Caster (Fate/Prototype: Fragments)

Caster (キャスター) is the Caster-class Servant of Misaya Reiroukan's father in the First Holy Grail War of Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Blue and Silver. He later forms a new contract with Manaka Sajyou. He is able to be summoned by the Protagonist in the Grand Orders of Fate/Grand Order.

Identity
Caster's True Name is Van Hōenhaimu Parakerususu, a legendary physician turned alchemist. At the, he is known as a historic figure from the.

Paracelsus left behind many achievements and books such as the "rediscovery of the four (five) elements" and the "rediscovery of the three humors", which helped advancement of Magecraft. A rare individual who went down in both human and magic history. He is also known for creating the original Azoth Sword.

History
Paracelsus was born into a family line which definitely possessed blood ties to Magecraft even if they couldn't be called a noted family among noted families. A powerful magus (Average One) who manipulates the five elements, a master of Jewel Magecraft, and a person who influenced and was deeply involved with the development of alchemy as a magical foundation. In the significance of the magical foundation of what magi far and wide conveyed as "alchemy" in the modern era, there is a possibility that this man is the pioneer that deeply engraved alchemy into this world. He was a remarkable man especially in his achievements in alchemy, who continued to earnestly face his own research, and even if he was an educator, he was a person who had left just enough world-class achievements in the Clock Tower. Although Paracelsus is a person who is close with the Clock Tower, he conducted exceptional networking with the Atlas Academy and the Wandering Sea for the advancement of their mutual research.

However, as one can understand from his name being visibly left behind in history, Paracelsus has a tendency to "spread to people" secrets and mysteries that originally should have been concealed. He published towards the general public a fragment of his magical research as theories on Magecraft multiple times, repeatedly ignoring the warnings extended to him from the Clock Tower. He had also tried to carry out the publication of a tome which had the Archidoxes of magic included in it, despite repeatedly warned about it more than three times.

Paracelsus held a remarkably radical view of the world that was in stark contrast to almost all other mages. He believed that magic was something the public should've been made aware of. He had believed in the good magic could bring to the world if only everyone was made aware of it. He also used his knowledge in alchemy to help common folk with no connection to magic. Unfortunately, this ultimately caused him to get killed as his belief was what spelled the end for him when the Mage's Association sent their assassins to his doors in order to preserve the mysteries of magic. Of course, they never meant to eliminate him immediately, as to them, he was still a rare and talented individual. He was by no means a heretic, even in the Clock Tower's views.

In his last moments, Paracelsus lost his life to enforcement figures from the Mage's Association as he was trying to increase production for the distribution of mass-produced Philosopher's Stones. During the occasion of assassins arriving at his mansion, it is said that he was not at all shocked, his behavior not showing any panic, and he greeted his assailants with complete composure, pacifism, and a smile.

After he was slain, his killers salvaged all that they could from his workshop, from the tome that he had wished to publish in order to reveal the existence of magic to the world, to mountains of catalysts and experimental notes. Their only conclusion was that he was a strange man wishing to help others. The Mage's Association regarded him as a very strange individual due to their impression of his actions and behavior that was said to be for human society and for people everywhere. They saw him as someone who intended to disclose the countless mysteries which must be concealed, by blending it into a book, in the name of the advancement of medical care. He was a great man who could possibly leave his name on human history, he was a great man who left huge achievements even in the magical world concerning the establishment of alchemy as a magical foundation, and yet at the same time, he was a “fool” who had committed treacherous high treason.

They couldn't completely clarify his intentions. In extracting the materials that they obtained during the thorough investigation of his workshop that included items related to his future magical research, there was no evidence suggesting that he was in a collusive relationship between himself and an influential person, nor a shadowy organization that was connected to mysteries that was not the Mage's Association. They would later attempt to interrogate his ghost through a seance in order to discover evidence, but even then, he remained silent and they have utterly failed in extracting such evidence. During the seance, they had attempted to come to a mutual understanding, but after 5 mins and 20 seconds, it came to naught and they finally banished his spirit.

His last words to them before being dispelled was:

"When all of you return to each of your homes, please be affectionate to your children. Even showing it to your neighbors’ kids is fine. As the light that I sought, is in them."

- Paracelsus' last words to his killers

A rare magus who surely values humanity and loves children. That is Paracelsus von Hohenheim. However, the possibility of him suddenly abandoning his entire creed and falling into injustice is by no means zero. For example, what if there was a situation where he comes across someone connected to the Root itself that he was aiming for?

Appearance
Caster's outfit resembles that of a traditional white tailed lab coat with unique modifications. The coat possesses a raised collar that descends down the coat as a large v-cut and black epaulets on its shoulders which can change to include yellow marks as Caster ascends, a trait shared by the sleeves of the coat.

Under the coat, Caster wears what appears to be a dark blue turtleneck sweater with a burgundy choker and harness. For shoes, Caster wears knee high metal boots reminiscent of those found on the armors of knights.

Caster possesses long grayish-blue hair that he lets fall loosely over his right shoulder. This changes to a braid when he ascends.

Caster has been noted to be incredibly beautiful. His slender figure combined with his long, dark hair could easily mistake him for a woman.

Personality
A scholarly magus who is intellectual and calm. Paracelsus' disposition is mild and does not enjoy combat. He is cool and collected without his posture being thrown off balance. He shows joy in guiding and teaching towards young companions, frequently expressing this as a smile on his mouth.

As a rare magus, Paracelsus advocates that human affection is more precious than anything. He regards the modern magi far and wide as the descendants of the pupils that inherited his teachings, receiving them with open affection as if they were his children, and loving them equally as far as the world permits that love. He does not stop believing in that surely, these descendants are the future for they are the one that hold infinite possibilities, and where the accumulation of those possibilities will in the end, make them finally arrive at the root of the world’s truth. To the common magus individual with an esteemed family bloodline, his words are close to madness, but he does not intend to bend his beliefs. He is naturally, a mad scientist.

Whether towards male or female, there is no variation in all of his interactions.

Paracelsus quietly swears allegiance towards his Master. Rather, it is more accurate to say that this allegiance is friendship. In a conventional Holy Grail War where in the case his Master is a magus, he will build an equal relationship for they are comrades that both aim to reach the Root together. In the case his Master does not study Magecraft, he will propose to be a “friend”.

Paracelsus' wish was to be remembered as a great figure in the advancement of human prosperity and be loved by the "children of the future." Another wish he once had for the Holy Grail was "to reach the Root". Furthermore, like how the world was once filled with True Ether, he also wanted to ascertain the authenticity of his personal opinion regarding how the light of the star (like that of a holy sword) is indeed a light shining from the Root, or so it was. But it may be that he is currently seeking for atonement instead.

During the events of the Prototype Grail War, Paracelsus displayed a surprisingly cruel and remorseless side to his personality when he accepted Manaka's offer to switch sides by slaying his previous Master and spiting Assassin by taunting her about her inability to obtain physical comfort without killing the one who holds her, while simultaneously offering her the corpse of Tatsumi as the only thing she could ever hold. This change of heart was later revealed to have been largely in part due to Manaka's soul-crushing manipulation and intensity. For the rest of the war, Paracelsus would continue to lament on his mistakes in betraying the Reiroukan family, particularly Misaya.

Relationships

 * Artoria (Saber) / Arthur (Proto)
 * Concerning those who holds Excalibur that is filled with the light of the star, it is a great object of research while simultaneously for himself, he shows an obsession towards it as an objective that he must overcome.


 * Siegfried
 * He is (almost) very aware of him who owns Balmung, True Ether itself hidden within the sword.


 * Makiri Zolgen
 * An acquaintance in life. A magus with noble thoughts, although their research content differs. He wanted to become friends with him. He is aware of Makiri as a pure and respectable person who should be a noble idealist, but if he ever saw Makiri at the time of the 21st Century, he would absolutely not recognize or acknowledge him as the same person.


 * Leonardo da Vinci
 * As a matter of fact, another acquaintance in life. He deeply respects da Vinci who has been literally almighty even in regards to Magecraft. He wanted to become friends with him or something like that, but wouldn’t dare try to out of his deep respect. He did not remember when da Vinci became a woman. “When I first met you, well, which was it…?”


 * Arash / Henry Jekyll / Hyde
 * "… Somehow, I think there appears to be…"

Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Blue and Silver
Caster was originally the Servant of Lord Reiroukan during the first half of the Holy Grail War. He forms a strong bond with Misaya (his Master's daughter) to the point that he even calls himself "her friend."

After Berserker is defeated, he encounters and battles Manaka Sajyou, only to be charmed into joining her.

During the battle with Rider on top of, Caster betrays his Master by cursing him to death. Furthermore, right before he departs for his new Master, the morning after he kills him, he confesses to Misaya about his betrayal and how he has left a curse on her. He then coldly tells her that “Magi do not have friends in the truest sense of the word.”

At some point later on, he turns Tatsumi Kitano into a Living Dead, and gives him to Assassin as a present. He also shows some hesitation over his loyalty to Manaka by trying to protect Assassin.

Prior to confronting Saber during the final stages of the Holy Grail War, Caster reminisces and shows regret over his betrayal of the Reiroukan family. During the battle, he tries to activate the true ability of his Noble Phantasm, however, due to being unable to contain all of Excalibur's mana, he is ultimately blasted by Excalibur and is defeated. His final words were “Misaya, this is, the star’s...”

London: Death World in the City of Demonic Fog
Paracelsus is an antagonist in London 1888. He refers himself as "P".

Salomon: The Grand Time Temple
Paracelsus is amongst the "London" Singularity Servants to aid Chaldea against the Demon Gods Pillars.

Abilities
Paracelsus is an alchemist from the Renaissance Period and the one responsible for creating both the Alchemic system that is used by most alchemists of the modern era as well as the Azoth Sword, which has become a symbol of a rite of passage for mages, with copies of the original being given by mages to their students as a simple, yet very effective Mystic Code. His Noble Phantasm is Sword of Paracelsus, the sword that would be the origin of the Azoth Sword.

Paracelsus has numerous anecdotes as a legendary alchemist who manufactures magical items, acquiring the Item Construction Skill at EX Rank as a result. With this level, he can create a variety of tools, objects and so, like a powerful mana cumulate crystal such as the 'Philosopher's Stone', artificial spirits that correspond to the five elements called Elementals, robots endowed with multiple-body-synchronous-thinking ability (homunculi), etc. Mass production of jewels used for Jewel Magecraft can also be done by using a leyline connected to his territory.

Paracelsus is a powerful magus (Average One) who is endowed with the attribute of “Void” in addition to the attributes of “Earth”, “Water”, “Fire” and “Wind”. He typically employs long distance attacks by means of Magecraft. He performs magical attacks with usage of the five elements. He typically casts his spells with the command, "O' [Element]". For example, through the command, "O' Wind", Paracelsus is able to carefully levitate a dusty cloth and have it automatically fold itself without scattering any of the dust on it. He notes that this was a simple Single Action spell that combines psychokinesis and air manipulation. Paracelsus is able to perform powerful spells up to the level of High-Thaumaturgy at the speed of a Single Action spell thanks to his High-Speed Incantation, shortening the normally lengthy arias into the command "O' [Element]". In his case, he is able to use it to improve the efficiency of his Jewel Magecraft (specifically, when using Philosopher's Stones). When using Magecraft, objects similar to large jewels (Elementals) that correspond to the five elements floats around Paracelsus.

These Elementals are artificial spirits. The Elementals have different colors attached to the five elements in Western Magecraft [Earth (Yellow), Water (Silver), Fire (Red), Wind (Blue), Ether (A purple color close to black)], and the basis of this color scheme is how they're assigned based on India's. They are more informally also called Elemental Masses by Paracelsus. Exactly what it sounds like, they are existences created using a super-high density crystal as a base. For example, a Fire Elemental Mass is made from concentrated flame, and can manipulate incredibly high temperatures. An Earth Elemental Mass becomes super-high mass, gaining a hardness similar to that of diamond. (As a note, the Ether Elemental Masses made from the element of Nothingness are different from Ether Clumps.) Though it takes considerable labour to produce them, they can be used as effective familiars even in battles against Servants.

He has the ability to purify and accumulate magical energy into a crystal known as the - informally known as a photonic crystal - and manipulate it. At his level of skill, he can manufacture a Philosopher's Stone that can bestow a kind of counterfeit immortality upon any given target. He uses one to temporarily revive Tatsumi's corpse as a sort of ghoul-like familiar to mockingly taunt Assassin.

Given his nature as an alchemist, Paracelsus is able to create a large number of homunculi to do his bidding in a short time span. He was able to coin at least one in the time frame of one day after his summoning via a process that involves distribution of his flesh. As with all homunculi, he notes that they only superficially resemble humans and are not as physically equipped biologically as a normal human. Each of them are connected to each other as a hive mind and he can program them with instructions for complex tasks such as brewing and serving tea.

A master of Jewel Magecraft, Paracelsus can effectively have stones packed with magical energy floating around him in combat and throw them against targets in a way similar to telekinesis. They are powerful enough to blow away the "shadows" thrown at him by Manaka, a human who is directly connected to the Root.

Being a member of the Caster class, Paracelsus is able to set up several types of Bounded Fields and magical traps, effectively turning his stronghold into a fortress of death.

Contrary to his quest of progressing life and helping others, Paracelsus is also remarkably skilled in curses, being able to stealthily inscribe a lethal curse upon a magus without them noticing. One other field in which he seems to have a good deal of experience in is Healing Magecraft, as he offered his services to Saber, but there was no need to as Manaka had already seen to his recuperation. He is also capable of employing a form of levitation and illusion Magecraft, as well as the formation of magical barriers that can correspond to the five elements, appearing as faint mana 'walls' with the shining, flickering color corresponding to one of the five elements. Each individual wall is as durable as diamond. With the incantation "O’ Heavenly Stars, Macro Cosmos" and the establishment of a fivefold barrier derived from the five elements, a receiving attack can have all of its kinetic energy completely dispersed upon contact with the 'wall', scattering in a ripple-like power.

Development
Nakahara is the character illustrator for Paracelsus. Hikaru Sakurai is the scenario writer for his character.