towerofanimus Application

[oathshackledbird]

Player Information

Name: Neko Sandy
Personal Journal: nekosandy
Age: 30+ (15 was a loooong time ago.)
Contact Info: Please contact me through either this journal, oathshackledbird, or at nekosandy. I am also sometimes on AIM as oathshackledbird or Plurk as NekoSandy .
Other Characters Played: None! This is my first one.

Character Information

Character Name: Lancer or if he has revealed his true identity to you, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Character Series: Fate Zero
Character Age: Lancer appears to be around 25, but he really is the spirit of a hero who lived and died in the ancient past.
Character Gender: Male
Original Canon
Canon Point: I am pulling Lancer from right as he is fading/dying during episode 16, "The End of Honor."
Background Link: Here is a link to Lancer's bio page on the Type-Moon Wiki and here is a link to the page for Fate Zero as a whole on the same wiki.

Personality:

If one were to describe Lancer in a word, that word would be 'knight,' though unlike many of his counterparts who call themselves knights, he is truly a personification of that term. His life, thoughts, and decisions all are bounded by the twin rules of knighthood--loyalty to one's master and honor in one's actions. Given two choices, the one he takes will always be the one that is most honorable and loyal to his master's wants. Indeed, these two characteristics are so overwhelming that they sometimes completely cover a good many of his other personality traits leaving him to be seen by outsiders as little more than his master's tool instead of a person who has feelings and cares of his own. For the most part this is something that Lancer, as a good knight, doesn't mind since his own needs and wants are secondary to his master's wishes. In fact, he takes great pride in living as he does.

However, as is often the case for people who so completely believe in something, Lancer's strong devotion to loyalty and honor are also his greatest weaknesses. They often narrow his view of people and the world around him as he expects others to act in a similar manner. Once they have proven they aren't willing to do so, Lancer will often dismiss them if they are lucky or become openly hostile if they seem to threaten his master's plans. On the other hand, a person who has once shown themselves to be honorable or noble will be trusted unquestioningly even if, deep down, they are not. While this naivete could more easily be accepted during his first life when honor and loyalty were widespread and expected of others, in modern day it is a fatal mistake just waiting to happen.

In addition, modern day has added another conflict to Lancer's life and that is the idea of a master so dishonorable that he has to constantly choose between violating one the two rules he has formed his whole existence around. Does he do as his master commands him and thus remain loyal, but at the same time face dishonor because of his actions or does he break his loyalty to his master and do the honorable thing? For some people, the choice might be simple, but for him the choice is much more difficult because no matter what he picks it will feel like he has cut part of his own heart out. In fact, there are several times in the series where, when faced with the decision, he nearly breaks down. This rightly makes him seem like one of the more emotional characters in the series because his battle is more personal than the others. His battle between good and evil isn't taking place on a world scale, but inside of himself. Each time he is forced to choose between being honorable or being loyal, he feels he is failing his values and committing evil against his beliefs.

While much of the series focuses Lancer's loyalty and honor, there are a few other personality traits that are touched on as well. He is a man who very much values his colleagues and even more highly values those he would consider his friends to the extent that he will put himself into hardship if it will help those he cares about. This applies even if those he cares about are actively seeking to kill him as is shown during his first life when he refuses to fight any of the Fianna while he is being pursued. Instead, this skilled fighter runs from battle rather than risking the deaths of men he has grown up with, trained, and fought with.

For Lancer, self-sacrifice is second nature--something any knight should be ready and willing to do--especially when it comes to helping the innocent. In some ways, he even seems to value this idea above being loyal to his master as, during the series, he willingly destroys one of his own weapons, weakening himself and thus making it harder for his master to reach his goal, while at the same time making it easier for his colleagues and himself to save a great many innocent people. In the middle of a war such an action would seem to be the pinnacle of foolishness--so foolish, in fact, that one of his fellow servants asks him if he really wishes to do it--yet he doesn't think twice about doing so because it is what a true knight should do.

There is one more important trait in Lancer's personality and it's a new trait--the ability to feel true anger and hate. Because he lives his first life so tightly bound by loyalty and honor, he never feels true anger or true hatred as he feels they are unknightly emotions that have no place in his world. Even when his master lets him die, he doesn't feel hate--only sadness that he has not been able to serve faithfully all of his life.

His second death isn't accepted so easily. Betrayed again, this time by a master who has done nothing but cut him down and destroy all the things he cares about, Lancer breaks, screaming his rage and hate at the people and the world that have allowed these things to happen to one who has done nothing but serve others. Deep down, he is shocked by these emotions. They are new and unfamiliar. Unknightly and selfish. And things that show no sign of leaving him anytime soon.

Which is good, because he's not so sure he wants them to as frightening to him as that prospect is. Maybe it's the shock from being betrayed again, but there is a small part of him that is tired of it all and wants something more. At the same time, that small part of him is so foreign and strange that he fears listening to it. Lancer also knows that he should be ashamed of such selfish feelings. However, with his participation in the war a failure, all the values he's held so close to him during his live crushed, that strange voice sounds very comforting.

Abilities:

Lancer is a heroic spirit which means he's not a human despite having a humanoid form. Instead, he is the materialized copy of a hero's soul recorded long ago to the Throne of Heroes and called back into the world by a master's magic. Heroic spirits usually require energy from their masters to survive, though in Lancer's case, he gets his energy from his master's fiancee instead of his master.

Despite being a hero from the past because of the information he is given by the Holy Grail when he is called into the 4th War, Lancer does know a little bit about modern devices and times--that is if modern were still the 1990s. When it comes down to it, he probably knows just enough to get him into trouble with technology, but he would most likely be fine, if a little unsure, when it comes to other--less rapidly changing--things.

As a spirit given human form, Lancer's speed, strength, and other such abilities are very far above those of normal humans. Below is a list of his skills ranked as they are in the series. Rankings go from the low end of the chart, E, up to the highest rank of EX which is actually used for skill levels that are off the charts.

Strength: B
Mana: D
Endurance: C
Agility: A+
Luck: E

As a feature of his class, Lancer has extraordinary speed and agility even among other servants. On the other hand, his luck is just as low as it can be.

Lancer is an extraordinary fighter skilled in the use of many weapons. However, since he is called into the lancer class during the war, his skills have been limited and focused on using spears. He has two that he dual wields with blinding speed and deadly force despite their different lengths. (It should be noted that while dual wielding is his preferred fighting mode, he can wield them each alone with just as much skill as when he uses them together.) The shorter of the two is called Gae Buidhe and the longer Gae Dearg. Both spears he keeps wrapped in talisman cloths to hide their identities and to seal their abilities which are passive and don't require any special words to invoke. When unsealed, Gae Buidhe causes wounds that cannot be healed in any way until either the weapon is destroyed or Lancer himself is killed. Gae Dearg's ability can pierce magical projections and enhancements by severing their ties to the energy that they need to keep themselves manifest. The effect is only temporary and lasts just as long as the spear's point is in contact with the object in question. While this might not seem very useful ability because of how temporary the effect is, it can devastating against those who over rely on magical abilities or expect magically projected/enhanced armor to protect them.

Important Note: Gae Buidhe was destroyed during Fate Zero and, unless the Tower feels like restoring it to him, Lancer will only have access to Gae Dearg when he arrives.

Most servants have a set of armor that, along with their Noble Phantasms (in Lancer's case, his spears), are considered a part of them and can be manifest and dismissed at will. (As such, I believe this makes both his armor and weapon exempt from having to be in the trunk. If this is not the case, please let me know.) Lancer's armor despite not looking like much is highly resistant, though not impervious, to damage.

In addition to his physical skills, Lancer has several mental/magical skills. First of all, he has good resistance to magical effects--a B ranking--which in his world would mean that very few magic abilities would be a danger to him.

Lancer also possesses an ability called Eye of the Mind (True) as a result of all the experience he's gained fighting. This ability gives him a greater chance of winning or properly escaping any battle. In addition to his calm and perceptive nature, this skill allows him to lead other experienced fighters into well thought out traps. In fact, this kind of smart fighting is something he excels at since lancers generally tend to be fragile, acrobatic fighters and would have a hard time straight out fighting someone much stronger and heavier than they are.

His last ability is one that has caused him a great deal of grief in both his first life and his life as a servant. Classified as a Mystic Face ability, Lancer has a small mole under his right eye. This mole is a physical manifestation of the curse he carries. Any woman who looks at his face is said to fall in love with him. Those with a fairly high magical resistance can often shrug off the curse unless they wish to be under its effects, but those who have no magical resistance have no way to fight it off. Lancer has no control over this curse much to his displeasure.

(Note for the Mods: I realize this ability will probably require some kind or restriction or flat out nullification since it would take control of player's characters from them. Just let me know what needs to be done with it!)

Finally,as a more general ability, all servants can disappear into spirit form which makes them invisible and allows them to move through walls and other obstacles.

Sample Entry 1:

The voice that rages and tears through the stillness Lancer is positive can't be his own. Despite the fact that he can feel the words as they claw their way out of his throat, the anger and the need for vengeance that fill the voice are things he's never felt before. They are selfish words, words no knight would dare speak...

...the words of a man who has just been betrayed to his death for the second time in his life.

Lancer's hands wrap around the shaft of the spear that he had, only moments before, driven through his own chest. He doesn't need to ask the whys or the hows. Blood-misted eyes vaguely find his master's form and he knows what every part of his body has already told him though the actions he's been forced to take.

His master--the one who has forced him to commit so many dishonorable acts though out the war--has finally decided to be rid of him in the most dishonorable way possible.

Command Seal forced suicide.

He shouldn't be surprised. His master has never trusted him. He has berated him for every honorable action, every honorable thought...

Perhaps you should stop wondering about those things now. It's over.

Lancer starts slightly at the voice. It is small. Dark. And definitely not the howl that is still tearing itself from his throat.

Time to forget, right? To go back and start this farce all over again. To find another master to tear apart all you are and step on it as if it's nothing.

He wants to scream 'no,' but his voice is still too busy railing at the world to answer, forcing him to resort to screaming his denial mentally.

The dark voice only laughs.

What makes you think anything will change? That this isn't a farce? As long as you willingly submit, the end will always be like this.

Lancer's eyes clear for just a moment, though it is hard to tell since all he can see is the ground stained red with his blood. Already his form is fading. His role in the war over.

As his eyes clear, his mind does as well and he realizes he doesn't want this to be the end. He can't accept it as the end. How can this be his reward after giving up all he values? All that he has held close to his heart?

Why is it his wish that is being bled out into the dirt?

Remember how this feels. Remember the anger. Remember the hatred. If nothing else, maybe that will let you change things...someday.

Lancer has almost faded now and his voice has finally stopped its howls, though for a moment longer his mind still processes the voice's words and he can't help but reply silently.

"Perhaps. Someday."

Sample Entry 2:

Gae Dearg's wide attacking arc stops short of its intended mark with a clash, but instead of looking disappointed, its wielder's grin only widens as he leaps backward with an acrobatic twist. His opponent also leaps back--though not quite so agilely--and both of them settle into stillness a short distance away from each other to await the fight's next move.

In the time since they last met, her skills haven't dulled. Not that Lancer had expected them to, but with all the odd magic that had to have gone into them meeting again--outside of a war no less--he isn't willing to take anything for granted. He would just rather spend his time focusing on fighting their duel instead of trying to understand something that really has no value.

His eyes lock onto the small blond figure in front of him. How such a young girl became the great King of Knights is something he still doesn't know. And honestly, he doesn't care. She has proven time and time again to be a knight of the highest honor. One well worthy of her title.

Saber dashes in to begin another attack and he spins to avoid it, beginning one of his own in response. It is still amusing to him that his first worries upon seeing her weren't to do with her battle prowess or abilities, but whether or not she would be able to resist his curse. There is no honor is fighting an opponent who won't fight back after all. Maybe his master would have been happy with such an easy victory, but it wouldn't have pleased him at all. Especially not against one so talented as she.

Lancer shifts backward as her blade brushes just a hair's breath away from his throat. He ignores it, though, his previous motion having placed him perfectly into position to take advantage of an opening in her defense. For a moment, it almost seems as if his blow will land, but at the very last instant she twists out of range and they spin apart to begin their dance again.

This is how their duel in the war should have been. Two warriors facing either other with no other goals than to fight honorably to a definite conclusion. The blood staining their weapons and the ground brought there by skill, not by magic used by those not even on the battlefield.

A bit of anger begins to build in Lancer as he remembers how things ended in the war, but he quickly pushes it away. He won't have such an unknightly emotion tainting their fight. He won't have memories of such an dishonorable man tainting their fight.

After all, it is their fight. Their duel. A duel between two people who understand each other perfectly despite being born in very different times.

Or perhaps not so different. As Lancer pauses to wipe at a slight cut she has scored across his cheek, he notices her do the same. She has not been the only one to hit home. However, there is something more important to him than the fact their traded wounds keep the fight tally even. The glow of delight in her eyes. She is enjoying this just as much as he is. In fact, he suspects that somewhere deep inside of her, she feels the same as he does at this moment.

Even if this duel lasts forever, even if they never come to a decisive winner, this is a much better fate than the war of dishonor they had both experienced before.