Maidens of the Kaleidoscope

~Hakurei Shrine~ => Patchouli's Scarlet Library => Topic started by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 02, 2011, 03:16:52 PM

Title: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 02, 2011, 03:16:52 PM: So I'm finally getting back to writing after... what has it been? Year and a half? Two years? Either way, been too long.

   My name is Patchouli Knowledge. I am a resident of the so-called Scarlet Devil Mansion, one of the most prominent households of Gensokyo. Living in the mansion, I have encountered many prominent humans and youkai, whether I wish to or not. My writings are meant to describe what I know about these people and their lives. Before that, I shall go into detail on my own life.

   I was born as the youngest child of a family of magicians. I have no idea why my parents chose to name me after something so foul-smelling; I sometimes feel as if they did not think much of me at the time. Nonetheless, I have kept my name out of respect for my lineage. Because I was born with several physical deficiencies, the rest of my family taught me little magic in comparison to my siblings. However, another magician discovered I had strong magical talent despite my frailty, and decided to mentor me. I would go on to travel the world for some time, learning magic from a variety of places and peoples.

   Nowadays, I live in the Scarlet Devil Mansion with numerous other people, both human and youkai. The lady of the mansion and its owner, Remilia Scarlet, has been a close personal friend of mine for a significant length of time. She has a younger sister named Flandre; I do not see her as much due to various factors. In addition, the mansion has several other residents including our head maid Sakuya, our gatekeeper Meiling, and countless fairies and youkai who act as servants and staff.

   As a resident of the mansion, I am employed in a variety of roles. My main role is that of an expert on magic and the supernatural. I am often called upon to investigate supernatural events that affect the mansion, or to provide my magic and expertise to assist in carrying out Remilia's plans, whatever they may be.

   Secondarily, I manage the library of the mansion, which has been assigned to my care. This library stores countless books and tomes, including magical texts, historical records, and various writings from both Gensokyo and the outside world. I do not run the library directly; I have a large number of subordinates who handle its day-to-day operations. They are managed by a nameless imp youkai (I, along with the other residents of the mansion have nicknamed her ?Koakuma? for convenience's sake), who in return reports directly to me.

   I have several other responsibilities that I carry out within the mansion. I act as an advisor to Remilia and the other residents of the mansion, providing information and guidance. Additionally, I act as treasurer, keeping track of the mansion's finances and the inventory of food and supplies. On occasion, I act as a tutor, providing education to Flandre. Lastly, I have some knowledge of machines and engineering; I can build various devices when provided with schematics, and and I have enough expertise to maintain the clockwork of the mansion.

   I tend to get heavily involved in my work. When doing research, I tend to study for long periods, often not eating or sleeping for hours or even days. Once I am done whatever I am working on, I usually eat a moderately-sized meal then rest for a while. My colleagues and friends are concerned about the effect this has on my health, but I have assured them that my lifestyle does not harm me.

   While I am frequently busy, I have several hobbies. I would not call the majority of my writing a hobby; most of it is research notes and magical formulas. When I have the free time to do so, I enjoy reading; I am especially interested in books from the outside world, which while rare, are very informative and fascinating. Quite often I will find myself interested by something I read about and attempt to practice it for myself, such as cooking. Currently, I am fascinated by painting; I am practicing with still life right now. I also enjoy games of strategy; chess is a popular pastime for me and the other residents of the mansion. However, I wish to challenge myself with something else, such as go or shogi.

   A fact that not many people know about me is that I adore cats. In addition to being useful in dealing with vermin, they make pleasant company while not being too bothersome. As much as I like them, I do not keep one personally. This has nothing to do with allergies; I am fine around animals. The main issue that prevents me from owning a pet is that the mansion and library are chaotic enough without an animal roaming around. Additionally, caring for an animal is extremely difficult for me with my unusual schedule.

   I assume that is enough about my life for now, and that my readers would be interested in the lives and lifestyles of others in Gensokyo.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Yakitori on April 02, 2011, 04:59:28 PM: This is really good so far. I'm assuming it's a biography of everyone in Gensokyo? That would take a long time to write, but I guess you would probably only include the most important people. The only thing I noticed was at the end, when Patchouli mentioned that she liked cats. It didn't seem to really fit in with the rest of it, and adding it at the end felt a bit awkward. Nonetheless, great job and keep up the good work!
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 02, 2011, 08:05:30 PM: Quote
This is really good so far. I'm assuming it's a biography of everyone in Gensokyo? That would take a long time to write, but I guess you would probably only include the most important people. The only thing I noticed was at the end, when Patchouli mentioned that she liked cats. It didn't seem to really fit in with the rest of it, and adding it at the end felt a bit awkward. Nonetheless, great job and keep up the good work!
It's not going to be solely biographies, I plan to go into detail on other things like the significance of tea in Gensokyo's culture and how the Spell Card system and danmaku work.

I was slightly worried that my paragraphs wouldn't flow together perfectly, I'm trying to improve on that for future chapters.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 03, 2011, 02:43:13 AM: Thanks to Iced for helping me with input for this chapter.

   Remilia Scarlet is the head of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and one of my closest friends. Known as the ?Scarlet Devil?, she is the most well-known vampire in Gensokyo. Due to her power, she is both feared and respected.

   According to records, Remilia was born at the beginning of the sixteenth century, making her the oldest resident of the mansion I am aware of. However, this is based on the information I have and could be easily proven wrong. Despite her status, Remilia looks and acts like a child. She can be very short-tempered on occasion, and frequently does things without concern for how they will affect those outside of the mansion. I often have to act as a voice of reason, attempting to steer her away from a poor decision. Far too often, however, it is impossible to change her mind, and I find myself helping her against my better judgement.

   Other than her younger sister, I have never met any of Remilia's family; I do not know what could have happened to them. Research has turned up nothing, and I am too nervous about offending her to ask about it directly. She claims to be a descendant of supposed vampire Vlad Tepes Dracul, but I have found no information to corroborate this. It is well within her capacity to lie about such a thing.

   As the head of a prominent household, Remilia is quite social. She frequently holds parties and banquets which bring humans and youkai from all over Gensokyo. I personally dislike attending these events, as I am not good at socializing with people outside the mansion and tend to be bothered by the noise and commotion. However, these gatherings have given me the opportunity to meet other intellectuals I would not otherwise encounter, and the food is always enjoyable.

   Remilia's socializing is not limited solely to the mansion, though. She will occasionally travel to the human village out of curiosity. This tends to unsettle the inhabitants, but her presence has become tolerated and even expected. In addition, after an incident several years ago, Remilia has become an acquaintance of Reimu Hakurei, the local shrine maiden . The two frequently meet in order to have tea and discuss matters related to Gensokyo and their personal lives.

   Remilia has several personal interests outside of her social life. In spring, she likes to go out and view the cherry blossoms. I have not joined her for this myself, but she often goes out for the entire day and night. She also enjoys watching falling leaves in autumn, although not to the same extent. She is also an avid collector of artifacts and weapons; she claims to have several weapons that originated in myth and legend. Similar to her claim of ancestry, this is highly dubious and has no evidence to support it.

   As a vampire, Remilia has several abilities. Like all vampires, she has incredible physical strength, agility, and stamina. She can transform between the form of a bat and a more humanlike form at will. However, she has not perfected this, and she is unable to hide her wings. She also has the ability to control blood to some degree; she uses this power in combat to create various projectiles, and used it to create the so-called ?scarlet mist? some time ago.

   While it does not seem to be related to her vampire lineage, Remilia also has a very intriguing power: the ability to see and manipulate the future. Using this ability, she can alter a person's destiny to varying extents. This ability has limitations; due to the laws of combat in Gensokyo, she can not use her clairvoyance to guarantee victory. Additionally, if a person becomes consciously aware their fate is being manipulated, they can break Remilia's control. I am not sure about the extent to which she has used this ability to influence the residents of the mansion, but I would like to believe that I know too much about her powers for them to affect me.

   As a vampire, Remilia has several weaknesses. She is extremely sensitive to sunlight; she requires a parasol or other form of protection in order to go outside. While light is not directly lethal to her, exposure burns her skin faster than it would an ordinary human and leaves her in extreme pain. Her body is sensitive to fast-moving water, preventing her from going in rain or near rivers. Additional weaknesses she has are sardine heads, holly branches, and soybeans. While it is a common weakness in vampire lore, Remilia is not harmed by crosses or other religious imagery, and she has actually adopted some of it herself as a form of defiance.

   Remilia's main weakness is hubris; while it is not as obvious as the weaknesses mentioned above, it is much more severe. Due to her arrogance, she refuses to admit the possibility of failure. She always assumes she is in control of a situation; this makes her vulnerable to being manipulated by others. While she has suffered numerous defeats, this has done little to affect her worldview. I fear she will not change until significant or even fatal harm comes to someone close to her.

   Despite being a vampire, Remilia is not as dangerous to humans as one would expect. She is bound by a contract made in the early years of Gensokyo, where vampires were provided food by youkai in return for ceasing to attack humans. While she does drain blood from humans provided to her, she is a light eater and consumes little. What she does consume she does in a way to minimize the risk of death. She could easily obtain blood from any of the residents of the mansion, but she respects us too much to do so. Despite her nobility, Remilia is an extremely messy eater; her nickname comes from her tendency to wind up with blood splattered on her. This has actually permanently stained her clothes; they were once white, although if one looks closely, what she wears is a shade of pink.

   I have known Remilia for a long time; we met well before Gensokyo as it is known today came to be. As I recall, I was traveling in Europe and was invited to her mansion. She took interest in my skills as a magician, and introduced me to her collection of tomes. As I stayed in the mansion to study, I became attached to her and the other residents. Since then, I have become one of the mansion's residents itself. When the mansion was threatened by war between the humans approximately a century ago, I used my magic to move it, causing it to end up in Gensokyo. This effort used much of my magic and nearly cost me my life; I greatly thank Remilia and the other residents of the mansion for aiding in my recovery afterward.

   Now that I look back, I believe Remilia's interest in me may not have been purely altruistic. I get a strong feeling that the main reason she approached me is that she was aware how much of a threat my magic could pose to her. By becoming close to me, this threat would be reduced. Regardless of whether or not that is true, I consider Remilia a genuine friend, and she feels the same toward me.

   Despite her childish nature and occasional selfishness, Remilia cares deeply for her family and close friends. To an extent, I think the two are the same for her.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 07, 2011, 02:20:23 AM:    Koakuma is the name of a youkai contracted to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. This is not her actual name; those in the mansion tried and failed to pronounce it on numerous occasions before giving up. We eventually settled on giving her a nickname, which translates to ?little devil?. Despite having numerous bat-like features in her appearance, she should not be mistaken for a vampire; if I had to assign her to a category of youkai, I would refer to her as a demon.

   While she acts as my assistant, Koakuma is actually contracted to Remilia. She was summoned approximately a century ago, shortly after the mansion was moved to Gensokyo. As I was bedridden from severe injuries at the time, I do not know the exact details of this contract, such as how she was summoned or where she was summoned from. I assume that given the type of youkai she is, Koakuma originates from the realm of Makai; I have yet to confirm this, however.

   Koakuma was originally summoned to take over my duties while I was recovering from having depleted my magic in having moved the Scarlet Devil Mansion to Gensokyo. During my recuperation, Koakuma ran the mansion's library in my stead. When I eventually recovered, she became my subordinate. As my assistant, Koakuma carries out a variety of duties. She manages the staff of the library, relaying my orders and making sure that work is carried out properly. She also acts as my secretary, helping keep track of paperwork for me. Additionally, Koakuma often checks in with the rest of the residents for me, reporting on my progress and assuring them I that I am in good health while I'm working.

   While she usually conducts herself in a professional manner, Koakuma has a mischievous side, in part due to her youkai nature. She will steal items of minor importance while I am not looking; pens and other writing implements seem to be taken the most often. She also has a recurring habit of rearranging my furniture and possessions to try and provoke a reaction out of me. One time, she somehow managed to move my bed onto the ceiling of my personal quarters.

   Koakuma has never left the mansion in the time I have known her. I do not know the reason for this. I am assuming she is bound to the mansion by her contract, although it is equally possible she simply prefers to stay here. Many of the residents and servants of the mansion are extremely comfortable never leaving; I should not be surprised that Koakuma is the same.

   Although she is from a powerful race of youkai, Koakuma's capabilities are weaker than the other residents of the mansion. While she is moderately skilled with magic and can produce so-called ?danmaku?, she has not developed any spell cards. This puts her at a significant disadvantage when in combat with the other residents of Gensokyo.

   While she is not as powerful or as distinguished as others in the mansion, Koakuma still fills an important role. Without her help, I do not think I would be able to accomplish as much as I do.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 09, 2011, 02:27:13 AM: Don't be afraid to comment, I'd love to hear what you have to say.

   The Scarlet Devil Mansion has a significant number of staff involved in its maintenance, upkeep, and care. The most prominent of these is Sakuya Izayoi, the chief maid and housekeeper.

   Sakuya has been with the mansion for only a short time, and I know little about her. While she looks to be fairly youthful, she may have be born earlier than her physical age indicates. Her skin tone and body type make it likely that she is European by birth; I highly doubt that Sakuya is her real name. I believe I heard her referred to as ?Jacqueline? around the time she first arrived at the mansion, but my memory is sometimes unreliable.

   Sakuya's personality is what I can only describe as stoic; it is very hard to understand her emotionally. She seems to be very skilled at hiding or faking her emotions, so knowing what she truly feels at a given time is very difficult. This is made much harder by the fact that Sakuya rarely if ever discusses matters related to her personally. I sometimes worry that I or someone else has said or done something to hurt her feelings without realizing it. Sakuya has started to become more open with people in and out of the mansion since the scarlet mist incident several years ago, but I still find her to be somewhat distant.

   As the head housekeeper, Sakuya carries out numerous duties. She manages any staff of the mansion who are not direct subordinates to someone else. The few staff who are excluded from her jurisdiction are Koakuma and the library staff who report to me, and the groundskeepers and guards led by Hong Mei Ling. This is exceedingly difficult, as many of the mansion's servants are fairies, who are typically absentminded and difficult to order around. As a housekeeper, Sakuya does a significant amount of cleaning, plus tasks such as food preparation and laundry. Finally, she acts as the personal caretaker of Remilia, overseeing her health and welfare.

   In addition to her role as a domestic servant, Sakuya acts as a go-between between the Scarlet Devil Mansion and the rest of Gensokyo. She goes out to the village on a regular basis to get food and supplies and handle business transactions for us. Additionally, she is the person Remilia relies on the most to resolve incidents; while I am the one who researches the situation, Sakuya is the person who does most of the work in handling things.

   Despite being only a human, Sakuya has an intriguing ability which I find even more fascinating than my own magical talents. Quite simply, she is capable of manipulating time and space. Her powers affect the whole of the mansion; she can expand or shrink the rooms and halls of the building at the whims of its residents. She can also speed up, slow down, or stop time for herself or others. I believe that she uses this power over time to slow her aging, and that she is much older than she appears.

   Sakuya uses these powers for a variety of purposes. By shrinking down a room, she can clean and work much more efficiently. When intruders are in the mansion, she often expands the halls in order to delay them. In theory, she could twist the space of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and leave a person to wander with no end in sight, or freeze them in time for eternity. The extent to which her abilities could possibly be used is horrifying; it is because of our mistress's wish that nobody be harmed needlessly and Sakuya's sense of restraint that these powers are not used to inflict death or worse fates.

   In addition to her magical abilities, Sakuya is extremely skilled in physical combat. She is extremely proficient with knives. She has experience with other bladed weapons, such as daggers and swords, but knives are still her weapon of choice. In addition to her skill with weapons, Sakuya also shows exceptional agility and reflexes that one would not expect.

   Sakuya's unique combination of physical and magical talents makes her a very dangerous opponent. She has developed numerous spell cards combining her control over time with her skill with knives. One of her common tactics is to temporarily stop the opponent and create a field of blades around them, leaving the foe with very little time to react when they start moving again.

   Sakuya shows a variety of talents outside of her role as a domestic servant and fighter. She has a good understanding of mathematics and physics; and can predict the path of an object with perfect accuracy almost every time. Due to her ability to control her emotions, she is very good at bluffing. These two factors make Sakuya very skilled at gambling and parlor games. Nobody in the mansion has ever defeated her in a fair game of poker, billiards or darts, although Sakuya will deliberately lose to Remilia. She does this partly out of deference to Remilia's authority and partly to avoid her temper; Remilia is a notoriously poor loser.

   While Sakuya has little free time due to her work, she still has some hobbies. Like others in the mansion, she is an avid collector; her preference is for things from nature, such as flowers and unusual stones. She admires jewelry, and has a large collection of accessories, even though she never wears them.

   Despite her immense skill and her image as an ?elegant and perfect maid?, Sakuya is merely human, and is inevitably bound to make mistakes. There are rare occasions where she will accidentally break something or misinterpret Remilia's requests. While she is able to use her powers to fix most of these accidents, there are still moments where her errors become apparent. Although she does her best to hide it, she is visibly embarrassed by these mistakes. The most notable example I can think of is the time she forgot her undergarments and I had to inform her; this was an uncomfortable and awkward moment for the both of us.

   Sakuya has occasionally been referred to as ?the dog of the devil? due to her loyalty to Remilia. I find this nickname both demeaning and highly inaccurate. Referring to Sakuya as a dog would imply she is dependent on Remilia and helpless without her. This is a completely incorrect analysis of the relationship between the two. While Sakuya defers to Remilia's authority, she will challenge decisions that seem risky or questionable. In addition, Sakuya is far from dependent; she shows a strong will and is quite capable of taking care of herself. If anything, we are dependent on Sakuya.

   As Sakuya is a human living in a household of youkai, there is the obvious uncomfortable question of the differences in lifespan between us. Even is she is slowing her aging like I suspect, she is still ultimately mortal. We have grown attached to her in a very short span of time, and for her to pass away would leave a hole in the household that could never be filled. From what I have heard, Remilia has offered to make Sakuya a vampire and therefore immortal, but this has been rejected.

   Despite being so different from us, Sakuya is still very close to the residents of the mansion. We owe her a great debt for her tireless service.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Kips McKipzerson on April 09, 2011, 03:47:44 AM: You know what I loved about this post?

There isnt some sort of bullshit where "Oh Sakuya undergoes stress if she stops time and shit". It's the simple fact that she has restraint, and I doubt she wants to torture someone. Either way, pretty nicely done overall. When do we get to Meiling?
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 09, 2011, 04:15:16 AM: Quote from: Kips McAmmyson on April 09, 2011, 03:47:44 AM
When do we get to Meiling?
It's the next update I have planned, I want to get the SDM wrapped up as soon as possible. I don't know when it'll be actually finished, life has a way of going off schedule.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: OkashiiKisei on April 09, 2011, 02:01:55 PM: Quote from: The Ammy Colossal on April 09, 2011, 02:27:13 AM
I believe I heard her referred to as ?Jacqueline? around the time she first arrived at the mansion, but my memory is sometimes unreliable.

Sounds like Sakuya's 'real' name is derived from a certain famous Ripper. :V

Colossus, keep up the good work. These are intelligent and insightful profiles of the Gensokyo residents that avoid stupid memes and fallacies of fanon. I wish you luck with the rest of this project.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 15, 2011, 11:23:18 PM: So anyone who's expecting an update, I'm sorry. I'll be busy over the next week or so due to moving to a new place, so I don't really have the time to write. I haven't abandoned this; I want to get back to writing this as soon as possible because I have so much I want to do with it.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on April 21, 2011, 01:03:43 PM: Finally getting back to this. Got the stuff I needed to take care of out of the way, so I have more time to write than I originally anticipated.

   In the Scarlet Devil Mansion, I work and live with numerous unique youkai. Among them is Hong Meiling, a person who I find extremely fascinating for various reasons.

   Meiling acts as the head guard and groundskeeper for the area outside the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She and the fairies under her command patrol the grounds for intruders. Meiling also cares for the mansion's gardens and landscaping, carrying out tasks such as watering the flowers and trimming the hedges.

   Remilia never actually enlisted Meiling as a servant of the mansion. From what I can tell, Meiling came to the mansion offering her skills and services and we simply humored her presence. She arrived roughly a century ago, shortly after we moved the mansion to Gensokyo. Since then, she has become an inseparable part of our ?family?.

   Meiling is a youkai, but I am not sure which type she is. She is neither European like the other residents of the mansion, nor is she Japanese like the majority of Gensokyo's inhabitants. I assume she is from China, or some other part of mainland Asia. My information on supernatural creatures from these regions is severely lacking, unfortunately; the bulk of my research originated in Europe, and I have only started significantly focusing my work on the East after the mansion moved to Gensokyo.

   Among the residents of the mansion, Meiling is physically the strongest. In addition, she has incredible control over her internal spiritual energy, or ?qi?. By focusing this energy, she can unleash powerful blows. These strikes are capable of breaking through nearly form of wall or barrier, whether it be physical or magical. When fighting, she exercises significant restraint with this power, as focusing large amounts of chi on a single point can severely injure or even kill a living being.

   In addition to her raw strength, Meiling is also highly agile, and extremely skilled at martial arts. Her proficiency at hand-to-hand combat is on par with than that of even Sakuya and Remilia. Meiling is potentially unbeatable by anyone else in the mansion without the use of magic.

   As someone who specializes in martial arts, Meiling does a significant amount of physical and mental training. She practices tai chi and numerous other physical activities in order to improve her agility and flexibility. In addition to her exercise regimen, she also meditates on a regular basis. Inexperienced observers would assume she is sleeping, and to my dismay, this errant notion has become common through Gensokyo. However, in reality, she is focusing her physical, mental, and spiritual energies in order to strengthen herself. I have sought to learn meditation from Meiling, but she is currently not interested in teaching anyone.

   As she has focused on martial arts instead of magic, Meiling's capability with danmaku is limited, but she still shows talent. Her most notable spell cards are themed around flowers and nature; these produce vivid, colorful patterns. More recently, she has developed spell cards that rely on her control over chi. While Meiling is outclassed by people with strong magical talent, she is able to hold her own against the majority of people who would attempt to enter the mansion without permission.

   While Meiling occasionally fails to stop intruders, she has never been punished for these failures. In a way, her role as a gatekeeper is figurative as well as literal. Anyone who can defeat or otherwise bypass her and thus make their way into the mansion is someone considered worthy of Remilia's attention. The person who tends to be most successful at this is a human named Marisa Kirisame, who I will go into detail about later in my work.

   Meiling is a very hardworking person; perhaps too hardworking. She often works outside without regard for the weather or other conditions. Far too many times, she has suffered heatstroke or hypothermia and we have had to bring her inside before she suffered permanent harm to her health. In a fairly recent event, she suffered from delirium and claimed to be defending the mansion against the ?Taisui Xingjun?. I do not know what provoked this, but she was taken off duty for some time before she regained her senses.

   While she spends a significant amount of time outside the mansion and away from the residents, Meiling gets along very well with us. She often spars with Sakuya or Remilia as a means of practicing her skills; these battles are enjoyed by all parties involved, both as a means of training and as a friendly competition. She is also very sociable with those outside the mansion, and will often talk with passersby for long periods of time. Relations between Meiling and myself have been strained for a while due to a time when I altered the garden as part of an experiment; however, things are improving between us.

   In spite of her occasional flaws, Meiling is a good person. While I rarely see her due to our separate lives, I am well aware that things at the mansion would be nowhere near the same without her tireless efforts.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on May 17, 2011, 01:37:52 AM: I apologize for letting this languish for so long. However, I've found the right mix of free time, boredom, and inspiration to get back to this.

   While many of us in the mansion are considered ?family?, Flandre is the only person who is directly related to Remilia. She is Remilia's younger sister, born roughly five years after her.

   While Flandre is Remilia's sister, the two are very different. Flandre's wings are very unusual; unlike the batlike wings vampires normally possess, her wings are bony structures adorned with crystalline fragments. I do not know what could cause such a peculiarity. It is possible that Flandre's wings are artificial, made as a replacement for an injury or birth defect.

   Like Remilia, Flandre possesses numerous powers due to being a vampire. She has incredible strength and stamina, as well as the ability to change into the form of a bat. Flandre also has an interesting ability that her sister does not; she can divide her essence, splitting herself into multiple bodies. While she could theoretically divide herself infinitely, she starts to experience a significant drop in capability if she creates more than three or four.

   However, Flandre has a power that is very distinctive from her other ones. She can destroy any object, regardless of whether or not she is touching it. As she describes it, she can see the weakest point of an object in the form of an eye. She then brings the ?eye? into her hand and crushes it, shattering the object it is connected to. As this can be hard to understand for some, I would like to use a different analogy. Much like water can flow through the cracks in a rock and erode it from within, Flandre's magical energy surrounds an object and finds its way through to the weakest point, destroying it from the inside.

   Flandre's power to destroy is extremely dangerous; it is made even more dangerous by the fact she has extreme difficulty controlling it. Excess magical energy flows around her, building up in nearby objects. If enough energy builds up in an object over time, it can break or explode without warning; using magic to cleanse this energy from various items in the mansion is a regular task.

   While Flandre is dangerous, she is not malicious. She does not deliberately seek to hurt others; however, she has accidentally injured me and others in the mansion. She tends to show great regret over the accidents she causes, and usually locks herself away for significant periods of time afterward. Despite this, Flandre is usually very calm and level-headed, and can actually act more mature than her sister on occasion.

   Due to the risk she poses, Flandre is generally kept isolated. She is generally kept to the basement, although we allow her to wander the house if she is not causing trouble. She is allowed to see guests, but only with supervision from Remilia or someone else. I and the rest of the mansion's staff have strict orders not to let Flandre leave the mansion under any circumstances. While she is usually docile and does not attempt to go outside, there have been some problems in the past with her attempting to leave.

   Because she has had little contact with others, Flandre has little experience in how to talk to others. This is not to say that she is unable to communicate; she has a good grasp of both her native language and Gensokyo's dialect of Japanese. However, her isolation has left her with a poor understanding of social norms, and she has a habit of saying things which are disturbing or off-putting to others.

   Due to her isolation, Flandre has a strong sense of curiosity. To satisfy this curiosity, I have provided her with books about Gensokyo and the outside world on a regular basis. Flandre's tastes in literature change on a regular basis; currently, she is engrossed in murder mysteries. Finding enough written material to keep her occupied has been a long and difficult task, but to see her so happy and peaceful when she reads makes it worthwhile for me.

   Despite occasional misgivings, Flandre gets along well with others in the mansion. Sakuya occasionally allows her to help with work around the mansion, and Meiling seems to enjoy Flandre's company when she comes inside from working. I act as Flandre's mentor and spend significant time with her, both tutoring her and discussing our interests such as literature.

   The relationship between Flandre and Remilia is far more complex. While it was their parents who locked Flandre away originally, Remilia regrets having continued this treatment of her sister, believing it is responsible for permanently damaging her growth. She also regrets not being able to do anything to help Flandre deal with her power. Despite this, the two are very close to each other. Flandre bears no ill will towards her sister for how she has been treated, and loves her unconditionally.

   While we do not see her that often, Flandre is still there in the mansion and there in our hearts.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Yakitori on May 17, 2011, 01:50:19 AM: Very good chapter. As I mentioned before, Flandre is one of my favorite characters, so reading this chapter was really enjoyable. Keep up the good work, TAC! :)
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: OkashiiKisei on May 17, 2011, 07:56:58 AM: Awww, this is a pretty cute approach of Flandre~ I really like your explanation for why Flandre is isolated. It makes sense and is more humane than 'she's crazy'. By extension, I love your explanation of her power. :D

I myself always viewed it as Flandre destroying the figurative 'core' of an object/person, that which keeps it all together, causing it to break apart/explode. But I like this approach a bit more.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on June 02, 2011, 12:21:45 AM:    In my previous entries, I have written about the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Now, I would like to take the time to talk about the mansion itself.

   The Scarlet Devil Mansion has belonged to the Scarlet family for generations, existing for numerous centuries in the western European country of Belgium. During the previous century, an event known as the Great War occurred in the outside world, threatening the mansion and its residents. Using my magic, I created a teleportation spell in order to move the mansion to a safer location. However, during the process, I lost control of this spell, sending us and the mansion to an unknown location, which I later discovered to be a remote region of Japan known as Gensokyo.

   Currently, the mansion resides on a small island in the so-called Misty Lake, at the foot of the Youkai Mountain. While the lake is relatively small, it is difficult to travel around due to the poor visibility. The mansion is somewhat close to the human village, although to go there and back takes approximately half a day by ground travel.

   Due to its European styling, the mansion stands out significantly from the rest of Gensokyo. The building has few windows; where there are windows, they use red-tinted glass in order to filter out the sunlight. The architecture of the mansion is influenced by Greco-Roman design, using large numbers of stone pillars.

   Due to Sakuya's ability to alter time and spatial dimensions, the mansion is significantly different on the inside than on the outside. The passage of time may be slower or faster depending on the whims of the residents, and the halls of the mansion are significantly larger than one would assume from looking at the house's exterior.

   The mansion has an almost endless number of rooms and halls. Each resident of the mansion has their own quarters, including the Scarlet sisters, Sakuya, Meiling, and the numerous fairies who work as staff here. In addition, the mansion has several sprawling dining and banquet rooms, which are used for feasts and gatherings. There are several other notable features about the mansion and the surrounding grounds. This includes the clocktower and its vast system of mechanisms; numerous gears, springs, and other components are used to maintain the clock's precise timing. Another remarkable part of the mansion is the surrounding gardens; flowers and plants gathered from all over the world are grown here. While the library is of note, I will go into detail on that at a later time.

   A large mansion like ours requires a large staff. A countless number of fairies work in the mansion; however, as I have mentioned before, they are generally unreliable. Remilia generally keeps them around in order to make the mansion look busier; most of the actual housekeeping work is handled by Sakuya. Meiling and I also do a significant amount of work in the mansion.

   While the mansion is owned and populated by youkai, we get several human visitors. Remilia hosts parties on a regular basis, bringing guests from all over Gensokyo. In addition, several humans and youkai we have encountered in the past are regular visitors to the mansion. The two most constant visitors are Reimu, the maiden of the Hakurei shrine, and Marisa, a human magician. I will go into detail about both of them later on.

   The mansion is a unique place, and I would not consider anywhere else my home.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on June 14, 2011, 04:23:52 AM:    I have one last subject to go into detail regarding the Scarlet Devil Mansion: the library.

   While the library is operated by me and acts as my personal domain, it is still part of the mansion and as such technically belongs to Remilia. A significant portion of the library's collection is actually hers, and was there before I moved into the mansion. Her collection includes family records as well as numerous historical and theological works. These items have been entrusted to my care with the expectation that I will maintain and protect them.

   The library has several areas; the main area, obviously, are the stacks where the collection is stored. Next to the stacks is a study where I do the majority of my reading, writing, and other work. Elsewhere in the library is my quarters and the quarters of the library staff; this includes bedrooms, baths, and a small kitchen and dining area. For reasons I do not comprehend, the library contains a swimming pool; I keep a magical field around it to prevent moisture from affecting the materials in the rest of the library. I use this pool on a frequent basis in order to exercise and build up my physical endurance. Despite being part of the mansion, the library is effectively a self-contained residence of its own.

   The library has a large and varied collection of books and literature. Many of these are magical tomes, either written or otherwise worked on by me. I also keep copies of works written by others in Gensokyo, including the historical records of the Hieda clan and old issues of the Bunbunmaru newspaper, among other things. Of particular interest is my collection of books and literature that has drifted in from the outside world; this has allowed me to learn much about the technology and society beyond Gensokyo.

   In addition to myself and Koakuma, the library has several others working in it. I recruit several of the more intelligent and literate fairies from the mansion staff to work in the stacks. In addition, I will occasionally recruit humans and youkai who wind up at the mansion if I find them sufficiently skilled.

   For the convenience of myself and the library staff, the collection is organized in a very specific manner. Books are sorted by subject, author, and title. In order to keep everything in proper order, every item is designated with a number. When items are added to my collection that would go between items I already have, I use decimal points as it is easier than reordering the numbers for every book in the library.

   To keep my books from going missing, I take several precautions. I usually do not lend my books to other people outside the mansion. When I do lend books, they are noted in a list of items. This way, if something goes missing, it is easier for me to track down. The status of each item is checked regularly to ensure that it is still in the library; I inquire with people I have lent material to in order to ensure that it is safe in their possession. To further protect my collection, I do not allow anyone other than the library staff to go into the stacks; anyone looking for an item must ask me to retrieve it. In spite of my efforts, I still lose several items due to theft, accident, and staff error.

   If a person steals or otherwise refuses to return an item, I have procedures to deal with it. When the person comes back to the library, I usually confront them at that point and ask for the return of my property. If they refuse or do not come back, I request that Sakuya go and attempt to retrieve the items in question. In most cases, this is successful; however, there are some items that have remained missing for months or even years.

   Despite popular belief, the library is not called ?Voile? as has been frequently assumed. This misconception came about when I introduced the library to some visitors. I used some foreign-language loanwords when I was speaking, and to my guests who were not familiar with the language, they must have thought I was telling them the name of the place. The library does not have actually have a name; we generally refer to it as simply ?the library?.

   While the library is perceived as a cold and unfeeling place by others, I do not care. This place is my home, and my life.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: OkashiiKisei on June 14, 2011, 07:32:04 AM: Only one thing is bugging me in this otherwise excellent post: if Patchouli is capable of doing such feats as creating barriers, controlling the elements, teleport the entire mansion and heavens know what more, why can't she do something as simple as putting tracking spells on her books? A spell for that must be in that massive library somewhere. It'd save Patchy a lot of trouble.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on June 14, 2011, 04:42:28 PM: ...hmm, I didn't think of that. A lot of this particular chapter was based on my personal experience studying library science, and the idea didn't really come to me while I was writing.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Kips McKipzerson on June 14, 2011, 08:39:40 PM: Quote from: OkashiiKisei on June 14, 2011, 07:32:04 AM
Only one thing is bugging me in this otherwise excellent post: if Patchouli is capable of doing such feats as creating barriers, controlling the elements, teleport the entire mansion and heavens know what more, why can't she do something as simple as putting tracking spells on her books? A spell for that must be in that massive library somewhere. It'd save Patchy a lot of trouble.
I'd assume its not the fact that its too powerful a spell of her, It just takes up much more power then needed. Think of it this way: A body-builder can lift one giant weight, or twenty smaller weights at the same time. He CAN pick up the twenty, It's just exerting more effort then needed. At least, the way I see it.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Aba Matindesu! on June 16, 2011, 12:02:40 PM: Yay, an update! \m/

Quote from: Gemini Sparkolossal on June 14, 2011, 04:23:52 AM
For reasons I do not comprehend, the library contains a swimming pool; I keep a magical field around it to prevent moisture from affecting the materials in the rest of the library. I use this pool on a frequent basis in order to exercise and build up my physical endurance.

My, oh, my. Where in canon does it say that the library had a pool, anyway? The only time I've heard of this was when I played TGoS.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: CrowCakes on June 16, 2011, 01:40:31 PM: In SSiB, the SDM crew + Reimu and Marisa were playing by a pool in Patchouli's library. Look at the last chapter to find it.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Frostyhatlo on June 17, 2011, 02:30:20 PM: Quote from: The Adjective Colossal on April 21, 2011, 01:03:43 PM
Finally getting back to this. Got the stuff I needed to take care of out of the way, so I have more time to write than I originally anticipated.

In addition to her exercise regimen, she also meditates on a regular basis. Inexperienced observers would assume she is sleeping, and to my dismay, this errant notion has become common through Gensokyo.

Ive never seen this interpretation before, and I REALLY like it. It covers all the bases.
But has it ever been expressively stated in canon that she sleeps on duty?
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on June 17, 2011, 03:33:48 PM: Quote from: Frostyhatlo on June 17, 2011, 02:30:20 PM
Ive never seen this interpretation before, and I REALLY like it. It covers all the bases.
But has it ever been expressively stated in canon that she sleeps on duty?
It's been mentioned in Perfect Memento, but I prefer not to take that as absolute canon based on the fact that Akyu is working from eyewitness accounts and isn't entirely accurate.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Zelinko on June 17, 2011, 04:02:36 PM: Quote from: Perfect Memento in a Strict Sense
Eyewitness Reports
....
"When I passed the Scarlet Devil Mansion at noon, I saw that the gatekeeper was sleeping." (Anonymous)

She's most likely having a siesta.
You must not disturb her.

Good words as waking a sleeping youkai is quite dangerous although disrupting her meditation may be the same
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on August 02, 2011, 05:04:17 PM: This is the first of several updates I worked on during my vacation; I don't plan to release them all at once, if partly because I'm still doing some revisions to the later ones. I'm just happy I managed to update this before it dropped off the first page.

   Having written all I can think of about the mansion, I will now turn my attention to the notable residents of Gensokyo. One of the most noteworthy, of course, is the keeper of the Hakurei Shrine and the current descendant of the Hakurei bloodline, Reimu.

   As the current owner of the shrine, Reimu has numerous duties. Her primary duty is the maintenance of the Great Border, which separates the realm of Gensokyo from the outside world. Another major duty she performs is investigating and resolving any incidents which disrupt the balance of Gensokyo. She also carries out several activities on the side, such as performing exorcisms, blessings, and rituals for others and holding festivals at the shrine for special occasions.

   Reimu possesses numerous mystical and spiritual abilities due to her bloodline. She also uses several items of spiritual power, including amulets and the Hakurei Orbs. These orbs are one-of-a-kind spiritual items, bound to the bloodline of the Hakurei shrine maidens. According to accounts, she only mastered the ability to fly in recent years; prior to that, she supposedly relied on a turtle that acted as her partner. Unlike other humans, Reimu tends not to train; she relies mostly on her innate ability and intuition in battle.

   Due to her need to maintain the Hakurei Border, Reimu has some ability to manipulate physical boundaries. While this is ability is not as great as a certain youkai, she can still perform notable feats. This includes things such as creating invisible walls to bounce her orbs off of, warping from one edge of a space to another, and temporarily separating herself from the physical plane of existence, thus making her body impervious to attack.

   As a shrine maiden who regularly fights youkai, Reimu has several skills to wield against them. Many of her spell cards involve sealing and binding techniques, and her spiritual abilities are extremely effective in combat, both against youkai and humans. I have battled her on numerous occasions, and she is an extremely powerful and dangerous opponent.

   Although Reimu has a laid-back personality, this should not be taken to mean she is lazy. While she dislikes expending extra effort in dealing with matters beyond her usual routine, she puts as much as possible into dealing with these situations. When an incident occurs, she is almost always the first one who sets out to resolve it. Any youkai who attempts to interrupt her will be swiftly dealt with, regardless of their intent and whether or not they are involved in the matter.

   Despite this approach, Reimu is not usually hostile to others. She does not bear grudges against those responsible for or involved in incidents, and tends to maintain a friendly relationship afterward. This attitude has lead to numerous humans and youkai becoming acquaintances who regularly visit her and the shrine. This includes myself, Remilia, and the others in the mansion.

   While Reimu often complains about her financial situation, the truth is she makes an adequate amount of money from her spiritual services. Unfortunately, she chooses to spend this on luxuries like sweets and alcohol rather than more important priorities like the maintenance of the shrine. Although the shrine has an offertory box like almost any other, it receives little in donations, in part due to the relative remoteness of the shrine.

   As a mortal human in charge of the Hakurei Shrine, Reimu is expected to bear a descendent to carry on her bloodline and her duties. She is currently young and uninterested in relationships, but this will likely change as the pressures of age and her position set in. Another possible outcome is that one of her youkai associates will find a way to remove her mortality; the effect this would have is unknown.

   Reimu is currently one of the most prominent and important people in Gensokyo, and that is unlikely to change any time soon.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Aya Squawkermaru on August 02, 2011, 08:47:26 PM: Ufufu, I am quite enjoying this. It's like a more interesting version of Perfect memento.

I can't wait to see the entry on Marisa.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: XephyrEnigma on August 02, 2011, 11:55:57 PM: This is marvelous. And it's good to hear that you've been writing.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on August 04, 2011, 10:44:26 PM: Well, I wanted to get another update out before I go for the weekend, so here you go.

   The Spell Card System is a code of law that governs combat in Gensokyo, created by Reimu Hakurei and the Hakurei Shrine some years ago.

   This system has numerous purposes. The chief reason for the system is to allow incidents to occur and be resolved with minimal risk to life, either human or youkai. The system is also meant to alter the balance of power between humans of youkai by ensuring intellect and creativity is more of a deciding factor in the outcome of battles than raw strength alone. The introduction of spell cards has greatly succeeded in accomplishing both of these goals.

   By the laws of the spell card system, each spell is named by its creator and recorded on paper. In battle, a human or youkai declares the number of spell cards they are going to use, and the names of each card. If all of these spells are successfully broken in a battle, the user themselves is defeated, regardless of remaining physical or magical strength. Participants in a spell card battle are not allowed to kill their opponent, either during or after battle.

   Almost everybody in Gensokyo who participates in combat under the Spell Card System uses cards of their own creation. Spell cards are often developed around the creator's abilities and their own personal sense of aesthetics. While spells are expected to be used by their creators, it is not impossible for somebody to use the spells of another with sufficient skill and experience.

   The magic in spell cards takes numerous forms, commonly referred to as ?danmaku? in conversation. Most danmaku seen in Gensokyo takes the form of pellets and beams of magical energy. Depending on the will of the user, danmaku can resemble physical objects of various kinds; I have seen projectiles that look like flower petals and knives, among other objects. It is also common for danmaku to be a manifestation of a magical element, such as fire. This type of danmaku is what I base many of my own spells on.

   Most people, both human and youkai, carry a wide variety of spell cards, and select which ones to use based on the skill level of their opponent. In general, the most powerful cards are reserved for lunatics who wish to fight someone at their full strength for whatever reason. When developing spell cards, someone will often create an ?easy? version in order to practice the fundamentals behind the creation of the pattern, then develop a more refined version of the card to use for normal battles. The original prototype is often kept for battle against less experienced opponents.

   The barrage of a spell card can only be maintained for a short amount of time. Spell cards use significant amounts of magical energy, and are extremely taxing both physically and mentally. Being attacked while using a spell increases the drain on a person, and can cause the spell to break faster. After using a spell card, the user will often use less intensive barrages of danmaku in order to allow their magical energies to regenerate. It is possible to use more than one spell card in succession, although it increases the risk of exhaustion.

    I have seen and heard about many different spell cards during my time in Gensokyo. To catalogue them all is beyond the scope of my writing. One of my acquaintances, Marisa Kirisame, has created her own work that attempts to analyze the spell cards she has encountered; the so-called ?Grimoire of Marisa? has been a large influence on my own work.

   For better or worse, the Spell Card System has been important in defining Gensokyo and the relations between the humans and youkai that live here.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: KEY LIME PIE on August 05, 2011, 09:26:55 PM: This whole story is something worth waiting for. I can't wait to see what else you have in store! :wikipedia: :wikipedia:
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Aba Matindesu! on August 06, 2011, 02:29:53 AM: Do a special on power and point items! :V
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on August 11, 2011, 02:28:48 AM:    One of the most notable people I have encountered in my lifetime is a certain human magician, Marisa Kirisame.

   Marisa is the sole daughter of a family of merchants who run a second-hand store in the human village. However, she no longer associates with her parents or relatives; I do not know if she willingly cut off ties with her family or if she was disowned for refusing to continue her family tradition.

   Marisa claims to run a magic shop, but I have never heard of anybody doing business with her. Her store is in the Forest of Magic, which is in a relatively isolated and dangerous location for most humans. Additionally, Marisa spends much of her time away from her house, which makes getting a hold of her extremely difficult. Regardless of how successful or unsuccessful her shop is, most of Marisa's income comes from doing odd jobs such as fortunetelling, fireworks, and youkai hunting.

   Marisa's personality is something I or others can only describe as eccentric, even by the usual standards of Gensokyo. Rather than fighting the stereotypes commonly associated with magic users in folklore, she embraces them entirely, dressing and acting like a witch of European tradition. Due to her behaviour and how infrequently she associates with other humans, she is considered somewhat of an intimidating. In addition to eccentric, I would also describe Marisa as tomboyish. While she maintains a feminine appearance, her personality and mannerisms are somewhat masculine. Many, including myself, have been surprised at how deep Marisa's voice is when she speaks, and how crude some of her language is.

   Marisa is an habitual and unabashed liar. She will lie even if it is unnecessary, and even if it is impossible; even if the person she is talking to already knows the truth, she will still attempt to lie. While I found this part of her extremely irritating when I first met her, I have learned to tolerate it, and even find it somewhat amusing.

   Despite being a human, Marisa has extremely powerful magical talents that even rival the powers of youkai magicians such as myself. However, rather than her powers being innate like with youkai magicians, she has developed her abilities through years of training. Additionally, much of her powers come not from within but from a magical artifact she refers to as the ?mini-Hakkero?. I presume she had mentoring from a youkai or other supernatural being in order to learn magic when she was younger, but this is difficult to confirm due to a lack of details.

   While she has immense magical power, Marisa has developed very few of her own spell cards, instead duplicating the spell cards of others. She has even duplicated one of my own techniques, dubbed the ?non-directional laser?. I bear no ill will towards her for using my magic. Among magicians, using the spells of another is often considered a sign of respect or reverence; in fact, some of my own spells are based on the magic of ancient magicians such as my ancestors and mentors. However, in recent times Marisa has started using more of her magic of her own creation.

   Marisa's signature technique is the ?Master Spark?, an intense burst of magical energy. According to records, she duplicated this technique from a powerful youkai named Yuka Kazami. Marisa has modified the spell according to her own abilities, altering it to use the power of the mini-Hakkero rather than the limited magical reserves of her body. However, in spite her considerable efforts, she has failed to fully recreate the power of the original attack.

   Due to her magical training, Marisa has skills in several other fields. She is an extremely proficient herbalist, able to identify plants and their uses from a cursory glance. The skills used in processing magical reagents are also used in the culinary arts, making her a skilled cook. To list the full breadth of the talents I have seen Marisa exhibit would overwhelm this article, so I will stop here.

   An open secret about Marisa is her penchant for theft; she has stolen property belonging to myself on others numerous times. As a human, she claims to be borrowing the items, and says she will return them when she dies. While this does present an obvious solution to the problem, I do not think murder is the desirable course of action (not to say that I haven't considered it). Rather, by allowing Marisa to continually take items from my library, I extend an unspoken challenge to her. If she can become a full-fledged magician and therefore immortal, I will deem her worthy of anything she has taken from me.

   My relationship with Marisa is... difficult to describe. Due to her brash nature and her tendency to invade my personal space and cause problems for me, I have found her a regular thorn in my side. On the other hand, I consider her roughly my equal in magical ability, and respect her for that. Also, she has helped me in the past with research and the investigation of certain incidents.

   Would I call Marisa a friend? I would say it very reluctantly, but I would say yes. More than anything else, I consider her a rival, someone to compare my power and skill against.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Aya Squawkermaru on August 11, 2011, 03:23:34 AM: Interesting take on Patchy' relationship with Marisa. I was expecting her to be more angry about Marisa's "borrowing", but I like what you've done with this.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Tamer Anode/Cathode on August 28, 2011, 02:05:37 AM:    Another of my fellow magicians is a dollmaker and puppeteer by the name of Alice Margatroid.

   As a magician, Alice specializes the manipulation of dolls. This variety of magic allows its user to control dolls from long distances using threads of magical energy. Almost all of these dolls are made by Alice herself, each one having been painstakingly crafted and painted by hand. Many of these dolls are modelled on the cultures and styles of foreign countries.

   The long-term goal of Alice's work is to produce a doll capable of thinking and acting on its own. To this end, she has studied various types of magic, mostly related to creating and animating life. I am reminded of the ancient myth of the Golem, a clay statue animated by words written on paper. I do not know Alice's motivation for wanting to do this.

   Alice uses her dolls as the core of her combat techniques. Many of her dolls are designed to create danmaku; these are even rigged to explode on command. Alice has several different types of dolls, each with their own method of attack. However, relying on her dolls for offense and defense leaves her vulnerable to direct attack. Alice puts most of her attention into commanding her dolls, and can not defend herself effectively. However, Alice can and will fight on her own if necessary.

   In order to discover and push the limits of her abilities, Alice is constantly discovering new ways to use her dolls. She often puts on elaborate shows and performances for onlookers and passers-by; the proceeds she earns from this goes to paying for her dollmaking and magical research. Alice has been seen to perform incredible feats with her control over dolls, such as war games with innumerable combatants on each side.

   Alice almost always carries around a magic tome. The contents of this are unknown; she never opens it, and she refuses to show it to others. It is heavily protected, being kept by her side at all times and appearing to be secured by a lock. This grimoire likely contains some form of dangerous or forbidden magic that she does not want to use.

   The nature of Alice's magic has given her a variety of skills. Alice is a craftswoman of the highest caliber, talented with a variety of materials and mediums. She is a skilled alchemist, able to create a variety of substances such as potions and explosives. Her puppeteering has given her incredible dexterity, and she is skilled at tasks requiring manual precision such as sewing; she creates and alters clothes for herself and others in Gensokyo. I would be content to trust Alice with working on my clothing if Sakuya were ever unavailable. Alice's dexterity also makes her a skilled musician, although it is rare for her to play as she is usually busy with her research.

   While Alice is a youkai, she was born as a human. As she has only been a youkai for a short time, she still sympathizes with humans and is friendly towards them. She will allow people to stay with her if they end up at her house, although she is often engrossed in her work and prefers not to socialize. I have visited her on several occasions and even when discussing topics of interest she seems indifferent and detached. Admittedly, I have sometimes acted in the same manner when she has come to visit me; I am starting to wonder if this kind of behavior is the norm among magicians.

   I have attempted to learn more about Alice's past, but trying to distinguish fact from fiction when researching the history of Gensokyo can be extraordinarily difficult. While I have no way to verify it, a story that has intrigued me is that of an orphan girl who was adopted by supernatural creatures and given their magical powers. I have talked to several people who claim to have seen a person that resembled a younger Alice in the vicinity of Makai several years ago; however, I can not confirm these claims.

   As the two are both magicians and neighbors, Alice has a close working relationship with Marisa Kirisame. While the two have no familial relation, the two are almost like sisters. Alice behaves as an elder to Marisa, acting as a voice of reason and attempting to rein her in from time to time. In turn, Marisa acts to break down Alice's inhibitions and make her more sociable. Even though the two are close, they will fight each other like anybody else in Gensokyo if sufficiently provoked. In spite of these quarrels (or possibly even because of them), the two remain friends.

   Alice was introduced to me by Marisa. While we do not meet on a constant basis, we often exchange information about magic and whatever incidents are currently affecting Gensokyo, and have meals and tea together. The two of us have become close friends over time.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Metaflare on August 28, 2011, 02:53:19 AM: I like the way Patchy interprits her past.

Now that we've gotten the "mains" out of the way, I'm curious as to who's next
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Aya Squawkermaru on August 28, 2011, 02:54:59 AM: I don't have any real criticism to add this time, but I'm still reading and enjoying this.

Hm... Patchouli's interpretation of Alice is interesting, though.
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: Aba Matindesu! on August 28, 2011, 01:29:14 PM: Alice, a seamstress? This is gold, man, keep 'em coming!
Title: Re: The Grimoire of Patchouli
Post by: XephyrEnigma on August 28, 2011, 02:32:53 PM: Quote from: Evans in Blunderland on August 28, 2011, 01:29:14 PM
Alice, a seamstress? This is gold, man, keep 'em coming!

It would certainly make sense, that's for sure.