Post by Catharsis on Jul 6, 2014 2:24:26 GMT
Premise THE STOLEN GRAIL In the aftermath of Third Holy Grail War, the Grail disappeared--gone, vanished, or perhaps stolen. No one knew until the 2000s, the Yggdmillenia family abandond the Mage's Association, declaring that they had held the Holy Grail for all these years. In response, the Mage's Association dispatched one hundred magi to retrieve what was rightfully theirs. Only one mage survived, but the survivor reached the Holy Grail and activated it's reserve system. This initiated the Great Holy Grail War. | THE GREAT HOLY GRAIL WAR The Great Holy Grail War is split between two factions, each with seven masters and seven servants. The Black faction comprises of various members of the Yggdmillenia family--not truly a family but a gathering of new and fading magi families that have reason to shirk the status quo. The Red faction consists of representatives chosen by the Mage's Association, mostly freelancers that could respond on short notice. The Grail also summoned for itself the Ruler servant, to oversee the war to follow. | A PEACEFUL TOWN Yggdmillenia fled from Fuyuki City with the Holy Grail to a little town in a mountain valley. Fifty years later, Taixuan has finally started to develop, although it's still far from a booming metropolis. Much of it is still old and traditional, somehow surviving the Communist Revolution, but modernity's laid down its banner. A sprawling shopping district and tourism at the beautiful Lake Ningwu has brought new life to Taixuan. The Great Holy Grail War, of course, will only bring death. |
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Post by Catharsis on Jul 6, 2014 2:25:11 GMT
Factions THE BLACK FACTION Yggdmillennia: Tree of a Thousand Realms - The Yddgmillenia family isn't a bloodline family with a single magical crest passed down the generations. They are instead a gathering of different families, mostly new families with weak bloodlines or old families in decline. They have long existed in the shadows of the Mage's Association, but they've rarely been recognized. They're not considered a noble magical family so much as they're seen as a rule-shirking, law-breaking mafia. Before the Great Holy Grail War, it was thought that Yggdmillenia's only strength was their quantity of mages, not their quality. However, now that their best and brightest are in the limelight, it's obvious to see that they have been underestimated for all this time. | THE RED FACTION The Mage's Association: The Clock Tower - An organization that exists to preserve and conceal Magecraft from the world, they are the closest thing to an international governing body for mages. They honor the old and powerful bloodlines, and weaker bloodlines have little to no influence at all. The Holy Grail was under their watch until Yggdmillenia stole it away, keeping it hidden from the Association for over fifty years. The short notice for the Great Holy Grail War has prevented many of their most noble bloodlines from participating in the Great Holy Grail War, forcing the Red Faction to rely on a precarious mix of elite magi and hard-boiled freelancers. The Mage's Association is an infamously backstabbing lot, but for now, they have reason to work together to take the Grail back from Yggdmillenia. |
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Post by Catharsis on Jul 6, 2014 2:26:22 GMT
Taixuan NINGWU - THE CLOUDY LAKE Ningwu is the lake at the heart of Taixuan. A sparkling clear river (Ningjiang) flows into the lake via waterfall, which raises the question of why Ningwu's color is a clean but opaque blue, trending deep purple after the rain. The lake lies on a powerful junction of magical leylines, and there is a hidden shrine behind the waterfall that can be found by those of the Yggdmillenia family. The shrine leads deep below the lake, where the Holy Grail is kept secret and safe. | XISHI - THE HISTORIC TOWN When people think of Taixuan, they think of the eastern district Xishi. A historic site, most of the buildings are at least centuries old and untouched by the developing times. These days, it's a popular tourist spot that draws in visitors from around the world. Despite that, it's not just a tourist trap. The food is excellent, the wine is cheap, and the shops are wondrously kitschy. Young and old, foreign and local, everyone likes to pass time in Xishi. | ZHAOJUN - THE COURTYARD NEIGHBORHOODS Known for its numerous siheyuan housing complexes, Zhaojun is a residential area in southern Taixuan. Despite the external appearance of being a traditional neighborhood, the interiors of the buildings are cheaply renovated to modern standards, the result of a semi-successful communist project. Well-to-do families may own an entire courtyard complex, but most courtyards these days are like apartments, with different families living in each section. | DIAOCHAN - A TOUCH OF MODERNITY In the afternoon, Diachan to the west of lake casts its long shadow over all of Taixuan. Although it's only just started to develop, Diaochan is home to the gargantuan Jinfu Guangchang shopping mall and several skyscraper apartment buildings. The nightlife in Diaochan is limited in options but active, with a few clubs and plenty of bars. Despite the development effort, some parts of Diaochan are just empty warehouses with no one around. | GUIFEI - THE LAKESIDE MANORS Taixuan's wealthiest--or at least wealthy people that vacation in Taixuan--have large western-style mansions that overlook the lake in the hilly northern district Guifei. There aren't very many mansions, so most of Guifei is open but quiet park space, good for hiking, nature walks, and quiet contemplation along the lake shore--also: battles to the death. Some of the richer mages in both factions have purchased a manor as they stay in Taixuan for the Great Holy Grail War. |
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