Fragments of Chaldea
A Fate/Grand Order Fanfiction Series
Fragment 81 Insight
I honestly had to get a few opinions and show others this fragment ahead of time just to make sure I got a bunch of otaku and anime/game references right. Yes, yes, believe it or not, I have almost no clue what I’m doing when it comes to weeb culture. All things considered, I’m still practically an outsider and far more of a normie. Fate was merely one of the extremely few exceptions that caught my attention, and not something I honestly regret, clearly.
That said, if it felt a little cringey at time, great. I hit the nail on the head. Blackbeard’s whole shtick does honestly annoy me, and I made some efforts to curb it earlier in the series in favor of bringing out more of the fearsome pirate. Then Osakabehime got released, and I thought it’d actually be a kind of funny twist for him to just be dialing it back until she arrives, only for it to explode again. Being in the real world with proper access to that culture would also likely respark his will to shamelessly indulge, so I pulled the trigger to bring him back the full elements of Neetbeard you all know from the game.
That said, I had to make sure the reasoning was balanced when it came time for Anishka’s little talk. I wanted Blackbeard’s speech to still resound clearly and perfectly, rather than be hypocritical. I think it turned out fine, and was even maybe a small pep talk for some readers out there. It applies to everything: Be you, because some dipstick is going to hate you anyway for blanket prejudices and stereotypes. (Mandatory disclaimer that this is not an encouragement to go do unethical, illegal, or immoral stuff. Duh.)
I wanted to delve a little more on the motivation for why he just does what he wants to: A pirate’s view on freedom and liberty. Essentially doing what they wanted. Fairly straightforward examples and reasoning throughout the whole fragment.
In particular, I wanted to draw some light on his fascination with Drake. I also made sure it was openly acknowledged to, but also done in a way between them that made sense. Again, straightforward and the fragment explained it, but above all else, he’s honest, if not blunt and even definitively obsessive. With Drake’s ideals and morals, it could even be seen as flattery in a twisted sense. But then again, what about Blackbeard isn’t twisted?
So as usual, same general spiel when it comes to an unfamiliar/unpopular character: Try to paint and develop them with what’s provided to see if I can’t make them more dynamic for an already sprawling world. Thankfully, Blackbeard was already unique enough. I just had to triple down on a few things.
Teaser: Her actions were routine. For others, it was difficult to understand, but to her, it was paramount. Proper treatment was necessary for the highest probability of a successful recovery without lingering complications. They could say her methods are forceful and borderline unethical, but she always pursued the best from the bottom of her heart. For the sake of happiness, for themselves and others, she would do what was necessary.
Fragment 80 Insight
Last fragment was extra fluffy, so of course I was going to have to shake the train a bit with the next one. Not everything is a happy ending in the wonderfully gray world of Fate, after all. It’s unfortunate, but Shiki just had to learn it the hard way. But I made it a mix, because she’s one of TM’s heroines, and she’s been through quite enough as is. Overall, it was one to flesh out her circumstances as a pseudo-servant, as well as showcasing she’s an older/experienced Shiki in her youthful body as per Counter Force shenanigans. Makes for plenty of heart string pulling and diverse introspection.
Truthfully though, it was one of the more difficult ones to write because Shiki is so famously well fleshed out as it is. So, in order to make it interesting, it had to address something curious: In this case her awful circumstances. I even decided to offer a plausible reason as to why she stayed, which may or may not be a giant flag towards what lies much further along the path. It’s vague and flexible though. I like having vague and flexible pieces I may use later.
There was only a small paragraph teaser about the circumstances with Void, but it was more than enough for you guys to get the real gist: She’s baffled at the possibility, and Void is definitely getting her own standalone.
Time for another living cameo though! The unfortunate downside to having a fragment outside Chaldea is it limits interactions with other servants, but opens the doors for scenes with new faces. In this case, some small moments with Mikiya, but a bigger one with Touko. Still the same old with her own curious circumstances and even a plausible figure that can move into the growing town. I just hope I did her fair and Shiki fair justice.
Tomoe plays a rather huge roll in this fragment too while also dropping some teaser bricks for a strange development: How the hell the Onis and Raikou are kinda getting along… or Ibaraki not outright foaming at the mouth around the Minamotos for that matter (and actually listening to two). Again, lots and lots of plausible expansions dropped and teased on this fragment.
Scene V is probably one of my better handlings of scene transitions and setting descriptions. I’ve been trying over time to make it that much more natural, and I feel this is one of the greater highlights. Anyone who’d seen my original descriptions from two years ago would very likely agree this flows well. A technical note, but one I liked.
Teaser: They can say whatever they want about him, but in the end, he always did whatever he wanted to do. That’s how he lived and breathed as a feared name of the sea. It’s a pirate’s way shared among many subordinates in search of new treasure, adventure, and danger… So damn the world. Damn the judgement! Damn the ignorant normies! With their return and a new friend, he could finally truly indulge in the delights of Otaku culture!
Fragment 79 Insight
Most servants come bringing a bag of problems they slowly learn to sort out. Thanks to Parvati’s combination with Sakura, there was no timidness to get in the way though. With the gifted resolve and drive, it made for a unique possible spin on the usual “Servant arrives at Chaldea” fragment: Parvati just going ahead and solving the problems rather than letting them grow.
As a goddess of love and nurturing, she would likely have the drive to solve any tragedy before it blossomed more. Sakura just had a lot. Not anymore though. Most problems usually persist for long stretches in Fragments. Parvati just went ahead and knocked all the pins down in a single fragment as a twist. So, she gets smooth sailing from here on unless someone makes new issues… or one of the teased alters come that’s stated in her bio. Or maybe even BB and the other alter egos.
That said, though no complete “Shirou’s Grail War House” get together is shown, but they’re all finally together again (as close as Grand Order can allow). Technically Muramasa isn’t necessary since he’s Muramasa and EMIYA is technically the ‘closer’ Shirou (we’ll skip the long debate). You’ve got that SoL Fate cooking show to solve that one though.
The mythology gag when meeting Rama was inspired by a talk I had with Ethereal23. It was just adapted a bit so it’d make for a fun little showcase from Parvati’s bio, that she can get angry, but it usually just winds up looking cute and controlled. Her real anger is something else, but that’s not going to show in this case: Rama isn’t Mohini, even if they are both incarnations of Vishnu.
As a fun side fact I mentioned before, Anishka was actually partially designed by him as a gift for all the help sorting out crazy Indian mythology. That included her sexual orientation, which is finally being revealed to the vast majority of Chaldea. I didn’t want this small subplot sticking around too long because it’s just the introduction to the real development arc: Anishka getting used to finally expressing herself openly and not feeling like she’s carrying a grave sin/crime.
So, it was a mix of emotions, but I feel it all tied up nice at the end. As a separate note, the next fragment will be one of the first to take place outside Chaldea.
Teaser: When you’re taken from the time you belong, it wasn’t as easy as simply placing you back; The time continuum was convoluted. She’d come to acknowledge she’d likely never return to her regular life again, and though she often cursed her luck, it wasn’t until she ventured out that she truly felt it again… that dull ache she’d first experienced in that cold warehouse. That dull ache of forlorn uncertainty and loss.
Fragment 78 Insight
As I’ve said many times, I save servant appearances for key moments (like turning points) so I know they’ll have a more profound impact. For Amakusa, there’s no better time than just after they defeat Goetia, who, at its core, shared a similar desire that Amakusa did: Saving humanity from its fate. It made plenty of room for introspection, which this entry is heavy on, and a chance to show how he was going to deal with the given reality.
It’s in his blood to continually push for his desired, guilt-driven dream, so I wasn’t going to curb that. I was only going to curb t he clarity around the method, which was a conclusion he arrived at in his many decades spent waiting for the grail in Apocrypha. As clear as that answer had been, a monumental task like saving humanity from total extinction for a year would easily make a profound impact on his belief. Though it wouldn’t destroy it, you can gray the colors and muddy the waters a lot.
Thus, Amakusa’s dilemma for his fragment was straightforward. His ambition is pushy, but he wants to exercise patients and see new avenues. Others also talk to him to convince him, or serve as a welcome distraction/reminder of what can/has been built in Chaldea. It’s a constant tug of war, with the only answer being to find a way to let the time slip by as they search for answers. At the same time, he’s bombarded by countless fuel for either side of the fire that tries to swing him both ways.
Yet, despite the heaviness within, the interactions are mostly fluffy. Janna has been making a giant showing recently, but I’ve also taken the liberty to show some of the more overshadowed servants. Many ‘neglected’ will be making a bigger appearance now that their entries are approaching. Of course, it will be balanced with new faces, like the two I introduced here.
Finally introduced the first newly summoned servant, and wasted no time on a statement I made months ago. I just wanted the reunion to be a little unique, but I was definitely not going to dance around the topic. It fit well for the theme for Amakusa’s fragment, which was obviously an exploration on learning to deal with guilt in better ways.
As a final note, the specifics with retrieving servants from a singularity seem obvious, but it’s not quite fully explained yet. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on what the necessary variables are, because you can be certain Chaldea is going to try and rescue others.
Fragment 79 Teaser:
Kindness and serenity radiated off her like a spring waterfall, and her smile could ends wars with a simple glance. Even so, not everyone is happy about her summoned circumstances, but they were far outweighed by the many smiling faces who came to greet her. It made her heart swell with appreciation that she could have such a warm welcome, partially thanks to her host.
Fragment 77 Insight
If you weren’t expecting at least one “Wassup my homies”, I don’t know what to tell you.
The tricky part about Marie is that she can essentially get along well with almost anyone, so the potential to show everyone was high. I managed to make a blend of sorts. I narrowed it down to the most important and obvious ones while also adding some more pieces to advance the unseen (or seen) sub plots. It was a dance of sorts, but through all of it, I made sure, as usual, it was all tied to the spotlight servant in some way. Marie just made it very easy, because her own basis is that she loves seeing people happy.
That plus the gossip made it easy to weave. I’ve long since established Marie can be quite scandalous in FoC, but this fragment allowed me to show it isn’t necessarily intentional. Just like her original life, scandal just happens to follow her actions, even if she means well in the end. A small parallel, both sad and true, but a reminder that at least her ‘scandals’ in Chaldea are more amusing and adorable than what her life offered. At least here it’s not causing a revolution.
As I said before, I don’t really add new OCs unless they’re necessary or bring something very unique to the table. In this case, it was also heavily influenced by RenRider, who used her request token to wish for a specific OC. Though I could turn the token down and suggest it be used for something else, I saw an opportunity with what she presented, but she needed a niche no other had. What perfect niche to introduce to Chaldea, and through Marie’s fragment, than a mother with an infant? More about her will be revealed later over time as was done with other major OCs.
It also gave me a great change to bring out Marie’s soft spot for babies (for obvious reasons). Nightingale too for that matter, since I thought it’d make a heartwarming touch that she’d be so gentle when it came to the tiniest patients, and then ferocious with everyone else. Like in her mind, she knows that she must give proper treatment.
I also laid down the ground rules on servant vacations just so that we’re not always out of Chaldea (and it doesn’t look like a ghost town). All about balance, and the little rotation / vacation-day-saving should do wonders to help that. Add to the fact Chaldea is expanding a lot and… yea, there’s a lot of world building early this season. It’s unfortunate that things are also a bit busier for me so I can’t keep up the usual schedule either.
Teaser: The battle to save mankind was a momentous event, but it held far more meaning and difficulty for some than others. For him, it raised yet another question, and formed a new doubt in his mind on what isn’t and what could be. He was once so solidified in his belief, yet now, after all he’d witness, he wasn’t too sure how he was going to continue… He only knew his heart still yearned to truly save humanity from itself, one way or another.
Fragment 76 Insight
So I was weighing options all of last year on what to do with Fou, since the Beast, in canon, did sacrifice itself completely. At the end I decided, screw it, Fou gets to stay sentient and intelligent (as opposed to FGO canon), but obviously not get away with any of the things it could before… Which had a surprisingly easy route of explanation.
Even with its incredible skills as a Beast class, an engine doesn’t run without fuel, and if the gas tank is missing on the car… well, it’s not going to do anything. Maybe you can have fun honking the horn or listening to the radio until whatever’s left in the battery drains, but otherwise it’s just a garage queen now, right? So I applied the same rationale to Fou. It still has all its stuff, but because it used all its gathered power and practically fried its circuits (or whatever it uses) that collects them, it can’t do anything anymore.
Except enjoy Chaldea. Which is probably the most important part for the series for reasons that I hopefully don’t need to explain.
So then the only real issue with this was trying to add everything I wanted. It hit super fragment length, yet there was still a lot of potential scenes that could have been added. Kintoki was one, as an example, but I decided to hold off until his fragment for his interactions with Fou. I focused on the interactions that carried the most weight and variety instead, as well as if they have the new world building potential considering Chaldea’s current status and development plans.
In particular, the largest scene was a necessary. I wanted to give a little bit of fun insight into the ‘little animal pets’ of Chaldea. Show that they’re still proud phantasmal beasts, though mostly young and juvenile. Each has their own little personalities, but I provided just the briefest glimpse so it didn’t go overboard. Again, cramming everything I wanted into this was difficult, so some corners had to be shaved.
There will be more new (literal) world building in the fragments to come, but it’ll be slow for a bit. I’m trying to juggle work and finally get the minor overhauls completed on the earlier work.
Teaser: The modern world was really something else! While she was really interested in going out and seeing her beloved country, the little servant queue meant she had to wait their turn… but that was fine! With her salon finally back in working order, she could get right back to her usual business with new enthusiasm!
Fragment 75 Insight
Originally Blackbeard had this slot, but the running gags with Ereshkigal after the Christmas event presented an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. You know them: The joke she just got to Chaldea when all of a sudden she got sent back with the other servants. I merely turned it into an entry-long gag that she finally got the dream she yearned for only for everything to fall into jeopardy thanks to Solomon’s no obvious presence.
Speaking of which, if you recalled earlier, I had a small miscommunication error in regards to Solomon’s singularity and why I changed the location… except (which was probably obvious because of the miscommunication I had to clear up) I actually didn’t do that and stuck roughly to canon. It plays into something in Supplement 3, but I was pretty much forced to white-lie in order not to spoil Fragment 75’s reveal that, well, it obviously wasn’t. Again, these strange set pieces will all make sense once we get into the real supplement.
As for Ereshkigal, it gave another opportunity for a different sort of “exploration” fragment where a servant is first introduced to Chaldea. Like Quetzalcoatl who was very upbeat, Ereshkigal’s was uplifting with a sense of scenic appreciation the others have never shown. I wrote a scene that mostly just depicts her staring at snow, the thing everyone’s been staring at rather casually throughout the whole series. For her that’s going to be like seeing Niagra falls after living beside a creek all her life… a creek that’s probably perpetually masked in darkness, but you get the idea.
I also wanted to make the interactions mostly, and purposefully, rather brief and abrupt. It should all feel like a giant sampler platter for her on what the future holds, only for it to be put in jeopardy. She’s gotten her taste, and now she’s more enticed than ever before to fight for what’s in reach.
There was initially a scene with her and King Hassan, but this fragment was already going well over the cut off line, so I decided to save their interaction for later (aka, King Hassan’s fragment). I merely left it as she is unnerved by him, but also thankful for what he did for her.
The latter half helped to serve as a small transition towards Supplement 3, though I didn’t want it to be completely invasive. I kept things brief, especially considering we won’t be back in Fragments for a while (two supplements inbound, back-to-back).
And, of course, the final “played” song in Season 3: A covered song (by Liz) a bit fitting for Chaldea and Ereshkigal’s situation… to an extent.
No teaser. Supplement 3 is finally here. Its title will be unveiled at release in two weeks.
Fragment 74 Insight
This one will be a bit longer because to be honest: Writing Brynhildr is very difficult. I’d honestly have an easier time writing about one of the maddened berserkers.
Tricky is the best way to describe this entire fragment. Brynhildr’s situation is extremely tricky, and it was very easy to accidentally “break” who she really is. She’s a yandere who constantly has to restrain herself, and even then, her compulsion would still shatter on certain occasions. Paracelsus’ potion, inspired as the counterpart to what she took in Fragments of Blue and Silver, served as a good starting point, but it was not a complete answer as you’ve read. It’s not as easy a getting rid of mad enhancement or mental pollution.
However, I would like to say that some personal thoughts on the matter. I wanted to keep Brynhildr true at her core, but that line kinda became blurry considering how much more “uncontrolled” she seemed to be in Fate/Grand Order. If you read Fragments of Blue & Silver over at Beast Lair (Thanks PhoenixRising!), she was noticeably calmer and in rather great control. Yes she had the mix ups, love-based thoughts, and comparisons to Sigurd, but it wasn’t 0 to 100 in a few seconds like Grand Order sometimes showed. I felt FGO took her character to a bit of an extreme, so I dialed it back a bit to resemble what was in her original debut series.
Essentially what it turned out as: Brynhildr not taking the potion acts as FGO Bryn, while under its influence she’s closer to Fragments of Blue and Silver.
This made it possible to address one of her key aspects: She restrains herself a lot. She’s worried about pushing her boundaries, which is understandable. It’s her very nature to kill who she’s fallen in love with. So I made it so her friends helped blur the line, and she’d slowly inched her way forward to grasp just a bit of satisfaction and happiness with every passing week. It was a slow process, masked by her trying to hide behind a content façade so others wouldn’t worry about her. Gentlemanly sincerity is another thing that tips her, after all.
But most of that was depicted in the background. I’ll admit, I may have to go back to previous fragments and do a bit of fine tuning on her interactions to better depict this.
On the other hand, more slice of life stuff with the lingering shadow of Solomon’s threat. Those who are most capable are still preparing the most, while the others are allowed to enjoy a calm atmosphere while waiting (aka, morale boost). We’re only one fragment away from the big shebang and I still have them going about rather ordinary lives and enjoying themselves. What can you say? It’s the Chaldea way… and maybe it actually plays into something in the supplement.
Though most of the interactions were based around her grail group, who are still the only “Grail War” in Chaldea to all get along so exceptionally, I included another that I was never mentioned: Jeanne Alter. It’s for obvious reasons why it was never brought up, but now it was all finally aired. Months of her not knowing, and suddenly poor Bryn is told her love can act very…strange when her summoning is ‘botched’ in some way.
Bonus points for contrast with how Janna acts with one of her teachers though.
Then there’s the other tricky situation I wanted to address: Arthur. It’s not so straightforward as I made it appear, and it’s also one of the more direct teases I’ve ever made since the servant outright says it. However, it’s a very tricky situation, with plenty of variables to go wrong. Who knows if it will only remain just a tragic and secret bond, or maybe I’ll actually pull the lever. We’ve got a lot of couples as is, though, so I try to keep a relative balance between confirmed, possible flirting, and close friendships.
Last Season 3 Fragment Teaser: They promised she’d be happy. She held onto that hope as long as she could before she dematerialized with a smile under that, Babylonian night. How long had really passed since she laid there in her final breaths… before she opened her eyes to a gift she always sought in her endless isolation?
Fragment 73 Insight
And you thought Quantum timelocks and alternate dimensions was enough to stomach. As a science-styled fragment that dips into the ideas of unbelievable work ethics, it was a great fit here. I just hope it wasn’t too confusing. I asked SKYS for his opinion on it to make sure the rough primer on my idea made sense.
Due to a big, rushed miscommunication on my part, I’ve made a separate post detailing a key piece: Solomon Time Temple’s location curiosity.
Potentially confusing as hell topics aside, though, we had the other big idea in this fragment: Tesla’s OCD. This was not something shown in Grand Order, but the real Tesla had pretty well-documented OCD tendencies. I showcased a bunch of them just as tie-overs. Even the bird is a peculiar case associated with Tesla, though I decided to shift the interpretation a bit to make it fit better.
So the stuff about counting napkins, doing three laps, not touching hair, and a few others? Yup. Those are real and documented tendencies of the real Tesla. I thought they’d make a nice coloring for FGO’s proud and intelligent archer, which I also ensured to show in its own ways. He appeared pretty ‘mellow’ in many of his other showings, but introspection allowed me to explain why.
Fear not, for he’s definitely still prideful… especially when Edison’s involved.
Showcasing both of their gentleman aspects in a work environment felt like a fun bit of depth. They worked together for a common goal before (Dead Heat Summer Race 2017), so I thought I’d showcase it a little earlier. They have an eternal rivalry, but they can still collaborate if it’s in the best interest of both.
Other interactions were noticeably less in this Fragment, but I decided to shed light on an interesting one rather than expand too much on the other geniuses. The entry itself was more serious than the previous one too, but the vast majority would be after that ‘disaster’ of a play. It’s simply a transition to more serious tones considering what Supplement 3 will bring to the table.
Teaser: All around her, Chaldea prepared for the decisive battle ahead in their own way. With all their strength, optimism, and beautiful moments she witnessed even now, her love for this place bloomed freely without fear of ruining anything.
Fragment 72 Insight
Designing this fragment was a pain, mostly because it had two stories going at the same time. I had to make a play, and then I had Shakespeare’s dilemma. I just hope it wasn’t too confusing considering the amount of temporary names thrown about, but I should have made it fairly clear. Picking the theme for both was easy though, because it revolved around one major point: Give Shakespeare a taste of his own medicine.
What better way than to have his tragedy “tragically” corrupted into a partial comedy?
That’s where the parallels get anchored, and there’s quite a few of them. I had fun mixing them while adding plenty of comical moments to the mix. There’s quite a few moments that go just right though, but it’s revealed why later. As much of a prankster as he can be, Merlin did grow a touch of consideration after Chaldea, as a collective, helped Arturia so much. That doesn’t say much for the rather crass other pranksters though.
The most difficult part was setting up the total “flop” of the finale, and the irony that Shakespeare was ultimately the one to make the critical mistake let it happen. Even if the play didn’t go as planned, a tragedy did occur in his mind… at least until he saw the standing ovation and heard the thundering applause. Obviously, everyone else thought otherwise, especially for “pushing” the newly formed couple together. That’s more than enough to drag him out of any ditch.
Lacing interactions in this was obviously trickier because most of it revolved around the play. It soaked up a lot of time, but I still made room to have an increased variety of people Shakespeare talked with. In particular, I wanted to make sure Amakusa and Hans were two of them for obvious reasons, but I also wanted to drop the idea Merlin and Shakespeare get along rather well.
Overall, Shakespeare didn’t really need any extra “developing” so to speak. He’s been a good addition in Chaldea, and fits in rather well with his own eccentricity. It was just a matter of him needing a small nudge to remember his early days, when comedies and histories helped him onto his feet. Maybe now not everything will be a tragedy anymore, and he’ll keep his eyes peeled for unique scenarios of a lighter kind.
I would’ve loved to put a bit more Shakespearean tongue into this, as I took classes on his work in university and high school, but I decided to spare everyone else. I think I proved I was capable enough in Sanson’s fragment.
Here’s the song Phantom of the Opera sang. Both the singer and the song should be recognizable, but of course, the lyrics were altered quite a bit as stated in the entry.
Teaser: Hours of countless work, and still nothing. It’s enough to drive any sane person into frustration, but they were no ordinary person. What was science without endeavor? If any had the patience to grasp the desired results… it was them.
Fragments of Chaldea 
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