Post by Steven Foras on Dec 2, 2014 1:19:53 GMT
Today was not going well.
Firstly, Steven had come to the very important conclusion that several pieces of information he had presumed were fictitious were in truth now undeniable fact. This was important, because one of these newly established facts was that the Holy Grail War, the even he had entered into under the impression it had been some new online game, was a battle to the death. Another fact was that most of the contestants were highly skilled in the use of "codecasts", a sort of magical hacking, and had spent a great deal of time and energy preparing for this one battle.
Another fact: Steven was not himself counted among the aforementioned skilled people.
Still, it didn't do to dwell on the negative. Nothing got solved that way. Only by swallowing his trepidation and venturing forward would Steven be able to formulate any sort of strategy to survive this. The odds were slim, yes, but if there existed even any chance of increasing those tiny odds, he would search for them reach for them with all of the little ability he possessed.
Of course, not long after he had come to his above conclusions did Steven realize that the situation was even further complicated. To summarize the most pressing points:
1) The Holy Grail War, held in a weekly tournament format, involves the summoning of Servants, Legendary Souls from humanity's history and myth, to fight on behalf of the participants. The identities of these are closely guarded secrets. Benefit: Potentially allows for otherwise unskilled competitors (ie, Steven Foras) to be given a strong advantage over others regardless of personal achievement. Element of surprise. Detriment: Element of surprise is also applies to enemies; if unable to determine enemy identity, result is severe tactical disadvantage.
2) The standard tournament format had been suspended, with no apparent reasoning given. Benefit: Time pressure is (until further investigation proves otherwise) removed. Detriment: Identifying the most important obstacles becomes more difficult, uncertain if all associated restrictions (such as attacks on campus) have been lifted.
3) Recently, a snowfall has resulted in decreased temperatures, and all apparent heating systems appear to be shut down. Benefit: None apparent. Detriment: Nurse's office has been closed until the situation is resolved, eliminating access to skilled medical treatment from an impartial source. Several areas of the campus have lost or limited functionality. Potential for hypothermia.
-Conclusion: Points 1 and 2 are not immediately addressable. Point 3 may be, and displays no tactical benefit, so therefore should be prioritized.
And so he found himself in the library. There did not appear to be any sort of administrative room which was accessible to contestants, so if any details of the campus which were not immediately available existed, they would be stored here. The key to any strategy is to be as well informed as possible beforehand, Steven thought. So here is where the search would begin, with him casually browsing through the many volumes placed in this room in an attempt to find something of use.
Firstly, Steven had come to the very important conclusion that several pieces of information he had presumed were fictitious were in truth now undeniable fact. This was important, because one of these newly established facts was that the Holy Grail War, the even he had entered into under the impression it had been some new online game, was a battle to the death. Another fact was that most of the contestants were highly skilled in the use of "codecasts", a sort of magical hacking, and had spent a great deal of time and energy preparing for this one battle.
Another fact: Steven was not himself counted among the aforementioned skilled people.
Still, it didn't do to dwell on the negative. Nothing got solved that way. Only by swallowing his trepidation and venturing forward would Steven be able to formulate any sort of strategy to survive this. The odds were slim, yes, but if there existed even any chance of increasing those tiny odds, he would search for them reach for them with all of the little ability he possessed.
Of course, not long after he had come to his above conclusions did Steven realize that the situation was even further complicated. To summarize the most pressing points:
1) The Holy Grail War, held in a weekly tournament format, involves the summoning of Servants, Legendary Souls from humanity's history and myth, to fight on behalf of the participants. The identities of these are closely guarded secrets. Benefit: Potentially allows for otherwise unskilled competitors (ie, Steven Foras) to be given a strong advantage over others regardless of personal achievement. Element of surprise. Detriment: Element of surprise is also applies to enemies; if unable to determine enemy identity, result is severe tactical disadvantage.
2) The standard tournament format had been suspended, with no apparent reasoning given. Benefit: Time pressure is (until further investigation proves otherwise) removed. Detriment: Identifying the most important obstacles becomes more difficult, uncertain if all associated restrictions (such as attacks on campus) have been lifted.
3) Recently, a snowfall has resulted in decreased temperatures, and all apparent heating systems appear to be shut down. Benefit: None apparent. Detriment: Nurse's office has been closed until the situation is resolved, eliminating access to skilled medical treatment from an impartial source. Several areas of the campus have lost or limited functionality. Potential for hypothermia.
-Conclusion: Points 1 and 2 are not immediately addressable. Point 3 may be, and displays no tactical benefit, so therefore should be prioritized.
And so he found himself in the library. There did not appear to be any sort of administrative room which was accessible to contestants, so if any details of the campus which were not immediately available existed, they would be stored here. The key to any strategy is to be as well informed as possible beforehand, Steven thought. So here is where the search would begin, with him casually browsing through the many volumes placed in this room in an attempt to find something of use.
