Post by Bixir on Mar 12, 2023 19:26:50 GMT
Name:
Agatha Lillian Sinclair nee Steiner
Age:
Thirty-eight
Gender:
Female
History:
I, Steiner
The Steiners are not, strictly speaking, a true family of mages. Their ancestors were rooted in the prestigious Einzberns of Central and Eastern Europe that, after numerous cases of infighting and numerous external factors, renounced themselves and established their own (derivative) lineage of magic circuits. In this, the Steiners were not much different from Einzberns. They were stubborn, ruthless, and driven by near-mad ambition for accumulating power, least of all the power of the root in the Holy Grail itself.
It was this same incorrigible nature that saw the Steiners continuously ostracized from the Einzberns, to the point where Steiner mages either found their careers stagnating or outright ending at the influence of the former, or even sabotaged from rising to proper candidacy for prospective Grail Wars. The Steiners in turn held long grudges towards their "betters" for a time. Eventually, the Steiners learned to let such squabbles go, instead channeling their ire into perfecting their own magic circuits and developing magecraft to surpass the Einzberns' golems and homunculi.
Even as a young girl, Agatha seemed to acclimatize well to the surly, belligerent world of mages, never mind the world of the Steiner family. She quickly caught on to the dog-eat-dog world of magecraft, developing an exceptionally cruel affinity for using everything at her disposal to bring swift, crushing defeat to those that got in her way. The many games and tests that her parents impressed Agatha and her many siblings clearly revealed her superiority, even to siblings much older than her. She was not coddled, nor was she singled out, but they certainly recognized her for how much she stood out at such a young age. Something would certainly be made of her talents. Though the Steiners were generally a reclusive sort, Agatha's parents knew that it was a poor substitute for a formal education in magecraft.
The Sinclair Gambit
Among some of her more promising siblings, Agatha was sent off to the Clock Tower school in London. Her father urged her to think not only of the magus she was becoming now, but also of the magus that she would no doubt become far in the future. Agatha thought little and less of the strange advice at the time, but agreed to heed it all the same. Anything to begin her studies proper, and away from the stranglehold of the family manor at that.
Agatha's hope for a more liberating environment was promptly dashed. The Clock Tower was nearly as stifling as home, if not more so. Hardly an improvement. And yet, in lieu of Agatha's renewed spite, she continuee to excel, just as she had before. She interacted with her siblings considerably less during her time there, which was perfectly fine by her. They just dragged her down anyways.
By the time Agatha had graduated from the Clock Tower, she had managed to come around a little to their ways, though she remained prickly as ever. There seemed to be nothing that would change that. Her affinity came to lie in Transmutation and Golem Construction... not unlike her distant relatives. None dared to mention the connection to her face, save for a man named Roman Sinclair.
It was not such a sweet chemistry at first. Roman was persistent, oafish, and sickeningly uplifting. Agatha was a stern statue of cold judgment that couldn't even blink at a kitten. But, Roman did come to amuse her, and her bluntness was something that seemed to inspire him, like this was some vain challenge. The affections of others, let alone intimacy, was never something that Agatha considered that she might desire. And now...
Now it was the exact same. As if a man's pompous vanity and narcissism would ever deter her spirit. Not that she ever let on. Roman was too much of a romantic to notice, though he wasn't a fool either. He was just as accomplished from the Clock Tower as she was; Agatha would not even have wasted her time if that wasn't the case. Agatha realized now the merits of her father's advice all those years ago. Not only could she strengthen her own Magecraft by marrying Steiner techniques with that of Sinclair - Reinforcement, namely - but she would lay the foundation for her legacy with offspring to call her own.
As morose as Agatha could be, however, her dedication to children certainly did not leave Roman wanting. They had four children, each one giving Agatha more pause in her persona. Three daughters, and one son. Her maternal instinct toiled with her stolid demeanor for many years. For a time, it was unclear which would emerge victorious. Agatha could not deny that she loved these children very much. She saw much of herself in them... And none of Roman. She had made sure of that. She had made her choice.
Matriarch
While Roman was... off being incompetent, Agatha supposed, his wife was hard at work within the intricate web of associations and blood feuds that was the climate of the Clock Tower society. The Fourth Grail War was coming soon, and while Agatha had not been marked by the Grail, she was not the less active for it. If anything, this allowed her some leisure to develop connections among the Clock Tower, while determining who her enemies would be in the future. Though no one truly knew what would come of the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, Agatha was among those whose instincts told her that the outcome would not be for the better, for anyone involved. So seemed to be the nature of Grail Wars to begin with. When it come to Lord El-Melloi, he was much too like Agatha herself for her liking. All the better that he ended up being the (official) Clock Tower representative for the Grail War. Less competition for her when the dust finally cleared.
More important than Agatha's politicking within Clock Tower was the hierarchy within the now fused Steiner and Sinclair magus households. Though she had never been in the running for the leadership in her own family, nor did she have much more of a claim within Sinclair than her husband, her reach within both was considerable to say the least. She made sure that her children were looked after, or at least given the proper resources to make a name for themselves. They were coming of age, and she would not be coddling them forever. If they could not learn to stand on their own two feet as she had, then perhaps they were Roman's children after all.
It was during this time that Agatha finally reunited with those of her siblings that had survived the Clock Tower or whatever other cruel fate they had chosen for themselves, or been assigned by their lovely parents. Most of them she cared very little for, and the others were either an eyesore or too above her for her to put much effort into refuting. As far as Agatha had come, she was patient in seeing her elder siblings have their due, by her hand or otherwise. Though Agatha had remained in London - and Germany, for the Steiner reunion - Roman had tried to convince her to come with him to Japan, Fuyuki of all places. She had tried to convince him not to go, but that seemed to make it all the more enticing for him. The children need not know those details. Only that their father had decided to abandon them for the "enchanting" thrill of bearing first witness to a Holy Grail War, even if he himself wasn't a participant. And to think he, the eldest son, would miss out on the passing of the Sinclair patriarch. It seemed that that responsibility would fall to Agatha as well. That was something she might have thanked Lord El-Melloi for, had he survived.
But even when Agatha had thought herself rid of two of the most irksome thorns in her side, the emergence of Waver Velvet diminished the count to one. And to put salt in the wound, he of all people was to be the new Lord of that household? Agatha had never thought anything of that upstart in El-Melloi's classes, as much of a ruckus as he had made. He was Agatha's first mistake; and he would be her last. She made sure to prepare in full for the next Holy Grail War, with every intent of participating with her full strength. Though Agatha well could have employed her growing empire for any Servant she might have desired, she intended to send a message. The day after the summoning of Agatha's Rider Heroic Spirit, Lord El-Melloi the Second would find an old, scarlet keepsake missing from his cabinet.
Personality: Agatha embodies many characteristics sought after by the Mages Association in its members, not the least for its senior members. She is wholly dedicated to the pursuit of Magecraft, and more pointedly, the pursuit of the Holy Grail as a Master in the Fifth Holy Grail War. Her scholarly predilections are never in doubt, nor is her mastery of the various schools of Magecraft that were offered at the Clock Tower, in addition to her family's specialization in enchantment and transmutation. Agatha is also notably haughty and arrogant, completely assured in her capacity as a senior Magus, generally looking down on other mages; those without magic circuits are subhuman.
Personally, Agatha is an icy fortress, unassailable by any attempts to unnerve her, and treats social interactions with a stern distance that quickly disarms most attempts at friendship and cordiality. Though formal and courteous herself, Agatha gives no one the benefit of the doubt, let alone openly trusting them without some ulterior motive. This is similar towards her Servant. Agatha is a hardened commander, wasting no time on frivolities and is entirely committing to treating this Holy Grail War as what it is: a war. Those who can't afford to accept that, can't afford to survive. The only exception to this is perhaps her darling children, though even then, she is not as vulnerable in this regard as most would presume. Though she most certainly loves them so, Agatha is not nearly as worried for their safety as a parent might normally be. After all, they are competent magus all their own; they are hardly her responsibility any longer, unless they should require assistance for some disappointing reason.
When it comes to her agenda in the War, Agatha is pragmatically tight-lipped. She is a master magus, and is more than capable of avoiding the amateur mistakes even skilled mages make in the midst of a Grail War. Though if one were to know her inner desires, it would be particularly vain, if typical for such an esteemed member of the Mages Association. Agatha seeks power, in all forms; more importantly, how such power is distributed, and to whom go the spoils of war. Agatha will become unto an avatar of war, life, and fate, deciding who lives and who dies, and above all else, insuring that the world turns as she wills it. She's a bit of a control freak.
Magical preference: Agatha is a "Brand"-level magus within the Association, measuring her skill at Magecraft as one of the most skilled in the order, short only of the likes of Touko Aozaki or the Grand Wizard himself. Agatha's familiarity with homunculi borders on perfect control and design, differing from the Einzbern model in drastic ways. While traditional homunculi are a staple of Sinclair magecraft, Agatha's specialty lies in "transmutation of essence", with explicit application to her constructs. Agatha's Origin is "Dominion".
Visual Appearance:
Class: Rider
Alias: Rider
True Name: Iskandar, the King of Conquerors
History:
Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, was one of the most fabled heroes in Macedonian legend - and to a great extent, its actual history - who nearly conquered the entire world. In his youth, Iskandar was often in the company of a friend much like the spirited Taiga Fujimura, who drove him to expand his horizons and think beyond the parameters of life in Macedon, and life instead among the world at large, and what he stood to learn from it... namely, by seizing it for himself.
Usurping power in Macedonia in far west Greece, Iskandar began his lifelong campaign, subduing the rest of Greece in an unbelievably short amount of time, leaving many to believe that the people of Greece were so enamored and taken in by Iskandar's heroism and vision that they joined him willingly, so devoted became his army that would soon sweep across the known world. The neighboring countries immediately bordering Greece quickly fell, though Iskandar would recall some of them as his greatest conquests, namely meeting Darius III of Persia, and claiming the Gordius Wheel as his personal chariot. However, all of this paled in comparison to Iskandar's endgoal, and in turn the dream of his army as a whole: the end of the world, to the far east: Oceanus.
An unfathomable sea at the very edge of the world, Oceanus was the last thing Iskandar wished to witness with his own eyes, and leave his footprints upon it as a final legacy to later conquerors that might dare to follow in his footsteps and accomplish the same feat. The soldiers under Iskandar would often doubt, and even begin to despair, if they would ever see Oceanus, or if the place even existed. Over time, however, these doubts were quelled, and replaced with their loyalty to their glorious king, who they would follow to the ends of the earth, whether it was real or otherwise. The nations and peoples that Iskandar conquered along this path soon joined this philosophy of conquest and tyranny, knowing that such a righteous path could not be wrong, or end in vain... and it didn't.
Even after this ultimate achievement, Iskandar and his armies continued to travel abroad, always having more sights to see, more cities to conquer, bringing them all under their great king's empire that was truly great, and to be remembered for ages to come. Even as Iskandar's army began to fade, inevitably succumbing to the trials of battle, their last visions were that of Oceanus, and that they had done what no man before them had done... all under Iskandar. Their spirit would live on in Iskandar's legacy for all time.
Iskandar's bond with his people was like iron, unbreakable and immutable by any measure of slander and heresy against him and his dynasty. No matter what could be said of Iskandar's other qualities, or how he had left his empire to fall into disarray as he pursued higher conquests, his leadership, and his people's love for him, was completely and utterly synchronous, and eternal. After his final battle, Iskandar's empire was violently split into four warring factions that soon dissipated among themselves, leaving only the achievements Iskandar had wrought, and the impact of his spirit upon his people that he had brought together in life. As the King of Conquerors drew his final breath, he grieved, and wept... but never regret.
Personality: Iskandar is exceedingly proud, and for very justified reasons. He is one of the great kings of legend, who conquered the known world in his era, which, while insignificant compared to the true extent of Earth's collective landmass, is a legendary achievement remembered throughout history. He is a truly impulsive man, one to let history run its course rather than pragmatically defy it, as well as embracing his rampant greed and wild heroism. While often inconsiderate and borderline brutesque with his chauvinistic displays, it is this very spirit of Iskandar that inspired his army and people so passionately to follow him to the ends of the earth as their king. Joviality is never something that leaves his side, the man as high in spirits as he was in his original life, and regards his eternal bond with his army as his greatest treasure. His complete acceptance and empowerment of his vanity and greatness is his ideal of leadership that everyone should follow, so that those who follow will continue to envy and aspire to be like him, striving to become the best that they can possibly be. While Iskandar is no longer a leader as he was then, these principles are no less true as a Servant in the new Holy Grail War.
Despite his simplistic and base desires and principles as an inherent conqueror, Iskandar is a compassionate and just man, who feels just as much as anyone else, and despises anyone who would be so callous and unfeeling towards acts of atrocity and savagery. He is also incredibly respectful of other Servants and their potential strength, often extending an offer of fealty under him after witnessing them in battle. Iskandar prefers to take his conquests without bloodshed, and to control and lead them without humiliating them, so that they maintain their own pride and glory under his leadership; in this sense, Iskandar seeks to conquer the hearts of people, what he claims to be the greatest conquest that one can seize.
Weapon of choice:
Sword of the Kupriotes
Gifted to him in life by the King of the Cypriotes, this fabled weapon is a spatha-type sword, its pommel carved in the likeness of a lion, perfectly complementing Iskandar's wild visage. Surprisingly light-weight for the incredible sword that it is, the blade can be used with great dexterity, complementing Iskandar's Rider class rather than that of a straightforward warrior such as Saber or Berserker. While the sword is not a Noble Phantasm itself, it is used in invoking his Noble Phantasms.
Bucephalus
When not riding the Gordius Wheel into battle, Iskandar rides his famed stallion Bucephalus, a Heroic Spirit in itself. However, this is primarily in his Noble Phantasm Ionioi Hetairoi, where his steed is most suited for combat. It is among his most treasured companions in battle, though is among the least used in Grail War combat. When Iskandar rides Bucephalus, however, it will be a charge to remember.
Noble Phantasm:
Gordius Wheel: Wheel of Heaven’s Domination | Via Expugnatio: Distant Trampling Domination
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-Army
While the Gordius Wheel is the weaker of Iskandar's two Noble Phantasms, it is still a powerful manifestation of his will, and signature to his Rider class. The Gordius Wheel itself is a grand chariot pulled by twin Divine Bulls of supranatural stamina and strength, Iskandar's primary claim to Divinity through Zeus, considering that Zeus took the form of a thunderous bull, only reinforced by the fact that Iskandar refers to them as the 'Children of Zeus'. The bulls themselves, and the chariot to which they were attached, were intended as a gift from King Gordius to Zeus, though Iskandar seized it for himself by cutting the reins, taking it as his signature vehicle into battle from thenceforth. The chariot is quite large, larger than an average truck and has two fierce, curved sickles at the head that demolishes most obstacles in its way while launching the same debris towards the enemy. The chariot's movements generate trails of lightning, upon which the Wheel rides. In this sense, this Noble Phantasm does not require Iskandar to ride along the ground, and can soar through the air, so long as the lightning 'tracks' remain secure.
Charging the chariot automatically imbues it with a virtual aura of lightning, adding an electrifying element to the eight hooves pounding into the intended target, as well as the chariot's massive form, and its eviscerating tusks. Most targets that suffer the brunt of a charge from the Gordius Wheel suffer fatal wounds, and even those that only narrowly escape can suffer considerable injuries if they only get struck by one of the attacks that comprise a charge. The Divine Bulls can reach speeds of up to 4,000 kilometers per hour, not hindered whatsoever by the raw destruction they might reap in their wake. Iskandar and / or his Master can completely nullify the thundering noise that the Gordius Wheel makes, though this will still generate a noticeable amount of prana detectable by other Servants and Masters.
The Gordius Wheel's true power lies in another Noble Phantasm activated through it, by the name of Via Expugnatio: Distant Trampling Domination. By declaring "Via Expugnatio!" as a verbal trigger, Iskandar activates a charge from the Gordius Wheel, albeit one far more powerful than a standard charge, as well as faster: immediately upon activation, the speed of the Expugnatio charge clears a distance of 100 meters, as well as anything in its way within that stretch of distance; this is nearly equivalent to the speed at which Excalibur is activated.
Ionioi Hetairoi: Army of the King
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Army, Reality Marble
Considered his greatest treasure - and for good reason - Ionioi Hetairoi is the culmination of Iskandar's dreams and philosophies as a legendary conqueror-king, and the bond he shared with his subjects. The primary component of this Noble Phantasm is generating a Reality Marble, though it functions significantly differently from most of its kind in that Iskandar is neither a Magus nor a Demon that would normally provide the considerable amount of prana necessary to create it, let alone maintain it. Instead, it is powered by the loyalty of his personal guard made manifest, who shared his personal goals and ambitions. Together, they create the idyllic plains upon which Iskandar's armies fought in his countless conquests, united in their victories and defeats until the bitter end, at which was the ultimate glory and honor of dying beside their warrior king. On these endless dunes, under the scorching hot sun and clear cloudless skies, Iskandar's army gathers once more, each of them Heroic Spirits in their own right, to join their leader on the battlefield once more, against whoever would dare challenge the great Iskandar.
The tens of thousands of soldiers, both mounted and unmounted, are each of them Master-less Heroic Spirits, dedicated solely to their king, and will fight with legendary skill and discipline that is nigh unmatched. These men are more than soldiers at Iskandar's command, but his true friends, who share his conqueror's will and are an embodiment of everything that makes him the legendary king that he is. Among them are the Lord of War, the Maharaorajah, the founders of many dynasties that he conquered and assimilated in his lifetime, and Mithrenes, a famed Persian commander that he can momentarily deploy outside the Reality Marble to receive and relay messages as need be.
The plains themselves that the Reality Marble generates, while reminiscent of the fields upon which Iskandar led his armies to victory, is also tactically advantageous, as an open, expansive field is the most ideal battlefield for Iskandar's armies. The Reality Marble also allows Iskandar to position those that he entraps within it wherever he pleases, though given his spirit of battle and wanton for charging to glory, they are often cast opposite himself and his army. When releasing the Reality Marble, Iskandar also decides where his targets are deposited, so long as it's within 100 meters of the original 'detonation'. The Reality Marble may also be generated anywhere at any time, instantly plunging those within 100 meters radius into Iskandar's Noble Phantasm. Ionioi Hetairoi is so powerful and imposing that even Saber and Gilgamesh himself have been given pause in its presence, and even some uncertainties regarding victory against it.
As fantastic and spectacular as Iskandar's Noble Phantasm is, it does not come without great cost. The cost of activation, never mind the cost of summoning and maintaining all the 'Servants' of his army, is staggering, and extensively drains Iskandar's prana reserves. Even with his Master providing him with considerable prana, Iskandar is sufficiently drained for the rest of the day after using it, and using it in successive days only weakens and degrades Iskandar's spirit further. If it is not used sparingly, Iskandar can become completely exhausted for weeks on end, and forced to take spiritual form. The Reality Marble and the Noble Phantasm itself can also become destabilized and break down if a large portion of the army is destroyed in a single attack, thus breaking down the collective prana of the army necessary to maintain the Noble Phantasm.
Skills:
Class Skills
Riding - A+; Iskandar is a masterful Rider, and is at home aboard the Gordius Wheel or Bucephalus in equal measure. While Iskandar was a great warrior on foot, he was a force of nature in mounted combat.
Magic Resistance - D; As a Rider, Iskandar boasts a certain resistance to magical attacks, though is otherwise relatively vulnerable to them. His body is conditioned against physical and like conventional attacks, and not the other way around.
Personal Skills
Bravery - A; Iskandar is a warrior without qualm nor hesitation, never mind while charging into battle; attempts to waylay his conqueror's mindset will find themselves hard-pressed to overcome his indomitable bravado. However, mental tricks meant to invoke his wrath or provoke an aggressive response hardly need to press themselves to entice him to their intent.
Charisma - B; Iskandar's leadership over his armies is unparalleled in history, more so from their undying loyalty and love for him than his already incredible capacity for leading. Iskandar's impact upon his armies throughout his conquests in life were so great, that the collective will of his army's embodied Heroic Spirits singlehandedly powers his Noble Phantasm Ionioi Hetairoi, including the maintenance of a full-scale Reality Marble.
Divinity - C; There are many claims among many historians and critics, as well as from Iskandar himself, that he is the son of the Great God of Thunder, Zeus, though the only evidence that supports this are the Divine Bulls that carry his Gordius Wheel into battle; given Iskandar's reputation and demeanor, however, it is not difficult to find a resemblance.
Military Tactics - B; The King of Conqueror's army was highly organized and efficient, thanks to their leader's brilliant tactical mind and overwhelming force; few armies could face him head-on on the battlefield, and even fewer survived to tell of their greatness.
Physical appearance:
Iskandar was larger than life in his time as a grand conqueror, and that is certainly still true as a Servant. Towering over most if not all other Servants at well over 2 meters, Iskandar is a mountain of physical strength and stamina, displaying his prowess proudly and without restraint. He is the epitome of masculinity, with fiery auburn locks that stretch down his neck and around his head like a wild lion's mane, his facial hair crowning the edges of his face with complete grandeur. His visage, along with his conqueror's raiment, is not nearly as lavish or vain as that of Gilgamesh, but it is certainly telling enough that the man who bears these characteristics is one of impeccable power and grace, and one to be feared and respected in equal measure.
Iskandar's battle armor is intimidating and enormous by an average human's scale, as it needs to be to even fit on a man as massive and capable as he. Styled in the designs of Ancient Macedon and the Mediterranean cultures, it speaks volumes of kingship as much as it does his unparalleled prowess as a warrior on the battlefield. With a flowing red cloak emblazoned with orange-gold highlights at the edges, it manages to encompass Iskandar's entire form while at the same time accentuating his glory as a king and conqueror, one and the same.
Clothing and Armor:
It is obscenely difficult for Iskandar and his Master to find clothing that can even fit him, impeccably large and built as he is. More often than not, he wears athletic muscle-shirts in the largest size that they have available, with matching jeans and athletic shoes. He is also most comfortable in them, and as much as Iskandar's Master tries to force him to wear other forms of attire, he is adamantly stubborn with her advances. The fact that most other types of clothing simply rip and tear and don't come in Iskandar's size and build also comes into play. When in public, rare as those occasions are, Iskandar plays the role of Hana's estranged great-uncle Lex Krang, who was always drastically different from the rest of the Krang clan, and of an almost inhuman physicality. With his Master being experienced in fabricating entire identities and backgrounds, Iskandar (begrudgingly) fits the role given to him rather well.
