Theme is linked in name teehee
Saber of Foreign Lands
Sir Safir
Class: Saber
Other Classes: Lancer, Assassin, Rider, Avenger, Pretender (as Ector De Maris)
True Name: Sir Safir of Camelot
Alignment: Neutral Good
Place of Origin: Babylon/Iraq (Gains additional territory bonuses in England and the Languedoc region of France)
Parameters:
STR: C+
END: B
AGI: A
MGI: C
LCK: D
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 186 lbs
Likes: French wines, large dinners/banquets (in terms of attendance, not necessarily food)
Dislikes: Overbearing sun, Giraffes
Talent: Impressions
Natural Enemy: Lancelot
Attribute: Human
Traits: Brynhildr's Beloved, Hominidae Servant, Humanoid, Riding, Servant, Weak to Enuma Elish
Armament: Sword, various spectrally projected armaments
Catalyst: A stone from Camelot's walls (A piece of the table itself will fail, due to him never achieving membership for the inner circle)
Personality
A candidate for a seat as a knight of the round table, Safir has adopted a polite, noble disposition, coming off as stoic and thoughtful through a generally quiet demeanor. However, while it is an earnest effort, a display that he
does really feel and want to be seen with, his heart betrays him in those endeavors, being wracked with feelings of inferiority and regret in his actions. Being born the youngest of 13 sons, being the last in the line of inheritance, the desire to 'prove his worth' was ingrained in him from childhood. The fact that he was not selected to become a member of the central 13 knights of the Round table, being second in line for his brother's seat- it made him feel as if he was some sort of spare. He bore no legendary weaponry, and perhaps the only things that (in his mind) set him apart, his talent in disguise, and his ability to rapidly learn and replicate the efforts of others, seemed to him a sort of thievery. Despite his potency, he felt himself unworthy of praise and adoration, despite dearly wanting it.
These feelings of a lack of true worth would compound as various failures occurred in his life. He was a career partaker in tournaments, but could never seem to clinch a win against any full knight of the round table. 10 of his brothers fell against the Questing Beast while he was out competing, leading him to feel as if he should have been there, that he could have averted their deaths. Segwarides, one of his remaining three brothers, was killed during the rescue of Guinevere, right beside him. Oswain wes felled by Sir Tristain, while being goaded into killing a woman by Lady Losanna of the Ancient Tower, whom he loved- his other, Sir Palamedes, was hunted down by Gawain and slain afterwards. He arrived late to Camlann, heeding Merlin's call, but being waylaid as a knight loyal to Lancelot- a man who he dearly loved and honored, who he would then watch fall into the depths of madness, then illness, before death took him. So great was his shame, that he could not even attend the great Knight's funeral in his own form, instead disguising himself as one of the servants conducting the service. He wished he could have died there, but instead, died peacefully of old age, fulfilling his appointed duty as Duke of Languedoc
He is a man who wishes to cry, but knows that he must continue service without a tear.
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B
A skill that grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether.
As a Round Table candidate, and user of magecraft for his own concealment, Safir earns an admirable B rank in this skill, allowing him to cancel spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by greater magecraft and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for him to be affected.
Riding: B
A Class Skill of Rider and Saber class Servants, denoting the ability to ride mounts and vehicles. At B rank, most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill, even vehicles that did not exist in the time period one was alive in, for they are no exception. However, cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species such as Monstrous Beasts.
Personal Skills:
Spawn of The Unknown: A
The ability to completely falsify one's appearance, through the means of careful, minor magecraft for the visual appearance, and the total adoption of mannerisms and voice physically, including styles of combat.
A skill whose name is derived from Safir's father, Esclabor the unknown, a man who successfully concealed his identity as a pagan, phantom knight while in England, even from the likes of King Arthur, for many years. But where his father had a knack, Safir has a God-given talent. His greatest display was against his own brother, Sir Palamedes- while posing as their fellow knight and accomplice alongside Lancelot, Ector De Maris, he fought his brother for an hour, Palamedes not realizing it was him until he revealed himself.
"In the modern era, I believe it would be likened to a reflex-inclusive photographic memory of sorts, but I truly think it's something more- perhaps if I had children, they would have been birthed with mystic eyes of replication? No? That's not how that works? My apologies."
Tournament Knight: B
A skill denoting one's status as a constant competitor in organized trials of combat. In situations where there are brief moments of respite between clashing with foes, the owner of the skill will regenerate from wounds and regain mana at a greater rate than average.
In almost every account regarding him when he was not in-scene, it was remarked that he was off participating in some tournament, whether it be Winchester, Lonazep, Castle Dangerous, or any other grand locale. While he never overcame any of the inner 13 when they participated, only managing losses and the rare tie, his participation and placement otherwise was a very notable trait in legend.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, I certainly did enter quite a few tourneys back in my days in England... do you want to see my medals?" He is already pulling out a chest full of them, clearly excited to be able to boast a touch.
Receptacle of Hope: C
A skill that represents those who served as great followers and supporters in life. At C rank, it doubles the effects of any buffs placed upon him, while tripling charisma-type effects.
Safir was never granted membership into the inner circle of the Round Table, and never quite had legends specifically about him- he was always a member of the supporting cast, the second in command, another sword to fight alongside the hero. Yet instead of becoming jaded, his heart swelled with admiration for those around him. Their words inspired him- he is a true believer in those he looks up to.
"Whether it be my brothers, or, good heavens, especially Sir Lancelot himself... I can't help but think of them in my times of need. In my youth, i actually had quite a few qualms about being a knight, but after seeing my father and brothers... how could I not? People like them give me shivers."
Noble Phantasm
"Blood of my Blood... I call to you: Live and let die!"
Last Son Reckoning
Replication-Type Noble Phantasm
Rank B
A noble phantasm that allows Safir to call upon the souls of his 12 brothers to aid him, manifesting them as warrior shades. The two most powerful of the bunch, Palamedes and Segwarides, are constantly active, giving Safir a sort of flickering effect as he moves and acts, their phantom lance and sword respectively attacking with a lag of sorts when he swings his blade. By purposely channeling his brothers into himself, he can temporarily boost his
STR parameter, them sharing their own with him, resulting in the positive modifier.
By invoking it's true name, he is able to summon all 12 outside of himself for a minute. Each was a decorated knight, who were each in various places in the line of succession for seats at the Inner Round, before their deaths in the grail quest.
If any of his brothers of notable reputation (Palamedes, Segwarides, and Oswain Braveheart) are summoned at the same time in a grail war scenario, the Noble Phantasm will rank down 1 rank per brother still manifested, and their spirit will not be summoned in the entourage. Were his father to be summoned in a similar manner, the NP would be locked while he still remains summoned.
"As the final son of Esclabor the Unknown, it is my duty to my family to stand proud, the last bastion of our lineage. While I may fear what is before me, I stand with my brothers, and my bravery is renewed."
Lore
Born in Babylon to Escalabor the Unknown, the last of 13 brothers, he would follow his father and brothers in his youth to England, where he would grow up and enter into the role of the knight. As the members of the family would begin to become knights of great renown, so would Safir. Becoming a knight of Camelot after the king judged him worthy, he would remain as the knight in waiting to his brother Palamedes's seat in the central 13- They had been recognized and entered into service to the king at the same time, but it was judged that he as the younger would be under his brother. It was for this reason that he held Palamedes in the highest regard between his siblings, willing to serve, and even die for him: he respected him like no other.
Until Lancelot.
Up until the events of the Lonazep tournament, Safir had only heard of Lancelot's achievements, and seen him from afar- himself not part of the central membership of The Round. He was dazzled by the man as just as much as the other members of the Inner Round... but that changed. Shortly prior to the events of the tournament, Palamedes had slain a lord in some conflict, who's men tracked him down afterwards to enact their vengeance. Safir, who was traveling with him, would fight alongside his brother against the army, before eventually succumbing to their vastly superior numbers. They were jailed for three days, and tried- Safir was deemed not guilty, but Palamedes was sentenced to death. Safir had to be forcibly removed in chains from the deceased lord's territory, for he would have surely shed the blood of many men in an attempt to rescue his brother. But dumped in the woods, screaming with lament, bound in steel, there was nothing he could do... until, by chance, Lancelot came along.
Hearing the news of Palamedes's sentencing, he had been dispatched to see if he could save him from the verdict- stumbling upon Safir on the way. Pleading with his brother's cohort to rescue him, Lancelot would rid Safir of his chains, and storm the castle himself, rescuing Palamedes. After that, it was history, the brothers becoming part of Lancelot's associated band of knights. Safir would cross paths with him many a time, attend dinners Guinevere hosted, and face him in tournaments, though like against Gawain, he would never get close at beating him. When 9 of his brothers were slaughtered during the Grail Quest, it was Lancelot who he turned to for advice on how to continue... Safir's thankfulness towards the man, the respect for his seemingly god-sent caliber as a knight... frankly, it grew into an infatuation. Of course, he never said anything, not wanting to potentially fracture their relationship as knights, and he never obsessed over him... but there was a reason he would not sire any offspring.
While his own relationship with the Knight of the Lake never bloomed into what he may have wished, Lancelot's own relationship with Guinevere was something he had known about. He'd seen their looks and conversations at parties, during tournaments, and in Arthur's court- as someone who's skills depended on being able to read and analyze others, how could he not? It at first gave him a great deal of anguish, tarnishing his view of Lancelot as a perfect knight, but as he mulled it over... he could not bring himself to expose the infidelity of the man he pined for. As a man who had lived his life supporting others, as the runner-up, the second in command, he had grown a great deal of empathy in his life, taking joy in the victories he aided in, the happiness that he allowed others to be able to experience. Even if he himself could not get what he wished, at least he could help others obtain it, no?
So when the affair was finally exposed by Agravain, Safir of course sided with Lancelot. He had heard the words of Tristain when he left The Round, and that accusation, alongside his own philosophy of protecting Lancelot's love, ultimately swayed his choice against the King that he had sworn loyalty to. He, Palamedes, and Segwarides, would aid Lancelot in the freeing of Guinevere, and accompany him back to France, albeit with one less brother alongside them. He was made Duke of Languedoc for his loyalty, and for a short while, lived out a period of mourning, then peace. He was called back to action as Lancelot called upon his fellow knights to aid their former king at Camlann, but when they made their way there, they were stopped by Gawain, who would not allow the traitors entry onto the battlefield on the side of The King. However, while he and his allies were stopped, Safir used his gifts of disguise to enter the battlefield.... where he was ultimately too late. He would return to France, and live out the rest of his days as a responsible and noble Duke, making frequent visits (most in disguise) to Lancelot, who became more and more a shadow of the man he was before, from both madness and illness. Eventually, he would pass, followed by Safir himself, a few decades later.
However, something odd had occurred. Safir had not entered the throne of heroes as his brothers and father had. His spirit went elsewhere- the Reverse Side of the world. As it had turned out, during the fall of Camelot, the freshly-ensnared Merlin had tried to aid Artoria. Unable to exit the Reverse Side, blocked by the enchantments of Morgan LeFay, he attempted to engineer a spell that would transport all still trying to aid The King to her side at Camlann- he would transport them through the Reverse Side to protect her, almost like a Reverse-Avalon. But as it was a last-ditch effort, and he was caught unawares, the spell faltered, only reaching the borders of the battlefield, where one former member of The Round, and two candidates had made it. It would trace their souls, and when they finally passed, instead of ascending to the throne, their Spirit Origins would then travel to The Reverse Side, to a Grove prepared by Merlin for their transport, settling into a coffin of glass and gold.
There, Safir and the two others sleep, their forms as servants resting, and forgotten- Merlin assuming his spell had failed completely. Only if Merlin himself were to leave, and/or his tower to fall, would they awaken, released from their coffin cocoons as servants.
Relationships:
Lancelot (Saber):
"A-Ah, Sir Lancelot! Fancy seeing you here- have you been alright? You've got those bags under your eyes again, are you sure you've been getting enough rest?"
Tristain:
"Although he slew Oswain, I can't fault him. My brother was committing a crime for a woman he loved too much- and I trust that Tristain knew enough of Love to be a better judge of it than I would have."
Gawain:
"I never stood a chance against him, so it's no wonder Palamedes... mmrph. As great a man he was, and how I respect his loyalties, I can't help but still feel sour towards him."
Gareth:
"For all the people he fought, I had never seen Lancelot so distraught after his killing you. I... my apologies are the only thing I can offer, I should have done more."
Mordred:
"You know, I never doubted The King before Tristain's words, but... really? MORDRED at the round table, over ME?? Come on now. I know their power's immense, and they're The King's son, but.... really now? I suppose Camlann was a sort of karma, as morbid as saying that is."
Bedivere:
"-He held out for how long? Good God man... I could only hope to aspire that to level of conviction."
Artoria (Lancer):
"My King! It's been so long... I know I am but a traitor, but I.... no, there are no excuses for my actions, only reasons. You are no doubt the finest King I could have served under, but I must stay true to my life's conviction."
Mash:
"Ohhh, so that's where you've been, Galahad! I apologize for my staring, Miss Kyrelight, I knew Sir Galahad in life- his father introduced me when I was still a boy. Your movements are quite similar, did you know that?"
Merlin:
"A heartbreaker, and a risktaker- I never spoke with him much, but that magician always looked like he knew too much of me."
Zealot Hassan:
"...She gets it- blessed with the ability to replicate, but never create something wholly new. I suppose I'll cheer for us both from now on, in our endeavors to make something of our own."
Sir Jack:
"I met him a few times in life, and I never got quite the impression he was truly sold on knighthood or chivalry... but watching him work? I'm glad he was one, rather than some foe against Camelot. I still don't know how the Hell a human can output that kind of force without magecraft."
Sir Gornemant:
"You know, I remember meeting him once- I caught Sir Percival running into the gardens in a panic, and he had me do him a solid and distract him for a moment. Something about dinner with his daughter? Can't quite remember, though he was a jolly giant of a man."
Melissa:
"She's a delight, sure but those summons of hers? We knights of Camelot have had too many encounters with nefarious women of magic, I just can't relax around her all that well."
NARNIA:
"That Caspian... were he a prince of England instead of that storybook world of his, I think he would have done famously. I don't envy the condition of his body though, to be made up of so many foreign parts..."
Laevatinn:
"I know she's not born of flesh and blood, but the way she talks about her duty... I can't help but feel as if she's a kindred spirit in worries over it."
Bradamante-Myrdinn:
"She's been given a bad lot, dealing with that Magician. Still, she takes to the task at hand well, I can see why she's a paladin."
Lancelot (Berserker):
There are only somber tears.
Creator Notes:- Finally getting to finishing up some of the Reverse Side Walpurgisnacht servants that were half done (Totally not because I've hit a block in writing my contest entry hahahaha). He, and Jack through Bradamante-Myrdinn are gonna be the cast for that. Dunno if Its gonna be a fic, or just something to do for fun.
- Safir's brothers are kind of weird from what I've researched- the number of total brothers ranges from 12 to 14 between accounts and only Palamedes, Segwarides, and Oswain (who isn't even a brother in some adaptations) are named. I opted for 13 brothers total, since it's thematically a repeating number (13 KoTR, 13th hour is the witching hour, there's 13 adversaries in the Great Coven), but it's kinda funky to think about.
- There's nothing about him being gay for Lancelot in the legends, but as I was writing, I thought it would both add to why he did the things he did, add another angle to his character, and would fit in nicely with odd details like his lack of recorded marriage, or courting of women himself, unlike his brothers.
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Originally Posted by NittyGritty
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