"Servant Saber at your service. Were you expecting a spritely young lad? Sorry to disappoint, but this old man will serve as your blade to the best of his ability, ."
Servant Saber:
Appearance:
True Name: Iolaus 'Companion To The Great Hero'
Alignment: Neutral Good
Alternate Class: Rider
Strength- D
Agility- C
Endurance- D
Mana- D
Luck- C
NP- A
Equipment: A simple bronze longsword, seeming to glow with a faint golden light in tandem with his second Noble Phantasm.
Personality: Summoned in this Class, it seems the traits of "" have been emphasized. A calm and diligent older man, content with the achievements of his legend. Saber is highly loyal and would sooner die a thousand deaths than break an oath or betray a comrade. However, his devotion is not earned cheaply. To Saber, only those deemed true heroes are worthy of his servitude. He defines "true heroes" not by the strength of their body, but the resolution in their heart and soul. The strength to fight for one's comrades and protect the weak- that embodies heroism in Saber's eyes.
To one who possesses such a spirit Saber is unfalteringly loyal, but he will show not an iota of respect to any Master bereft of the heroic virtues. Indeed, if he somehow ends up summoned by such an unscrupulous character, he'll likely kill them as soon as their true nature is revealed and accept fading from existence in the aftermath.
Being satisfied with his achievements and having stayed true to his oath in life, Saber has no particular wish to be granted by the Holy Grail. Thusly, he will only accept summoning- not for any desire lurking in his own heart- but to heed the call of a Master worthy of his heroic sensibilities.
Relationships/Reactions
Heracles: "Ah, my old friend! Such a great joy to see you again... Unfortunately, as you can see, I am but a frail old man, so we cannot indulge in the same pleasures as we did in youth. Hmm... what are you looking at me for, Master? Of course I only mean sparring and the like... Young'uns these days have such wild imaginations."
Chiron: "My uncle's teacher, if I recall correctly? Mind sharing with me a few tips of the trade? After all, teaching is about all this old man is good for right now..."
Gilgamesh: "The proof of true heroism is not strength, but using it to protect others. Remember that, 'King of Heroes'..."
Astolfo: "Such boyish enthusiasism... you remind me a little of myself when I was but a lad."
Likes: serving worthy heroes, Heracles
Dislikes: oath-breakers, any who'd besmirch the name of his friend
Talent: faithful service
Natural Enemy: King Eurystheus
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance- C
Power to neutralize the effects of Magecraft aimed against oneself. At this rank, cancels spells with a chant below two verses. Proves difficult in coping with the likes of High Thaumaturgy or Greater Rituals.
Though a great hero in his own right, Saber was largely overshadowed by his divine companion and possessed few legends of his own. As such, despite boasting great experience in combating the supernatural alongside his sworn friend, Saber possesses only a mediocre defense against sorcery.
Rises to B-rank upon invocation of his Noble Phantasm- Evlogia Tis Hebe.
Riding- A
Ability to ride animals. At this rank, all mounts but Phantasmal and Divine Beasts can be ridden at a high degree of skill. As charioteer to the greatest hero in Greece, Saber naturally possesses an excellent affinity with mounts. One legend even has him participate in the Olympic Games and win with the horses of his beloved master...
Though Saber's physique has deteriorated with age, it seems his riding prowess still shines as brightly as in his heroic youth.
Personal Skills:
Hero's Attendant- A
A Skill afforded to those whose most valiant feats were performed in service to an even greater hero. Rather then fighting alone on the front-lines, Saber's martial prowess shines brightest when he is allowed to take a supportive role in combat. Battling alongside a hero he recognizes as even greater than himself, Saber obtains a rank-up to his parameters and a bonus to all saving throws.
Saber was the stalwart charioteer and companion to the great hero Heracles, accompanying his friend in travels far and wide and taking on countless adventures in his name. That loyalty and devotion which surpasses even death has crystallized into this Skill- embodying the vow he made to serve the lineage of his friend for all eternity.
Eye Of The Mind (True)- B+
A heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience. An ability possessed mainly by mortals and not the gods, honed through tenacious training. So long as there is even a 1% chance of victory, this Skill greatly improves the chances of winning. Lacking the mind boggling physical strength and god-forged skill of his companion, Saber relied on technique and cunning to prevail against his many foes.
Saber is capable of devising brilliant strategems on the fly to exploit the weak-points of even seemingly invulnerable opponents. However, while he is superb at brainstorming tactics, enacting them on the battlefield is another matter entirely- often demanding raw strength and reflexes far beyond what his body can muster. For that reason, Saber performs best when lending support to a more physically powerful hero, improvising strategies and calling them out for his partner to execute.
Incidentally, it was Saber and not his more famous companion who came up with the tactic of scorching the neck-stumps of the Lernean Hydra to impede its regeneration.
Divinity- E-
A Skill measuring one's aptitude as a Divine Spirit. Saber has no true godly blood, having descended from the mortal half of Heracles' family tree. Nonetheless, being venerated as a divine hero alongside his more famous uncle has granted him a residual "smear" of divinity- equating to the lowest level of godly ties.
Weak Constitution- C
A weakness struck from frail health. Incurs a risk of sudden status drop while performing any action. This risk is normally small, but when invoked in combat it is immense.
Summoned as a frail older man rather than the great hero he was in days past, Saber's strength is a pale shadow of his once youthful vigor. Be that as it may, the techniques forged and refined over an entire life of adventuring insure Saber is not a warrior to be taken lightly even despite his ailing body.
When his Noble Phantasm- Evlogia Tis Hebe is invoked, this Skill is immediately sealed and overwritten by Battle Continuation of the same rank.
Noble Phantasms:
Nine Lives Pyros- Scorching Hundred Heads (C-, Anti-Unit): A Noble Phantasm crystallizing Saber's aid in slaying the immortal Lernean Hydra alongside Heracles. The Hydra was a ferocious water-serpent said to have a hundred heads of which, whenever one was cut off, two new heads would sprout up in its place like vile flowers. Because of this peerless rejuvenation, the Hydra was rumored to be impossible to kill, with not even Greece's best and bravest warriors daring to challenge it.
Other then Saber and Heracles, of course. Watching his uncle wrestle fruitlessly in the coils of the seemingly invincible monster, Saber developed a brilliant idea on how to both circumvent its regeneration and defeat the foul beast for good. Every time Heracles cut off one of the Hydra's heads, Saber would rush closely behind and sweep his torch over the freshly severed neck, cauterizing the stump with flame and leaving it powerless to regrow. Over time through this means the Hydra was eventually left nearly powerless, upon which Heracles dispatched with the final and immortal head by burying it under a rock.
While it was Heracles who ultimately vanquished the Hydra, true credit goes to Saber for originating the technique that made its defeat possible. A technique borne out of the concept of "nine consecutive blows"- much like that which his divine uncle would possess. However, differing from Heracles' version which exemplifies the brute strength and speed needed to mow down the Hydra, Saber's Noble Phantasm embodies the cleansing fire that made its defeat possible to begin with.
Invoking this Noble Phantasm, Saber performs a blisteringly fast series of nine consecutive and overlapping slashes with his trusty sword. A seething arc of flames ignites along the path of each slash, slightly delayed behind his initial strike, adding bonus damage and a fire element to every swing. As well as simply burning his foes, this fire is also imbued with a limited form of the Refraction Of Longevity- dealing lasting wounds to erstwhile immortals and inhibiting regeneration whether mundane or magical. As it recreates the technique which slew a legendary Phantasmal Beast, this Noble Phantasm deals greater damage against those of a [monster] alignment.
Since Saber's reflexes have somewhat dulled in his old age, this Noble Phantasm loses some of the power and speed it would possess in the hands of his younger self. Should his youth be somehow restored, then the true terrifying power of the technique which slew the Hydra will show itself...
Evlogia Tis Hebe- Loyalty That Spans The Ravages Of Time (A, Support): After Heracles' death the tyrant king Eurystheus, fearful that the great hero's children might someday rise up and overthrow him, set out to drive them out of his kingdom and preferably out of existence altogether. Amassing a large military force, he sent notices all throughout Greece, warning that any rulers who dared offer hospitality and shelter to Heracles' descendants would face the wrath of his own army.
Saber heard this terrible news and recalled the promise he'd sworn to his dearest friend and uncle- to serve Heracles' lineage until his dying breath. Even so, he was now only a feeble old man, lacking the vigor of his youth and powerless to protect his younger cousins from Eurystheus' tyranny. In the face of that despair that any lesser souls would've crumbled in the face of, Saber persevered. Taking up the old armor and sword that had served him over a lifetime of adventures, Saber prayed to any gods who would listen to grant him strength for just one day- so he could fight like he had when he was Heracles' companion.
Hebe- Heracles' divine wife and the goddess presiding over youth and vitality- heard Saber's heartfelt plea and granted his wish. She restored the hero's faded strength and youth so he could fight in one last glorious battle. The reinvigorated hero plunged into the fray, driving back Eurystheus' forces and turning the tide of battle instantly. With all four of his sons slain, the king retreated to the Sceironian Rocks. There, he fell by the blade of Saber himself- ending his tyranny once and for all.
This Noble Phantasm encompasses that anecdote of Saber's legend- being the reason why he appears as an old man when summoned. Upon invocation Saber casts off his old age like a cloak, becoming once more the fresh-faced and vigorous hero of his boyhood. As a result of this transformation, Saber obtains two full ranks up to all parameters. Magic Resistance is also ranked up by one, while his Weak Constitution Skill is exchanged with Battle Continuation at the same rank. Furthermore, Saber's sword begins to thrum with a soft golden light- cleaving inexorably through all defenses of rank C or lower.
Combining the indelible energy of his younger self and the battle-tactics refined over his old age, Saber gains combat-specs to rival even the highest tier of Heroic Spirits. Saber's mind is also influenced by this transformation- exchanging his usual composure for a far more brash and hot-blooded temperament befitting of callow youth. Because of this, while Saber still possesses the experience amassed from his later life, he has trouble focusing enough to make proper use of it.
An ephemeral blessing of youth lasting only for a single day. Upon daybreak (in actuality the passing of a 24-hour cycle), Saber's newfound strength leaves him as his body reverts to its true age. The boon of Hebe can only be called upon once in any given Grail War, after which this Noble Phantasm is sealed.
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So as you can see, I wrote up the Iolaus sheet I'd been talking about. Decided to class him as Saber rather then Rider, since I couldn't think of any good mount-related NP and the sword ended up getting more focus anyway. Pretty sure nobody expected me to do Iolaus as an oji-san rather then a shota or cute girl, but... that's creativity for you! Though even I had second-thoughts a few times...
In any case, be sure to drop by with comments and criticisms! Thanks.