#whoops my umineko spilled

[queenofnohr]

What would Madora's Noble Phantasms be? How would they differ between classes?

This became so fucking long im so sorry @everyone

In a regular Holy Grail War, Madora would definitely be in possession of at least two Noble Phantasms - her Holy/Demonic Sword, Jörmungandr, and her dragon form.

However, something like Grand Order makes it easier to conceptualize her as she is a being who exists - no, whose existence is defined - by repeating timelines. Her Noble Phantasms for each class are as such:

Saber: Vanilla Madora - a Madora in the process of becoming a hero. Far be she from being inexperienced, and while she is aware of the many paths and ends (and even dead ends) she may face, this Madora represents a piece on the cusp of fate, whose path is mutable, and infinite possibility lies ahead. Her Noble Phantasm is her Holy Blade, Jormungandr: God Eater. It was forged from the pieces of the Demon Sword, Ganglari, and the pieces of her old training armor, with her own hands, and baptized in her own blood. Though in this sense it is “man made” the power of the Invisible Kingdom lingers on through it, commanded by her own force of will, and it was recognized as a true Holy Weapon and Yatogami’s equal, by the Rainbow Sage himself. The sword was made as a direct conceptual counter to Yatogami, whose legend originates from kami who would end a family line, and is one half of the puzzle used to slay Anankos - thus the sword has god-slaying properties.

Lancer: A Madora who has chosen to walk with Hoshido. Make no mistake - she did this to provide an escape for her Nohrian siblings. Alas, this is a Madora who understood half the heart of her Nohrian siblings, who understood their desire for a better life, but overlooked their chains of duty. This is a Madora who only knows tragedy - who has cornered herself, and forces herself to trudge down a path she does not believe in through delusion. A poor girl that even Ophelia would take pity on. Her Noble Phantasm is the culmination of the delusion imparted upon herself, her desire to go back into the past, and the climax of this existence - a reenactment of killing her beloved elder brother. La Divina Tragedia: Remember the Past, and Plunge into the Depths of Hell. An extremely strong anti-unit Noble Phantasm that ignores all buffs through the creation of a minor reality marble that strongly denies the reality of the world. Alas, all dreams end, the curtain closes on all plays, both comedy and tragedy. Awaken, child, and know your sin. The user sustains damage and is stunned through the next turn.

Archer: Not a true “Madora”. Rather, the conceptualization of “Victory” given Madora’s form through the belief of the Nohrian people after her death. In other words, the deification of a human being; a composite existence between the person, Madora, and the concept of “Victory.” In this way, she can be regarded as a divine spirit by Fate standards, although her existence is probably something closer to a Witch, whose territory is her beloved hometown. In this sense, this Madora is something a guardian deity of Nohr. This position is not something special, and any “special” human can reach this point through commendable deeds for the country, though it is a position typically gained by rulers. Her husband has been similarly deified posthumously. Her Noble Phantasm is the blessing of an absolute victory. Well, that’s what it is simplified to it’s base, and what she believes it to be. In reality it is a Reality Marble; so long as she stands with you, the whole of Nohr, past, present, and future, stands with you too. Because they stand with you, because they lend their strength to you, you will certainly be victorious. A support Noble Phantasm that buffs herself and allies with all card type damage up, an attack up, and giving all enemies 1.5% damage taken modifier.

Rider: Madora Lily. A earnest and spirited young woman who wants nothing more than to follow in her elder brother’s footsteps and bring glory to her homeland. In reality, such a Madora isn’t a single Madora from before a certain point in her life…….. She is made from two parts - Firstly, the hindsight acknowledgement from the true Madora as an entity separate from herself. Another person that she is no longer and can no longer return to, a “her” that was cast away in return for the power to change her own fate. And secondly, the sincere wishes of those who knew that cast away girl to save her. This contradiction of the person herself saying “this person cannot exist within me any longer” and others wishing to bring back that beloved girl’s smile created a paradox Madora….. Because the real thing fought earnestly to ensure a happy future. Because the real thing sacrificed herself to challenge fate. Because the magic she received opened countless possibilities, she can exist, in theory. Because the others cannot see this contradiction, because they cannot see inside the catbox, that the pure-hearted girl is no longer there, the truth that she could still exist remains in their hearts.

Madora’s corruption from this individual started as soon as she etched those markings onto her face. But, she could only decide that retroactively, and the period recognized as the point of no return, where that acknowledgement was felt by those around her, only happened after she was taken to Hoshido. Thus, while if that person could exist, she could be no more than 10, she exists as a concept as a girl of unidentifiable age, from 15-18, and embodies traits spanning all across that of her younger self. Her noble Phantasm, as such, is something that “could not exist” yet also something that did, against all odds, but once in her youth. La Primavera: Come, O Wind, Let Spring Bloom Once More. Despite it’s name, Madora was always Madora. This is not a gentle spring that comes on mild weather, but a spring brought about by rain spilt like tears by heavens sliced open by determination. Flowers as fruits of one’s labor. A command of nature itself through the powers of the Dragon’s Vein. An anti-army Noble Phantasm that lowers attack and defense, and gives a minor full-party heal. As a multi-hit full-party quick NP, it also produces many stars.

Caster: While Madora could originally use magic, this Madora is not simply that. This is a Witch Madora, the Madora sacrificed for the sake of a chance of a happy future. Or, should I say Madoras. She is the summation of every failed Madora, of every timeline where she could not achieve her absolute victory. She is the Witch of Fate, able to see into any and all fragmented universes of “her” existence. She was created, not from something like “I want to live,” or even “I want to save everyone,” in the void after her death, but simply the small wish of “I don’t want to lose.” Thus, that singular world was smashed into bits, and each fragment of that existence struggles to gain victory - the victory of everyone being saved, the victory of a happy future. However, because those Madoras are allowed to persist on in those timelines, the witch is someone who can “never win” and who has “never experienced victory.” The direct anti-thesis to Archer Madora. She holds immense power, but both the laws of whatever universe she participates in and her own self imposed status as an “observer” limits her power. ……….Like any witches born as she is, she is exceptionally cruel. Her NP is “O Fortuna: Vae Invictus”. She takes the beings of her opponents into the birth of a new universe and forces them to witness the cruellest fate she could seek for them, and their eventual deaths - not just physically, as that wouldn’t be enough to impact a Heroic Spirit, but the collapse of timespace itself, until the Throne of Heroes itself is wiped from existence. Thus, she forces them to live through the cruelest fate possible for them, and experience their very consciousness being obliterated, before taking them back to their own timeline. Of course, if she wanted to, she could just leave them there, and their physical forms would turn to dust in the timeline she stepped from, as a more practical attack, but that wouldn’t be as fun, now would it? :)

Assassin: Assassin Madora is perhaps the simplest Madora, but important nonetheless. She symbolizes, perhaps not the most important aspect, but an aspect that sets her apart from other “Kamui” existences. The will to commit herself fully to Nohr, body and soul, enough to become a servant to the country, though her existence as a “Kamui” defines her as nobility. As a person, however, perhaps even moreso than Madora Lily, this is a woman who can clearly see her situation, yet chooses to exist like this in a vain attempt for acceptance. Indeed, perhaps this feeling is the apex of girlhood. In any case, this Madora is both eager to please, and ruthlessly efficient, like the best kind of guard dog. Her specialty is slaying anyone who would threaten the Nohrian Royal Family - an assassin to slay assassins. Her NP is Semper Fidelis: My Blood is My Bond, an anti-unit NP good against assassins. Since it represents her protection of Castle Krakenburg, she imparts invincibility and instadeath resistance up upon her comrades. 

Berserker: A Madora who has, due to some circumstance, embraced her draconic blood and urges. Madora forsakes her draconic blood as something unnecessary, and perilous. So what, I wonder, would mark this change…….? Her NP is a complete return to her draconic form, and the havoc it can wrought. “Beast of the Ruined Throne: The Gods Whisper Through Blood”. A trump card that lets her face off against an enemy NP to NP. It automatically triggers an enemy’s NP, but only against herself. If she survives, she unleashes her own beat form upon them.

Ruler: This is the union between Madora, and her husband Marx. Madora fights as a queen to protect those she reigns over. Her husband joins her for their NP. This is a Madora who has succeeded in securing a future, at least for Nohr, and reigns as Queen. She wields Caduceus, a staff made from combining Jormungandr and Yatogami with her old training lance. It is both a staff of healing and a spear to harm. Her NP with her husband is the conceptual ushering in of Nohr’s Golden Age. While Archer Madora’s NP is “Nohr stands with you,” their’s is akin to “Nohr embraces you.” A combination of Marx’s Rider NP, Stella Polaris: The Light that Pierces the Endless Night, and Madora’s Twin Snake Paradox: Let the Past Revive to form The Embrace of the Dark Night: The Stars Shine for You. Marx lays down his Noble Phantasm to create a Nohr that will protect the player and power Madora up. Madora then deals party-wide damage with her Caduceus, with a chance to stun.

Avenger: A Madora whose repeated existences bear down upon her soul. In her instability, Anankos tried to posses her, only driving her further into her dark wishes. This is a Madora who has reached the extremes of her being. The echoes of Anankos resound through her blood, awakening the powers of an elder dragon within her. Her blood sings to Marx’s own draconic blood, and awakens it within him, turning him into a draconic monstrosity fused with his armor, and resulting in the sublimation of his core, hidden ideals to be followed, without anything obstructing them. This is a Madora who lashes out against the world who denies her happiness time and time again, and a Marx who she wants to lash out with her. Unfortunately for her, Marx’s inner wishes are simply “to protect her.” But as that is the only thing his draconic urge allows him to follow, things like “speech” are insignificant to him, making him seem nothing more than her lifeless puppet, though that is far from the truth. Marx fights while she commands. With no moral barrier, he can wield Siegfried to its full potential. Their Noble Phantasm is a result of Madora killing Anankos prematurely and devouring his flesh in the hopes of curing the madness he himself inflicted upon her. It is simply called Madora: God Eater, though in reality, it’s a double attack from her and Marx wherein he loans her Siegfried’s destructive power, and he powers him up through Beast of the Ruined Throne: The Gods Whisper Through Blood.