Art by Kit (SPIDERN0IR)

Star Seeker

Keen-eyed Appraiser, Hal MurphyType-Moon RP // MVRP

Debts Paid

Harold Murphy
March 22nd, 2002
6'0", 247 lbs

• "Astral Reckoning" can be interpreted in several ways. "Star Counter", "Settling a debt with the Heavens", and so on.
• Carries a Bowers Trench Lighter inherited from his maternal Great Grandfather, used in World War I.
• He's diabetic like his father, limiting his sugar intake when possible.
• Hal has worn glasses since he was a child due to poor eyesight. After gaining the Mystic Eyes of Analysis, he began to wear Mystic Eye Killers to lessen the strain caused by the flood of information they provide. After several years of adjustment, he no longer needs them and wears lenseless frames that disguise his eye color with magic. In the Grand Order timeline, he wears normal glasses or contact lenses.
• He has a surgical scar on his stomach from treating pyloric stenosis as an infant. It runs about an inch deep into his gut, and is still tender to the touch 20 years later.
• His childhood home is haunted by his great-great uncle, who died in a house fire decades ago. He's the only ghost that Hal can see and communicate with, as he lacks his mother's talent as a medium.

Path of the Magus

Magecraft is a talent passed from generation to generation, slowly honing knowledge and skill over the years in search of the ultimate source of mystical power. Duncan Murphy and Maria Rist came from non-traditional mage families, one whom disowned his family after taking their Crest, and the other who was taught magic alongside her elder brothers. The two married and moved in with Maria's parents, as her mother required at home care for a while after knee surgery. After some difficulty with conception, they had a child and named him after Duncan's uncle whom he saw as more of a father than his own. They planned to pass their craft to him with a less forceful approach than other magi...But the boy had no aptitude for magic. Between the two of them and their rather extensive family histories of magic, he should have been born with a high number and quality of magical circuits, within the top percentile of modern spell casters. Yet less than a handful could be detected, and they failed to stretch through his body as they should, tangled up in his skull in a tight knot. The couple decided they would have another child, before Maria unfortunately developed uterine cancer and had to have her capacity to bear children removed. Thus, they resigned themselves to teaching their craft and passing Duncan's Crest to their only child, and hoping that he would have his own child in the future to pass their inherited knowledge onto.

Harold R. Murphy
Date of Birth: March 22nd 2001
Magical Origin: Change
Affinity: N/A
Attribute: Alteration
Magical Circuits: 7
Magical Energy: 5 [.71/Circuit]

Mutation

Harold was given the nickname "Hal" in Preschool, which would stick with him for the rest of his life. At age 8, his parents began to teach him about magic and have him swear to secrecy, being placed under a Geas for five years to never speak of the arcane outside of their home. Over those years, his father slowly transplanted the Family Crest onto Hal with his own additional power, and his mother even passed two of her circuits to add a touch of her own magic. Hal would never be able to use the Crest, and likely not be able to add his own circuit to it, but he would still be able to pass it to his heir.In this time, Hal's unique mutation began to manifest in an uncommon type of magical ability: Telekinesis. Psychic powers have been recorded all throughout the history of magecraft as a different type of mystery, one closely linked to phenomenon like Mystic Eyes. Duncan and Maria speculated that the mixing of their blood from two distinct forms of magecraft, European Witchcraft and Siksika Shamanism, was to blame for the mutation, and that a second child would likely have also had issues.Hal practiced his skill for a few more years and determined that he needed to understand the physical and chemical structure of an object to manipulate it. Thus began his extensive and obsessive memorization of formulas and tinkering to expand his range of influence. He'd always have a book open, reading well above his grade level to levitate rocks, then even tools and small devices. In freshman year, he studied anatomy to see if it was possible to even move a person around.In the last days of the Fall of 2015, this would be put to the test. Standing outside the small town high school early in the morning, Hal spotted a little girl chasing her ball into the road. At this hour and in a school zone, it wouldn't be much of an issue... If not for the large truck rolling down the street, driver asleep at the wheel. With his new understanding of bone structure, Hal grabs onto the man's femur to move his leg and apply the brakes, smoothly saving the day. The car certainly stops, but his panic resulted in too forceful a yanking of the bone. The driver's femur ripped out from his foot and slammed through the brake, killing him from the shock and pain of his flesh and tendons shredding and bones shattering. The sheriff's office down the road was quick to respond to the accident and retrieved the body, where Hal witnessed the horror of what he'd done. The Mage's Association was also quick to act and had the nature of the incident covered up, and Hal was detained for risking the Concealment of Mystery. After questioning, the Murphy family was excommunicated rather than placing a sealing designation on him, as he was a minor.

• Proper History

Conflict

Now aged 15, Hal was at rock bottom. Duncan lost his contract with the Mage's Association as a developer on filters that would prevent the arcane from being revealed on the Internet, tightening the family purse strings and cutting off a retirement plan. The young psychic was told to keep his head down and try to graduate without any further incidents.But trouble seems to always follow him. Maria worked in the preschool program at one of the local churches, and Hal had encountered the pastor a few times over the years. Father Wilkinson made a request of him, from a member of the Holy Church to a trusted magus. In exchange for protection should any conflict with the Mages' Association arrive, Wilkinson required him to investigate strange activity in town. Hal tracked the source to be a cult working out of the Nulembo Holdings building downtown, a skyscraper that towers over the rest of town and buys up local businesses. The cult called forth a fragment of the unbreakable sword Chandrahasa, which turned one of the conjurers into a demon that Hal defeated in a desperate battle. Though they never found the piece of the blade (which Wilkinson left out of his report), the trouble had seemingly been thwarted. Thus, Hal had one ally in the world, shifty as he may be.

Art by icyfjords

The Holy Grail War

During Junior year, Duncan got a job offer out west to work with one of Maria's brothers in a more mundane cybersecurity operation, and they decide to move. Hal opts to stay with his Grandfather at least until he graduates, and they set off. Maria's mother had already passed a few years ago due to weight related health complications, and unfortunately her father would not be much longer for the world. He passes from cancer at the beginning of Senior year, and Hal remains alone in the house after the funeral proceedings and the visits from the family. He's not quite 18 yet, but is close enough with some local family members checking in on him every week or so.In the spring of 2020, a situation more dire than the Chandrahasa incident arrives: the New England Holy Grail War. 260 years have passed since the construction of a Holy Grail vessel during the French and Indian War, and it has gathered enough energy to begin the violent ritual. Father Wilkinson enlists Hal as a representative for the Holy Church, in competition with a preacher from the Vatican's rival faction, two magi from the Association, and three independents. Hal performs the summoning without a catalyst, causing an exception in the usual pool of candidates. Thus, his blood relation brings forth Caster: Johnny Appleseed. An incredibly underwhelming spirit that barely meets the qualifications of Heroic, manifesting mid level naturalist magic he never had in life through his devotion to God. To make things worse, Hal receives no Command Spells due to his improper Magic Circuits. Caster remains aligned with him only due to their relationship and his nature as a person.Once the War begins, they forge an alliance with the Master of Lancer Sun Wukong, Hal's classmate Elaine. Together they defeat a teacher from their former middle-school who turned out to be the cannibal Master of Assassin Nicholas Damont. In their battle with the Berserkers Adam and Eve, Lancer and Adam kill each other, manifesting the Berserkers Noble Phantasm: Fruit of Knowledge. Caster uses his plant manipulation magic to swipe it from Eve, and Hal consumes the fruit. It rewires the Magical Circuits within his brain to allow for a far higher level of telekinesis, and grants him the golden Mystic Eyes of Analysis to defeat Adam. Seth, the Master of the Berserkers, concedes defeat.

Harold R. Murphy
Date of Birth: March 22nd 2001
Magical Origin: Change
Affinity: Change
Attribute: Alteration
Magical Circuits: 44
Magical Energy: 440 [10/Circuit]

All that remains is the Master of Saber, who has already defeated Archer and Rider's Masters. While trying to identify him, Elaine is captured and Hal is forced to face them without the aid of Caster. He outmaneuvers Saber Ravana and reluctantly kills his Master, the President of Nulembo Holdings.With the six other Servants defeated, Hal goes to claim the Grail at the top of the hill up the road from his home. They find that the vessel itself is corrupted, composed of thousands of souls from a Native tribe used as human sacrifices bound together with black magic. The Grail-Beast destroys a third of the city in an instant before going dormant. Elaine transfers what Mana she can to Hal, promising to face the end together. He breaks that promise and leaves her sleeping at his home, receiving power from Caster, Seth, and Father Wilkinson to convert his entire nervous system into temporary Magic Circuits and undo the magic holding the souls together, freeing them after centuries of torment. The contents of the Grail are purified, and grant Hal his dying wish. Using his own history as payment, the damage caused by the War is undone. The destruction of the town and the deaths of the civilians, along with all memory of the war, is erased.

Restoration

Peace returns to town, with the florist John Murphy living alone in his cousin Duncan's old home. The president of Nulembo Holdings died unexpectedly in his sleep several weeks ago, throwing local business into a frenzy to push out the international conglomerate. Elaine studies for finals while struggling to remember a promise she'd made to someone. She finds herself drawn to the massive apple tree on the hill, blowing off plans with a friend to rest her eyes there. When a fruit falls into her hand, she remembers the cause of her tears. Hal appears seated at her side, just as she remembered him. Their emotions transcended beyond direct memories, and a loophole to the condition of his wish was found. Perhaps it was a miracle of the Grail?Elaine, Seth, and Caster regain their memories of the Grail War, and it is kept a secret between the four survivors. Without the continued existence of the Fruit of Knowledge, the capacity of Hal's Magical Circuits has degraded considerably. With the actual expense of energy from his powers, this is not too harsh a restriction.

Harold R. Murphy
Date of Birth: March 22nd 2001
Magical Origin: Change
Affinity: Change
Attribute: Alteration
Magical Circuits: 44
Magical Energy: 60 [1.36/Circuit]

Art by cardcaptorsuho

Aftermath

In the years since the War's end, everyone has moved on with their lives. Caster remains in town to watch over the home as a humble gardener. Elaine has gone off to school at Clock Tower, living with her cousins in London while she studies. She and Hal had a falling out after he stood her up a year into her stay, but they've at least become friends again. While Hal is still officially "excommunicated" and disallowed from studying at Clock Tower, he's gotten steady work through both the Mage's Association and the Holy Church as an appraiser of magical artifacts. Using the Eyes of a Analysis, he can accurately date what time period objects originate from and determine their legitimacy. Both organizations pay him to travel around the world and investigate discoveries and private collections to know if they need to acquire or steal the item to keep it out of dangerous hands.In recent years, a boy from another world named Marrón Mendoza began to appear periodically. He seems to know another Hal, but the two still share a brotherly bond.

The Frigid North

In the world which the Chaldea Security Organization exists, the young Hal learns of their recruitment of "Master Candidates" while listening in on his father and one of his associates. He studies hard and forges his credentials and identity to be accepted into the recruits in a desperate attempt to restore his family's name and prove his worth. Come late 2017, Hal leaves a letter behind for his family, uses his savings to catch a bus to New York City, and boards a freight ship bound for Antarctica. Chaldea HQ is unforgiving, but the boy is determined to be of use. Sabotage by Lev Lainur Flauros leads to the near-death of the other 47 candidates, and Hal is left as the last defender of Humanity.Allies: Mash Kyrielight (Shielder), Leonardo da Vinci, Dr. Roman, Fou
Enemies: Lev Lainur Flauros

Singularity F

Duration: 1 weekHal, the enigmatic creature Fou, Director Olga Maria Animusphere, and Demi-Servant Shielder Mash Kyrielight are transported into a corruption of history: a Singularity. They make their way through the burnt remains of Fuyuki, Japan, with the aid of Caster Cú Chulainn and learn about the situation back home. Dr. Romani Archaman is now the highest ranking staffer left at HQ, most of the facilities are down, and there will be no backup sent to aid them. Though they set up a Summoning point at one of the city's Leylines, Hal struggles to maintain a Servant other than Mash, relying on the ally they have within the Singularity. After defeating many Shadow Servants and Saber Artoria Alter, they learn the truth about Lev Lainur betraying them, and that Director Olga was also killed in the blast and is only a spirit. She vanishes after Hal collects the Grail of Singularity F, and the group return to Chaldea to form a plan. Hal is greatly shaken by everything that has happened so far, especially learning that his parents and the world outside have been destroyed.Allies: Cú Chulainn (Caster)
Enemies: Saber Alter

1st Singularity: Orleans

Duration: 3 weeksHal, Mash, and Fou travel to a corrupted France and work with Ruler Jeanne D’Arc to defeat Avenger Jeanne D’Arc Alter. The Servants they team up with cause him plenty of emotional distress, especially the teasing trio of Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth Báthory, and Kyohime. Hal forms contracts with each member of Ruler’s team and they defeat Avenger’s team, securing the second Grail.Allies: Jeanne d’Arc (Ruler), Amadeus, Marie Antoinette, Siegfried, Elisabeth Báthory, Saint George, Kiyohime
Enemies: Jeanne d’Arc Alter (Avenger), Gilles de Rais (Caster), Le Chevalier d'Eon, Vlad III, Atlanta, Saint Martha, Carmilla, Charles-Henri Sanson, Lancelot (Berserker), Phantom of the Opera

2nd Singularity: Septem

Duration: 2 monthsHal, Mash, and Fou are recruited by Emperor Nero to battle the United Roman Empire, made up of Servants who are former Emperors of Rome. Hal is named Viceroy and commands stray servants who have joined Nero’s army, who he and Mash bond with. They set off for the Shape Island with Nero and earn the favor of Stheno, who reveals the location of the United Empire’s base of operations after testing the group. The army marches to the enemy’s false capital, defeats Romulus, and forces Lev Lainur to transform into the Demon God Pillar Flauros. After his defeat, he summons Saber Altera before seemingly dying. They seize the Grail from Altera, and the team from Chaldea return to their time.Allies: Nero Claudius (Living), Spartacus, Boudica, Jing Ke, Lu Bu, Stheno, Tamamo Cat, Elisabeth Báthory
Enemies: Romulus, Altera, Caligula, Caesar, Leonidas, Alexander, Lord El-Melloi II, Darius III

3rd Singularity: Okeanos

Duration: 3 months (Hal turns 16 while at sea)Hal, Mash, and Fou land on a ship in the midst of an endless ocean, bound for “Pirate Island”. On the island, Hal threatens to beat a pirate to tears if he hurts Fou. They meet with and defeat the living Francis Drake, taking command of her crew. Hal gets absolutely hammered with them and they set out with the Grail that Drake won from Poseidon to find the one causing the Singularity, gathering the help of many servants to battle against Blackbeard’s Crew and the Argonauts. They prevent Jason from destroying the world with the Ark of the Covenant and defeat Demon God Pillar Forneus, correcting history and securing the Third Grail.Allies: Francis Drake (Living), Asterios, Euryale, Artemis and Orion, Atlante, David
Enemies: Edward Teach/Blackbeard, Eric Bloodaxe, Mary Read, Anne Bonny, Jason, Hector, Medea Lily, Heracles

4th Singularity: London

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