Faldeus Dioland

is the "True" Master of True Assassin in the True and False Holy Grail Wars of Fate/strange Fake. 
He is a high-level operative of the organization in charge of setting the foundations of the Holy Grail Wars in Snowfield.
==Profile==
===Background===
Faldeus is a Magus responsible for starting the False Holy Grail War, and despite seeming to be barely past his mid-twenties, displays knowledge of the events seventy years prior as if having had experienced them personally. He is part of a "certain American organization" that answers to the American government. Rather than being an organization of magi, it instead only has some magi as members. He went undercover within the Mage's Association with the eventual purpose of spreading news of the ritual and a warning to the Association's Magi. He also learned much about the organization under the tutelage of Langal while only revealing his name to the Magus.Fate/strange Fake Volume 1 - Extra Chapter: "Betrayer" He earned enough of a reputation to be recognized on sight by the Wolf's creator.Fate/strange Fake Volume 1 - Prologue VI: "Lancer"
===Appearance===
Faldeus is a slim man with small, narrow eyes and medium-length dark blue-gray hair. He wears a button-up black longcoat with a metal lapel pin over a black turtleneck, pants, and boots.
When in disguise as a member of the Mage’s Association, Faldeus wears identical clothing to his “master” Langal, consisting of a dark blue robe over a black shirt with a high silver-rimmed collar.
Faldeus profile back.jpg|Faldeus on the cover of Fate/strange Fake Volume 8.
===Personality===
While posing as the apprentice of Langal, Faldeus takes on a meek and questioning personality, refusing even to refer to his master by name. Upon dropping this identity, reveals his true nature in the form of an icy glare, emotionless face, and ruthless personality. Despite his ruthless streak, he maintains an upbeat personality even when ordering people to be killed, and faces threats without seeming menacing or threatening. He makes light of those he kills, mocking them during and after death. He claims that he likes to talk, but the possibility of leaking information means that he can only have candid conversations with corpses. His ruthless nature is also visible in how he believes the best form of stress relief is to eliminate the causes of one’s stress — in the Holy Grail War, meaning the quick termination of the most dangerous or problematic Masters. As a member of the American Magus organization that stands on the side of the current age against the past, he is fond of modern weaponry and dismissive of Magi, going as far as to kill a Magus with an ordinary, mass-produced Swiss Army Knife rather than an enchanted Mystic Code just to humiliate their old-fashioned ancestors.
Faldeus is shown to think highly of his nation, telling Langal to not underestimate a young nation. This patriotic side of him is also visible when True Assassin asks his master where his conviction lies, and Faldeus replies that he dedicates all of his Magecraft to the United States of America, and is willing to sacrifice civilians for the sake of his country.Fate/strange Fake Volume 2 - Chapter 5: Day 1, Dawn "The Shadow in the Dark" Despite his ruthless nature and willingness to sacrifice lives for the greater good of the nation, Faldeus is not totally amoral. He seems to care for the lives of his own soldiers, giving them specific instructions as to avoid capture during the clash between Enkidu and Gilgamesh.Fate/strange Fake Volume 1 - Chapter 1: "The War Begins" He considers Bazdilot Cordelion both dangerous and morally reprehensible, and refuses to allow such an individual to obtain the Holy Grail. While he enjoys Francesca’s childish personality at times, and is appreciative of her aid, he is aware of her ulterior motives and makes it clear to her that his organization will have both her and Bazdilot eliminated from the True and False Holy Grail Wars if her reckless hedonism endangers their plans.Fate/strange Fake Volume 3 - Prologue VIII: "The Star Performers' Feast (Part 1)"
He has a close, friendly relationship with his subordinate Aldora, joking around with her and making small talk even in serious situations, and his beverage of choice is black tea.
==Role==
===Fate/strange Fake===
==== Day 0 ====
Langal and Faldeus arrive in Snowfield on orders from the Mage's Association to investigate the possibility of the Holy Grail War ritual being performed there due to the findings of Lord El-Melloi II. Langal disparages his apprentice for not taking the possible threat seriously enough even though he displays proper knowledge of the ritual from his readings. They speak of the validity of the rumors and possibility of the land itself having been crafted solely for the sake of reproducing the ritual. Langal comments that the land's history is too young for a path to the Root to be reached without it besmirching the honor of Magi. Faldeus eventually reveals himself upon claiming the existence of only six classes, leading to Langal lecturing him about the seven classes before Faldeus completely drops his ruse. Addressing his "master" by his name for the first time, he begins to explain the differences in the False Holy Grail War, such as the lack of the Saber class, due to its incomplete nature.
Though he has a young appearance, he speaks of the process of copying the Third Holy Grail War like he was part of it, and tells Langal that it is not prudent to make light of a young nation as he did previously. Faldeus is completely calm despite his former master treating him as an enemy and preparing his attack. He explains certain aspects like that his organization is one that simply employs Magi rather than a group of Magi copying the ritual. While Langal prepares his attack, he claims that Faldeus is underestimating him, which is followed by Faldeus commenting about "giving his all" and a slight of hand with a cigar. Rather than having been preparing Magecraft, it was instead a signal for his Thorn shooters to attack.
After Langal is shot dozens of times, his subordinates show themselves as he taunts his "master's" supposed corpse. He explains the nature of Langal's puppet body to the unknowing soldiers and his reason for gloating and explaining the nature of the war to him. Having declared his warning to the magi, it marks the beginning of the Holy Grail War. The Kuruoka family expects it,Fate/strange Fake Volume 1 - Prologue V: "Rider" while Police Chief Orlando Reeve sees it as a hindrance.Fate/strange Fake Volume 1 - Prologue IV: "Caster" He later appears to the Magus who created the Wolf that summoned False Lancer, as to remove a possible hindrance from the ritual. Keeping the Association and Church at bay without having wandering Magi without Command Spells making enemies of the militia is a troublesome enough task for them, so he slits the Magus' throat.
While the Magus slowly dies, he explain that there is no need to answer questions or let the Magus live, so he tells the Magus to simply listen to him before ordering for him to be shot. Speaking with the corpse, he is concerned about Rider and notes the Magus' idea of trying to circumvent the rules to summon a god was astonishing. Noting Lancer's summoning, it is actually surprising to him, but it brings a pleasant smile to his face. He claims that Lancer may not be far off from the Magus' sought after power of a god had he been a Berserker. Though Lancer shouldn't have been summoned under the system, he does not have much faith in it given the various anomalies occurring.
==== Day 1 ====
When Faldeus first summons True Assassin, the Servant doesn't appear, causing Faldeus to believe that the summoning has failed. However, it's revealed that True Assassin was able to hide himself, even from his Master, communicating to Faldeus by writings. True Assassin speaks with Faldeus, though he remains hidden from him, asking if Faldeus has strong faith in something and if he is ready to kill. As Faldeus answers positively to both, Assassin agrees to make a contract with him.Fate/strange Fake Volume 2 - Chapter 5: Day 1, Dawn "The Shadow in the Dark"
As more and more people are infected by an unknown disease in the city of Snowfield, where the Holy Grail War is being held, Faldeus is informed by Assassin that he is aware of the one causing this epidemic, calling it a curse-plagued wind, and that it shouldn't be able to get inside their base of operations.Fate/strange Fake Volume 3 - Chapter 7: Day 1, Afternoon (1) "The Canon of the Demigods" When Faldeus becomes more concerned about Bazdilot Cordelion, the Master of True Archer and a member of the Scladio crime family, he decides to send Assassin to kill the head of the family, Galvarosso Scladio, who is currently residing at the other side of the country. Before departing on his mission, Assassin asks one last time if Faldeus has the faith necessary to kill, warning that if it is proven later that he does not "the curse will rebound and devour him".Fate/strange Fake Volume 3 - Chapter 9: Day 1, Evening "A Horse Not Yet Pale; Mud Yet Firm"
==== Day 3 ====
Faldeus receives a call from a general informing him that a presidential candidate likely to win died, along with 35 influential people in finance, mass media, and major lobbies, all from accidents and natural causes in the afternoon of the previous day. The general asks Faldeus to contact him if he finds any connection to the Snowfield ritual. After comparing the times and places of deaths on a map, Faldeus found a pattern centered on Galvarosso Scladio’s headquarters and linked in order of proximity, but Faldeus is yet unable to confirm if Galvarosso himself has been killed and reasoned that if he was the Scladio mages would conceal the fact for some time. Faldeus then hears a weather report about a massive hurricane headed toward Snowfield, which makes him question about who and what faction is responsible, and what they are trying to summon.Fate/strange Fake Volume 4 - Bridge Chapter: "One Day, Above the Sky"
After the wave of darkness from False Rider's Doomsday Come swallows the combatants from the battle at the hospital and on Main Street (Clan Calatin, Flat Escardos, Hansa Cervantes, the Quartet, Ayaka Sajyou, Sigma, and their Servants), Faldeus and Aldora discuss the event, correctly guessing that the Kuruokas made their daughter into a Master and her Servant is responsible for the disappearances. Their talk is interrupted by Faldeus feeling the return of his Servant, and he goes to his Workshop for him and his Servant to talk privately. He begins to scold True Assassin from seemingly deviating from his instructions, but to his horror, True Assassin corrects him and reveals that his targets were all "Galvarosso Scladio", having had their personhood supplanted by his own.Fate/strange Fake Volume 5 - Chapter 16: Day 3 "Breaking Dawn and Wakeless Dreams I"
Later, as he is complaining that he might get ulcer from all the Grail War stress, Faldeus proceeds to take what he considers the best ulcer medicine: using snipers to shoot the cause of his stress, namely Flat Escardos, just freshly returned from False Rider's ward-world. The hit goes without a hitch, and he makes a little speech about how comic relief characters like Flat and Saber are the most dangerous because they keep gathering allies. But soon after he gets another shock, because after his squad kills Flat, "Flat" comes back to life and massacre his squad in turn.Fate/strange Fake Volume 6 - Bridge Chapter: Day 3 "Clink Clank" He watches bits and pieces of the mess the newly awoken Thia makes (though can't see much as Thia destroys every camera), but stays composed due to True Assassin making his presence known and him taking it as a sign that he isn't allowed to freak out at the moment lest he is eliminated.Fate/strange Fake Volume 7 - Chapter 21: Day 3 "Beings Created in Man's Own Image"
He calls Sigma, and after Sigma doesn't pick up, he reasons that Sigma was another one of Thia's casualties and crosses his name off the remaining Master list. He then checks the full list and notices a considerable mismatch between the number of Masters and Servants. As he saw no signs of Doris Lusendra for days, he concludes a mage killed Doris for True Rider's Command Spells, then another killed them, who was in turn killed, etc. to explain the discrepancy. As he knows Flueger is in the city, he figures he is somewhere in this Rider Masterhood massacre chain.Fate/strange Fake Volume 7 - Interlude: "Audition"
==== Day 4 ====
Faldeus is informed of the decision of his superiors to enact Code 983 "Aurora fall" and wipe out Snowfield from the map, so he commands his team to retreat on the fifth day after their last attempts to remedy the situation. He orders True Assassin to assassinate Ishtar, not bothering to hide the fact that he's basically sending his Servant to die. He tells Hassan that, in the off chance he succeeded, he doesn't need to come back. This is Faldeus's last order and with that he's officially no longer participating in the Grail War. Hassan is free to do whatever after Ishtar's temple is dealt with.Fate/strange Fake Volume 7 - Chapter 22: "The First and Last Breather Day"
==== Day 5 ====
Faldeus shoots missiles at the Neo Ishtar Temple. He's completely apathetic about it because he's already out of the war and packed to leave the city. He's just trying things without any expectation for the sake of trying before he calls his job done and closes the door behind him. Seeing how badly it goes, Faldeus starts to wonder if even the nuke can destroy the temple.Fate/strange Fake Volume 7 - Chapter 23: Day 5, Morning "The Age of Gods and the Modern Age (Daybreak)"
While Faldeus is still watching the potential end of the city with no longer any personal stakes, Aldora reports to him that Hippolyta's Master finally came out of their canyon. Faldeus guesses they are a group, probably close in numbers to Zugzwang's nine, but he gets blindsided when Aldora reveals that there are 30 of them.Fate/strange Fake Volume 7 - Bridge Chapter: "Beginning of the End"
==Abilities==
As a member of the Dioland family, Faldeus specializes in the creation and use of magical puppets. While the Dioland family have long been at the heart of the American organization, Faldeus studied at the Clock Tower for many years while undercover as Langal’s apprentice, and despite his family's heterodox nature, they possess a Magic Crest which he inherited. Faldeus has enough ability as a Magus to work under Langal as an apprentice, and Langal believes that Faldeus did nothing to hide his true abilities even when disguising himself as a young apprentice Magus. Despite Langal believing himself to know all of Faldeus' capabilities, he cannot overcome his experience giving him a great sense of unease when facing him. 
He is a highly unusual Magus when it comes to combat, preferring to use modern weaponry and military tactics against his opponents as opposed to facing them in a duel of Magecraft. He thinks lowly of old-fashioned Magi, stating that even a prodigy who could cover themself with mercury to deflect thousands of bullets would stand no chance against an anti-tank rifle, and a Magus who could transform their body into a swarm of insects would be easily defeated by a precision missile strike. Befitting his embrace of modern efficiency over Magus tradition, he prefers the use of a Swiss Army Knife that could be bought in any store instead of the enchanted ritual knives used by most Magi. During the True and False Holy Grail Wars, he primarily relies on the skills of his anti-Magus special operations team Thorn to eliminate targets, swiftly eliminating Langal, the Magus who created the Wolf, and Flat Escardos by having the team ambush them.
Faldeus' base in Snowfield is a secret facility located below the Colesman Special Correctional Center, a for-profit private prison located on the outskirts of the city. The base includes a surveillance room for monitoring Faldeus’ surveillance network and laboratory capable of studying both diseases and magical curses,Fate/strange Fake Volume 1 - Prologue VII: “Visitor & ●●●●" as well as Faldeus' own personal workshop.Fate/strange Fake Volume 2 - Chapter 5: Day 1, Dawn "The Shadow in the Dark" The base is fortified to the degree that False Rider’s “plague wind” cannot enter. Within his base, he employs a mix of Magecraft and technology, having set up a surveillance network composed of hundreds of video cameras, various bird Familiars, and magical surveillance devices, all of which are controlled by the computers within his facility. These video cameras are at the cutting edge of nonmagical technology, able to display clear visual details even after several dozen powers of magnification. While the familiars are also integrated with mechanical components such as cameras, they are partially biological, being affected by False Rider’s disease. A huge Bounded Field used to detect intruders also surrounds the city. Using this surveillance network, Faldeus is able to learn the identities of many of the True and False Holy Grail Wars’ Servants and Masters shortly after they are summoned, as well as keep tabs on the war’s events.
Faldeus is also able to use telepathy to communicate with his Thorn soldiers, and has some knowledge of night vision Magecraft.
==References==
Category:Characters in Fate/strange Fake
Category:Humans
Category:Masters
Category:Clock Tower magi
Category:American magi
Category:Introduced in 2008
Category:Clock Tower students
Category:Holy Grail War administrators
Category:Americans