Otherworldly Cutting Sword
Eckesachs
Type: Anti-Unit
Rank: B
Range: 1~2
Max Targets: 1 person
The greatest of swords forged by the Fairy King Oberon (Alberich). It was given to the giant Ecke (hence the name «Ecke’s sword») alongside the fabled Armor of Ortnit by the Queen of Mt. Jochgrimm who, impressed by stories about Dietrich, wished to force the hero into her service. But even with his unnatural might and the miraculous armaments Ecke was defeated, and Dietrich took his sword and armor as trophies.
Eckesachs was originally a pure magical sword, but when Dietrich summoned in a corrupted state, it becomes a demonic blade. Its true power lies in the incredible sharpness, which transcends the status of the physical property and becomes conceptual ability in itself. This sword ignores all kinds of defensive values in proportion to its own Rank. Because of this, it can be called Anti-Armor, Anti-Shield Noble Phantasm. In combination with Dietrich’s fiery breath Eckesachs even managed to break through the invulnerable skin of hero Siegfried during the tournament in the Rose Garden of Worms.
While Eckesachs was the weapon Dietrich relied on most often in life, it is actually not the strongest sword-type Noble Phantasm he might possess as Heroic Spirit.
Unrelenting Fiendish War Horse
Schwarzer Falke
Type: Anti-Army
Rank: A
Range: 1~55
Max Targets: 40 people
The black horse from the from the herd of Studas, father of Heime the Ferocious (also known as Hama or Heimir). When this hero became one of Dietrich companions, he presented Falke as an homage to the newfound sovereign.
Originally it was the majestic horse, a kin of Sleipnir and a sibling of Grani, steed of famous hero Sigurd, but as its master became afflicted by the curse of Wild Huntsman, it too was changed into an unsightly monstrosity. The shape of its body, now covered in might scales, became closer to that of a Dragon, and it became able to fly (or to be specific «run on the air»). It also shares most of the abilities granted to Dietrich by
Demon Blood, such as
Monstrous Strength and fire-breathing, but without penalties, the master suffers from. This is because Falke’s lineage also includes malicious Norse god Loki and Svadilfarym, a horse of Hrimthurs. For it becoming Monstrous Beast is akin to «activating hidden potential». Needless to say, as a steed of Wild Huntsman, it is stronger than it would be normally.
Schwarzer Falke’s main ability as a Noble Phantasm is «unescapable pursuit». It is easily one of the fastest Phantasmal Beasts but is also capable of distorting time-space and even shift between dimensionsto chase after the target. As one of the heroes of
Thidrekssaga puts this:
«…so fast that although you may try to ride away, he [Dietrich] may be so near you or far from you as he wants».
Dietrich cared very much for his horse in life, and this sentiment doesn’t change even when he summoned as Wild Huntsman. In combat the steed and Rider work in perfect harmony, crushing and burning everything that stands in their way.
Incidentally, there was a very famous statue of Theodoric the Great mounted on the horse in the city of Ravenna, which might have added to the rumors about him being a leader of Wild Hunt.
Incinerating Spectral Host
Die Brennende Wilde Jagd
Type: Anti-Army
Rank: A+~A++
Range: 35~99
Max Targets: 400~1000 people
Böse Geister und ruhelose Tote,
Versammelt euch und gehorcht Nachtjager,
Zeit, den Gegner in Asche zu verwandeln….
DIE BRENNENDE WILD JAGD!
In European folklore the Wild Hunt a group of supernatural huntsmen who ride across the sky in mad pursuit, a dangerous sight and an omen of great calamity. Depending on the region, the leader of this grim procession – the Wild Huntsman, is identified with different legendary and historical figures, including King Arthur, Odin, Francis Drake, Gwyn ap Nudd, Frau Holda, and, of course, Theodoric the Great.
It is said, that when Dietrich von Bern became old no warrior or giant dared to challenge him anymore. Weary of life with no challenge, the aging king turned to hunt, and soon it became his sole and greatest pleasure. One day while resting in a bathhouse he witnessed an exceptionally magnificent deer and immediately gave it a chase, mounting giant black stallion which inexplicably appeared near that place. Riding this horse, the king disappeared in the forest, and that was the last time he was seen alive. Nobody knows what exactly happened to Dietrich von Bern that day, but many years after it people started seeing his ghostly figure crossing the sky in a cavalcade of apparitions…
The Wild Hunt is usually understood as the personification of tempests, and thus its master bears the title of «King of Storms». However, it also can be considered a host of restless souls damned to hunt down supernatural being until the end of time. Due to his nature, Dietrich has a strong affinity to that aspect and because of that, his Wild Hunt manifests as a spectral cohort, the
phantom army of the night which he leads as
Burning King of Wraiths.
To activate this Noble Phantasm Dietrich must call upon the host while riding
Schwarzer Falke. After this many evil spirits and restless ghosts would appear around Rider in form of horsemen, hunting dogs, and falcons. These apparitions are covered in flames, reflecting the nature of their master, and bear arms (usually sword or lances, but it can be something else appropriate to the time of their demise). While inferior to most Servants, each of them is a league above the limits of human strength, immune to non-magical weapons, possess some resistance to magical attacks and tireless. On the top of that spectral huntsmen also possess a power of self-explosion (turning into magical energy).
Dietrich has absolute control over his host, but the spirits cannot move far away from him and can only exist in motion. When Rider stops, they would start to disappear quickly. Because of this, it can be said that
Die Flammende Wilde Jagd falls short of army-summoning Noble Phantasm.
The number of hunters varies depending on the place it is used. Normally Rider can summon about four hundred spirits, but it can also force low-class spirits and apparitions from surroundings into the procession. If used on a site where a lot of people were killed the ranks of Dietrich’s host will grow in numbers, and its destructive potential would be proportionally increased. By contrast, hallowed grounds would have the opposite effect. The Wild Hunt can also pull away souls from the living (usually those who are asleep or close to it), killing them in the process, but Dietrich is extremely averse to use that aspect of this ability.
Technically speaking «Wild Huntsman» is a curse, placed upon Dietrich by external factors, classified as Noble Phantasm because of its tremendous power. It also has strong synergy with
Demon’s Blood and is the reason why hero cannot seal it.
When summoned in that form Rider chooses to call himself
Bandietrich to differentiate the monstrous aspect of himself from others. That name does indeed come from the folk tradition as one of the variants of Wild Huntsman name. Its actual meaning is
«Ban Dietrich» or simply
«Lord Dietrich».
Taking You Down with Me
King Dietrich’s Last Ride
Type: Anti-Populace
Rank: EX
Range: 1-99
Max Targets: 1000 people
Aberrant Noble Phantasm, tracing its origins to the same legends as
Die Brennende Wilde Jagd. The difference is that the
Incinerating Spectral Host is based on that something happened after Dietrich's death, while the Last Ride recreates his final moments themselves.
It is said that the black horse which drove Theodoric from his people, was a demon in disguise (maybe even procreator) and it dragged him into the throat of Mount Etna where he was imprisoned for eternity.
To initiate the Last Ride Dietrich must be fatally wounded and mounted (not necessary his horse). After this, his flames would go out of control and start expanding rapidly using his very soul as a fuel. To the onlooker, it might look as if the Servant turned into a surging tide of darkness and flames. Every sentient being caught by it would be assaulted proportional to the «amount of their sins». It’s destructive power naturally varies depending on targets. Physical protections are useless against this Noble Phantasm, but it cannot affect those possess divine protection, Saints or those who possess high Divinity.
Despite this being impossible, there is a small chance that Rider might restore himself after the Last Ride, although in a greatly diminished state (without benefits of Demon’s Blood and ability to use other Noble Phantasms besides Eckesachs). The reason for this might be that people who venerated Dietrich von Bern didn’t accept that their hero met such tragic end, and because of that many alternative versions of this legend spawned… or that King Dietrich is simply too stubborn to fall like that.