Hard to properly summarize, so feel free to chip in if I get something wrong.
Basically, mages exist, and they spend their time trying to figure out Everything. One method is the Holy Grail (not related), which is accessed through tournaments called Grail Wars (or Heaven's Feel, but let's not get into that). Seven mages get chosen, they go to a certain city, and each summon a Servant- a hero of legend, empowered through their legends, armed with the tools they had in myth, and given strength by their summoner- to fight to the death. The last Servant standing gets the Grail. Oh, and killing Masters will (usually) end their Servants, so the summoners are fair game... and the mundanes, and the surroundings... as long as you don't reveal the existence of magic, everything is permitted.
There's a good bit of mysticism, lost information, and outright lies about what's really happening, so nobody knows the truth. The Servants think the War works one way, and the Masters have a different idea. Neither is accurate, but nobody knows it until the crap hits the wall... which it does, in impressive quantities. Lots of people die, either as collateral damage (or intentional damage, for that matter), or to power up the combatants. Speaking of, over half the participants in the War, summoned or otherwise, are horrible examples of humanity.
If Doug was summoned as a Servant, he'd be dependent on his summoner (or killing innocents) for his continued existence and combat power, summoned into a class (Berserker, Saber, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Rider, or Assassin, each of which has its own requirements, and emphasizes some aspect of the Servant), and bound by three Command Seals- geasa, basically. If he were a Master, he'd be hunted by the other six (or more; cheating is something of a tradition) and their Servants, expected to summon a Servant and fight for the Grail, and, more interestingly, exposed to the other Masters (callous, paranoid, amoral and/or psychotic) and Servants (often callous and amoral, sometimes insane and/or psychotic, always willing to resort to violence). Either way, I can see him not liking the situation.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
Basically, mages exist, and they spend their time trying to figure out Everything. One method is the Holy Grail (not related), which is accessed through tournaments called Grail Wars (or Heaven's Feel, but let's not get into that). Seven mages get chosen, they go to a certain city, and each summon a Servant- a hero of legend, empowered through their legends, armed with the tools they had in myth, and given strength by their summoner- to fight to the death. The last Servant standing gets the Grail. Oh, and killing Masters will (usually) end their Servants, so the summoners are fair game... and the mundanes, and the surroundings... as long as you don't reveal the existence of magic, everything is permitted.
There's a good bit of mysticism, lost information, and outright lies about what's really happening, so nobody knows the truth. The Servants think the War works one way, and the Masters have a different idea. Neither is accurate, but nobody knows it until the crap hits the wall... which it does, in impressive quantities. Lots of people die, either as collateral damage (or intentional damage, for that matter), or to power up the combatants. Speaking of, over half the participants in the War, summoned or otherwise, are horrible examples of humanity.
If Doug was summoned as a Servant, he'd be dependent on his summoner (or killing innocents) for his continued existence and combat power, summoned into a class (Berserker, Saber, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Rider, or Assassin, each of which has its own requirements, and emphasizes some aspect of the Servant), and bound by three Command Seals- geasa, basically. If he were a Master, he'd be hunted by the other six (or more; cheating is something of a tradition) and their Servants, expected to summon a Servant and fight for the Grail, and, more interestingly, exposed to the other Masters (callous, paranoid, amoral and/or psychotic) and Servants (often callous and amoral, sometimes insane and/or psychotic, always willing to resort to violence). Either way, I can see him not liking the situation.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.