Hi! I have been sneaking around Reddit and Twitter for a few days now, and most threads that I saw are queries about comparing ASMPH to other med schools and seeing which one is “better”. In my personal and humble opinion, I would like to believe that there is no “best med school”; rather, I’d like to think that there is a “best med school for you”. This means that each medical school does things in very different and distinct ways, and it might be up to you if these distinctions or how they run the school would be preferential to you.
So in light of this, I’d like to share the pros and cons of what it means to be an ASMPH student. Just to be clear: 1) I am an ASMPH graduate and a medical doctor, 2) I think fondly of my time in school, 3) I am not paid to promote ASMPH in any way, and 4) there are some things in the school that I do not like (compared at least to the other posts that I saw which zealously ”defend” the school lol). I will be brutally honest and sincere about my review, so my advance apologies to readers who will find some comments “radical”. I made this thread with my own efforts to dispel (more of KILL) misperceptions hounding my school for a long time: “being babied”, “spoiled”, ”hindi naman magaling sa clinicals”, and etc.
To clarify, I am using my own experiences from my time as a student, and as this thread will age, some of the things written here might not be true anymore the older this gets (hence, future ASMPH students are welcome to contribute their experiences by commenting below!).

Why ASMPH? (PROS)

Strong helping culture
Traditionally, medical schools emphasize the virtues of “excellence” that got misinterpreted (by some weird reason) into the lines of the Machiavellian principle: “Only the strongest will survive”. Hence, you may hear the usual med school horror stories of “fierce competition”, ”I will fail you all”, and “do it all by yourself”. I am glad that I have not encountered these horrors, because the school has designed a system which cultivates helping each other thrive. There is the mentorship program, in which doctor-mentors help students identify their strengths and weaknesses in their medical training, and work on it. The “Pugad Agila” organization is there to support not just the board takers who are preparing for their board exams, but the students themselves in preparing for major examinations. Believe it or not, people in the school are seemingly ”transformed” to help one another: in my time, all the med students who are PTs (physical therapists) made extra review classes for Anatomy, the nurses bonded together to create mini modules for Physical Exam, the Med techs will teach extra classes of Pathology and Microbiology, and the RPharma will give classes of Pharmacology to students for free. The ones which had rigorous backgrounds of Epidemiology will offer classes to students who are not exposed to the Public Health Sciences concepts. Even the registered (bio)chemists will lecture Biochem and try as best as they can to make the concepts more understandable and student-friendly! The older generations of ASMPH students also generously would “pass on” their lecture transcripts of years’ worth of lectures to the new generations of students who will come in, and no one is spared from this generosity (compared to other med schools which are preferential, let us say, to their frat or sorority members). This culture of helping each other out regardless of anything and everything, I think, is the greatest pro that ASMPH has to offer, and I think that so far, no other med school has emphasized this as their core strength (others would emphasize a “long tradition of excellence”, “reputation”, etc). I strongly think that this culture of helping, togetherness, and unity is what is needed in our health organizations especially in the Philippines, which by far are obviously swamped by partisan politicking, “power-tripping”, and blame-throwing — a culture which MIGHT have origins from the subcultures cultivated in traditional med schools.
I also have to add here that some students who do not perform well/score low in examinations are treated not with rejection (compared I think to other med schools who are more than happy to kick out underperforming students), but with extra support from the admin and the student body. The school recognizes the value of its students and not just based on their performance or grades alone. Review classes held by better-performing students are held for free in light of removal exam weeks for students who needed them. This however does not mean that the school would deliberately lower its standards by making the exams easier for students to pass. However, the school recognizes that there are many factors that determine a student’s ability to perform well in examinations (e.g. mental health, financial issues, others), and it does try to strive in eliminating negative factors that hinder a student from performing well academically.
Rigorous Academic Curriculum in Basic + Clinical Sciences AND Working Feedback Mechanism
I have to say that the curriculum presented by the school is very rigorous in structure and in application, and it is very flexible and adaptive. Each module has been integrated into Systems, which really facilitates relatively easier learning since you can already apply your concepts from Anatomy to Physiology, or Pharmacology to Pathology (because the subjects are grouped together in a systems fashion). Aside from the weekly major exams (more or less), there are other avenues of learning as well like the Student Group Discussions (SGDs), where students are given a case to analyze and discuss, and the (in)famous Team Based Learning (TBLs), in which the students are given multiple extra readings from various CPGs and resources on top of the lectures, then solve a case right in front of the preceptor and take quizzes. Each subject is taught by different professors who are experts in their own fields, and more often than not, no single professor handles more than one lecture per module, which makes examinations more challenging (since no patterns of how questions are asked and what questions are asked can be established), hence making this a very effective ground of ensuring that the curriculum is rigorous in itself. However, others argue that this might disrupt the flow of repeating information in a spaced out fashion (which is necessary for true retention btw), and perhaps lumping related information into one module will deplete opportunities for certain information to be repeated in shorter periods, making it harder to remember in a long-term manner (ex: lumping Biochem altogether in the first part of First year Med will make it harder for the Atenean Board Taker (5th year Med) to recall Biochem concepts because these are not frequently revisited due to the Modular Set-up).
In the Clinical Sciences (Clerkship and Internship), there were some hits and misses in the training at least in my time. But overall, I think that it was great that we were exposed to both the Private and Public Health institutions, because both function differently. In the private setting, we were able to learn ideal management (since our patients do not have financial constraints) and observe topnotch, highly-respected physicians on how they practice their bedside manners and deal with cases involving with very high profile patients. Contrary to popular belief that students are not allowed to handle patients in private hospital settings, we actually do handle a LOT (the school’s partner hospital hosts the LARGEST amount of patients seen nationwide in the ER setting, private hospital-wise) and do it first-hand (especially in the Emergency Room and in the Internal Medicine Wards). In the public hospital setting, we are also first-line in terms of dealing with patients (e.g. history-taking, clinical skills, IV insertions, Foley insertions, ECG interpretation, delivering babies and suturing perineums). On top of these responsibilities and shadowing physicians, we are required to meet with selected faculty and staff and present case discussions on a regular basis in order to reinforce our learning. The beauty of being exposed on both private and public fields, however, is when you are forced to innovate your knowledge from the private setting and adjust it to the public health management, or when you bring your adeptness in your clinical skills acquired from the public health arena to the private health institution. In a way, both health systems benefit from your respective exposures, and you gain a holistic insight on how to deal with patients ranging from the richest of the rich to the poorest of the poor.
Furthermore, we were tasked to assist our residents and consultants to help in accomplishing numerous paperwork properly (tons and tons of them!), the basic framework and the most important cornerstone of hospital practice, for without it (or it being deficient or substandard), the practice of the consultant, the resident, and subsequently the medical student, will be highly endangered (read: medical lawsuits).
The feedback mechanism, despite it being taxing and hassle for most students, is absolutely necessary for the curriculum to be improved. In my batch at least, we were able to kick out (seriously) profs we felt that were not lecturing well enough, which I think is something that other med schools do not have. We also had our share of bad doctor-profs who just read from their lecture slides and (worse) copy some of their slides from online lectures — but the feedback mechanism successfully weeded them out, which (I hope) encourages most of our profs to make sure that their lectures are good (and worth the tuition we paid).
Insanely supportive Faculty
The core faculty of the school, despite being heavily decorated (eg. presidents of their affiliate specialties, numerous recognitions and awards), are very supportive of the student body, and are OPEN to subjective criticism and feedback, which I think is not that present in other med schools (MDs from other med schools are more than welcome to disagree!). I remember this incident wherein our batch decided to write a letter and express our negative sentiments towards a certain module (will not say what because this will provide a clue to which batch I belong to haha), and instead of venting their ire to the students, they proposed a meeting where we can discuss our grievances and suggestions without any fear of any forms of retaliation. Another incident would be when a classmate of mine proposed a change of dress code for graduation wherein students should be allowed to wear whatever they are comfortable with as long as it is decent (i.e. not limiting women’s clothing to dresses), which was supported by the administration. I have not heard of such degree of freedom in any other med school, which is why I laud our faculty for their efforts to be open and inclusive.

Why NOT ASMPH? (CONS)

No Labor Payment (at all) regardless of Hospital Setting
Whereas other interns earn (albeit minimally but still) allowances or stipends, ASMPH interns do NOT earn anything despite doing labor-intensive work inside the hospital. The partner institutions tend to justify and rationalize this treatment as “deserving“ for trainees (e.g. not just for medical students but for residents and fellows as well, who receive bare minimal salaries in the private setting) because the skills and clinical acumen that will be gained in training is deemed to be “sufficient compensation”, but I beg to differ and disagree. The amount of time and labor spent by medical trainees (regardless of being a medical student or a fellow) inside the hospital SHOULD be reflective on the amount of compensation (or hazard pay) that the hospital administration should give, since it is but fair and just labor. I would argue that hospitals, especially ASMPH’s partner institution, The Medical City (TMC), have the capacity to subsidize its trainees well because a) most of them are tertiary, profitable, top-earning hospitals in the country, b) Medical trainees run the hospital and make it alive, sacrificing more and doing more than the consultants, wherein some (not all, to be fair) usually just claim their slice of the pie, and c) Medical trainees are solely responsible for managing health data of all patients, which should ideally be managed by everyone involved in the set-up. To add salt to these wounds, an intern (medical trainee) from a hospital abroad who does only 8 hour shifts earns at least $170 (est PhP 8,000) PER DAY (source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZijqVV1NqYQ) compared to an ASMPH intern who earns NOTHING in 24 hour shifts, and subsequently compared to an average Philippine Medical Intern who earns PhP 5,000 - 7,000 allowance PER MONTH. Older MDs would dismiss this and might call this as “demanding” and “typical of millenial mentality”; I would call this as it is and would like to request for some form of justice. Most hospital administrators, or I daresay the investors of healthcare system who are mostly businessmen and are non healthcare professionals, are more than willing to opportunistically abuse the willingness of medical trainees (not just doctors, but nurses, midwives, etc.) to improve their training with minimal or no compensation, because this is what is tagged as “most profitable” or “minimal cost” for most companies in a business perspective. Others would argue that ”the time of the young doctors to earn and reap their rewards will come when they become consultants”, but I will ask: what if that time will never come? I think of all the medical trainees who valiantly suffered and died in the battlefield because of COVID-19 — their supposed promised reaping of reward, even hazard pay, never came.
However, I would like to point out that this issue does not concern ASMPH solely, but involves the partner institutions in which it is affiliated. Furthermore, this problem of labor exploitation is not exclusive to ASMPH’s partner institution (although I would argue that we feel it more since we technically receive nothing — MDs from St. Luke’s please help me out), but rampant in hospitals that belong to the Philippine Health Care system in general.
Note: I would have inserted exorbitant tuition fees here, but it would not have contributed that much significantly to the discussion since all non-state sponsored medical schools have more or less the same tuition fees. The only difference is that ASMPH still pays tuition during its Internship year (along with St. Luke’s), partly because of the Professors that still give lectures and examine case presentations, and for the Boards Review (hence the reason why Ateneans have their own exclusive section for the PLE Boards Review Season — which is honestly a big, big Pro)
MBA: Friend or Foe?
Most students from other universities would comment that the MBA component was added in the spirit of “profitability” and learning more refined ways on how to earn more — and was tagged and branded as counterintuitive to the nobility that a medical doctor is supposed to possess (I am looking at you, selected students from UP 🙃). However, I would like to clarify that the MBA was crafted in order for us future physicians to be adept in managing health systems and organizations, which would undeniably involve financial management (eg. how would you manage a hospital’s finances and allot budget to medical equipment?), strategic management (eg. given the COVID-19 situation, how will your outpatient clinic sustain operations in the next 5 months?), and marketing management (eg. given that everyone is scared to go outside their homes, how would you market your hospital to be safe from COVID-19?). In an ideal set-up, these concepts and exercises should guide the med student thoroughly on how to apply all of these in the medical setting.
The main con of the MBA program is that most of its professors (except for maybe two, because both are physicians and MBA holders) and subsequently, their classes, lack exposure in the Medical setting (i.e. Hospital Administration, OPD management, and Public Health Systems Management), and more often than not, most examples that they could provide involve fields other than medicine (eg. banking, economics, construction, advertising). I see this as a con mainly because despite having benefits of seeing how management works on a different lens (hence making you more interdisciplinary in a way), I think that practicing these concepts in the medical field at least in the classroom setting and learning these from someone who is equally adept in both medicine and management would enrich the knowledge and appreciation of how intertwined both of these fields are as a holder of a dual MD-MBA degree, and not a haphazardly constructed, disjointed one. Furthermore, there are concepts in MBA which makes sense in a corporate setting but might be unethical or unacceptable in the realm of Health (eg. sacrificing quality of health care access for patients in order to invest less assets and accumulate more profit). Therefore, it would be up to the student to apply these concepts on his/her own. Thankfully, students may have the opportunity to apply all of these concepts and skills once they make their Final Strategic Management Thesis Paper, because you may opt to select any field you like to study on. In my case, I was lucky to have gotten a hospital as my focus-subject, therefore I managed to learn about Hospital systems and management on top of the MBA concepts that I learned. Hopefully, with new batches of MD-MBAs that are being produced, this con could be changed by the school in due time.
A definite con during my time (which was thankfully changed, thanks to feedback!) was having MBA classes despite being from hospital duty (which meant no sleep but we still had to endure classes) — that was one of the most unproductive classes of my life and I never wanted to go through any of that ever again (I still passed the subject, but I really never gauged if I learned well).
Public Health: Lacking or Sufficient?
This section might be of great concern to those who are looking forward to exploring ASMPH as an arena for expanding their Public Health skills (hello, Health Sci majors!). At this point, I need to disclose that I was a Health Sciences Major myself who had a decent fluency in Public Health (Basic Epidemiology and Global Health) prior to entering ASMPH, and I know some classmates of mine back in college (especially those who took Health and Developmental Studies) who looked forward in going to ASMPH for more advanced public health courses, only to find themselves disappointed as they went through the curriculum. Some of them eventually quit and went on to pursue Masters in Epidemiology or in Global Health elsewhere. Hence, some students in undergrad might hear swirling hearsay that ASMPH ”lacks the Public Health component or aspect”. This is perhaps mainly due to the fact that most of the lessons and discourse on Public Health in ASMPH, at least when I experienced it, were quite on the basic level — a reiteration of the courses we already went through in college as HSc majors. To be fair to the school, these kinds of discourse and topics are not experienced or tackled by people with other Bachelor degrees (eg. BS Psychology, BS Biology, etc.), and hence a repeat of these courses in Med school is deemed necessary to even out the disparity of knowledge among its students. But it would be safe to say that as of this writing (since no announcements have been made yet anyway), ASMPH does NOT offer courses that cater to advanced branches of Public Health such as Advanced Epidemiology (which would involve crazy mathematics such as those being used in monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic), Global Health Surveillance, Global Health Politics, and etc. A query was made about this (hence an open forum), and the reason why this happened is because the school does not have the faculty or the experts to teach the said subjects (so far).
However, this does NOT mean that ASMPH discounts Public Health. The school’s curriculum still satisfies the minimum requirements of what a medical doctor needs to know regarding Public Health (eg. Basic Epidemiology and Statistics, Health Awareness and Communication), and the main thesis paper of ASMPH students during their second and third year has Public Health in its core. The school also established the ASMPH Public Health Council, which is an org that engages Public Health discourse in the school and invites lecturers and key experts to discuss socially relevant Public Health issues. The CEIP program, which is a specialized program designed for medical students interested in managing health in a community setting, was established in hopes of strengthening the Public Health core of the school. However, the need (or should I say, demand) for advanced branches of Public Health subjects still remains, and this is something that the school needs to work on.
Conclusion
So to sum it all up, ASMPH is more or less a good medical school with supportive admin and staff, ”No Atenean Left Behind” culture and conducive learning environment, and a rigorous training program for future medical doctors. Despite its non-compensatory internship and partly context-devoid and disjointed MD-MBA curriculum, its openness for improvement thanks to its working feedback mechanism and its ability to provide a holistic overview of private and public health sectors would definitely give a nice edge to its students and to the future batches of Atenean doctors to come.
With that, A M D G *mic drop\*
P.S. Comments, discussions, and queries are welcome in the Comments Section below. :)

Continuing
Since I had a little extra time, I had him drop the personnel cage, which was about the size of a phone booth (remember them?) but made of welded ½” rebar, down through the hole in the foredeck of the ship. I needed to load a few items and figured why the hell walk up and down stairs when I had a personal elevator at my disposal?
Into the belly of the beast once again and I gathered up some of the more needful items. I had that crane operator, he of the surgical touch, hang me off the prow of that ship while I did what I considered a necessity, then over to the back side of the cut, over the top to the opposite side, and back again.
By the time darkness began to fall, I had completed all my extraneous wiring. The crane operator even deposited me ever so gently about 3 feet from my waiting motorcycle. Over the radio I thanked him again and invited him to come around tomorrow at 0600 for a few final checks. I’d save him a front-row 1000 hours seat to see what he had a hand in creating.
I went straight to the Raj as I was going to need my PPEs the next day anyways. Got in, parked my bike, went straight to the bar, had a couple of long, hard day at the office drinks, and retired to my room where I locked the door. After calling Esme and telling her I finally got my tickets home, well, the promise of tickets to at least to Dubai; that she should meet me at the Four Seasons as I wrangled it through my contract. We could wait out this silly viral lockdown in comfort on someone else’s nickel until they decided to open the Sultanate again.
We agreed that she’d meet me at the hotel in 3-4 days’ time; it seems she had some glasses made and they wouldn’t be done for a couple of days. Plus, she really enjoyed her mother’s company. Can’t argue with that. It means I’ll have to spend a few nights alone, on my own, bereft of human companionship, in a 5-star hotel in an international venue while it’s all being paid for by someone else.
I think I can deal with the upcoming hardship. It’ll be tough, but I think I can gut it out.
But first, there are some details to which I have to attend. There’s this package for Mr. Vikramaditya Shrivastava, the knot headed warehouse foreman who thought that by spending fewer rupees at a dodgy Hong Kong explosives purveyor that he’d be saving the company money. I’ll drop by his office bright and early tomorrow as I need to be out on-site very early, indeed, to make sure all is in readiness.
Also, there’s this box I have for our own Majordomo. He’ll be leaving tonight for his weekly shopping trip to town. Since I have bribed the floor-maid with ridiculous sums of rupees, she’ll let me in his room to deliver my present and has promised, up, down and sideways, that she won’t say a word to anyone.
I send off Sanjay’s and my latest reports to Agents Rack and Ruin, explaining that I’m far too busy to talk with them right now and that I want to finish what I started for fear of landing in the GULAG. I explain that I’m very querulous of Goodgulf Greyteeth and his brown-shirted minions. I tell them that I think his way of looking at things and assessing them are most at odds with the way I see things.
I make it as convoluted and misdirected as the wiring I did today on the boat.
I also tell them that I’m knocking off early tonight as tomorrow’s show time and I need a good night’s sleep. Especially for everything I’ve got planned with all the dignitaries who are slated to arrive.
If that doesn’t get their giblets tap-dancing, I’m not certain what would.
I hear my phones buzzing but after checking the numbers and seeing they’re not from Baja Canada, I roundly ignore them.
I decide that the new issue of Blaster’s and Quarryman’s Monthly would be just the reading ticket and retire to the bubbly tub with that, a bottle of Old Fornicator, a bucket of ice, and several cigars. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day; best to be rested and ready.
I’m up at 0500 hours, showered, shower-scotched, dressed, and at the job site promptly at 0600; right after I made a surreptitious delivery to a certain Warehouse Foreman’s office.
The Majordomo took possession of his package late last night, but I sincerely doubt he’s aware of that fact; or will be until I send an anonymous message.
The crane operator I paid last night was there as I mentioned I’d be in early to give the place a final once-over. After parting with a couple of cigars, a wad of rupees, and the promise of a front-row seat, I eschew the personnel basket and have him just clip onto my rescue harness. I need mobility at this point, so I gather up a few extra blasting caps, boosters, roll some Primacord in loops and hang it from the carabiners on the front of my harness or stuff them into one of many pockets. Then I give the thumbs-up “haul-away” sign.
“This is the cat’s ass”, I thought as I’m swinging around the outside of that old boat like some sort of aging Spiderman who’s really let himself go. I didn’t care that OSHA would have mailed me home sans bubble wrap if they ever saw this sort of stunt stateside, but that’s just the thing. I’m not stateside. Where else can I have such freedom in the world today to calculate the personal risk involved and decide that I can handle the hazards?
Sure, I could fall. I could get caught on an edge of very sharp marine steel and get sliced up a treat. Maybe several billion errant electrons go where they are not only not wanted but are insulated against, and in short, cause a short. I’d be a 22-stone charcoaled piñata, complete with diverticula-ed entrails and cinder-block liver decorations.
However, it’s my choice. I knew the job was dangerous when I took it. However, I also know how to mitigate the danger. For some, what I’m doing would be certain death. For me, who knows the ropes, circuits, and ins-and-outs, it’s a pleasant diversion to an otherwise boring day.
“Left 10 meters”, I call over the radio, and I swing over to exactly where I need to check some connections.
“8 meters due down”, I say and the bottom drops out. 25 or so feet later, I’m inspecting another circuit plexus. I feel like Arthur Dent and Slartibartfast is my co-pilot.
This went on for about an hour. I even had him drop me over the side, deep into the very bowels of the boat. I disconnect, hang the crane hook, and told the driver to hold on. I need to walkabout inside the ship and galv a few dozen connections. This is so much easier than futzing around with personnel baskets, scissor lifts, and my personal nemesis, stairs.
After another 30 minutes, I hook up and give a couple of pips on the radio.
“Going up!” I say as I whoosh past the hole we had cut in the foredeck. A few hand gestures later, and I’m de-hooked once again and on solid ground. I wave to my crane operator, he waves back and begins to drive off to his real job for the day.
No worries. He’ll be back, without the crane, for the 1000 hour kick-off time.
Since the show isn’t slated to begin, as I just noted, until 1000, I go back over to the portable office they had so thoughtfully set up for us and begin brewing the morning coffee. I rummage through my field case and am relieved to see that I have the necessary ingredients for Greenland Coffee.
And a fresh cigar.
At 0800 I get a call on the radio.
Sanjay is wondering if Mr. Maha is going to show up or if he should…never mind, there he is.
“See you in a few, Rock”, Sanjay says. He and the 24 other crew members will arrive here shortly. Nothing left to do but have a cigar and wait on the coffee.
The ship is beached and there’s a 250-meter exclusion zone around the beast. Cross where the flags are and not have the proper authority or business being there? You either are ejected off the worksite or perhaps into the local hoosegow. Don’t care who you are, no one crosses that line when it’s my watch and show.
So, I go outside and shoo Goodgulf Greyteeth and his cadre of brown shirts away from the ship.
“Good morning, Doctor”, he says smarmily, “Just admiring your handiwork. Wanted to get a good, close look before you demolish all your hard work.”
“Well”, I say, “I really hate to disappoint you, but you and your group need to get behind the flags now. Please, it’s for safety reasons. I can’t afford to have any sort of black marks on my record if one of you trip, catch a sensor, and get blown to smithereens.”
“Now Doctor”, Gulfy primps himself up to his full 5’ 5” height, “You seem to forget who you’re talking to here. I pay your salary…”
“No, Gulfy”, I remark, “You forget that in my contract, which you might pay but have also signed, names me as hookin’ bull, at all active job sites. You also seem to forget that I’m the Motherfuckin’ Pro from Dover, and what I say here is the law. All nice, legal, signed, sealed, and delivered. So, I not only do not care who you are, I have even less interest in what you have to say or what you believe. Now get behind the flags or I’ll have you forcibly ejected. We green?”
Gulfy looks like a whipped puppy. He may be a tiger in the boardroom, but out here, he’s just another fucking observer.
He relents and complies. A low “Green…” was his only word.
To try and assuage any bruised egos, I ask if anyone would like some fresh-brewed coffee.
No one says a word until Gulfy decides that, yes, he’d like a cup of my world-famous coffee.
The rest of his cadre is looking on and view me with such disdain and distrust that they’ll leave the entire pot for their boss.
“OK, your loss”, I say as I walk over to the office and get Gulfy his morning cuppa Joe.
“Here you go”, I said, handing him a travel mug, “Careful, it’s hot.”
He takes a sip, startles, looks at me, sips again and asks what wonderful blend I use to create such a fine cup of morning caffeine delivery system.
I explain the genesis of a Greenland Coffee and he sits back in his specially prepared VIP seat, smiles, and asks one of his minions if he has a cigarette.
“There ya’ go” I say, as I light up a huge breakfast cigar, “Now you’re getting’ the full picture.”
Gulfy looks at me and smiles wider. It seems we’ve had a breakthrough of sorts.
My crew arrives and since I’m just supposed to JAFO this project, well, more or less, I hold the usual morning safety meeting. I remind everyone that the job site is hot and anyone who crosses the flag line better have damn good reason to do so. I also remind them that there miles of wires and kilometers of det cord and Primacord that’s been strung. I also let them know the other name for this stuff: “Tanglefoot”.
“For fuck’s sake, you clodhoppers”, I say as many are still getting used to the idea of closed-toe steel-toed boots or closed-toed shoes of any description, “Watch where the fuck you’re walking. I don’t want anyone yanking out or tripping off a complex series of electrical circuits because they tripped over their own damned feet.”
They all nod, chuckle deferentially and smile wanly. My way of symbolically smacking them upside the head and not leaving a bruise still mystifies them.
“And, hey”, I say as I’m ready to dismiss them, “Let’s be careful out there.”
There’s a general agreement. It’s crossing close to 0900. I ask Gulfy if he and he alone wants to take a look at what’s going on here.
“After all,” I note, “We’re spending a lot of your money.”
Gulfy just smiles at me and replies, “If you are spending my money, I know it will reap great rewards.”
“Holy shit”, I think, “One Greenland Coffee and he’s sloshed.”
I’d best be off and brew up another pot.
Back in the office, I chat with Sanjay and give him the lowdown on the job. He’ll be running the show right after the full-chorus version of the Safety Dance. I’ll be more or less done here then. Out of the picture, I’ll just be on standby until I’m needed again; be that in five minutes or five years.
“Yeah”, I say, “Once they finish the Safety Dance and get out of the way. We’ll begin a countdown. At the call of 5, you hit the big, shiny red button. The rest is all automated, I hope.”
”Hope?” Sanjay asks.
“Fervently”, I reply. “Then once that’s all done and when Gulfy makes his inevitable after-blast crack, you use this”, and I hand him Captain America.
“What’s this?” he asks.
“A little present” I say, “The cording bundles are just to the right of the podium. Red is right, lemon-yellow is left. Hook up and press the first button. Galvanometer. Green. Green for go. Push the big, shiny red button once it lights, and you’ll see and hear some serious shit.”
Sanjay looks at Captain America.
“Use it in good health”, I say, “You’ve earned it.”
Hell, I can always just overhead another at Gulfy’s expense.
Sanjay is cofounded. Captain America, the Portable Electronic Blasting Machine, costs around US$650. He realizes that and he’s never before been presented with such a gift. Culture demands something of equal value in return.
I see his quandary.
“Just keep those fucking greenhorns out here from blowing their damned fingers off”, I say, “That’s payment enough.”
“Will do, Rock!”, Sanjay smiles, choking back the tears. The handshake afterward was particularly hearty and manly.
Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door.
“A knock?”, I ponder, “In a field office?”
“It’s open!” I holler.
Major Nakula Dattachaudhuri walks in.
“I hear there’s going to be quite the show in about 30 minutes, so I thought I’d drop by.” He smiles.
“Major!”, I say rather a bit too loudly, “How the hell are you? I’m so pleased you could be here.”
“Don’t you remember? You invited me.”, he smiles, “It would be…ill-mannered… of me not to take you up on your invitation.”
“Damn glad you could make it, Major. It’s going to be a hell of a show.” I say and see someone has accompanied our major.
“Oh please”, Major Nak says, “You remember my driver, Mr. Ranganekary? I trust there’s no problem him being here as well.”
“Of course not.”, I say, walking over to Agent Ranganekary to shake his hand and welcome him aboard.
We exchange some knowing smirks and both chuckle as we shake hands. “Glad you could also make it.”
“As am I, Doctor Rocknocker of Baja Canada.” He smiles.
“OK. Code. We’re going to have a chat later on, in private.” I note.
“Anytime is fine with me. Right after our little demonstration?” I say.
“Outstanding”, Agent Ranganekary replies with a grin.
“Coffee, gentlemen?” I ask, “Get it while it’s hot.”
It’s now going on 0945. I hit the klaxon to clear the job site. Everyone knows that one tootle indicates we’re 15 minutes out. Two and we’re 10 minutes away. Three and you’d better get the fuck off, out, or down and back beyond the flags. We don’t take headcounts, even though I tried to instigate that procedure. You get caught behind the lines, it’s your own damned fault.
Still, if there was an accident...hell, that’s why they work in teams.
I worry too much.
Two blasts and time’s getting close. I do an impromptu headcount and see everyone’s here and forthrightly accounted. That makes me feel a trifle less nervous. Guess I’ll fire up a cigar as I’m the master of ceremonies for at least the first half of the show. Got to keep up appearances.
The break siren in the yard goes off daily at 1000 hours. Today it announces the beginning of the ‘Dr. Rocknocker & Company Show’.
“If everyone would please take their seats, we will begin,” I say.
There’s a bit of bustling, but most everyone is seated and sorted. We have the Chairman of the Board out here today, the company CEO, several ministers, the town mayor, 25 newly-frocked blasters, the Major and his “driver’, plus another assorted bundle of workers, shop stewards, foremen, crew leaders, and other sorts of gawpers and hangers-on.
Time to schmooze.
“Welcome gentlemen and ladies, if any are present. Anyone here from out of town?” I wait for a chuckle or two. “I am Dr. Rocknocker and have for the last fortnight been training two dozen of your most clever, most impressive, and now most highly trained workers of which your company can boast.”
I make a grand sweeping gesture toward the accumulation and they all take a bow to the thunderous applause.
“Now, we are here to justify the layout of time, money, and energy. See, previously you would attack such a project as this very large cruise ship simply with hundreds of torchbearers. Dangerous, sloppy, and slow. A real waste of manpower, machinery, and materials. It was decided by the powers that be that they would take the chance that I could drag this company, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. Let’s replace the grunt manpower with chemistry, and let’s better utilize that manpower for something other than simply holding a flaming stick.”
There were nods and smatters of applause.
“So, I now present your first step in, if you’ll excuse my not-so-humble-opinion, the right direction. Gentlemen?”
The 24 newly-frocked ex-cadets expertly split into four teams.
“CLEAR NORTH?”
“NORTH CLEAR!”
And so on around the compass.
TWEET! TWEET! TWEET! Came the melodious tootles of 24 air horns.
“CLEAR?”
“ALL CLEAR!”
I’ve taught my guys well. I am swelling with pride; just a bit.
“किसी बड़े विस्फोट की चेतावनी देना!”
“Kisee bade visphot kee chetaavanee dena!”
“FIRE IN THE HOLE!”
I nod to Sanjay.
“10…9…8…7…6…!” and he hit the big, shiny red button.
Now my skills as a clandestine electrician come to the task.
At number ‘5’, a number 5, 5 meters tall by 3 wide, lights up with the intensity of a new-born sun. There are several, well, five, in fact, muffled explosions in the bowels of the boat.
Remember those 4” vertical pipe-footings I had welded in place? Well, they’re full of 60% Extra Fast dynamite and now detonating in strategically premeditated places. Just a sort of insurance, don’t you know? Priming the pump as it were.
After a few seconds, the millisecond delays, and all that wiring allow a giant number “4” to light up.
More muffled blasts. So far, it’s going great.
“3!” “Kaboom…kaboom…kaboom…”
“2!” “Kaboom…kaboom.”
“1!” and several 4” pipe-fulls of potassium perchlorate, titanium, iron oxide, and magnesium tetraoxide ignite and fill the cove with an unearthly bright white-hot light and sparkles.
“Ohhh…Sparkly!”
After that fades, the number board flashes brilliantly from each corner and the word “GO!” appears in 5m tall x 3m wide letters.
Seconds click by, and people wonder if there was a malfunction.
Malfunction? No. It’s just me being ostentatious.
With a huge “BLAMMO!” the 10 kilos of ANFO I had set in the middle of the number board lights off.
Immediately, all the various leads of detonation cord lights off and travels at 8,000 feet per second to their respective detonic termini. Suddenly, at 25,000 feet per second, kilometer after kilometer of Primacord go off and begin slicing through marine seagoing steel like a hot knife through an order of butter chicken.
It’s pre-etching the cuts we made in the hull, weakening them just a bit more before….
“BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!”
C-4 charges are going off, sequentially, beginning at the bottom of the hull and creeping, at some 15,000 feet per second, up the hull, over the foredeck, and down the hold.
The cuts are quick, clean, and clear. Now, with just a slight nudge…
“KA-MOTHERFUCKING-BOOM DE A-DAH!”
There it is. The 150 kilos of DOUBLEHEIX liquid binary lights off. All at once, bless its blasting velocity.
OK, yes. That was overkill. Why not? My last event here, at least for a while.
But oh, my. What a report. Short, sharp, and shocking.
With a whining screech of tearing metal from the very depths of Vulcan’s volcanic Forge, the entire prow of the once-proud cruise ship gives it up to gravity. With a wrenching rip, slashing snort, and rending rent, it plummets down whole onto the very beach sand before us.
“KER-FUCKING-SMASH!”
The whole area quivers a bit.
Some 450 tons of torn metal, plastic, and wood has just fallen some 10 meters vertically or so.
Gulfy looks up, and raises an index finger.
I smile, raise my remaining index finger, point to Sanjay, and mouth the words “HIT IT!”
He has Captain America primed and ready. He presses the big, shiny red button.
The prow section comes alive. She quivered 'n quaked. An' clutched at herself. As she tremored the beach as she was cut into twelfths.
The prow is being torn asunder from the inside by 60% DuPont Extra Fast Herculene Mining, Quarrying, Fucking Around, and Demolition Dynamite because I’m all soggy with nostalgia and a sucker for the classics.
It’s being ripped apart by explosions of lockers full of AFNO.
A couple of crusty cross-beams yield to several kilos of Kinestix solid binaries.
Some C-4 here, a dab of Tetraamminecopper perchlorate there, a little Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane, a spot of Cyclonite (RDX), a soupçon of PETN, and once the metallic screaming is over, we have pieces of a ship’s prow lying static on the beach in 12 easy pieces.
I turn to the spellbound if not shell-shocked crowd with a goofy smile, a blaze orange hardhat, and a cigar that needs to be relit.
“That, gentlemen, cost approximately $35,000 in both parts and labor. We reduced the ship by 1/9th its length with the expenditure of 25 x 2 man-days and the rest in high explosives. Given that it can take up to 24 months to traditionally scrap one of these cruise liners, I had just demonstrated a method where it can be done in a couple of months, with massively less exposure of your workers to risk, more environmentally friendly, and at a savings of millions of rupees.”
Ok, there was applause when I mentioned, as I closed the formalities.
“And that’s why I’m the Motherfucking Pro from Dover.”
There was applause.
I said “Thank you”, relit my cigar, and strode off the stage.
“My job here is done”, I’m thinking, as I walk back to the office. I was secretly glad it all worked out and also glad I’ll never have to do that kind of ornamental origami with wiring and explosives ever again.
At least until next time.
I go into the air-conditioned office and plop heavily into the desk chair. Stuff the coffee, it’s, well, not Miller time, but it sure as hell is potato-juice-and-citrus time.
Good thing I thought ahead and had a cooler with all the ingredients delivered beforehand.
Of course, there’s a meet and greet after the show. I mention to the dignitaries that have gathered in the office that we need to vacate as I’ve got a swarm of heavy equipment on the way to clear the beach.
“The blaster’s need to get to work on the next slice”, I say and look over to Sanjay who is smiling broadly as well.
We are to reconvene in the boardroom of the company as there will be a catered lunch.
I can hardly wait.
yippee
I spy Mr. Ranganekary over in the corner. I sneak over as well as I can sneak and ask him when he would like to chat.
“Do not worry, Doctor, He assures me, “We will have ample time later. Go attend what needs to attend. Worry not about me, we will have time to talk. Ample time.”
Not knowing what he meant by that, I decide to leave Sanjay in charge, as that’s now his mantle to wear. I fire up the motorcycle that has been so conveniently brought over for me and head back to the barn. I change into a clean set of coveralls but decide that a hardhat and safety harness probably won’t be necessary for a boardroom lunch setting. A box of cigars, on the other hand, well…
It was quite the sumptuous spread. All sorts of a mixed grill, samosas, egg rolls, noodle dishes, finger food, and full slabs of ham, veal, lamb, and roast beef; which I found both curious given the culture but delicious nonetheless. A full open bar was set up and I decided to make the shipbreakers pay for all my extra and subterfugical work. The bartender saw me coming and by the time I made it to his tip jar, yes, they are quick learners, he had already a stout cocktail waiting for me.
I spent the rest of the day answering questions and making certain they had all my banking information correct. I was quite gratified with I received a pair of buzzes on my cell phone telephone where it was my bank telling me of the renewed vigor and turgor in my personal accounts.
I needed to cut loose of this shindig as I needed to pack and also to get my plane tickets. I was leaving on the red-eye express tomorrow at O-dark-30, but haven’t heard a word about ticketing.
“Ah, yes, Doctor; about that,” Gulfy said, somewhat unsteadily. “The airports are still closed in the Middle East and it’s been impossible for us to sort out your departure tickets.”
“Yes?” The fuse was lit. I wanted out of here. You’re not going to use this Corona craziness as some sort of ruse to keep me here, you sawed-off son of a …
“So we have arranged for a private jet to take you to Dubai”, he smiled, “If that’s acceptable.”
Anger evaporated. “Sure, I suppose that will work.”
“At your disposal”, Gulfy said, “Major Nakula Dattachaudhuri will accompany you.”
“Ah!” The penny, once again, drops. “So glad to have you along, Major!”
“And his driver?’ I wonder.
I left the soiree after shaking the hands, exchanging business cards, and pledging to stay in touch with what seemed like a veritable platoon of people. Some will be high on my re-contact list as they might just have a few little odd jobs for me. It seems that there were representatives of other shipbreaking companies in attendance.
“Well”, I supposed, “If nothing else, I do like their hospitality and willingness to pay through the nose.”
Back at the Raj, all my clothes, except for what I was wearing, were cleaned, pressed and ready to be packed. I allowed the floor maids into my room while I rustled up a fresh cocktail and watch them pack my aluminum hard-cases like the consummate professionals they were.
They spoke no English, I no Hindi, but the wads of rupees I passed over to them spoke volumes. They deserved it. I could go to work and not even spare a thought about domestic duties. These gals, and guys, here did so for me without so much as “Oh, I need a…”
After shooing them out, I called the Majordomo and asked when the jet would be ready. He told me anytime I was.
“Well, fuck this”, I said, “Es won’t be in Dubai for a few days. There’s no reason to rush. Let’s plan for a morning flight at 0600 tomorrow? Green?”
Mr. Kanada agreed on my choice of color. He would leave a wakeup call for me at 0430. He would alert all other concerned parties as well.
I loved that. ‘All other concerned parties’.
“Ha, Mr. America’s Hat, your choice of terminology belies your ulterior motives” I think.
“That’s fine.” I said, “I’ll be in repose this evening; many things to consider before returning to launch point. I’ll be awaiting my wake up call.”
Before I get all unclothed and comfortable, I call the kitchen and order up one of the sandwiches I’ve taught them to make during my stay. Fresh bialy roll, lightly toasted, strips of ham, roast beef, melting cheese, some grilled onions, and green peppers. A cheesesteak of sorts, but I like mine with swiss and paneer rather than provolone.
“Oh, and send up some ice and a bottle of White Mischief 101 if you would be so kind. Also, some sliced limes and Bitter Lemon, if you have them.” I add.
Not 15 minutes later, I’m finishing off the sandwich and refreshing my drink. I’ve already called Es and told her of my belated departure. She’s pleased that now I won’t have so long to stay at the hotel alone and get into trouble.
“If she only knew…” I mused.
“Hell.” I remembered, “She does know! Fuck. I’m such a damned Boy Scout”
I haven’t chatted with Rack and Ruin for days and I figured they’re beside themselves. I break down and figure as long as I’m leaving tomorrow, I’d spill the beans, yank their chains, rattle their cages, and poke them in the snoot, all metaphorically, of course.
I ring their office numbers and I get that they are “in dispose” and if I leave a message, “they will return my call at their earliest convenience.”
“Aw, fuck.”, I think, “They’re off on some sort of mission or job or whatever the fuck they do when they’re not bothering me. Ah, well. I tried.”
I left them a message consisting mostly of “Priviet, comrades!”, "Workers of the world, unite!", and “Nostrovia!”. Y’know, the usual sophomoric attempts at political and social satire and humor.
I also tried to not let it bother me too great that they weren’t available as I settled back into the Jacuzzi with a new cigar, a large fresh drink, and this month’s issue of “The Quarrymaster.”
The night progressed as nights do. It was dark, sudsy, and quiet. I finally caved in around 2300 hours and plopped into the acre-sized bed. I slept the sleep of the overtly righteous until exactly 0430.
“Thanks”, I croak into the phone and drop the receiver back into its cradle.
“Time to motivate”, I remind myself. I hot the opulent shower one last time, erase a couple of shower scotches, and steam up the whole room so much it looks like the windows are bleeding from the inside.
“Damn, it’s positively tropical in here”, I growl as I dress in my travel finest. The usual field outfit, but this time with orange and green argyle socks from Scotland.
There’s actually a Pringle of Scotland brick and mortar store here in Alang. These socks were the best worst color and design I could find. I tried to find blaze orange ones, but oddly I was informed “there wasn’t much call for that around these parts, Squire.”
Maybe next time.
I called the room clerk and almost immediately, there was a knock at my door. Evidently Mr. Kanada, the Majordomo alerted the staff of my itinerary. It makes me almost feel bad I left that faux crate of dynamite in his room.
But he should have known better to snoop around on me. I hope all he gets out of it is a skip on his electrocardiogram. Anything else, and I might have to place some calls and own up to my tomfoolery.
My luggage, except for my field pack is loaded on a cart and I was assured it will be in the gray Ventura limo in the garage anytime I wish to leave. I tell the doorman that I appreciate that and slip him 500 rupees.
I need to go through that time-honored and exasperating event now when one checks out of a long term stay facility. Tips for everyone. C’mon, it’s not like you can’t afford a little largesse now, you old sod.
I leave fat-stuffed envelopes for the room matrons, which I had Sanjay address for me the other day. They deserve it. That room was insanely clean, well-stocked, and above all comfortable.
More tips for the room captains, bellhops, bartenders, cooks, cleaners, hell, if you aren’t a guest here, you get a tip. That makes it so much easier.
Down at breakfast I decide to forego a heavy meal and just snack on a few of their wonderful grilled breakfast sausages and a cup or two of my ‘special blende’ coffee.
After checking out the headlines in the reading room, I go to the bar where all my Emergency Travel Flasks are topped off and I gratefully accept a “Visit Alang” thermos cup full of my favorite libation in the entire cosmos.
A free drink.
Just so happens that his is one of cold potato juice and freshly squeezed lime juice with a splash of soda. A new Rocknocker variant that goes in the “Big Book of Favorite Cocktails”.
After shaking hands with everyone, I see it’s gone around to 0500. Time to get a move on myself.
Over to the one gray Ventura limo that’s idling in the garage and see its Major Nakula Dattachaudhuri in the back with Mr. Ranganekary as the driver.
“Well”, I smile, “That’s convenient. One-stop. No waiting.”
“Indeed, Doctor”, Major Nak replies, “Shall we?”
I smile crookedly to Mr. Ranganekary as I wish him a gracious good morning and pile into the back of the vehicle.
“I see you have all the absolute necessities”, Major Nak laughs as he notes my garish travel mug and a pocketful of cigars. He plucks one of the cigars from my vest pocket and looks at me line “May I?”
“Of course”, I smile back.
I ask Mr. Ranganekary if he’d like one and he replies, “Thanks. I already have some on the plane.”
“Well” I note, “There’s that question answered.”
With no traffic to speak of other than the usual delivery trucks driven by essential employees, we make great time to the airport.
Past the main gate, past departures, past shipping and receiving and past anything that looks like a terminal building. There it is, the same old shack where I was greeted into this county. We park and I go to take my passport for its usual departure tattooing.
Major Nak asks for my passport. He says he’ll handle the departure formalities. He also says he’ll meet us back on the plane. I’m not terribly keen on relinquishing my passport to anyone, but if you can’t trust a major in the Indian Armed Forces, who can you trust?
We wheel up to the same Gulfstream G700 jet that brought me here. Now, instead of Seoul to India, it’s India to Dubai, UAE. It’s just a puddle jump across the Indian Ocean, some 3.5 hours in duration.
“Guess I’d better get started”, I say, and take a long, healthy pull on my drink.
Thus sated, I’m up the steps and into the forward left-hand seat of the aircraft. Agent Ranganekary takes the seat behind me and within a few minutes, Major Rak arrives, hands me my passport, and asks if I need anything.
“Well”, I said, shaking my now empty Alang thermal mug, “It is sure hot and thirsty out there.”
Major Nak smiles, nods his head, and says loudly: “Dusty as well. Vijaya!”
Vijaya appears out of the back with an expertly crafted and exquisitely large drink for me. Major Nak looks at me, looks at my drink, and shakes his head. He asks Vijaya for a hot Earl Grey tea, with milk instead.
He looks at me, looks at my drink once more, and says “No way. I vaguely remember the last time...”
I just smile, grin, and sit back to enjoy what I could really get used to as a means of transportation.
The flight was smooth, pleasurable, and uneventful. We were up at 57,000’ again and pushing the bitter edge of the sound barrier at Mach 0.93.
We were in Dubai International, at the military end of the airport, within 3 hours and 19 minutes.
A large SUV cab arrives and tarmac workers begin stuffing all my gear into the back. I note a haversack and one lonely carry-on joined the pile.
It seems that Major Nak and Mr. Ranganekary were going to spend a day or two in Dubai as well.
It seems they were going to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel as well.
It seems to me that something might just be up.
To be continued.

April 2033
After convening in New Delhi throughout the first half of 2033, the constitutional convention produced the document summarized below. If no change is mentioned, assume that the status quo of the Republic of India has been maintained.

Preamble

We, the people of Hindusthana, having solemnly resolved to constitute Hindusthana into a sovereign democratic republic and to secure to all its citizens economic, social, and political justice; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship; equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all fraternity; assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; in our constituent assembly this 24th day of April 2033, do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.

Article I: The Union and its Territories

The Republic of Hindusthana shall be a Union of States. The territory of Hindusthana shall comprise all of the territory of the former Republic of India, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and Kingdom of Bhutan. The Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit. Parliament may by law form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any states; increase the area of any State; diminish the area of any State; alter the boundaries of any State; or alter the name of any State; provided that no Bill for this purpose is introduced to the Parliament except on the recommendation of the President or the President of the Legislature of those States whose territory is directly affected by such a Bill.
For the purposes of this article, the term "State" is to be taken to include territories as well.
The existing state and territory boundaries of the former Republic of India, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and Kingdom of Bhutan shall remain in existence, with the following exceptions:
Uttaranchal, Sudurpashchim Pradesh, and Karnali Pradesh will be merged into a state called Uttaranchal Pradesh.
Province No. 5 will be merged into Uttar Pradesh.
Gandaki Pradesh, Bagmati Pradesh, and Province No. 1 will be merged into a new state called Nepal Pradesh.
Province No. 2 will be merged into Bihar.
Sikkim and Bhutan will be merged into a new state called Rajya Pradesh.
The districts of Sri Lanka will merge into one state called Sri Lanka.

Article II: Citizenship

At the commencement of this Constitution, every person who possesses citizenship in the territory of the former Republic of India, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, or the Kingdom of Bhutan shall be a citizen of Hindusthana. Any person who voluntarily assumes the citizenship of another country thereby surrenders their Hindusthani citizenship. Parliament possesses full power to determine by law the framework for acquiring or terminating citizenship, as well as all other matters relating to citizenship.

Article III: Fundamental Rights

The state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of Hindusthana. The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. All citizens shall possess the right to freedom of speech and expression; to peaceably assemble without arms; to form associations or unions; to move freely throughout the territory of Hindusthana; to reside or settle in any part of the territory of Hindusthana; and to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade, or business, provided they are within the bounds of the laws created by Parliament. Subject to public order, morality, health, and to the other provisions of this Article, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess and practice religion. This does not include the right to propagate religion. These rights may be temporarily suspended throughout the whole of Hindusthana during a State of Emergency, or in particular states or union territories during a period of President’s Rule.
Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any existing law of the former Republic of India or prevent the State from making any law regulating or restricting economic, financial, political, or other secular activity that may be associated with religious practice; or from providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.
“Hindu” shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, or Hindu religions.
The wearing or carrying of kirpans shall be deemed to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion.
Every person who is arrested and detained in custody shall be produced before the nearest magistrate within a period of twenty-four hours of such arrest, excluding the time necessary for the journey from the place of the arrest to the court of the magistrate, and no such person shall be detained in custody beyond the said period without the authority of the magistrate.
Persons who are an enemy of the State or an alien or who are arrested or detained under any law providing for preventive detention shall not be afforded the rights listed above for the duration of their status as an enemy or alien or for the duration of their detention.
Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any law imposing reasonable restrictions on the exercise of any of the rights conferred by this article either in the interests of the general public, of the sovereignty and integrity of Hindusthana, of public order or morality, or for the protection of the interests of any Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
All laws passed by the Parliament shall apply to all persons residing in the territory of the State equally.
“Untouchability” is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of “Untouchability” shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law
Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same. No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institution maintained by the State or receiving aid out of State funds on grounds only of religion, race, caste, or language. All linguistic and ethnic minorities shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
No title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State. No citizen of Hindusthana shall accept any title from any foreign State. No person who is not a citizen of Hindusthana shall, while he or she holds any office of profit or trust under the State, accept without the consent of the President any title, emolument, present, or office of any kind from any foreign State.
No child below the age of sixteen shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment.
Traffic in human beings and forced labor are prohibited and any violation of this provision shall be an offense punishable in accordance with the laws passed by the Parliament.
Nothing in this article shall prevent the state from imposing compulsory service for public purposes, and in imposing such service the State shall not make any discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, or class.
None of the provisions within this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision, by law or otherwise, for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes insofar as such provisions relate to their admission to educational institutions (including private institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State); or for the advancement of women and children.
Parliament may, by law, determine to what extent any of the rights conferred by this Article shall, in their application to the members of the Armed Forces; the members of the Forces charged with the maintenance of public order; persons employed in any bureau or other organization established by the State for purposes of intelligence or counter-intelligence; or persons employed in, or in connection with, the telecommunication systems set up for the purposes of any Force, bureau, or organization referred to in this clause, be restricted or abrogated so as to ensure the proper discharge of their duties and the maintenance of discipline among them.
Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this Part, Parliament may by law indemnify any person in the service of the Union or of a State or any other person in respect of any act done by him in connection with the maintenance or restoration of order in any area within the territory of India where martial law was in force or validate any sentence passed, punishment inflicted, forfeiture ordered or other act done under martial law in such area.

Article IV: The Executive

The Head of State of Hindusthana shall be the President. The President of Hindusthana is to be elected by an electoral college comprising both Houses of Parliament and the legislative assemblies of each of Hindusthana’s states and territories. In summary, the President’s powers are the same as those of the President of the former Republic of India. He serves in a ceremonial role, and most of his powers require the approval of the Prime Minister before they may be exercised.

Article V: The Legislative

The Legislature of the Republic of Hindusthana shall be divided into an Upper House (the Rajya Sabha, or House of States) and a Lower House (the Lok Sabha, or House of the People). These function the same as the former Republic of India, but with additional seats for the new states.

Article VI: The Judiciary

The Judiciary of Hindusthana operates in the same manner as that of the former Republic of India.

Article VII: Division of Government

The Union is responsible for all matters in the Union List. The state governments are responsible for all of the items listed in the State List. The Union and the states are jointly responsible for the items in the Concurrent List. Those responsibilities not enumerated in any of the three lists are the responsibility of the Union government.
The Union possesses the ability to make laws affecting matters usually reserved for the states under certain circumstances, such as during a state of emergency; if authorized to do so by a 2/3rds majority of the Rajya Sabha; if asked to do so by any given state; or if the state is under President’s Rule.

Article VIII: Regional Government

Each of Hindusthana’s states shall have a unicameral legislature. The number of seats possessed in legislature shall be determined by the states themselves.

Article IX: National Security

The Armed Forces of Hindusthana shall consist of the Hindusthani Army, the Hindusthani Navy, and the Hindusthani Air Force. The Parliament shall possess the right to create additional military or paramilitary organizations as it sees fit.

Article X: Language

The official languages of Hindusthana are Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, and English. Hunterian transliteration shall be the official system of romanization. All official government functions must be conducted in Hindi or English. Court business will occur solely in English. All speakers in the Parliament and state legislatures must speak either Hindi, English or, in the case of state legislatures, another language approved by the state legislature. Speakers who are unable to adequately express themselves in one of these languages may speak in a language of their choosing with the permission of the presiding officer of the legislature.
States may, by law, adopt their own additional official languages.
Additional official languages may be added to this Article by Parliament through an act of Law.
The languages of Angika, Assamese, Awadhi, Bajjika, Banjara, Bazika, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Bhoti, Bhotia, Bodo, Bundelkhandi, Chhattisgarhi, Dhatki, Dotyali/Doteli, Dogri, Dzongkha, English, Garhwali (Pahari), Gondi, Gujarati, GujjaGujjari, Hindi, Ho, Kachchhi, Kamatapuri, Kannada, Karbi, Kashmiri, Khasi, Kodava (Coorg), Kok Barak, Konkani, Kumaoni (Pahari), Kurak, Kurmali, Lepcha, Limbu, Magahi, Magar, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo (Lushai), Mundari, Nagpuri, Nepali, Newar, Nicobarese, Odia, Pahari (Himachali), Pali, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Sambalpuri/Kosali, Sanskri, Santhali, Shaurseni (Prakrit), Sindhi, Sinhalese, Siraiki, Tamang, Tamil, Telugu, Tenyidi, Tharu, Tshangla (Sharchop), Tulu, and Urdu shall be considered scheduled languages. The State is obligated to take such measures that these languages grow rapidly in richness and become effective means of communicating modern knowledge. A candidate appearing in an examination conducted for public service is entitled to use any of these languages as the medium in which he or she answers the examination.

Article XI: Special Provisions relating to Certain Classes

Seats shall be reserved in the Lok Sabha for the Scheduled Castes and for the Scheduled Tribes. The number of seats reserved in any state or union territory for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats allotted to that state or union territory in the Lok Sabha as the population of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in the state or union territory.

Article XII: Amendments to the Constitution

The Constitution may be amended in a process identical to that of the Republic of India. The Supreme Court does not possess the right to veto amendments under the Basic Structure doctrine.
The first general election is scheduled for June 2033.

Name: Maguayan
Real Name (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Real Name (Host): Crisanto Dela Cruz
Height (Host): 5'6'' (171cm)
Age (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Age (Host): 20
Nationality (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Nationality (Host): Filipino
Occupation (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Occupation (Host): Fresh Graduate
Base of Operations (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Base of Operations (Host): None

Affiliation: None

Role: Support

Total Health: 150

• 100 Health
• 0 Shields
• 50 Armor

Movement Speed: 5.5 m/s
1st Spawn Quote:
Crisanto: Let me go!
Maguayan: And why would I do that?

Difficulty: ✮✮✮

Bio

Maguayan, a sea of death. The strange entity wanders aimlessly in seclusion, one without any sense of purpose. Very little is deeply known about Maguayan apart from an internal struggle more fierce than what appears on the surface. For deep inside, another voice calls, trying to break free, causing the mysterious creature to engage in a never ending civil war with itself, like a strange hybrid creature. One half dark, one half light; one half wishing to destroy, one half wishing to help.
But despite the eternal struggle, the Maguayan will win and will always win.
You control Maguayan, a mechanical swarm of nanobots with a single mind and a single directive: Vanquish everyone and keep your host at bay.

Appearance

A gaunt but handsome young man with below average height. He has vitiligo, a mixture between tan and ashen, and heterochromia, with one eye being blue and the other hazel. He wears sneakers, cargo pants, and a red sleeveless hoodie. However, this is Crisanto, and is merely a host. Controlling him is a parasitic entity, the hive mind, a swarm of nanobots that cloud Crisanto and cover his left arm with a morphable appendage that can transform into any shape and length and act as a weapon. Because of the hive mind, Crisanto has grown red intricate markings that adorn his right arm and body. Most noticeable is the suffering in Crisanto’s posture and movement.
As the hive mind, make sure that he does suffer and make sure that you stay in control.

Abilities

Passive: Swarm Shield

Nanobots shield Maguayan, blocking the first instance of damage taken. The shield then shatters, exposing Maguayan to other sources of damage before coming back online after a short amount of time.
Skill Information:

• Range: None
• Cooldown: 6 seconds, cooldown starts after Swarm Shield shatters.

Notes:

• If the source of damage comes with a crowd control effect (e.g. Junkrat's Steel Trap), then the damage is blocked but not the crowd control effect.
• Multiple rounds fired at once from a single shot are considered a single instance of damage (e.g. Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns). However, multiple rounds fired at an interval from a single shot are considered separate instances of damage (e.g. Lucio's Sonic Amplifier and Genji's Shurikens).
• Blocks all first instances of damage, even from ultimates.
• Is set off cooldown immediately after the end of Maguayan's Ultimate, Crisanto’s Requiem.

Tips:

• This ability is great at blocking burst damage but terrible against sustained damage, making Maguayan vulnerable to flankers such as Tracer, Genji, and Sombra.
• Maguayan has a bit of armor to offset its weakness to sustained damage by a small degree.

....................

Main Attack (LMB/Right Trigger): Sanity's Reach

An extendable appendage encroaching Maguayan's left arm that is used to strike enemies from a close to medium distance. Upon six attacks, the appendage shatters, but afterwards, the nanobots that comprise the weapon swarm in to reassemble it again.
Attack Information:

• Type: Melee
• Range: 10 meters
• Damage: 80 per strike, no critical damage
• Attack Rate: 1 attack per second
• Reload Speed: 2 seconds

Notes:

• The weapon is mainly used for self-defense and in rare occasions, flanking the enemy.
• Due to the short range of the weapon, Maguayan cannot effectively contribute reliable damage. Therefore, choosing Maguayan means a trade off for supports that can deal damage when opting not to heal.

Lines:

• Crisanto: I'm a monster.... Maguayan: Hahaha!
• Maguayan: Enjoying, Crisanto? (Either occasionally triggers when killing an enemy)

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Alt. Attack (RMB/Left Trigger): Nano Swarm

Maguayan releases a swarm of nanobots around it that heals both friend and foe upon activation.

• The first cast causes a small field to expand around Maguayan. Has a visual indicator that can only be seen by Maguayan and its allies.
• A second cast activates the ability, healing all within the radius, including Maguayan itself and its foes. The field retracts after failing to cast a second time within 3 seconds, but the ability will still be castable as it shrinks and will remain off cooldown afterwards.
• Removes all negative statuses of allies within the area upon the second cast/activation.

Skill Information:

• Type: Area of Effect
• Targets: Around Maguayan
• Cast Time: Instant
• Duration: Instant
• Initial Radius: 2 meters.
• Final Radius: 7 meters
• Healing: 120
• Cooldown: 7 seconds, begins upon the second cast

Notes:

• Works in conjunction with Bio Manipulation.
• It takes 1.5 seconds for the ability to reach its maximum radius upon the first cast.
• It takes 2 seconds for the ability to retract and disappear if not activated within 3 seconds.
• Damage, healing, and kills with this ability are credited to Maguayan and can charge its ultimate.

Tips:

• Make sure to reposition Maguayan properly upon the first cast in order to maximize the amount of allies within the field and minimize the number of foes that may take advantage of the field.
• Using the ability at its maximum radius is not always the best decision as it may leave more room for the enemy to heal in. Leaving the field to grow also consumes a fair amount of time which could have been used to heal you or your allies instantly.
• Use in conjunction with Bio Manipulation to damage flankers that get too close. This makes Maguayan strong against lone heroes that come up against it face-to-face. However, against multiple foes, not so much.
• This is the most reliable source of healing for you and your allies but also most risky as it could heal your enemies. Be careful when using this ability as it could potentially swing the tide of battle to your opponent's favor.
• Is an effective cleanse for your allies.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Nano Swarm deployed. (Loud enough for all nearby allies to hear)
• Maguayan: Stop doing that! (Occasionally, when Nano swarm is used to heal)
• Crisanto: I don't want to hurt anyone! Maguayan: You just did. (Occasionally, when Nano Swarm inflicts damage)

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1st Ability (LShift/Left Bumper): Bio Manipulation

Maguayan sends forth a swarm of nanobots that manipulate the biological construct of its target for a brief period causing an ally to be healed upon taking damage or a foe to take damage upon being healed.
Skill Information:

• Type: Single Target
• Targets: Allies and Foes
• Cast Time: Instant
• Projectile Speed: 120 meters per second
• Duration: 3 seconds
• Maximum Cast Range: 40 meters
• Healing: Depends on the damage being taken by allies
• Damage: Depends on the healing being taken by enemies
• Cooldown: 8 seconds, begins upon cast

Notes:

• Causes all damage inflicted to allies to heal them instead. This includes damage from ultimates.
• If the damaged being inflicted by an enemy comes with a crowd control effect, an ally buffed with Bio Manipulation will still get healed from the attack but the crowd control effect will still go through.
• Causes all heals applied to enemies to damage them instead. This includes healing from health packs and ultimates.
• Works on Biotic Field when cast on an enemy Soldier 76.
• Stacks with the healing and damage received from Disruption.
• Damage stacks with multiple sources of healing stacked on enemies and healing stacks with multiple sources of damage stacked on allies. (e.g. if an enemy Zenyatta and Ana were healing the same hero for 105 health, the hero would take 105 damage instead with Bio Manipulation).
• A visual indicator will show that a target is affected by this ability.
• Damage, healing, and kills with this ability are credited to Maguayan and can charge its ultimate.

Tips:

• Using the ability in conjunction with Disruption will allow you to deal a huge burst of damage to an unlucky foe or a huge burst of healing to an ally, provided that you could pull the maneuver off.
• This method of dealing damage and healing is very unreliable as it does nothing if cast on an enemy that is not being healed or an ally that is not being damaged. However, it is effective at preventing enemy healers from healing or enemy heroes from dealing damage.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Cells successfully modified. (Occasionally, when used on enemies)
  
• Maguayan: What? What happened? (Occasionally, when used on allies)
  

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2nd Ability (Right BumpeE): Disruption

Maguayan summons a swarm of nanobots to disrupt a target’s equipment causing the target’s weapons to heal instead of damage and healing abilities to deal damage instead of heal.

• When targeting friendlies, grants them the ability to target allies and heal them with their normal attacks and their basic damaging abilities. However, they may also heal enemies if targeted.
• When targeting foes, causes their attacks and basic damaging abilities to heal Maguayan and its allies. Also causes enemy healing abilities to damage allies instead, excluding passive healing (e.g. Mercy's Angelic Descent).
• Causes health packs to deal damage equivalent to what they heal for. Allies still heal from the disrupted health packs, unlike enemies.

Skill Information:

• Type: Single Target
• Targets: Allies, Foes, and Health Packs
• Cast Time: Instant
• Projectile Speed: 120 meters per second
• Duration: 3 seconds
• Maximum Cast Range: 40 meters
• Healing (When targeting allies): Depends on damage output.
• Healing (When targeting enemies): Depends on damage output.
• Damage (When targeting enemies and health packs): Depends on healing output.
• Cooldown: 8 seconds, begins upon cast

Notes:

• Does not cause damage from friendly ultimates to heal allies (e.g. Cannot be used on an allied D.Va Self-Destruct to heal you or your allies).
• Does not work on enemy ultimates (e.g. Cannot be used on an enemy Zenyatta when casting Transcendence to damage his allies).
• If the damaged being inflicted by an enemy affected by Disruption comes with a crowd control effect, the damage is still converted to a heal but the crowd control effect will still persist.
• Stacks with the healing and damage received from Bio Manipulation.
• A visual indicator will show that the target is affected by this ability.
• Damage, healing, and kills with this ability are credited to Maguayan and can charge its ultimate.

Tips:

• Using the ability in conjunction with Bio Manipulation will allow you to deal a huge burst of damage to an unlucky foe or a huge burst of healing to an ally, provided that you could pull the maneuver off.
• This method of healing is very unreliable as it does nothing if cast on an enemy that is not attacking or healing. It also requires that any ally targeted with this ability only attack friendlies, lest they end up healing their enemies instead while under the effects of the ability.
• When you see an enemy approaching a health pack, cast Bio Manipulation on the enemy and Disruption on the health pack to damage them for twice than what the health pack would have healed them for. This will, however, come at the cost of your healing abilities, which have fairly long cooldowns and can be easily outmaneuvered by the enemy when they see it coming.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Equipment reversed engineered. (Occasionally, when used on an enemy or health pack)
  
• Crisanto: Ito! Have this! (Occasionally, when used on an ally)
  

Ultimate Ability (Q): Crisanto’s Requiem

Maguayan successfully takes full control of its host, Crisanto, gaining full power and allowing it to influence the sanity of all enemies around it. Enemies caught within the area have their minds taken over by Maguayan, transporting their them into a corrupted realm of their consciousness.

• Upon activation, all enemies are debuffed with Insanity.
• Debuffed enemies are unable to move from where they stand but still capable of turning, repositioning their crosshairs, and firing with their basic attacks. They are unable to use any of their abilities and have their vision engulfed in darkness. They can only see themselves and their attacks, everything else is pitch black.
• Maguayan turns black with a faint reddish glow at its core, which enemies can see.
• Creates a dark dome in the area. The dome disregards the environment it was formed on, and has a shifting environment of its own. Maguayen may only move around in the dome. It also has its HP reduced to 50 armor, cannot stand still, and cannot use abilities in it but moves at double the speed and can tread on every surface.
• Maguayan’s main objective within the realm is to not die from enemy fire, running around the map and using the shifting environment as cover.
• Within the dome, the enemy may opt to find and kill Maguayan. However, attempting to do so will come at the risk of them turning and repositioning their crosshairs in order to hunt Maguayan down. Any changes to the direction they are facing in the realm will carry over outside the dome once the ability ends, disorienting them as they exit their corrupted thoughts and leaving them vulnerable to attacks from Maguayan’s team.
• Enemies may also opt to ignore Maguayan, if they choose to do so.
• If enemies successfully kill Maguayan, the effect ends prematurely. If they fail to kill Maguayan or opt to ignore it, the ability will last up until its full duration, and all enemies inside will be affected by Disruption once the ability ends.
• During the duration of the ability in the real world, enemies are invulnerable and cannot be damaged or crowd controlled by Maguayan’s team. Allies and unaffected enemies cannot see the dome and Maguayan.

Skill Information:

• Type: Area of Effect
• Targets: Foes around Maguayan
• Cast Time: 0.80 seconds
• Duration: 5 seconds
• Area of Effect: 20 meter radius
• After Effect: All enemies are affected by Disruption, if they fail to kill Maguayan.
• Charge Required: 1825

Notes:

• Swarm Shield will automatically be off cooldown at the end of the ability, even if ended prematurely.
• A new map is not loaded when the ability is activated. Rather, a dome is created that only affects Maguayan and debuffed enemies.
• The dome has a 35 meter radius.

Tips:

• You don't always have to use Crisanto's Requiem on the entire enemy team. Sometimes, you can also use it to split the team in half, making it easier for our allies to take down enemies not caught by your ultimate.
• This ability is great at throwing off your enemies and will allow your team to set up properly around the affected targets, giving you a huge advantage in battle once the ability ends.
• Using this ultimate is risky as it would require to you to be in a vulnerable position in order to cast and leave you at a vulnerable position when the ability ends.
• Approach enemies with caution as you do not have any movement abilities to get close to them safely.
• If you end up pulling off the full duration of the ability, all enemies caught within the ultimate would be affected by Disruption afterwards, giving you some room to escape.
• Do your best to survive in the realm as dying, which will result in the ability prematurely ending, will allow the enemy team to catch your team off guard as they instantly return to consciousness.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Free, at last! (Heard by allies upon activation)
• Maguayan: Sumainyo ang kadiliman. May the darkness be with you (Heard by enemies upon activation)
• Crisanto: You can’t control me! Maguayan: Nooooo! (Heard by allies upon end of full duration)
• Crisanto: Huwag mo silang idamay! Leave them be! Mguayan: Aggh! (Heard by enemies upon end of full duration)

PROS:

• A very powerful healer and disruptor when abilities are used and timed properly.
• Can do massive amounts of damage or heal to a single target instantly.
• Forces enemy healers to stop healing or any enemy from using healing abilities in general.
• Can make every team member a healer for a short amount of time.
• Ultimate is a powerful setup tool for your allies.
• A Zarya with better utility with Disruption and Bio Manipulation.

Strong against:

• All healers and heals: Can use their heals as a way to damage their allies.
• Ana: Can cleanse her Biotic Grenade and Sleep Dart with Nano Swarm and prevent her from healing and attacking by casting Disruption on her. Can make her Biotic Grenade deal damage to her allies and heal your team.
• Mercy: Prevents her from healing with her Caduceus Staff through Bio Manipulation and Disruption.
• Lúcio: Can use Disruption to let him deal AOE damage to his allies. Can activate Crisanto’s Requiem to cancel his Sound Barrier.
• Zenyatta: Can cleanse his orb of discord with Nano Swarm and use Bio Manipulation and Disruption to deal damage to targets that have Orb of Harmony equipped.
• Symmetra: Can use her high damage and turrets against her by converting it to healing through Bio Manipulation and Disruption.
• Junkrat: Can block his burst damage with Swarm Shield and negate other sources of damage with Bio Manipulation and Disruption.
• Roadhog: Can block his burst damage with Swarm Shield and negate his damage with Bio Manipulation and Disruption. Can use Bio Manipulation to deal damage to him when using Take a Breather.
• Mei: Can cleanse off her Endothermic Blaster with Swarm Field and use Bio Manipulation to deal damage to her when using Cryo-Freeze. Can use Disruption to make her Endothermic Blaster an effective healing stream.
• Torbjorn: Allows allies to survive tanking and distracting his turret through Bio Manipulation.

CONS:

• Fragile and easy to flank.
• Has no escape or movement abilities.
• Heals are either unreliable or very risky to use.
• Relies heavily on decision making, team coordination, and quick reflexes to use abilities and execute combos.
• Has to decide whether to use Disruption and Bio Manipulation on enemies or allies. Choosing to use these abilities on your enemies or health packs comes at the cost of ⅔ of its healing potential.
• Misuse of Nano Swarm and Disruption may work against your own team and in favor of the enemy team.
• Is not very useful when its abilities are down, more so than most heroes as you are vulnerable and can't do reliable damage outside of them.
• Slow ultimate charge rate made even slower with inconsistent healing and damage output.

Weak Against:

• Multiple Flankers: Nano Swarm can only deal damage to as single enemy with Bio Manipulation, the rest are healed.
• Outplays: All of Maguayan’s abilities can be outplayed by a skillful player, including its ultimate.
• Genji and Tracer: Can break through your Swarm Shield, burst you down, and chase you easily.
• Sombra: Can hack you, break through your Swarm Shield, burst you down, and chase you easily. You rely heavily on your abilities to defend against flankers, making Sombra a very dangerous flanker.
• Winston and D.Va: Can break through your Swarm Shield, survive your burst, and chase you easily.

Skill Combos and Tips

Defending Against an Attacker:

• When an enemy is flanking you, cast Nano Swarm, target your enemy with Bio Manipulation, activate Nano Swarm, and then attack your enemy. This combo will deal 200 damage in total. Cast Disruption if the enemy is still alive so he or she can heal you or stop attacking you.
• Choosing whether to cast Nano Swarm or Bio Manipulation depends on how close the flanker is to you. If the flanker is at a distance, cast Cast Nano Swarm but only activate it after you use Bio Manipulation first to allow the Nano Swarm field to expand to his or her position. If the flanker is close, immediately cast Bio Manipulation then double cast Nano Swarm to deal the burst damage even faster, giving little room for your attacker to burst you down.

Defending Against Two Attackers:

• When two enemies are flanking you, do the Nano Swarm-Bio Manipulation Combo on the more fragile pursuer, making sure that Nano Swarm doesn’t heal the second attacker, then cast cast Disruption on the tankier pursuer. You may also throw in attacks in between.

Health Pack Trick:

• When an enemy is approaching a health pack, use Bio Manipulation on the enemy then Disruption on the health pack to deal damage double that of what the health pack would have healed for.
• This is recommended if the target is a tank or if the health pack is small.
• When a fragile enemy approaches a health pack or if any enemy approaches a large health pack, you don't always have to use both spells, just use either one as fragile heroes would be weak enough to be taken down by the damage of what a health pack heals for, while large health packs will deal high enough damage to kill most heroes. Besides, heroes that do approach health packs normally have low health anyway. This will allow you to save the unused ability for other purposes.

Burst Damage with Enemy Healers:

• Whenever an enemy is receiving heals, cast Bio Manipulation on the enemy and Disruption on the ally providing the healing to deal damage double that of what the ability would have healed for.
• This ability combo can burst 150 damage to enemies being healed by a single shot from Ana.

AOE Damage through Lúcio:

• Casting Disruption on an enemy Lúcio works wonders in dealing AOE damage to your enemies.

Burst Healing from DPS Allies:

• Casting Disruption on an allied DPS's is great at making them burst healers.

Supporting in Duels:

• During duels, activate Disruption on the enemy then, once Disruption ends, cast Bio Manipulation on your ally to give him or her a six second window of protection. A sort of a pseudo barrier for up to 6 seconds.
• Though risky, in a duel, you may also do a bluff by casting Disruption on your ally so as to encourage the enemy to receive damage, then cast Bio Manipulation on the him or her as the projectile is about to hit.
• You can also reliably heal an ally in a duel with Nano Swarm by targeting the enemy with Bio Manipulation first.

Damage Absorption:

• Treat Bio Manipulation like you would Projected Barrier to help block incoming damage at the last second. Maguayan also works great with an allied Zarya.
• Unlike Projected Barrier, Bio Manipulation can absorb an infinite amount of damage and heal the targeted ally.

Niche

• Healer, Anti-Healer, Nuker, Disruptor, and Damage Absorber. Maguayan is great at disrupting in battles by forcing enemies to stop attacking, healers to stop healing, and with his ult, to stop everything, in general, or split the enemy team in half. Healing itself is only secondary, a side-effect of Crisanto's kindness and urge to help others.
  
• Maguayan serves as a nice counter to the dominant healing meta.
  
• Maguayan may substitute or complement Zarya in the battlefield due to Disruption and Bio Manipulation acting as pseudo projected barriers. Unlike Zarya, Maguayan trades off damage, tankiness, and reliability for better utility and its ability to counter healers.
  

Voice Lines

• Crisanto: Who am I again?
• Maguayan: All shall fall before me, for I am….I am. Who was I again?
• Crisanto: Cris...Crisanto, name ko, tama ba? Cris...Crisanto, my name, right?

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• Crisanto: Tulungan n’yo ‘ko…. Help me.... (While waiting in spawn)
• Crisanto: Let’s end this (While waiting in spawn)
• Crisanto: This is my body, not yours. Maguayan: Cool Story (When respawning)
• Crisanto: Pati sa kamatayan, hindi ka nawawala Even in death, you do not leave (When respawning)
• Maguayan: You call? (Upon being character swapped and spawning in)
• Maguayan: Free me from this mind. (Upon being character swapped and spawning in)

Story

Crisanto’s Acceptance (Past)

Crisanto had always struggled with the way he looked, not wanting to hear the notion of people commenting on how he had vitiligo. Though most comments were meant with no harm, Crisanto never felt any comfort with regards to the topic. Throughout his young life, he opted to wear clothes that hid his skin and would wear makeup to even out his color. He developed a deep insecurity with himself. Not only did he see himself as ugly but he never excelled in school, didn’t have any special skills, wasn’t popular--he was dull. Nothing stood out and that made his skin stand out even more.
However, despite his insecurities, Crisanto never used it as a reason to stray away from a good life and did his best in every endeavor. He also became more sympathetic throughout the years, more helpful, not wanting anyone to feel what he felt. He helped uplift the souls of those around him, particularly those that struggled as well. He helped everyone he could, but he could not help himself. Loyalty, kindness, service, and humility, yet he was broken.
That all changed when he met Narcisa. She was intelligent and had a great sense of humor, but she was also very ill, thin, had a blind eye, and could not walk. Being in his nature, Crisanto did not hesitate to approach Narcisa and attempt to help her. And to his surprise, he realized how happy she already was.
“Maraming bagay na hindi ko kayang maging at ‘di ko kayang magawa, at tanggap ko ‘yun lahat. Pero, nakatutok ako sa mga bagay na kaya kong maging at kaya kong gawin, at doon ko nalalaman na masaya at malaya pala ako.”
“There are many things I am not and many things that I can’t do, and I accept them all. So, I focus on what I am and what I can do, then I realize how free and happy I truly am.”
These were the words she would always say to those she would meet and words that Crisanto would always remember. It was in these moments with her that he realized she was helping him, not the other way around.
The two frequently bonded with each other, and with the passing of time, Crisanto began to accept who he was and what he had. Of course, there were ups and downs, but he always strived to move forward. Time finally moved forward.
He was graduating, both at university and at his own insecurities. However, nearing such a joyous moment, tragedy struck Crisanto when he learned that Narcisa passed away from her illness, as what most presumed. He grieved at first and felt failure, knowing that Narcisa had been absent for some time, he felt the guilt of not having been there for her. But time healed. And as it went on, he realized that her death was something he couldn’t change anymore, and bringing her back to life was something he could not do. And so, he had to accept it. And despite the sadness, Crisanto continued, though it pained him, to move on.
So in honor of Narcisa and of himself, he no longer hid his skin from view, for it was what he could do, and it made him realize how happy and free he really was. And though Narcisa never came up on stage, Crisanto always knew that she graduated long before anyone else did and finally, he had too.

The Host (Past)

It was an unforgettable night, the night that the Parasitic Entity, the Hive Mind consumed Crisanto. He was getting prepared to board a flight to Oasis when, out of nowhere, a stream of tiny specks broke through the airport and violently plunged itself deep into him. The specks flooded into his mouth, his pores, eyes, and shrouded him in darkness. After a moment of silence and tension amongst the people in the airport, Crisanto released a violent screech, but with a voice that seemed unlike his, a voice that sounded like a woman. Against Crisanto's will, the specks surrounding his left arm morphed into a whip-like appendage and struck at the ground, ricocheting debris onto the civilians . This led people to panic, causing all who saw to run away. As Crisanto continued his rampage within the airport, airport security entered the fray in an attempt to neutralize the threat.
As the violence continued to ensue, the black specks began to surround Crisanto, covering him in pure darkness and etching streaks on his arms and chest that glowed a faint red. Everyone in the airport came to a halt. Silence. Everyone’s eyes opened widely and reddened. Their bodies flailing around like madmen as they remained where they stood, with their mouth opened, as if screaming but with no sound, as if they saw fear itself, but fear and their screams were all in another dimension.
As the victims were beginning to collapse, the black specks that surrounded Crisanto started receding, he was finally gaining control of himself again. The people’s screams inside the airport began to grow louder, returning to the real world. The screams blasted. Crisanto broke free, and in those few moments of control, he flew out of sight. Miraculously, no one in the airport died, and those who were hurt had all of their injuries healed by means unknown.
That night was the night that Crisanto was called Maguayan, the goddess of sea and death. A black sea of specks flooding in like a sea of death, ready to inflict terror onto those it drowned. With every witness believing in it with vague memory and no evidence to be found, local authorities could not give credit to the event as the entire airport had not one dent in it by the time they arrived. Not one record of the event. As if a dream to every eye that beheld the sight, and to most who had not...to those who had not witnessed Maguayan in person, a dream was all it was. And Maguayan became but a legend.
A few days later, a search party was established in hopes to find the now missing Crisanto Dela Cruz.

The Eternal Struggle (Present)

Since that event, Crisanto did his best to isolate himself from others so that he may not harm them. And though he ended up hurting some unlucky wanderers who crossed his path, he did his best to mend them back together before running away. Every day of his life became a struggle, trying to maintain control, trying to be the kindness and willpower to the evil that began to make a host of his flesh and mind. The burden of it all was unimaginable.
And with such a heavy yoke affecting him, Crisanto began to forget. To forget why he chose to hide in isolation and now, only did so out of habit. He also started forgetting where he lived, who his parents were, and who he was. The burden of an endless strife began to hollow him out, slowly becoming a husk of what he once was, with the sea of death slowly taking over him. He was becoming the Maguayan. His memories and sanity slowly fading away.
Now people marvel and fear the terror of the Maguayan, with every tale and sighting of it looming around most people’s spines. To everyone else, it was now a mere symbol of terror, both to those in its wake and to itself. A creature struggling to accept what it was.

Narcisa Dalisay and the Hive Mind (Past)

Before Narcisa was happy, she was sad--insecure. The bullies, the names, the diagnoses, the constraints and limitations. And it was in these moments that she vowed to make a difference and fight back at her affliction. Being a genius at a young age, Narcisa was a natural inventor and biologist at the side. What she lacked in brawn she made up with brain and determination, so she set out to discover a cure to her malady.
After years of trying, sadly, Narcisa failed. In every corner, every nook, every calculation, she searched for a cure but couldn’t because she herself couldn’t even determine what her ailment was. No one did. A moment of darkness it was indeed for her, and indeed, she nearly gave up. But she didn’t, not in that sense. Knowing that there was nothing she could do to make herself better, she learned to accept. She may not be able to walk, but she could surely invent; she may not be able to be pretty, but she was funny; she may not be able to live for long, but she could always choose what to do in those moments. And it was at her lowest, she achieved her highest. She accepted.
She knew she could never help herself anymore, but she knew that she could help those who needed it. In doing so, she met many others who needed help and that was when she met Crisanto.
It was in their moments together that she realized she could do more with what she had. So, she vowed to engineer a technology that would help cure people before it was too late--before they would end up like her. She decided to enter the field of nanobiology and there she worked on her dream, the Nanite Companion, a self-sufficient nanotechnology more efficient and effective at biologically and genetically healing people of their ailments and wounds.
However, during her endeavors, Narcisa failed to take into account the dangers of working with unknown technology. She was a genius, true, but she was also new to nanobiology. Without realizing it, the contraption she was making began to evolve similarly to a device used in a classified enhancement program but even less safe and more volatile. The nanobots exhibited unusual speed, agility, and aggression, but Narcisa scoffed them off as mere glitches in her programming that she could eventually fix.
And with the passage of time, she finally fulfilled her dream--nearly. For in the brink of her success, Narcisa knew that she was dying. Each day, she felt like she was being stretched out even more, growing wispier and wispier until she would finally break. She knew that she wouldn’t live forever, but she knew that she wanted to finish what she had started in what precious moments she had left. But her ambition blinded her, making her work more and more hazardous by the moment. And with all the signs, she still failed to notice the danger because of her determination slowly consuming her.
And before she knew it, her technology turned against her, swarming into her body. Without much a struggle and because of her condition, she quickly died. The nanobots, detecting her biological demise, left the husk that was her body and truly, just her body. For in their leave, they had gained something that they had not before--consciousness, something they stole from Narcisa as they feasted on her. Now, they were one under her mind. But it was no mind alike to that of Narcisa, but one that was corrupted and filled with aggression and terror. And in their newfound consciousness, they had gained a purpose, and that purpose was to find Crisanto and be with him. And without delay, flew like a stream of tiny specks.
The next day, local authorities discovered the accident. The truth kept secret. They announced that, due to her unknown illness, Narcisa lay to rest. But unbeknownst to them, she was still very much alive.

The Requiem of the Hive Mind and the Host (Future)

Time had passed during Crisanto's isolation, and he was beginning to forget who he once was. Even Narcisa, the Hive Mind, was losing grasp of her sole directive. Two humans once filled with purpose, now, their minds slowly singing a dirge for all what they once were and what they stood for. Still continuing to wander aimlessly, tired of the conflict yet still fighting. It was not long before any memory, any thought, and any piece of what Crisanto and Narcisa once were finally faded. And at last, a requiem for the two had finally arrived and the birth of the one and only entity that would be known by the name Maguayan came to be. The battle had finally ended.
And with the elapse of even more time, the creature could no longer recall what was, could no longer understand its purpose, and could no longer think of what it could do now. The present was a blur, and the thought of remembering its past was the only thing this entity could think of doing. Though the memories were now gone and forever out of reach, Maguayan continued to despair in trying to find what it once was at what it once did. It was these questions that chained it to the ground.

Acceptance Once More (Future)

Time had passed, and Maguayan continued to chain itself with the same thoughts that had haunted it. Insecurity and a sense of purposelessness continued to permeate throughout its entire being. But the rut of aimless wandering and thinking suddenly came to a halt.
As the creature pondered, the ground shook violently, throwing its thoughts off course. It felt distant and indifferent to the occurrence at first, but its curiosity prevailed. And as Maguayan approached the source of the quake, it witnessed a battle between two parties. One party was losing desperately to the other, with the latter approaching the former, ready to deliver the final blow.
Maguayan, seeing the sight, suddenly felt an emotion it had never felt in a long time. Sympathy and the longing to help the suffering party. Without hesitation, Maguayan leapt forth into the middle of the battleground and smashed the metallic hunk aside. It then approached the dying duo and mended their wounds. And like a miracle, their wounds were gone and both were regaining consciousness.
Tracer and Winston had their wounds patched up, not a single bruise or damage to equipment at sight. But before they could take sight of the creature that helped them, it was gone. Their eyes now focused on the crushed hunk of metal in front of them. Both were in disbelief.
And finally, roaming in isolation once more, Maguayan felt lighter than it was before, as if it regained something it had once lost. But before it began to spend time trying to figure out what it had lost, it stopped...it realized that now, it could never remember what it was it lost, no matter how it tried. It could not remember what purpose it fulfilled, but what it did a while back felt fulfilling. It realized that it could no longer be what it once was in the past, but it could still be something else now and in the future. And at last, it finally realized that…
...there were many things that it could not be and many things that it could not do anymore and finally accepted them all. Because what it learned and what was important was focusing on what it was and what it could do. And such an idea made it realize how free and happy it truly was.

Thank you, u/Vulaan

Name: Maguayan
Real Name (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Real Name (Host): Crisanto Dela Cruz
Height (Host): 5'6'' (171cm)
Age (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Age (Host): 20
Nationality (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Nationality (Host): Filipino
Occupation (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Occupation (Host): Fresh Graduate
Base of Operations (Parasitic Entity): Unknown
Base of Operations (Host): None

Affiliation: None

Role: Support

Total Health: 150

• 100 Health
• 0 Shields
• 50 Armor

Movement Speed: 5.5 m/s
1st Spawn Quote:
Crisanto: Let me go!
Maguayan: And why would I do that?

Difficulty: ✮✮✮

Bio

Maguayan, a sea of death. The strange entity wanders aimlessly in seclusion, one without any sense of purpose. Very little is deeply known about Maguayan apart from an internal struggle more fierce than what appears on the surface. For deep inside, another voice calls, trying to break free, causing the mysterious creature to engage in a never ending civil war with itself, like a strange hybrid creature. One half dark, one half light; one half wishing to destroy, one half wishing to help.
But despite the eternal struggle, the Maguayan will win and will always win.
You control Maguayan, a mechanical swarm of nanobots with a single mind and a single directive: Vanquish everyone and keep your host at bay.

Appearance

A gaunt but handsome young man with below average height. He has vitiligo, a mixture between tan and ashen, and heterochromia, with one eye being blue and the other hazel. He wears sneakers, cargo pants, and a red sleeveless hoodie. However, this is Crisanto, and is merely a host. Controlling him is a parasitic entity, the hive mind, a swarm of nanobots that cloud Crisanto and cover his left arm with a morphable appendage that can transform into any shape and length and act as a weapon. Because of the hive mind, Crisanto has grown red intricate markings that adorn his right arm and body. Most noticeable is the suffering in Crisanto’s posture and movement.
As the hive mind, make sure that he does suffer and make sure that you stay in control.

Abilities

Passive: Swarm Shield

Nanobots shield Maguayan, blocking the first instance of damage taken. The shield then shatters, exposing Maguayan to other sources of damage before coming back online after a short amount of time.
Skill Information:

• Range: None
• Cooldown: 6 seconds, cooldown starts after Swarm Shield shatters.

Notes:

• If the source of damage comes with a crowd control effect (e.g. Junkrat's Steel Trap), then the damage is blocked but not the crowd control effect.
• Multiple rounds fired at once from a single shot are considered a single instance of damage (e.g. Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns). However, multiple rounds fired at an interval from a single shot are considered separate instances of damage (e.g. Lucio's Sonic Amplifier and Genji's Shurikens).
• Blocks all first instances of damage, even from ultimates.
• Is set off cooldown immediately after the end of Maguayan's Ultimate, Crisanto’s Requiem.

Tips:

• This ability is great at blocking burst damage but terrible against sustained damage, making Maguayan vulnerable to flankers such as Tracer, Genji, and Sombra.
• Maguayan has a bit of armor to offset its weakness to sustained damage by a small degree.

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Main Attack (LMB/Right Trigger): Sanity's Reach

An extendable appendage encroaching Maguayan's left arm that is used to strike enemies from a close to medium distance. Upon six attacks, the appendage shatters, but afterwards, the nanobots that comprise the weapon swarm in to reassemble it again.
Attack Information:

• Type: Melee
• Range: 10 meters
• Damage: 80 per strike, no critical damage
• Attack Rate: 1 attack per second
• Reload Speed: 2 seconds

Notes:

• The weapon is mainly used for self-defense and in rare occasions, flanking the enemy.
• Due to the short range of the weapon, Maguayan cannot effectively contribute reliable damage. Therefore, choosing Maguayan means a trade off for supports that can deal damage when opting not to heal.

Lines:

• Crisanto: I'm a monster.... Maguayan: Hahaha!
• Maguayan: Enjoying, Crisanto? (Either occasionally triggers when killing an enemy)

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Alt. Attack (RMB/Left Trigger): Nano Swarm

Maguayan releases a swarm of nanobots around it that heals both friend and foe upon activation.

• The first cast causes a small field to expand around Maguayan. Has a visual indicator that can only be seen by Maguayan and its allies.
• A second cast activates the ability, healing all within the radius, including Maguayan itself and its foes. The field retracts after failing to cast a second time within 3 seconds, but the ability will still be castable as it shrinks and will remain off cooldown afterwards.
• Removes all negative statuses of allies within the area upon the second cast/activation.

Skill Information:

• Type: Area of Effect
• Targets: Around Maguayan
• Cast Time: Instant
• Duration: Instant
• Initial Radius: 2 meters.
• Final Radius: 7 meters
• Healing: 120
• Cooldown: 7 seconds, begins upon the second cast

Notes:

• Works in conjunction with Bio Manipulation.
• It takes 1.5 seconds for the ability to reach its maximum radius upon the first cast.
• It takes 2 seconds for the ability to retract and disappear if not activated within 3 seconds.
• Damage, healing, and kills with this ability are credited to Maguayan and can charge its ultimate.

Tips:

• Make sure to reposition Maguayan properly upon the first cast in order to maximize the amount of allies within the field and minimize the number of foes that may take advantage of the field.
• Using the ability at its maximum radius is not always the best decision as it may leave more room for the enemy to heal in. Leaving the field to grow also consumes a fair amount of time which could have been used to heal you or your allies instantly.
• Use in conjunction with Bio Manipulation to damage flankers that get too close. This makes Maguayan strong against lone heroes that come up against it face-to-face. However, against multiple foes, not so much.
• This is the most reliable source of healing for you and your allies but also most risky as it could heal your enemies. Be careful when using this ability as it could potentially swing the tide of battle to your opponent's favor.
• Is an effective cleanse for your allies.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Nano Swarm deployed. (Loud enough for all nearby allies to hear)
• Maguayan: Stop doing that! (Occasionally, when Nano swarm is used to heal)
• Crisanto: I don't want to hurt anyone! Maguayan: You just did. (Occasionally, when Nano Swarm inflicts damage)

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1st Ability (LShift/Left Bumper): Bio Manipulation

Maguayan sends forth a swarm of nanobots that manipulate the biological construct of its target for a brief period causing an ally to be healed upon taking damage or a foe to take damage upon being healed.
Skill Information:

• Type: Single Target
• Targets: Allies and Foes
• Cast Time: Instant
• Projectile Speed: 120 meters per second
• Duration: 3 seconds
• Maximum Cast Range: 40 meters
• Healing: Depends on the damage being taken by allies
• Damage: Depends on the healing being taken by enemies
• Cooldown: 8 seconds, begins upon cast

Notes:

• Causes all damage inflicted to allies to heal them instead. This includes damage from ultimates.
• If the damaged being inflicted by an enemy comes with a crowd control effect, an ally buffed with Bio Manipulation will still get healed from the attack but the crowd control effect will still go through.
• Causes all heals applied to enemies to damage them instead. This includes healing from health packs and ultimates.
• Works on Biotic Field when cast on an enemy Soldier 76.
• Stacks with the healing and damage received from Disruption.
• Damage stacks with multiple sources of healing stacked on enemies and healing stacks with multiple sources of damage stacked on allies. (e.g. if an enemy Zenyatta and Ana were healing the same hero for 105 health, the hero would take 105 damage instead with Bio Manipulation).
• A visual indicator will show that a target is affected by this ability.
• Damage, healing, and kills with this ability are credited to Maguayan and can charge its ultimate.

Tips:

• Using the ability in conjunction with Disruption will allow you to deal a huge burst of damage to an unlucky foe or a huge burst of healing to an ally, provided that you could pull the maneuver off.
• This method of dealing damage and healing is very unreliable as it does nothing if cast on an enemy that is not being healed or an ally that is not being damaged. However, it is effective at preventing enemy healers from healing or enemy heroes from dealing damage.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Cells successfully modified. (Occasionally, when used on enemies)
  
• Maguayan: What? What happened? (Occasionally, when used on allies)
  

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2nd Ability (Right BumpeE): Disruption

Maguayan summons a swarm of nanobots to disrupt a target’s equipment causing the target’s weapons to heal instead of damage and healing abilities to deal damage instead of heal.

• When targeting friendlies, grants them the ability to target allies and heal them with their normal attacks and their basic damaging abilities. However, they may also heal enemies if targeted.
• When targeting foes, causes their attacks and basic damaging abilities to heal Maguayan and its allies. Also causes enemy healing abilities to damage allies instead, excluding passive healing (e.g. Mercy's Angelic Descent).
• Causes health packs to deal damage equivalent to what they heal for. Allies still heal from the disrupted health packs, unlike enemies.

Skill Information:

• Type: Single Target
• Targets: Allies, Foes, and Health Packs
• Cast Time: Instant
• Projectile Speed: 120 meters per second
• Duration: 3 seconds
• Maximum Cast Range: 40 meters
• Healing (When targeting allies): Depends on damage output.
• Healing (When targeting enemies): Depends on damage output.
• Damage (When targeting enemies and health packs): Depends on healing output.
• Cooldown: 8 seconds, begins upon cast

Notes:

• Does not cause damage from friendly ultimates to heal allies (e.g. Cannot be used on an allied D.Va Self-Destruct to heal you or your allies).
• Does not work on enemy ultimates (e.g. Cannot be used on an enemy Zenyatta when casting Transcendence to damage his allies).
• If the damaged being inflicted by an enemy affected by Disruption comes with a crowd control effect, the damage is still converted to a heal but the crowd control effect will still persist.
• Stacks with the healing and damage received from Bio Manipulation.
• A visual indicator will show that the target is affected by this ability.
• Damage, healing, and kills with this ability are credited to Maguayan and can charge its ultimate.

Tips:

• Using the ability in conjunction with Bio Manipulation will allow you to deal a huge burst of damage to an unlucky foe or a huge burst of healing to an ally, provided that you could pull the maneuver off.
• This method of healing is very unreliable as it does nothing if cast on an enemy that is not attacking or healing. It also requires that any ally targeted with this ability only attack friendlies, lest they end up healing their enemies instead while under the effects of the ability.
• When you see an enemy approaching a health pack, cast Bio Manipulation on the enemy and Disruption on the health pack to damage them for twice than what the health pack would have healed them for. This will, however, come at the cost of your healing abilities, which have fairly long cooldowns and can be easily outmaneuvered by the enemy when they see it coming.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Equipment reversed engineered. (Occasionally, when used on an enemy or health pack)
  
• Crisanto: Ito! Have this! (Occasionally, when used on an ally)
  

Ultimate Ability (Q): Crisanto’s Requiem

Maguayan successfully takes full control of its host, Crisanto, gaining full power and allowing it to influence the sanity of all enemies around it. Enemies caught within the area have their minds taken over by Maguayan, transporting their them into a corrupted realm of their consciousness.

• Upon activation, all enemies are debuffed with Insanity.
• Debuffed enemies are unable to move from where they stand but still capable of turning, repositioning their crosshairs, and firing with their basic attacks. They are unable to use any of their abilities and have their vision engulfed in darkness. They can only see themselves and their attacks, everything else is pitch black.
• Maguayan turns black with a faint reddish glow at its core, which enemies can see.
• Creates a dark dome in the area. The dome disregards the environment it was formed on, and has a shifting environment of its own. Maguayen may only move around in the dome. It also has its HP reduced to 50 armor, cannot stand still, and cannot use abilities in it but moves at double the speed and can tread on every surface.
• Maguayan’s main objective within the realm is to not die from enemy fire, running around the map and using the shifting environment as cover.
• Within the dome, the enemy may opt to find and kill Maguayan. However, attempting to do so will come at the risk of them turning and repositioning their crosshairs in order to hunt Maguayan down. Any changes to the direction they are facing in the realm will carry over outside the dome once the ability ends, disorienting them as they exit their corrupted thoughts and leaving them vulnerable to attacks from Maguayan’s team.
• Enemies may also opt to ignore Maguayan, if they choose to do so.
• If enemies successfully kill Maguayan, the effect ends prematurely. If they fail to kill Maguayan or opt to ignore it, the ability will last up until its full duration, and all enemies inside will be affected by Disruption once the ability ends.
• During the duration of the ability in the real world, enemies are invulnerable and cannot be damaged or crowd controlled by Maguayan’s team. Allies and unaffected enemies cannot see the dome and Maguayan.

Skill Information:

• Type: Area of Effect
• Targets: Foes around Maguayan
• Cast Time: 0.80 seconds
• Duration: 5 seconds
• Area of Effect: 20 meter radius
• After Effect: All enemies are affected by Disruption, if they fail to kill Maguayan.
• Charge Required: 1825

Notes:

• Swarm Shield will automatically be off cooldown at the end of the ability, even if ended prematurely.
• A new map is not loaded when the ability is activated. Rather, a dome is created that only affects Maguayan and debuffed enemies.
• The dome has a 35 meter radius.

Tips:

• You don't always have to use Crisanto's Requiem on the entire enemy team. Sometimes, you can also use it to split the team in half, making it easier for our allies to take down enemies not caught by your ultimate.
• This ability is great at throwing off your enemies and will allow your team to set up properly around the affected targets, giving you a huge advantage in battle once the ability ends.
• Using this ultimate is risky as it would require to you to be in a vulnerable position in order to cast and leave you at a vulnerable position when the ability ends.
• Approach enemies with caution as you do not have any movement abilities to get close to them safely.
• If you end up pulling off the full duration of the ability, all enemies caught within the ultimate would be affected by Disruption afterwards, giving you some room to escape.
• Do your best to survive in the realm as dying, which will result in the ability prematurely ending, will allow the enemy team to catch your team off guard as they instantly return to consciousness.

Lines:

• Maguayan: Free, at last! (Heard by allies upon activation)
• Maguayan: Sumainyo ang kadiliman. May the darkness be with you (Heard by enemies upon activation)
• Crisanto: You can’t control me! Maguayan: Nooooo! (Heard by allies upon end of full duration)
• Crisanto: Huwag mo silang idamay! Leave them be! Mguayan: Aggh! (Heard by enemies upon end of full duration)

PROS:

• A very powerful healer and disruptor when abilities are used and timed properly.
• Can do massive amounts of damage or heal to a single target instantly.
• Forces enemy healers to stop healing or any enemy from using healing abilities in general.
• Can make every team member a healer for a short amount of time.
• Ultimate is a powerful setup tool for your allies.
• A Zarya with better utility with Disruption and Bio Manipulation.

Strong against:

• All healers and heals: Can use their heals as a way to damage their allies.
• Ana: Can cleanse her Biotic Grenade and Sleep Dart with Nano Swarm and prevent her from healing and attacking by casting Disruption on her. Can make her Biotic Grenade deal damage to her allies and heal your team.
• Mercy: Prevents her from healing with her Caduceus Staff through Bio Manipulation and Disruption.
• Lúcio: Can use Disruption to let him deal AOE damage to his allies. Can activate Crisanto’s Requiem to cancel his Sound Barrier.
• Zenyatta: Can cleanse his orb of discord with Nano Swarm and use Bio Manipulation and Disruption to deal damage to targets that have Orb of Harmony equipped.
• Symmetra: Can use her high damage and turrets against her by converting it to healing through Bio Manipulation and Disruption.
• Junkrat: Can block his burst damage with Swarm Shield and negate other sources of damage with Bio Manipulation and Disruption.
• Roadhog: Can block his burst damage with Swarm Shield and negate his damage with Bio Manipulation and Disruption. Can use Bio Manipulation to deal damage to him when using Take a Breather.
• Mei: Can cleanse off her Endothermic Blaster with Swarm Field and use Bio Manipulation to deal damage to her when using Cryo-Freeze. Can use Disruption to make her Endothermic Blaster an effective healing stream.
• Torbjorn: Allows allies to survive tanking and distracting his turret through Bio Manipulation.

CONS:

• Fragile and easy to flank.
• Has no escape or movement abilities.
• Heals are either unreliable or very risky to use.
• Relies heavily on decision making, team coordination, and quick reflexes to use abilities and execute combos.
• Has to decide whether to use Disruption and Bio Manipulation on enemies or allies. Choosing to use these abilities on your enemies or health packs comes at the cost of ⅔ of its healing potential.
• Misuse of Nano Swarm and Disruption may work against your own team and in favor of the enemy team.
• Is not very useful when its abilities are down, more so than most heroes as you are vulnerable and can't do reliable damage outside of them.
• Slow ultimate charge rate made even slower with inconsistent healing and damage output.

Weak Against:

• Multiple Flankers: Nano Swarm can only deal damage to as single enemy with Bio Manipulation, the rest are healed.
• Outplays: All of Maguayan’s abilities can be outplayed by a skillful player, including its ultimate.
• Genji and Tracer: Can break through your Swarm Shield, burst you down, and chase you easily.
• Sombra: Can hack you, break through your Swarm Shield, burst you down, and chase you easily. You rely heavily on your abilities to defend against flankers, making Sombra a very dangerous flanker.
• Winston and D.Va: Can break through your Swarm Shield, survive your burst, and chase you easily.

Skill Combos and Tips

Defending Against an Attacker:

• When an enemy is flanking you, cast Nano Swarm, target your enemy with Bio Manipulation, activate Nano Swarm, and then attack your enemy. This combo will deal 200 damage in total. Cast Disruption if the enemy is still alive so he or she can heal you or stop attacking you.
• Choosing whether to cast Nano Swarm or Bio Manipulation depends on how close the flanker is to you. If the flanker is at a distance, cast Cast Nano Swarm but only activate it after you use Bio Manipulation first to allow the Nano Swarm field to expand to his or her position. If the flanker is close, immediately cast Bio Manipulation then double cast Nano Swarm to deal the burst damage even faster, giving little room for your attacker to burst you down.

Defending Against Two Attackers:

• When two enemies are flanking you, do the Nano Swarm-Bio Manipulation Combo on the more fragile pursuer, making sure that Nano Swarm doesn’t heal the second attacker, then cast cast Disruption on the tankier pursuer. You may also throw in attacks in between.

Health Pack Trick:

• When an enemy is approaching a health pack, use Bio Manipulation on the enemy then Disruption on the health pack to deal damage double that of what the health pack would have healed for.
• This is recommended if the target is a tank or if the health pack is small.
• When a fragile enemy approaches a health pack or if any enemy approaches a large health pack, you don't always have to use both spells, just use either one as fragile heroes would be weak enough to be taken down by the damage of what a health pack heals for, while large health packs will deal high enough damage to kill most heroes. Besides, heroes that do approach health packs normally have low health anyway. This will allow you to save the unused ability for other purposes.

Burst Damage with Enemy Healers:

• Whenever an enemy is receiving heals, cast Bio Manipulation on the enemy and Disruption on the ally providing the healing to deal damage double that of what the ability would have healed for.
• This ability combo can burst 150 damage to enemies being healed by a single shot from Ana.

AOE Damage through Lúcio:

• Casting Disruption on an enemy Lúcio work wonders in dealing AOE damage to your enemies.

Burst Healing from DPS Allies:

• Casting Disruption on an allied DPS's is great at making them burst healers.

Supporting in Duels:

• During duels, activate Disruption on the enemy then, once Disruption ends, cast Bio Manipulation on your ally to give him or her a six second window of protection. A sort of a pseudo barrier for up to 6 seconds.
• Though risky, in a duel, you may also do a bluff by casting Disruption on your ally so as to encourage the enemy to receive damage, then cast Bio Manipulation on the him or her as the projectile is about to hit.
• You can also reliably heal an ally in a duel with Nano Swarm by targeting the enemy with Bio Manipulation first.

Damage Absorption:

• Treat Bio Manipulation like you would Projected Barrier to help block incoming damage at the last second. Maguayan also works great with an allied Zarya.
• Unlike Projected Barrier, Bio Manipulation can absorb an infinite amount of damage and heal the targeted ally.

Niche

• Healer, Anti-Healer, Nuker, Disruptor, and Damage Absorber. Maguayan is great at disrupting in battles by forcing enemies to stop attacking, healers to stop healing, and with his ult, to stop everything, in general, or split the enemy team in half. Healing itself is only secondary, a side-effect of Crisanto's kindness and urge to help others.
  
• Maguayan serves as a nice counter to the dominant healing meta.
  
• Maguayan may substitute or complement Zarya in the battlefield due to Disruption and Bio Manipulation acting as pseudo projected barriers. Unlike Zarya, Maguayan trades off damage, tankiness, and reliability for better utility and its ability to counter healers.
  

Voice Lines

• Crisanto: Who am I again?
• Maguayan: All shall fall before me, for I am….I am. Who was I again?
• Crisanto: Cris...Crisanto, name ko, tama ba? Cris...Crisanto, my name, right?

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• Crisanto: Tulungan n’yo ‘ko…. Help me.... (While waiting in spawn)
• Crisanto: Let’s end this (While waiting in spawn)
• Crisanto: This is my body, not yours. Maguayan: Cool Story (When respawning)
• Crisanto: Pati sa kamatayan, hindi ka nawawala Even in death, you do not leave (When respawning)
• Maguayan: You call? (Upon being character swapped and spawning in)
• Maguayan: Free me from this mind. (Upon being character swapped and spawning in)

Story

Crisanto’s Acceptance (Past)

Crisanto had always struggled with the way he looked, not wanting to hear the notion of people commenting on how he had vitiligo. Though most comments were meant with no harm, Crisanto never felt any comfort with regards to the topic. Throughout his young life, he opted to wear clothes that hid his skin and would wear makeup to even out his color. He developed a deep insecurity with himself. Not only did he see himself as ugly but he never excelled in school, didn’t have any special skills, wasn’t popular--he was dull. Nothing stood out and that made his skin stand out even more.
However, despite his insecurities, Crisanto never used it as a reason to stray away from a good life and did his best in every endeavor. He also became more sympathetic throughout the years, more helpful, not wanting anyone to feel what he felt. He helped uplift the souls of those around him, particularly those that struggled as well. He helped everyone he could, but he could not help himself. Loyalty, kindness, service, and humility, yet he was broken.
That all changed when he met Narcisa. She was intelligent and had a great sense of humor, but she was also very ill, thin, had a blind eye, and could not walk. Being in his nature, Crisanto did not hesitate to approach Narcisa and attempt to help her. And to his surprise, he realized how happy she already was.
“Maraming bagay na hindi ko kayang maging at ‘di ko kayang magawa, at tanggap ko ‘yun lahat. Pero, nakatutok ako sa mga bagay na kaya kong maging at kaya kong gawin, at doon ko nalalaman na masaya at malaya pala ako.”
“There are many things I am not and many things that I can’t do, and I accept them all. So, I focus on what I am and what I can do, then I realize how free and happy I truly am.”
These were the words she would always say to those she would meet and words that Crisanto would always remember. It was in these moments with her that he realized she was helping him, not the other way around.
The two frequently bonded with each other, and with the passing of time, Crisanto began to accept who he was and what he had. Of course, there were ups and downs, but he always strived to move forward. Time finally moved forward.
He was graduating, both at university and at his own insecurities. However, nearing such a joyous moment, tragedy struck Crisanto when he learned that Narcisa passed away from her illness, as what most presumed. He grieved at first and felt failure, knowing that Narcisa had been absent for some time, he felt the guilt of not having been there for her. But time healed. And as it went on, he realized that her death was something he couldn’t change anymore, and bringing her back to life was something he could not do. And so, he had to accept it. And despite the sadness, Crisanto continued, though it pained him, to move on.
So in honor of Narcisa and of himself, he no longer hid his skin from view, for it was what he could do, and it made him realize how happy and free he really was. And though Narcisa never came up on stage, Crisanto always knew that she graduated long before anyone else did and finally, he had too.

The Host (Past)

It was an unforgettable night, the night that the Parasitic Entity, the Hive Mind consumed Crisanto. He was getting prepared to board a flight to Oasis when, out of nowhere, a stream of tiny specks broke through the airport and violently plunged itself deep into him. The specks flooded into his mouth, his pores, eyes, and shrouded him in darkness. After a moment of silence and tension amongst the people in the airport, Crisanto released a violent screech, but with a voice that seemed unlike his, a voice that sounded like a woman. Against Crisanto's will, the specks surrounding his left arm morphed into a whip-like appendage and struck at the ground, ricocheting debris onto the civilians . This led people to panic, causing all who saw to run away. As Crisanto continued his rampage within the airport, airport security entered the fray in an attempt to neutralize the threat.
As the violence continued to ensue, the black specks began to surround Crisanto, covering him in pure darkness and etching streaks on his arms and chest that glowed a faint red. Everyone in the airport came to a halt. Silence. Everyone’s eyes opened widely and reddened. Their bodies flailing around like madmen as they remained where they stood, with their mouth opened, as if screaming but with no sound, as if they saw fear itself, but fear and their screams were all in another dimension.
As the victims were beginning to collapse, the black specks that surrounded Crisanto started receding, he was finally gaining control of himself again. The people’s screams inside the airport began to grow louder, returning to the real world. The screams blasted. Crisanto broke free, and in those few moments of control, he flew out of sight. Miraculously, no one in the airport died, and those who were hurt had all of their injuries healed by means unknown.
That night was the night that Crisanto was called Maguayan, the goddess of sea and death. A black sea of specks flooding in like a sea of death, ready to inflict terror onto those it drowned. With every witness believing in it with vague memory and no evidence to be found, local authorities could not give credit to the event as the entire airport had not one dent in it by the time they arrived. Not one record of the event. As if a dream to every eye that beheld the sight, and to most who had not...to those who had not witnessed Maguayan in person, a dream was all it was. And Maguayan became but a legend.
A few days later, a search party was established in hopes to find the now missing Crisanto Dela Cruz.

The Eternal Struggle (Present)

Since that event, Crisanto did his best to isolate himself from others so that he may not harm them. And though he ended up hurting some unlucky wanderers who crossed his path, he did his best to mend them back together before running away. Every day of his life became a struggle, trying to maintain control, trying to be the kindness and willpower to the evil that began to make a host of his flesh and mind. The burden of it all was unimaginable.
And with such a heavy yoke affecting him, Crisanto began to forget. To forget why he chose to hide in isolation and now, only did so out of habit. He also started forgetting where he lived, who his parents were, and who he was. The burden of an endless strife began to hollow him out, slowly becoming a husk of what he once was, with the sea of death slowly taking over him. He was becoming the Maguayan. His memories and sanity slowly fading away.
Now people marvel and fear the terror of the Maguayan, with every tale and sighting of it looming around most people’s spines. To everyone else, it was now a mere symbol of terror, both to those in its wake and to itself. A creature struggling to accept what it was.

Narcisa Dalisay and the Hive Mind (Past)

Before Narcisa was happy, she was sad--insecure. The bullies, the names, the diagnoses, the constraints and limitations. And it was in these moments that she vowed to make a difference and fight back at her affliction. Being a genius at a young age, Narcisa was a natural inventor and biologist at the side. What she lacked in brawn she made up with brain and determination, so she set out to discover a cure to her malady.
After years of trying, sadly, Narcisa failed. In every corner, every nook, every calculation, she searched for a cure but couldn’t because she herself couldn’t even determine what her ailment was. No one did. A moment of darkness it was indeed for her, and indeed, she nearly gave up. But she didn’t, not in that sense. Knowing that there was nothing she could do to make herself better, she learned to accept. She may not be able to walk, but she could surely invent; she may not be able to be pretty, but she was funny; she may not be able to live for long, but she could always choose what to do in those moments. And it was at her lowest, she achieved her highest. She accepted.
She knew she could never help herself anymore, but she knew that she could help those who needed it. In doing so, she met many others who needed help and that was when she met Crisanto.
It was in their moments together that she realized she could do more with what she had. So, she vowed to engineer a technology that would help cure people before it was too late--before they would end up like her. She decided to enter the field of nanobiology and there she worked on her dream, the Nanite Companion, a self-sufficient nanotechnology more efficient and effective at biologically and genetically healing people of their ailments and wounds.
However, during her endeavors, Narcisa failed to take into account the dangers of working with unknown technology. She was a genius, true, but she was also new to nanobiology. Without realizing it, the contraption she was making began to evolve similarly to a device used in a classified enhancement program but even less safe and more volatile. The nanobots exhibited unusual speed, agility, and aggression, but Narcisa scoffed them off as mere glitches in her programming that she could eventually fix.
And with the passage of time, she finally fulfilled her dream--nearly. For in the brink of her success, Narcisa knew that she was dying. Each day, she felt like she was being stretched out even more, growing wispier and wispier until she would finally break. She knew that she wouldn’t live forever, but she knew that she wanted to finish what she had started in what precious moments she had left. But her ambition blinded her, making her work more and more hazardous by the moment. And with all the signs, she still failed to notice the danger because of her determination slowly consuming her.
And before she knew it, her technology turned against her, swarming into her body. Without much a struggle and because of her condition, she quickly died. The nanobots, detecting her biological demise, left the husk that was her body and truly, just her body. For in their leave, they had gained something that they had not before--consciousness, something they stole from Narcisa as they feasted on her. Now, they were one under her mind. But it was no mind alike to that of Narcisa, but one that was corrupted and filled with aggression and terror. And in their newfound consciousness, they had gained a purpose, and that purpose was to find Crisanto and be with him. And without delay, flew like a stream of tiny specks.
The next day, local authorities discovered the accident. The truth kept secret. They announced that, due to her unknown illness, Narcisa lay to rest. But unbeknownst to them, she was still very much alive.

The Requiem of the Hive Mind and the Host (Future)

Time had passed during Crisanto's isolation, and he was beginning to forget who he once was. Even Narcisa, the Hive Mind, was losing grasp of her sole directive. Two humans once filled with purpose, now, their minds slowly singing a dirge for all what they once were and what they stood for. Still continuing to wander aimlessly, tired of the conflict yet still fighting. It was not long before any memory, any thought, and any piece of what Crisanto and Narcisa once were finally faded. And at last, a requiem for the two had finally arrived and the birth of the one and only entity that would be known by the name Maguayan came to be. The battle had finally ended.
And with the elapse of even more time, the creature could no longer recall what was, could no longer understand its purpose, and could no longer think of what it could do now. The present was a blur, and the thought of remembering its past was the only thing this entity could think of doing. Though the memories were now gone and forever out of reach, Maguayan continued to despair in trying to find what it once was at what it once did. It was these questions that chained it to the ground.

Acceptance Once More (Future)

Time had passed, and Maguayan continued to chain itself with the same thoughts that had haunted it. Insecurity and a sense of purposelessness continued to permeate throughout its entire being. But the rut of aimless wandering and thinking suddenly came to a halt.
As the creature pondered, the ground shook violently, throwing its thoughts off course. It felt distant and indifferent to the occurrence at first, but its curiosity prevailed. And as Maguayan approached the source of the quake, it witnessed a battle between two parties. One party was losing desperately to the other, with the latter approaching the former, ready to deliver the final blow.
Maguayan, seeing the sight, suddenly felt an emotion it had never felt in a long time. Sympathy and the longing to help the suffering party. Without hesitation, Maguayan leapt forth into the middle of the battleground and smashed the metallic hunk aside. It then approached the dying duo and mended their wounds. And like a miracle, their wounds were gone and both were regaining consciousness.
Tracer and Winston had their wounds patched up, not a single bruise or damage to equipment at sight. But before they could take sight of the creature that helped them, it was gone. Their eyes now focused on the crushed hunk of metal in front of them. Both were in disbelief.
And finally, roaming in isolation once more, Maguayan felt lighter than it was before, as if it regained something it had once lost. But before it began to spend time trying to figure out what it had lost, it stopped...it realized that now, it could never remember what it was it lost, no matter how it tried. It could not remember what purpose it fulfilled, but what it did a while back felt fulfilling. It realized that it could no longer be what it once was in the past, but it could still be something else now and in the future. And at last, it finally realized that…
...there were many things that it could not be and many things that it could not do anymore and finally accepted them all. Because what it learned and what was important was focusing on what it was and what it could do. And such an idea made it realize how free and happy it truly was.

Thank you, u/Vulaan