selection that was never intended for battle. As the sword Excalibur is synonymous with King Arthur, so too is the legend of its gifting, of the Lady of the Lake's grace and blessing, synonymous with Nimue.

Thunder Feat [Term]

The penultimate technique of the martial arts of the ancient Celts. A technique of such lethality and power that it was only ever surpassed by the Gáe Bolg, the secret technique of Scáthach and Cúchulainn. It was with this technique that Cúchulainn slew one thousand warriors without effort.

There are many forms to this technique. It may be accomplished with numerous tools, for the method of delivery is irrelevant to the technique itself. However, the primary and most basic form of this technique utilizes nothing more than the bare fist. Cúchulainn wielded it using a sling.

The characteristic sound of this technique is what gives it its name — with a sound like thunder, the user unleashes his power and obliterates the enemy.

This is a technique that can only be learned at a certain level of mastery in the ancient Celtic martial arts. It is only once one has conditioned his body, mind, and spirit to a sufficient level that he can wield this technique.

When pushed to the maximum at the highest levels of mastery, it is even possible to slay gods with this technique. That is to say, the fabric of space and time is warped such that to be struck by the Thunder Feat is akin to being hit by a white dwarf star moving at the speed of light. A punch with infinite mass, you might say.

Tyranny of the Queen [Noble Phantasm]

Loyalty of the Enthralled

Khepri's ultimate trump card. A reflection not of her nature nor of her tendencies in battle, but of the singular feat for which she is undoubtedly most famous: bringing together many others to fight for a common cause, by force.

This is the Noble Phantasm reflecting not her ultimate victory over the Entity Zion, but the method she contrived of to do so. It is the Noble Phantasm embodying the army she gathered to fight beside her, a Noble Phantasm which summons her soldiers, her thralls, to appear from across time and space and fight by her side once more.

It is also her most costly Noble Phantasm, requiring prohibitive amounts of magical energy in order to activate and maintain. After all, it is the sequential summoning of numerous Heroic Spirits, or else the remnants of those who may have become one after death, and it does not have the mitigating factors of a "shared world" or an overlapped space wherein the rules of Heroic Spirit summoning are altered or relaxed. Khepri herself bears the full burden.

Furthermore, each of those summoned to her side is akin to a Masterless Servant, wielding Noble Phantasms and high class skills. In order to support such activity, the cost must naturally rise as well. It would not be inaccurate to compare Khepri's upkeep and mana drain to that of a Rank A Berserker Servant with high level Madness Enhancement.

However, instead of performing a full summoning by invoking the True Name, it is also possible to temporarily make use of any Noble Phantasm possessed by any Heroic Spirit associated with this Noble Phantasm. In that case, the cost is drastically reduced, and Khepri may conserve energy in this manner.

Truly, this is Khepri's ultimate trump card.

As a side note, under most circumstances, Khepri: Queen of Administration must also be active in order to properly wield this Noble Phantasm. This is owed to the fact that most of Khepri's army did not serve willingly, and would not serve willingly in this case, either.