Vididii

"And let Desire's Maw take hold of thee- Thou who hath consumed much thineself!"

- a standard modification verse to summon a Devourer

Devourer is a non-standard, function-based servant class akin to Ruler, Avenger, or Gatekeeper. It's purpose is as the name suggests, to devour: to consume quickly. The intended purpose for the container’s design is to absorb, sequester, and otherwise contain objects or entities which may be hazardous, with haste. As opposed to Ruler which is largely implemented by The Throne as a governing body to control multiple servants at large, Devourer's use case is to remove outlier elements.


History and Usage

The first fully registered and recognized Devourer to be summoned was the Estonian hero Kalevipoeg in 2009. The ritual, taking place in Manilla, did not utilize the Fuyuki Standard-Class Lock; this lead to a particularly poor ritual (three Assassins, a Moon-Cancer, Saber, and Devourer), but the substandard concealment procedures allowed for greater data collection and propagation of Devourer's function and existence. Due to the incident being around a pivotal point in time for the subcategory genesis, Devourer would slowly be recognized in enthusiast circles as a ‘metagame class’.

Over the next few years, as Subcategory Grail wars would become more popular as a dangerous sort of underground sport in the mage community, specialized catalysts, recurring Servants, and public master reputation had enough data to where summon prediction became relevant. In the event that a rival master was known to use a particularly troublesome mystic code or familiar, or summon a selection of servants from one particular region with particularly potent/hazard abilities, utilizing a Devourer to eliminate that distinct threat would be seen as a somewhat feasible option. Due to the eternal unpredictability of the ritual, being able to guarantee this quality through a specialized verse a la Assassin and Berserker was seen as rather favorable, though this of course introduces another layer of the summoning mindgame itself.

Class Mechanics and Design

The Devourer's observed standard parameter spread is as seen below.

STR: D (C)
AGI: D (C)
END: C (B)
MGI: B*
LCK: C
NP: C

Devourers typically sport a higher than average mana capacity and lean on the bulkier side for base Parameters. Additionally, they will tend to trend higher in one of the three physical parameters depending on the individual(s) manifested, signified by the bracketed values.

The asterisk on the Magical Energy/Mana Parameter denotes an odd quirk of summoning- most servants, upon manifestation, will have their supply of mana at 80-100% depending on various factors. Devourer however, will manifest with levels at around 25-45%. This means that upon being summoned, the Master(s) will want to have a mystic code or other potent source of magical energy ready for consumption- otherwise they will have to utilize a very much weakened servant until recharged. Considering the standard use case for Devourer is as counterplay to a servant that has already been/is expected to be summoned, the Master will likely be one of the last to summon their servant, so preparation is advised.

The Singular Class Skill of Devourer is Eater.

Eater is the ability to consume magical energy applied against the user. This applies to magical objects and entities as well, with rank C and above being high enough a grade that even things such as noble phantasms can be absorbed, provided there is enough time to do so. When objects/mana are absorbed, there is a chance that the effects will manifest under the Devourer's control. This is of course more likely with physical objects of potent mystery or structured design(Noble Phantasms being the most pertinent example), and allies higher Luck Parameter.

Eater has the additional trait of being incompatible with the class skill Magic Resistance- as MR works through rejecting magical energy, Eater draws it in, meaning that they would cancel each other out.

The only exception is when Eater pops up as a class skill on a Non-Devourer class Servant. There, Eater will appear in a degraded form where it's function regards the physical consumption of objects. Not much data is known of the specifics, as most reports come from the notoriously unreliable findings of the Atlas Summoning Sub-Department Simulations.


Devourer Archetypes, and Class Aptitude

From the (relatively shallow) pool of summoned Devourers, the figures summoned in/qualifying for the container can largely be grouped into 3 unnoficial archetypes: Takers, Engulfers, and Seekers.

Takers are those who seized physical objects- legendary weapons, valuable ores, magic tools. Examples of Taker-Type Devourers would be someone like Siegfried, being bathed in the blood of fafnir which granted him indestructible skin, or Ishikawa Goemon, a thief of legend. It is for those who specialize in seizing something.

Engulfers are those who seized or contained power- whether that be by way of territory or reputation, or through sealing rituals and banishment. Examples of Engulfer-type Devourers would be someone like Napoleon, whose empire quickly swallowed up a chunk Europe until he was beaten back, or Sinmara, wife of Surtr who sealed away his texture-annihilating Laevateinn. It is for those who specialize in enveloping something.

Seekers are those who chased down that which cannot be touched or felt, only told or applied- knowledge and information. Examples of Seeker-type Devourers would be someone such as the pruned timeline Miyamoto Iori, who in some ends would be prepared to sacrifice everything he had to experience greater heights of the blade, or Harun al-Rashid, who was said to have founded the Grand Library of Baghdad. It is for those who specialize in subsuming something.

These are all generally ways someone can qualify, or at least function within the Devourer Class Container. However, the affinity for the class, and rank of the Eater skill depend on how actively the individual sought what they ‘devoured’. Siegfried, through the above lens specifically regarding Fafnir's blood, would have a weak rank in the skill as being bathed in the dragon's blood was largely accidental: he was there to kill him, not become invincible. Similarly, someone like Tarrare, who certainly ate a bunch of things, was motivated by hunger and an unnatural, unfortunate physical defect- as it was an insane urge, his desire to consume is more fitting through the trappings of the Berserker or Foreigner containers. There must be drive and intent.