The Burial Agency (埋葬機関, Maisō Kikan?) is a group of special Inquisitors gathered by the Holy Church in the original Tsukihime series.[1]
History
The original Michael Roa Valdamjong, then a priest of the Church, created a burial doctrine, the base of the Burial Agency, back in the twelfth century. He created it along with the original Narbareck, the first technical leader of the Agency, called the Burial Classroom at the time. She knew of Roa's plans to become a vampire, but didn't stop him. Though they are known as the most professional Inquisitors, they are not actually responsible for stamping out heresy, leading them to be called Executors or killers.[2][3]
Characteristics
They are not meant to be Exorcists, but simply those who kill demons.[4] The organization operates and scouts entirely on ability. Anyone can become a member if they have the power and the will to destroy heretics and whatever else the Church finds "inconvenient." Faith is a secondary condition compared to the necessary power to obliterate the heretical,[5] though they will baptize the members and the pay isn't too bad either. It is made up of seven main members including the leader, and an eighth member, an exceptional candidate from the Church, is in reserve, though they are changed often because they keep dying during missions. Those on the outside see it as a group filled with magi who loved to explore the taboo, people who enjoyed enslaving the captured heretics, gun nuts, and maniacs with insatiable bloodlust.
Each member works alone under most circumstances, and they will not cooperate with foreign demon hunting organizations. The members gain powerful privileges and influence, and they will even go against the wishes of the Church without orders to eliminate heretics. They'll go as far as to skewer a Bishop if he is possessed, leading to whispers calling it the most heretical section of the Church.
The Agency does not like that Arcueid Brunestud has sometimes taken requests from the Church to cooperate in eliminating Dead Apostles, and they would like to seal her, despite her not being on their list, should an opportunity show up. Merem Solomon, an Dead Apostle Ancestor, cooperates with the Burial Agency because, as he is a collector of treasures from all ages all around the world, he wants to be near the treasures that the Church sealed away.
El Nahat, another Dead Apostle Ancestor, is also forcefully cooperating with the Agency; he's being stored in a prison of mirrors and his stomach is used as a Scripture. The Scripture of the Stomach World (胃界教典, I-kai Kyōten?) operates as a summoning terminal for his main body and it is considered to be the most powerful resource of the Church against the Dead Apostles, the "ultimate anti-Dead Apostle trump card".[6] It is carried and used by Narbareck or the Second member of the Burial Agency, said to be invincible when utilizing him.[7][6] They only bring him out on rare occasions.[6]
The Agency's motto is "Endure all trials, consume all humiliations".[8]
Members
- Narbareck, 1st member and leader of the agency
- ???, 2nd member
- ???, 3rd member
- ???, 4th member
- Merem Solomon, 5th member
- Mr. Dawn/Partner, 6th member
- Ciel, 7th member
- ???, 8th spare member
References
- ↑
[] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: Burial Agency [Organisation name], p.188 Burial Agency [Organisation name]
The Holy Church's expert inquisitors.
Not exorcists who cast out devils, but executors who strike them down.
A perfect meritocracy, anybody with the ability to dispose of those things the Church finds inconvenient can become a member.
…Well, it seems they'll baptize you when you join, and the pay isn't too bad either. The agency is composed of seven members including Narbareck, and one reserve member making for a total of eight.
They always work alone, and under no circumstances will they cooperate with the demon hunters of other countries. As they possess absolute authority, there are times when they will defy even the wishes of the Church itself to stamp out heresy. For instance, even if it's an archbishop, if he has been possessed by a devil they have the power and authority to skewer him on the spot. It's no wonder, then, that there are whispers within the Church that the agency itself is a heresy.
Arcueid often receives requests from the Church, and has cooperated with them on numerous occasions to exterminate Dead Apostles. Nevertheless, if she ever showed even the slightest opening, the Burial Agency would move to seal her without a second thought.
Also, two of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, Merem Solomon and El Nahat, are cooperating with them. Though it looks as if they are both being forced to do so, the true reasons for that are unknown.埋葬機関【組織名】
- ↑
[] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - talk. Glossary: Burial Agency [Organisation name], p.196 Burial Agency [Organisation name]
The Inquisitors of the Church who were given special privileges. However, since they were not actually responsible for stamping out heresy, they were also called Executors or killers.
Their policies had always been "shoot first and report later".
Faith was secondary, the only necessity for the job was the power to obliterate the heretical.
From the outside, it seemed like the ranks of the Burial Agency was filled with magi who loved to explore the taboo, people who enjoyed enslaving the captured heretics, gun nuts, and maniacs with insatiable bloodlust.
It consisted of seven members, with one on reserve.
The reserved member was always an exceptional candidate from the Church, but it kept changing because the person kept dying during missions.埋葬機関【組織名】
教会における、それぞれが特別権限を持つ異端審問員。が、彼らが異端を審問する事などない為に代行者、または殺し屋とも言われる。
彼らの行いが事後承諾でない時などない。
信仰は二の次、ただ異端を抹殺するだけの力を必要とする部署である。
（表立っては）禁忌とされる魔術を好む者、捉えてきた異端者を奴隷として扱う者、はては近代兵器マニアから殺人快楽性と中々に飽きさせない人材が集まっている。{*}
構成は七人プラス、予備の一人。
この予備の一人は教会で優れた者をスカウトするのだが、審問のたびに死亡するため目まぐるしく変わっていく。 - ↑
[] Fate/side material - Encyclopedia: The Holy Church [Others], p.063 [T] The Holy Church [Others]
The other side of an ubiquitous major religion.
They preached the Lord's teachings, and did not tolerate anything that violated their dogma.
On the surface, they assumed "heresies" did not exist, but there were zealots amongst them who wished to ostracize the heretics.
Thus the "Heretic Hunters" were born and specialized, becoming an enormous department within the Holy Church.
They were the Executors. Their missions included Demon-slaying, elimination of heretics, and proper regulation of Mysteries that fell into the hands of the populace.
Of course, the Holy Church's relationship with the Mages' Association, whose mission was to conceal magecraft, was very poor. The two groups had crossed blades numerous times to date. (Currently there is a truce, providing a temporary respite.)
Against their greatest foe, the monsters known as vampires (READ: Blood Suckers), the Mages' Association occasionally provided assistance.
Kotomine was responsible for the control and collection of relics. He had the role of an Executor of the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament.
The arms forces of the Holy Church consisted of the excellent fighters known as Executors, the Knights that each church held reserve, and the monsters known as the Burial Agency hidden within the headquarter of the Holy Church.
The Holy Church was the largest organization in the world of Fate. For those who fell outside of humanity, the Holy Church was the greatest enemy.聖堂教会【その他】
“普遍的な”意味を持つ一大宗教の裏側。
神の教えを説く彼らは、その教義に反したモノたちを認めていない。“異端”という存在を表向きでは無いものとして扱うが、中には熱狂的に排斥しようとする者たちがいた。
その『異端狩り』が特化し、巨大な部門となったものを聖堂教会と呼ぶ。
彼らは代行者と呼ばれる悪魔退治を擁し、全ての異 端を消し去り、人の手にあまる神秘を正しく管理する為だけに機能する。
当然、魔術を隠匿する魔術協会とは折り合いが悪く、今まで幾度となく刃を交えてきた。（現在は協定が結ばれ、仮初めの平穏を一謳っている）
もっとも、彼らにとって最大の敵は『吸血種』と呼ばれる怪物たちであり、魔術協会とは時に協力し合う間柄でもある。
言峰は聖遺物の管理・回収を任務とする第八秘蹟会に席を置いていた代行者。
卓越した戦闘者である代行者、各教会が保有する騎士団、そして聖堂教会本部が隠し持つ埋葬機関と呼ばれる怪物たち。
聖堂教会は「Fate」世界において最大の組織であり、人間の範疇から外れてしまった者たちにとって、最大の敵として君騙している。 - ↑
[] Character material - Prelude II: Burial Agency [Organization], p.038 Burial Agency [Organization]
A branch of the Holy Church. A group of Executor responsible for the inquisition of heretics.
They were not Exorcists who repelled Demons, but executioners of the Demonic.
They never worked with Demon hunting organizations of any nations, and its members frequently operated alone.
The Burial Agency favoured raw power above all. If an individual possessed powers that could vanquish difficult foes of the Church, he/she would be welcomed without any consideration of his status. The Agency consisted of eight members. This included seven members led by Chief Narbareck, as well as one reserve member.埋葬機関 [組織名]
聖堂教会における、より専門的な異端審問の代行集団。
悪魔払いであるエクソシストではなく、悪魔殺しのエクスキューター。他国の退魔組織と協力することは絶対になく、常に単体で行動する。
完全な実力主義制で、能力があり教会にとって都合の悪いモノを始末するのなら何者であろうと迎え入れる。局長ナルバレックを含めた七人と予備の為の一人、計八人で構成される。 - ↑
[] Fate/complete material III: World Material - Theory of Magic - The two great forces in the Thaumaturgy world: The Holy Church, p.052 Holy Church
The Catholic Church that we know also exists within the world of Fate/stay night. Centered in western Europe, its influence stretches over the entire world. The primary missions of the Catholic Church are to preach the love of God and to help the sick and poor, but beneath this is a mysterious organization that pursues different goals — the Holy Church.
The objective of the Holy Church is the extermination of heresy. The use of occult arts to insult God, to kill people, to beguile the public, and to twist the laws of divine Providence that govern the world, all fall under the umbrella of heresy and must be eradicated. However, heretics are powerful. Vampire fangs and magical bullets all make short work of human flesh. For this reason, the Church possesses trump cards such as Executors, knightly orders, and the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament.
The Church has long been engaged in bloody conflict with the Magic Association, but in recent times they have finally reached a state of peace. (Though, covert and private battles still occur.) In contrast to the Magic Association which is a loose collection of collaborators whose sole, absolute goal is to reach the Root, the Holy Church is a gathering of compatriots who share a common ideology. The unity among those of the Church who are connected by the singular bond of faith is far removed from the infighting and mutual distrust of the Magic Association. In this sense, the Church is a powerful organization. Although the Church’s members debate their interpretation of doctrine, these simply amount to reasonable discussions on how to become better people.
•Executors, purgers of heretics
Executioners of the Church. Pure, armed agents that carry out the Church’s denunciation of “heresies outside the doctrine of the Holy Church,” be they bloodsuckers, monsters, or magi.
Although they do work with other parts of the Church, the task of Executors is not the purification of demons via exorcism, but rather execution — the direct destruction of demons.
While the Executors have no doubt in the Church or God, the values and morals of many agents deviate from the norm.
Kotomine Kirei is also an Executor of the Holy Church, and was affiliated with the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament. His combat strength, which combines bājíquán and magic, is superhuman.
•Magic and baptismal rites of the Holy Church
Magic is viewed by the followers of the Church as a heretical art that should never be studied. However, it is permitted to learn the Church’s form of magic: “miracles.” These have been codified into simple rituals called baptismal rites.
These rituals use the global foundation that is the Church’s doctrine, so they can be activated regardless of the caster’s physical location. Unlike other magics that use mystic energy to smash stones, baptismal rites have no power of physical interference. However, they exert tremendous power against spiritual bodies.
A spiritual body that receives a rite of baptism is immediately compelled to sublimate by the word of the Lord, and returns to where it belongs. This is so-called exorcism, the purification of demons.
Kýrie, eléison: When this holy seal bears the sacred scripture “Lord, have mercy,” it radiates the light of God. Wayward souls are purified by its guiding light, and sent to the place where they belong.
•Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament
The remains and blood of saints, the nails that crucified Christ, the 30 silver coins of Judas, and other items with the holy attribute are call holy relics, and the special agency for collecting and managing these holy relics scattered across the globe is called the "Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament".
"Sacraments" refers to the seven graces that God bestows in the Catholic faith: Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Confirmation, Penance, Anointing. The "Eighth Sacrament" refers to the "Grace that doesn't Exist" in the rightful faith. Put into other words, this can also be said to be "power separated from the faith". In other words, the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament is a group of special clerics who do not fear being involved in heretical power such as magery, and are trained for retrieving the hidden relics.
•Burial Agency
An armed organization composed of the Church’s most powerful members. In addition to its immense fighting strength, the Burial Agency has the authority to summarily purge someone judged to be a heretic, even if they carry a rank as high as archbishop.
The quality that the Burial Agency seeks in its members is the ability to kill heretics with certainty; faith and personality are secondary and tertiary considerations. Unsurprisingly, its agents are full of character flaws. They are also powerful enough to match Servants in battle, despite having merely human bodies.
The Burial Agency’s greatest foes are vampires, particularly the most ancient and powerful Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. Oddly enough, the agency’s policy to seek strength above all has led it to employ one of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors in its ranks. - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2
[] Tsukihime Dokuhon PlusPeriod - TSUKIHIME Dictionary: The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors [Term], p.180-182 The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors [Term]
The 27 ancestors who are the original source of the Dead Apostles. Currently, about half of them are being sealed by the Church.
As the 27 oldest Dead Apostles, there are those among them that have already disappeared. The reason that they are still counted as the "27" Dead Apostle Ancestors despite that fact is because whenever an Ancestor dies, one of his subordinates will inherit the position.
However, although proper Dead Apostles will create subordinates and work to expand their influence, there are some Ancestors who have no interest in any of that at all. Those Ancestors that used to be magi before they became Dead Apostles tend to be more akin to "seekers" rather than "bloodsuckers". In that sense, both Roa and Nrvnqsr could surely be said to have been brothers.
Though it isn't really related to the main story of Tsukihime, below is a brief introduction of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors. The missing numbers represent those Dead Apostles that have either been executed by the Church, or are currently "atoning".
1/ Primate Murder
Details unknown. Murderer of primates. The White Beast. Altrouge's demonic dog (the Beast of Gaia).
2/ The Dark Six
The very first Dead Apostles. The six royals of darkness. Currently resuscitating.
It is said that their revival will unite the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, but not a single Dead Apostle knows their true colors.
3/ Crimson Moon Brunestud
Ultimate One. Currently vacant.
4/ Wizard Marshal Zelretch
One of the five existing magicians. Also called Zelretch of the Jewel.
Despite being a Dead Apostle, he cooperates with the True Ancestors. Arcueid thinks of him as a sort of grandfatherly servant. He toppled the Crimson Moon in battle, but had his blood sucked at the last second and became a Dead Apostle. However, even after becoming a vampire his position as a magician stayed intact, and he traveled around the world to various countries where he would take disciples and uniformly ruin them all.
5/ ORT
Details unknown. Seems to be a mutant species that crash landed in South America sometime before the Common Era. As an attack-type organism, its power is on a completely different level. It uses the encroaching reality marble, Crystal Valley. Its appearance is similar to a spider's. The former 5th capture it, and was instantly annihilated. Afterward, it was confirmed to possess vampiric traits, and is now treated as an Ancestor itself.
Type Mercury.
6/ Rizo-Vaal Strout
One of the longest-serving Dead Apostles. Black Knight Strout. One of Altrouge's bodyguards. On account of Apostle recklessly tried to being inflicted with a curse of time, he is immortal. The True Devil Neardark.
7/ Disemboweling Forest Einnashe
A bloodsucker formed from carnivorous plants. It is a forest unified with a single will, and is very similar to a phantasmal species. Once every several centuries, a deep crimson fruit will mature deep within it. This fruit is the congealed mass of all the blood Einnashe took in over the years, and legends state that it has the power to grant immortality to whoever eats it.
8/ Fina-Vlad Svelten
White Knight Vlad. One of Altrouge's bodyguards. The Vampiric Count. Devil of Stratovaris. Captain of the Ghost Fleet. He has an interest in handsome youths, and only drinks the blood of other men. He and Rita simply do not get along at all. Possesses the reality marble Parade.
9/ Altrouge Brunestud
Hybrid of a True Ancestor and a Dead Apostle. Vampire princess of the Dead Apostles. "Black". Master of blood and contracts. Primate Murder's owner. Appears to be a 14 year old girl.
10/ Nrvnqsr Chaos
A living mass of chaos. A magus whose research ultimately led him to become a bloodsucker.
11/ Stanrobe Calhin
The Duke of Predation. Wraith. Also known as the "City Devourer". An invincible character whose density of existence will reach zero in about 200 years.
13/ ?????
Tatari. A Dead Apostle purported to exist. Only the name "Night of Wallachia" remains as a legend handed down through the ages.
14/ Van Fem
One of the longest-serving Dead Apostles. Dark Lord of the Business World. Puppet Master. He created seven great golem castles, and so is also known as "Van Fem of the Demonic Castles". A man of the world, who holds a prominent position in public society, and even worries about global affairs. The fifth of his castles, Matri, was captured by Parade during an engagement with the White Knight Vlad, and ever since then he has harbored a grudge against Altrouge's faction.
15/ Rita Rozay-en
A self-proclaimed artist. Indulges in a distinctive hobby even among the Dead Apostles. A second-generation Dead Apostle that inherited her castle from the Dead Apostle that made her, but since she was the official successor her situation is not the same as Enhance's. The very model of a noble bloodsucker, she indulges in a hell of debauchery and luscious depravity day in and day out.
16/ Gransurg Blackmore
Peng. The Black Wing Lord. A Dead Apostle known as the Moon Eater. Uses the reality marble Nevermore. A magus whose research ultimately led him to become a bloodsucker. Despite being a Dead Apostle himself, he possesses an ability that is strong against other Dead Apostles.
17/ Trhvmn Ortenrosse
One of the longest-serving Dead Apostles. The White Wing Lord. A magus who became a bloodsucker. The quintessential vampire. King of the Dead Apostles. As the official representative of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors he has the greatest influence – formally, at least. In practice, however, Altrouge's influence is even greater, and the two are constantly at odds. Also, Trhvmn was the Dead Apostle who proposed they start hunting True Ancestors. In a sense, he was the reason Nrvnqsr met his end in that far-off Eastern land.
18/ Enhance
The Knight of Vengeance, Enhance. A Dead Apostle who killed his master, and only just took over the original 18th Ancestor's position. Consequently, he is known derisively as the "Single-edged Enhance Sword".
20/ Merem Solomon
The Great Four Demon Beasts. Despite being a Dead Apostle, he is the fifth member of the Burial Agency.
Goes by the alias of Crown. For Ciel, he is something like a pesky senpai. A collector of treasures from all times and places. Probably the only reason he joined the Burial Agency is because he wanted to be close to the treasures sealed by the Church.
21/ Sumire
Aquatic Demon Sumire. Water Bottle. An oddball Dead Apostle that lives underwater. Traditionally, vampire folklore states that they cannot cross running water.
Rivers and oceans are like impassable barriers to them. Sumire has conquered this weakness, but in exchange it seems that it has become hard for her to move on land. Also, she's perpetually drunk. While this may make her seem pretty weak, in reality she has a strong enough compositional ability to break into the upper echelons. Among the Dead Apostles, she is the only one capable of using Marble Phantasm. If you put her on dry land and dry her out, her drunkenness will disappear and she'll be able to demonstrate her true power, maybe. Her outward appearance is that of an easy to get along with drunk lady, and she has a castle, but it's a completely abandoned husk. There's a rumor that she and Rita are on such good terms they could just kill each other.
24/ El Nahat
Background unknown. The artifact called the Book of the Stomach World. A peculiar vampire embodying refraction. Possesses the unique ability to almost certainly erase an opponent in one-on-one combat, but his own body is destroyed every time he uses it and requires several decades to revive. Thanks to that, he is currently sealed by the Church. Regarded as the Burial Agency's ultimate anti-Dead Apostle trump card, they only bring him out on rare occasions.
27/ Caubac Alcatraz
Dead Apostle of the Millennium Lock. A magus whose research ultimately led him to become a Dead Apostle. He was also a believer, just like Merem and Roa. He constructed a labyrinth to protect the culmination of his ideology, the Holy Scripture Triten, from outside invaders. However, he accidentally trapped himself inside, and so has not made an appearance for several hundred years.
EX/ Michael Roa Valdamjong
The Serpent of Akasha. The Infinite Reincarnator. Though the Church counts him among the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, the Ancestors themselves despise him as an "extra number".死徒二十七祖【用語】
９／アルトルージュ・ブリュンスタッド
真祖と死徒の混血。死徒 - ↑
Blog (Paraphrased) he's weird like Stanrobe, Tatari, or Blackmore; annoying doppel-kun; body destroyed and all that's left is the summoning terminal; sealed in a room of mirrors and when the First or Second of the Burial Agency take him out they are invincible.
[87 のレス1] Name：きのこ Date：2001/12/06(Thu) 17:06
＞エル・ナハト
あ、単に入れ忘れてただけなのです。歌月の二十七祖シリーズはですねー、マスターアップ一日 ぐらい前に
「きのこ、デイリーメッセージもっと増やせない？」
「いや、あれ以上ワケわかんない一発ネタ増やしてもどうかと……あ、二十七祖ならいいよ。短くまとめても面 白そうだし」
と、急遽入れたものなのです。……はじめは厳選して十人載っけるかー、と思っていたらほぼ全員載っけてし まった……。 さて、ナハト君ですね。奇怪さではスタンローブ、ブラックモア、ワラキアに並ぶ嫌な死徒です 。極端に言ってしまえばすっげえはた迷惑なドッペル君。
胃界教典の二つ名があり、本体はすぐに死ぬので呼び出す端末だけが生きています。現在、鏡張りの牢獄に封 印中。埋葬機関の一番と二番は、場合によっては彼を持って戦いに赴きます。うわ、それ無敵じゃ ん！ - ↑
[] Character material - Prelude II: Sister [Term • Person name], p.039 Sister [Term • Person name]
The Executor who arrived at Aylesbury before the party of Mr. Dawn. She had a friendly smile and the communication skills to quickly adapt to any environment. The most virtuous member of the Burial Agency.
In terms of diplomacy and intelligence, she was considered number one in the Agency. However, she really took the Agency's motto "Endure all trials, consume all humiliations" to heart, and showed off her dazzling dance steps in her laced-up boots at every opportunity.
...However, her performances were really sloppy.シスター [用語/人物名]
ダウン達より一足先にアルズベリに潜入した代行者。人当たりのいい笑顔と、どんな環境だろうとすぐさま順応する社交性をもった、埋葬機関きっての人徳者。
外交に諜報にと、なんでもかんでも一番手として重宝されている。勿論、“試験は耐えよ、恥辱は絶えよ”という埋葬機関のモットーは染みこんでいるので、いざ事が始まれば編み上げブーツで華麗なステップを披露する。
……あと、こーゆー芸風もいいかげん如何なものかと思うんだ。
