[AEF] application

Player Information
Name: shuu
Contact: aetarna, PM this journal
Other Characters: n/a

Character Information
Name: Caster / Cú Chulainn
Canon: Fate/Grand Order
Canon Point: After the end of first story arc (Observer on Timeless Temple)
Age: Old as dirt He died in his mid-twenties, and as Heroic Spirits are summoned in their prime, he’s probably somewhere between 21 - 24
History: wiki page for Caster summon doesn't have all that much info, most of his story is detailed in his Lancer wiki page

The wiki doesn’t have much description about his plot-involvement within Grand Order, so I’m going to recap it.

Caster was summoned to an alternate version of Fuyuki Grail War, by an unknown master. The events that transpired differ from those we know from Fate/stay night. Saber located the corrupted Grail early on, and got Blackened by it. The city was left desolate and in flames, its people disappeared, while Saber Alter defeated and corrupted other Servants. Caster was the only one to escape this fate. Even before the protagonist’s team of the Fate/Grand Order - mages from an organization known as Chaldea - arrived, Caster managed to defeat Assassin and Rider by himself. He allied himself with the new arrivals and formed a contract with the protagonist.

With a bit unorthodox methods, he helped Mash - a demi-Servant of the Chaldea team - to activate her Noble Phantasm. Eventually leading the party towards the place where everything started, to the location of Greater Grail, and covering them by defeating Archer who was guarding the entrance. After that he assisted with defeating Saber, which made Caster a sort-of victor of that broken Grail War. Protagonist’s party learns of who was truly behind the Singularity and soon return to Chaldea.

Caster doesn’t really have a role during the events of Orleans singularity, but he gets a short episode in Septem’s singularity where he investigates odd happenings in the forests near Ulster. As more and more Servants appear in Chaldea he takes more of a backseat role.

Personality: Among all of the Fate/Stay Night Servant cast, it was noted in Hollow Ataraxia that Cú Chulainn is the one to best adapt to modern times. In half of the year, he became a known and well-liked presence in Fuyuki, taking various part-time job to support himself. While adapting well to the modern world, he still retains old-world sensibilities. Sometimes it manifests in silly ways: like when he interpreted "high school archery club" as a group of fierce warriors who take care of each other back. And "getting flowers for an injured club member" as "saying goodbyes to the fallen comrade". Suffice to say he almost sold that particular client a burial flowers arrangement, very touched and impressed by their nobility.

He’s easy going, playful and presents a friendly disposition towards almost everyone until given reason not to. Quick to adapt and accept new situations and open with his feelings, generous with affections. Living his life like a candle burning on both ends (he knows how it ended, so why have restraint?) At times he can be a bit of a douche when he takes the teasing or flirting too far, or allows his petty streak to run rampant. But that aside he’s a pleasant company and a pretty chill guy in general.

Perhaps too chill for someone who will have no qualms about slaughtering an innocent bystander if that’s his order.

A good thing to remember about him is that despite his easygoing and friendly attitude, Cú Chulainn is not a good guy. However, that doesn’t make him a bad guy either. His in-universe alignment is Neutral and for a reason. He comes from the twilight of Age of Gods, and his moral principles reflect that. Instead of following the good and evil duality his core values revolve around loyalty and pride.

Cú Chulainn is fiercely protective and supportive of the people he considers “his own”, he was a “Shield of Ulster” after all, but it also means he might remain completely neutral and often passive about everyone else. Oaths and promises are sacred and as per his legend, he took his share of terrible deals and geis upon himself for the sake of his people. The “greater good” doesn’t really concern him, as long as he keeps his promises, and protects those who fall into his pack. It’s not that hard to find yourself in it since he gets attached to people easily.

For him, there is a disconnection between friendships and allegiances, you might be friend with someone who will tomorrow be your enemy because of the conflict between your kings. It won’t change the fact that you are friends and enjoy each other’s company, it will only mean that now one of you has to die. Cú doesn’t really subscribe to the idea of “hating your enemies because they are your enemies.” Hating someone because it’s personal is one and understandable thing, but doing the same just because you stand on the opposite sides… not so much.

He hates betrayal and treachery but even when his Lancer summon was stuck with scheming and evil master like Kirei, he honored his orders even if he found them tasteless. He might not have put his heart into it, but he was very professional about their contract as long as it stayed upfront. And just like in his legend, when his hand was forced and he had to honor one promise by breaking another one it did cost him his life.

As for pride, no matter, Lancer or Caster, Cú Chulainn is a show-off. Not because he seeks validation from people though - he's very secure and confident in his abilities and knows their limits - but because it's part of his heroic pride. You can't cement yourself in the collective memory for ages if there's no audience to tell the tale. He chose this way of life, and even if he is disappointed in how things in his life turned out he makes a point how he doesn’t regret it any of it. He owns his legend and takes pride in going down in history’s records. Aside from one regret, he admits to later - his prized spear, Gae Bolg, taking the life of those he loved.

That pride is what often leads him to not making the wisest decisions. Cú Chulainn tends to flaunt his power the most when he’s sure he’s in control. He will drag the battle on for the pure enjoyment of it, which might give his enemies time to figure out a strategy to survive the fight. As a Lancer in Fate/Stay Night he gave Shirou multiple shots at escape when chasing him for the second time. Like an animal chasing its prey - which does play into his “beastlike” motif - thrilled to find someone able to evade him, but considering the attempts ultimately futile. But again it gave Shirou opportunity to end in right place and the right time to summon Saber.

On the contrary, when he finds himself in a clearly disadvantageous situation, he’s very quick to whip his trump card to cut the fight short immediately. Especially if he’s going against someone way too powerful for him to handle, or when it’s against pure unknown and the fight cannot be allowed to drag on.

Part of why he's unhappy with his Caster class summoning is because he now has to rely on petty, underhanded tricks he happily denounced in his Lancer-class incarnation. Instead of going for a good, straightforward fight, he has to focus on tactical moves and defense - which paradoxically was what he was always good at, even as a Lancer. Disdain for this strategy notwithstanding. He enjoys a good battle, and with only his magic skills available... that's not exactly always possible. And while he will switch to a melee brawl if given a possibility, wielding his staff like a spear, it requires carving the situation to his advantage first, to make that possibility happen. For all his hotheadedness, he's sensible enough, to understand that and takes a calculated pragmatist route - using whatever he has on hand to give himself an edge.

One of the big part of his narrative as a Lancer was that of "accepting the fate". It stems directly from the prophecy he took on as a young boy: a promise of glorious and heroic deeds in exchange for a very short life. It was his own choice to take on that prophecy, inspired by the falling star he saw and considered beautiful, Everything eventually ends, everyone is going to die, so it doesn't matter if it happens sooner or later, as long as he can roar louder, fight better and shine brighter than anyone else, if only for a moment. It worked well, millennia later he's still remembered as Ireland's great hero,

He’s all about living in the moment and enjoying himself fully, without thinking about the future. Especially since he’s used to having that future already set for him.

It's a subtle change with his Caster's incarnation, but he seems to no longer be bound by his cruel fate, even if he doesn't seem to realize it. As a Caster he no longer has his cursed spear of sure-hit, but also seems to avoid his destiny of doing something incredibly heroic and then dying. Not only he actively works on solving the Fuyuki crisis but he also secures allies for this very purpose. And again, it doesn't end with his death - he wins - and continues with Grand Order's protagonist to help them with even bigger stakes. It is a shift compared to his previous narrative.

Even his powers reflect that, as they are based around writing system. He's no longer following the story, he got the ability to change it. It is however not an effect of his own wish, because all Caster wants is what he can't get - to get his damn spear back. He remarks that fighting without it is a pain, and that he would rather be summoned as a Lancer - what he sees as the most superior incarnation of himself. Without Gae Bolg he's no longer easily identifiable "Ulster's child of light, Cú Chulainn" but just "some nameless druid", and given how much pride he takes in his legend, it is a source of discomfort and frustration to him. Thus as a veteran of multiple Grail Wars, but not in his top condition, he relegates himself to the role of a guide as the best way to serve his new Master.

Abilities & Skills:

Servant physiology: Even the weakest Servant is far stronger and durable than a regular human is. However, since they’re not physically from this world means that Servant’s physical body is manifested only through the continued use of mana, in normal cases supplied by a magus - Master - the contract is formed with. To conserve mana usage, Servants can turn into spirit form, becoming invisible and intangible.

Rune magic: Cú is a skilled user of runic magecraft, that was passed to him during his training with famed warrior-witch Scáthach - but outside from Caster-class manifestation he does not employ it often, preferring conventional dueling. Scáthach decided to teach him Norse runes Futhark, instead of Celtic Ogham, as their nature of instant effect would suit a young warrior more. It is highly unadvisable for beginner users to use more than one rune at once, but Caster manifestation has been seen writing multiple runes at once. Which means that he’s either that good with them (his Rune magic is ranked A) or just doesn’t give a damn about potential risks (which is also entirely in-character for him). While the runes themselves are pretty versatile with effects ranging from various enhancements, curses, healing, tracking, etc, he prefers the usage of fire-based attacks to torment his enemies.

Spear-fighting: His favoured weapon, cursed spear Gae Bolg, might be sealed in his Caster manifestation, but it doesn’t stop him from wielding his druid staff as if it was a spear. Also encompassing it with flame, because apparently, he has to compensate lack of his favourite weapon with improvisation and newfound pyromania.

Divine protection from arrows: exactly what it says at the tin, and something he was born with. A blessing of his divine father, Lugh. As long as he makes visual contact with the enemy, and it’s not absurd long-range, he can evade, defend - or in case of Caster’s manifestation case - nullify the projectiles.

Territory Creation: Caster-class specific skill. Allows altering of the surrounding lands in favor of their sorcery. That includes defense, traps or even siphoning mana from places of power. In Cú’s case, it’s of course, based on the runes, that can be inscribed even on the air to create an arena favorable to him. He can imitate Scáthach's Gate of Skye, but that's a secret, as his mentor wouldn't be happy to learn that.

Noble Phantasm: Wicker Man, Cage of Scorching, Consuming Flames: Caster Cú might not have access to his cheat one-hit-kill spear Gae Bolg, but what he gets instead, is still a ridiculous monstrosity. Wicker Man is a giant-like structure that rages on, in search of the sacrifice, which it places inside the cage in its torso and then burns down. Interestingly enough, parts of it can be summoned as well. Either for protection, where wood and wicker envelopes Caster, sometimes even forming a statue-like double he can trade place with; or attack, where only an arm manifests, ready to grab the enemy and slam them into the ground.

Now for the mundane skills… believe it or not, but this guy is an excellent florist and gardener. He got just enough patience and sense of style needed to create good looking arrangements. Flowers also tend to attract the ladies so…. He might be a blood-knight but at least he’s a sensitive one!

Fishing: is another one, and he’s pretty old-fashioned about it. He uses the simplest fishing rod without a reel and still manages to catch plenty. It falls under the umbrella of general survival skills, as camping in the wilds or mountain climbing is very familiar to him as well.



Inventory/Companions:
- oaken druid staff
- set of runestones

Choice: I'm kind of torn between a Witch and Fae, so I will leave it up for the mod discretion/RNG.

Reason: - for Witch route - Caster is already-- well, a magic user. But given his preference for his skills as a warrior, he generally takes his magic for granted. He got access to an ancient magic system that could potentially rewrite reality to an incredible degree, he uses it to light his cigarette. Having that all stripped from him and being suddenly in a position where he has to relearn how the magic works puts him in an interesting spot arc-wise. Having him leveled-down basically makes a good opportunity for character growth and forging CR

- for Fae route; it's mostly because of his lore. Cú Chulainn is the son of Lugh, one of the kings of Tuatha Dé Danann - which are related (if not the very same, depending on writing, interpretation etc) to Aos si/aes sidhe. Once goddesses and gods eventually relegated to the role of elves, fairies and nature spirits. Cú himself have been born in a Fairy Mound, and even visited Otherworld during his lifetime. Given that he already has some traits associated with Fae (treating given word and promises very seriously, having a petty streak, his magic being made of weaving words and stories) and a partial heritage it would be interesting to play with these amplified. He wouldn't be happy with the transformation and noticing the penchant for trickery and I am curious where it could take him as it is a significantly different angle.


Sample: Top-level on the TDM, tag-out on TDM