[OOC] Profile

[blackenedideals]

PLAYER INFO
Name: Nyx
Journal: badgal
Contact: gilded chrysanth [AIM]; missbiondetta


CHARACTER INFO
Name: Archer ("Archer Alter")
Canon: Fate/stay night (AU)
Gender: Male
Age: Looks 20-something. Probably technically older.
Background: Canon history & Heaven's Feel route, which this AU is based on. Details of changes noted below.
Canon Point: Toward the end of the Heaven's Feel route, after Sakura has fully transformed into Dark Sakura.

Appearance:
Something like this. His skin has been bleached pale, though not entirely white; his eyes have turned yellow; his clothes have been burnt, blackened, or otherwise tarnished; and his skin and clothes both have weird red veins on the surface. His left arm appears to have been severed, and in its place is a strange prosthetic made of the Grail's mud.

Personality:
Archer is, basically, a character that falls under the classification of "douchebag that's actually a good person deep down inside." Archer Alter, however, is a version of him that has been corrupted by the contents of the Holy Grail—a sea of curses stated to contain all the evils in the world. Obviously, that changes some things. Rather than a heart of gold, you could say he has a heart of steel instead. In this state, he's cold and unyielding, with little pity for other people and no mercy for those who have been designated as his enemies—even those he formerly cared for. If Archer is still softer than he cares to admit, then Archer Alter is harder than he ever hoped to be.

In terms of demeanor, Archer is usually sarcastic and cheeky. In contrast, Archer Alter is much more serious—severe, even, rarely with a smile and often with a glare. There's a constant, omnipresent rage that comes with the Grail's corruption, and as a result Archer no longer thinks himself the type for jokes. In his own way, he still retains his tendency to be harshly critical, particularly of people he sees as somehow important, but the way he applies his sharp tongue is different. Rather than using wit, he cuts right to the heart of the matter, frankly and with no regard for tact or the feelings of the person he is speaking to.

Perhaps ironically, though, this same newfound rage and hatred makes him easier to control than his untarnished counterpart. Because he must constantly suppress his anger, his thoughts are somewhat restricted, and as a result he tends to be less likely to go against orders. He'll let someone know if he thinks their plan is ridiculous or misguided, of course, but it's usually in the form of a blunt comment rather than a game of barbed statements, and he tends to be more straightforwardly loyal to his allies. He's also more reserved and less likely to act independently or on his own whims.

In some ways, Archer's thought patterns have been distorted to more closely match the progenitor of the Grail's corruption, Avenger/Angra Mainyu. That only makes sense, since in many ways they are two halves of a whole. The people around Avenger forced him into the role of a scapegoat for their own sins, while Archer willingly chose to take morally dubious actions for the good of the whole. People hated and feared Avenger for embodying every evil, while people hated and feared Archer for embodying justice without mercy. And, while Avenger died loathing and cursing everyone around him for what had become of him, Archer died blaming only himself.

Now, however, Archer has been burdened those emotions he never allowed himself to feel in life—resentment of others for his own dismal fate, and bitterness that for the way his sacrifices went unappreciated and unmourned. Twice as cynical and not half as self-depreciating, his bitterness is now directed at the world around him and the people in it. While he would normally be the first person to suggest killing Sakura to stop Angra Mainyu from being born and killing millions of people, in this state he no longer cares about protecting others. The world he tried to save has is coming.

Despite his overall aloof and bitter personality, though, he isn't entirely a twisted shadow of his former self. In battle, he retains his usual cockiness, though he tends to be much more closed-mouthed when it comes to taunts and general smack talk. In fact, here is one of the few places where you might see him smile, if nasty smirks count as such. He knows the tactical advantages he has, with the insane amount of magical energy he receives from Sakura and the Grail, and the thought that someone could actually match him in this state rarely if ever crosses his mind. Even now, though, he isn't careless, making up for his reduced shrewdness with the strategy of being absolutely ruthless.

Abilities & physical limitations:
HEROIC SPIRIT-

Archer is a Servant-class Heroic Spirit. While their exact abilities vary, Servants are significantly stronger and more durable than the average person. They're also more agile, have better reflexes, are more skilled in combat, etc, which makes it extremely difficult for a normal person to defend against them. This pretty much all applies to Archer. As Archer Alter, his parameters are somewhat different than in canon, due to the extremely high amount of prana he receives from both Sakura and the Grail. His abilities are ranked as follows:

STRENGTH: C
ENDURANCE: B
AGILITY: D
MANA: A+
LUCK: E

Because he has been tainted with the Grail's corruption, he has an actual physical body, though this also means he can no longer enter spirit form.

ARCHERY-

Archer, as one might expect from his class, has a bow, and he can accurately hit targets from inhuman distances. He has been shown to be able to fire multiple (energy?!) arrows at once, and also swords.

SWORDPLAY-

Archer is also a skilled swordsman. A pair of Chinese blades serve as his primary weapon.

INDEPENDENT ACTION-

Rank B. "Ability that allows independent movement even after the Master's supply of magical energy is cut off. With Rank B, it's possible for a Servant to stay in the world for two days without its Master."

MAGIC RESISTANCE-

Rank E. Archer's magic resistance has been reduced due to Angra Mainyu's influence. At this level, he isn't immune to any spells, but damage taken by magic attacks is reduced somewhat.

CLAIRVOYANCE-

Rank C. "Allows clear vision of distant targets, and improves bodily movement and vision." Archer is stated to be able to see details up to four kilometers away.

MIND'S EYE (TRUE)-

Rank C. Basically, the ability to find the best course of action in battle through analysis of the situation, honed through combat experience. Because of Angra Mainyu's influence, Archer Alter needs to constantly suppress a feeling of rage. As a result, his thoughts are dulled some, hindering this ability.

PROJECTION MAGIC-

Archer uses projection magic, which essentially makes something out of nothing based on the user's ability to create an accurate mental image of the item they are producing. However, the only things Archer can project are swords. Polearms and shields are also both doable, but he has to expend a lot more energy on the latter and the results tend to be flimsier. Modern and mobile weapons (such as guns and tanks) are right out.

Archer's method of using this magic is more in depth than is typical, so his projected weapons tend to have a bit more staying power and can usually last for a couple of hours before losing their form. Excepting weapons that are somehow divine, he can also reproduce the special abilities or qualities a weapon might have had. However, these are weaker than the originals by "one rank." He also needs to have observed any given weapon beforehand in order to reproduce it.

STRENGTHENING MAGIC-

Related to the above, Archer can also reinforce and improve preexisting objects by infusing them with prana. This is a pretty finicky process, though, and doing it incorrectly or using too much magical energy will cause the target to break. Most commonly, he uses it to increase the durability/attack power/etc of a weapon.

UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS-

Archer's Noble Phantasm is a Reality Marble called Unlimited Blade Works. It is activated by an incantation. Even when not active, it grants the ability to instantaneously record the design, composition, and even history of any given weapon with perfect accuracy, allowing Archer to reproduce any observed blade and use it with proficiency. (The same restrictions listened under projection magic apply.) Within the Reality Marble, weapons can also be modified and strengthened (see strengthening magic).

When not deployed, Unlimited Blade Works reduces the prana cost of projecting any given weapon and increases the number of weapons that can be prepared at once. When it is deployed, Archer can use any of the weapons it contains without using prana beyond what is required to maintain the Reality Marble itself. In either case, weapons can be summoned directly into Archer's hands, or he can line them up and fire them like projectiles.

AU Information:
TIMELINE-

Canon proceeds as normal until "the shadow" is encountered for the first time.


Rather than form an alliance after encountering the shadow, Rin refuses to work with Shirou, not wanting to get him involved in something that is her responsibility as the magus in charge of the Fuyuki area. As a result, she and Archer are the ones to investigate the Ryuudou Temple, rather than Shirou and Saber. Archer is consumed by the shadow rather than Saber, and Rin is the one to confront Zouken. As in canon, Rider arrives at the scene and rescues the Servant-less Rin, as Sakura wouldn't want her estranged sister to die.


Shirou, of course, has been off attempting his own investigation, but without Rin's support and with him checking out the wrong places, it turns up nothing of value.


The following day, with Rin's Servant gone, she speaks with Shirou and agrees to enlist his help, as having a Servant would be an immense boon in this situation.


Because Rin and Shinji never speak at the Matou household, his kidnapping of Sakura, the resulting fight/breakdown, and the surgery at Kotomine's church never happen. Rider remains under Shinji's control. Without Shirou and Rin's alliance breaking down over the question of whether or not to kill Sakura, Rin, Shirou, and Saber continue to fruitlessly investigate the shadow.


As they are not making progress, the three of them decide it would be best to enlist the help of Ilya, Berserker's Master. As Shirou has struck up a friendship with Ilya and knows where she lives, he leads them through the forest to her home. It's there that they encounter the revived "Archer Alter" battling with Berserker; the latter is driven back and consumed by the shadow, as in canon. Saber scuffles first with Archer, who attempts to kill Shirou before being called back, and then with Assassin as Shirou and Rin flee alongside Ilya.


When the shadow appears in front of the fleeing group, Saber is able to divert some of its assault by counterattacking with her Noble Phantasm. However, while he manages to avoid losing an arm, Shirou still takes a bit of damage, and Saber has lost a large amount of the prana she needs to sustain herself with this action. The group does not go to the church for healing. Ilya and Rin move into Shirou's home alongside Sakura.


With Saber weakened and Shirou injured, Shinji decides now is the best time to attack, as revenge. He shows up at Shirou's home and challenges him; though Rider is weaker than the night she rescued Rin, she and Saber prove to be well-matched in their current states. It's now that it's revealed that Sakura is actually a Master, as she appears and uses her remaining Command Seal to override Shinji's commands to Rider, forcing her to cease attacking. Shinji is driven off, and Rider stays with the rest of the assembled group in Shirou's home.


As Saber only has the strength to use her Noble Phantasm one last time and Sakura's health is deteriorating, making using Rider too taxing, the group is in a dire situation. It's decided that they'll need to kill Zouken and Assassin with one blow—which, theoretically, Saber's Noble Phantasm should be strong enough to accomplish. Plans to replicate Zelretch's Gem Sword aren't made. Ilya hasn't collected Archer's soul in this scenario, meaning she has no knowledge of the connection between Archer and Shirou, and Shirou doesn't have Archer's arm to draw knowledge from, anyway.


The shadow's devouring of Gilgamesh, Sakura's return home, Shinji's death, Sakura's transformation, and Shirou's discovery of Shinji's body all proceed as in canon.


When Sakura attacks Ilya, Rin, and Shirou, Saber prepares to use her Noble Phantasm to drive Sakura off, but Shirou stops her with a Command Seal. Rider does not interfere, as Sakura's final Command Seal was used on a different order than in canon. However, Ilya still offers herself in exchange for Shirou's life, and Sakura still leaves with her.


Saber, still conscious, takes Rin and Shirou to the church—only to discover that the supervisor is Kirei Kotomine, a Master from the previous War. She does not take this well, but Kotomine manages to (smugly) talk her down, seeing as her options are more or less trusting him or letting Rin and Shirou die.


Rin is taken back to her home, as in canon. When Shirou wakes up, Kotomine accompanies him and Saber both into the woods to rescue Ilya. By the time they arrive, Sakura is in the midst of transforming fully, and she sends Berserker Alter after the group when they flee with Ilya. As in canon, the group splits, Kotomine confronting Zouken and Assassin while Shirou, Saber, and Ilya flee from Berserker.


Saber manages to drive Berserker off, but she requires the use of her Noble Phantasm to do so, leaving her completely depleted of mana and on the verge of fading from existence. Archer Alter appears on the scene, and with Saber completely unable to defend her Master, he prepares to kill Shirou. However, is called back by Sakura, returning to her side when she's unable to bear receiving the now-dead Berserker's soul.


This is roughly the canon point I'm taking Archer from, as from here he and Sakura retreat to the underground cavern that houses the Greater Grail.


From here on out, it's basically a BAD END. With her reserves of prana completely drained, Saber fades away. As Shirou doesn't have Archer's arm, he's unable to successfully project the Gem Sword with the amount of accuracy and precision necessary. Even with Rider's assistance, Rin, Ilya, and Shirou would be unable to both defeat Archer and Dark Sakura. Kotomine gets his wish, and Angra Mainyu is born.

PERSONAL-

Exposure to the Grail's "mud" is exposure to a curse that contains "all the evils of the world." Obviously, being forced to experience that much hatred, spite, etc changes a person! In canon, Saber becomes thoroughly disillusioned, throwing away the ideals she held and deciding to bear the weight of those evils on her own. However, these are largely revelations Archer has already had, hence the reasons for his bitter, cynical personality in canon. So, the results are a little different.

In Archer's case, all of his bitterness is directed inward in canon. Even though he could resent other people, he only blames himself for what became of him. However, under the toxic influence of Angra Mainyu, that bitterness instead turns outward. He sacrificed everything in the process of trying to make the world a better place for other people, and all he received in return was distrust, scorn, or outright hatred. He now feels all the resentment he never let himself experience in life, all at once, all the time.

As with Saber Alter in canon, Archer Alter needs to constantly suppress the rage he feels. And, as with Saber Alter in canon, this has something of a negative effect on his cognitive abilities. While in canon he makes up for his lack of raw power with cleverness, the opposite is true here; his ability to think of sly tactics, especially in the heat of the moment, is notably hindered, but because of the extreme amount of prana he receives, he doesn't need to be sly. He can just rely on his strongest attacks, using them over and over again without exhausting himself. Most of his parameters are higher than normal for this same reason.