Quite suddenly, the servant throws her arms high into the air in jubilation. It was much in contrast to the young man before her, who seemed to be deliberate, considerate, thoughtful. This was an exclamation of pure joyous celebration. Perhaps his less authoritative nature had struck something of a cord with Rider.
“Yaay! Partners!~”
The gust didn't seem to bother the girl all too much, but the sight of her master being somewhat perturbed earned the return of that curious gaze, her eyes following wherever he was looking towards. Then, she felt it too. Magical energies pulsing and beating like a struggling heart. Not entirely expected, considering the time of day. Her master suggested that it might be a clash of sorts, but this early? Both in the day and in the grail war? Seemed unwaise. Usually the early phases should be dedicated to reconnaissance, right? Anything more and one risks overextension and elimination.
“Are... Are they stupid? I mean-- bad guys are always stupid! But... In daylight! That's illegal!”
Once again to the young girl's surprise, the man brought up a rather cooperative and agreeable stance in regards to this. He offered her options, a say in the process. Is this what 'democracy' felt like...? It was sort of like... No... She mustn't think back on that now. The present is what matters most. The past must be considered, but cast aside if it faces no relevancy. She seems genuinely happy that she has been afforded this luxury.
“You know, unlike them-- er, if they're fighting, at least... But! Unlike them, you're pretty smart, Thally! You haven't given me a single order yet... But I think that's good! Good teams fight together, not with one another!”
Rider places a finger to her chin thoughtfully, eyes narrowing.
“Hmmm. While striking down one of the bad guys might be good this early on, we don't want to make our big entrance yet...”
She strokes her chin, eyes glancing to the side for a moment as she begins to pace back and forth.
“But we can find out what the bad guys are up to if we keep our distance... More information is good information...”
Step after little step crunches grass, leaves little imprints behind on the dirt.
“I don't think calling on him would reveal who I am... So!”
Clap!
Pivoting on the spot to face her Master, Rider quickly clasps her hands together in front of her in a swift motion.
“The source of my class designation, my... 'Mount' can fly at speed. We'll be able to find spots to survey those bad guys, easy peasy! To Tourbillon we go!”
With her hands close together, a blue flash heralded the re-applying of those cuffs.
She leaps into the air.
“Come, Levente!”
A similar burst of blue light heralded the arrival of a horse-- Rider's mount. By all accounts, it looked almost completely normal, in spite of what the girl claimed. However, as part of a Servant's manifestation, it absolutely was not, in fact, a normal creature.
Landing atop it, the girl offers her (binded) hands to the druidic magus with a small smile.
"Make sure to hang tight! He's kinda' got a penchant for not knowing how fast he really is..."
If there ever was a Master most unexpected to the odd girl of not-so-grand stature, it would be this one. Rather than be rebuked and 'shown her place by her better' for such abrasive behavior, Rider instead observed an earnest apology and a serious attempt at dialogue. Though she had initially assumed the worst out of this man due to his initial reactions, it seemed as if her face scrunched up further. Not in anger, but out of some kind of deep self-contemplation.
“Though ‘Master’ feels a bit grand, doesn’t it?” He rested his hand lightly over his heart. “I’m Thalorian. And if it’s alright with you, I’d rather be your partner.”
Wait...
Partner...?
With this word, the girl's attention was rapidly piqued, as her eyes darted back to offer him her full attention, now wide as they had been since her initial summoning, rather than glaring vicious daggers. There was no malice nor sarcasm in that tone, which caused Rider to indeed consider the potential weight of her next actions. The prospect of being 'partners' rather than simply a Servant to a Master, whilst attractive, was entirely unconventional. The rules gave the magus unlimited authority over their Servant, and Rider would know better than anyone that absolute power corrupts even the purest of hearts.
For just a few moments, she seems to be entirely at a loss for words.
But as a soft breeze rolls by, brushing through her somewhat messy black bangs, a smile does not return, but those eyes most notably don't seem to narrow. A look of curious caution, perhaps...?
“I... I guess that's doable...?”
The response seems to come almost subconsciously, absentmindedly. The balance of power that Rider had spent all that time upon the Throne of Heroes preparing for was now entirely null, all thanks to one man, perhaps just as odd as Rider herself. In spite of her obviously overwhelming presence as a Servant, Rider still found it a bit strange that someone so magically capable would act in such a humble manner. She had been so lost in this train of thought in fact, that she had missed the fact that her Master was staring down at her cuffs, which creak and groan with almost every minor movement.
“Do those hurt?” he asked, quiet again. “You don’t have to wear them here. Not if you don’t want to.”
Why... Why did he care so much about her...? About some 'ghost liner' that he had just met? Even if she looked like someone to be underestimated, most certainly one would expect her to be strong enough not to worry about such things, right?
She stares, beady-eyed up at the druidic forest-dweller, blinking as she receives yet another generosity, as if she were royalty setting foot upon her new domain for the first time. A very comfortable-looking and very well-made scarf. Looking it over, those curious eyes never lose their shimmer.
“It’s not much, but it’s warm. And it’s yours for as long as you need it.”
For just a moment, the girl feels her heart grow warmer, even amidst the frigid morning. She once again turns her gaze upwards back at the one whom had summoned her, and finally wears a smile of her own, the first seen since she had been summoned.
The board of moldy wood holding her wrists together suddenly glows a bright blue, before shattering into flakes which quickly dissipate. With her hands now free, she runs them across the soft embroidery, holding the tapestry to her face. Most curiously, with this positioning of her hands, her Master can make out three small sigils on one of her wrists.
“You know... You're not quite what I expected, Mast-- er, mister!”
She joins her hands in front of her, smiling warmly up at her new master as her eyes close happily.
"And that's a good thing...! You know-- so many magi tend to be absolute meanies. But you...?"
Reopening her eyes, the girl steps forth, and grabs one of Thalorian's hands with both of her own.
"You're a good person, Thally! I've decided! Yes, I will be your partner!"
The girl in decaying rags thrusts a fist high into the air, closing her eyes happily once more. Now that Rider had seemingly gotten comfortable with the one who claimed the forest, it could now be asked; is this what Rider's true personality is like?
"Let's beat up all the bad guys and win the Grail together, Thally!~ Beat beat beat 'em up! Let's do our best, Okay?!?"
The quiet morning finds itself swiftly interrupted by a man’s voice, cutting through the air like razors through paper. It overcomes the very sound of the forest, as if the domain of nature were making way for a soon-to-be-master over all. Given what was about to occur, it would be a most appropriate reaction, after all.
All things considered, it was rather an unconventional ritual compared to the usual procedures used to summon a Heroic Spirit.
But not ineffective! Even this method would suffice, and the proof that it was not to be a waste was soon clear to see. Bright lights and crackling multi-colored lightning arcs across the earth originating from the summoning circle, which glows an iridescent rainbow-ish hue. A gale picks up as leaves and idle debris are tossed asunder, such is the force of it all.
That mighty scale from a once-great creature calls forth its owner, long consigned to the furthest corners of mythology.
A great flash shines even over the glorious morning sun-- basking all around in the deepest of shadow against the purest of white.
…What emerges is, to put it bluntly, not what one may expect.
When utilizing catalysts, usually the part of a great beast calls forth its adversary or companions in its former life. Whether it be the greatest of heroes with a glimmering blade and armor to match, or a conniving villain with a domineering silhouette and similarly intimidating force of personality to match. History has always drawn attention to the strong, noble, or cruel, not often focusing on the weak and feeble unless to illustrate a hero or villain’s greatness at their expense.
Instead of getting any of these potential options, whether it be a beast-slayer or a beast-wrangler, or even the beast itself, what beholds the magus is instead the visage of a smaller girl, with unkempt black hair and dark, dark red eyes. She appears before him dressed in rags not even fit for a beggar, obviously once a decent dress but long resigned to absolute neglect and decay. To top it all off were a pair of seemingly wooden cuffs in horrendous condition, literally rotting at the corners and rusting in what few metal parts could be seen-- holding her arms in front of her.
Those wide eyes blink as the girl seemingly snaps out of an idle state of mind, quickly glancing around before her gaze rests upon the very young man crouched in front of her. She thinks to say something for just a moment, before her thoughts are quickly interrupted.
“…Welcome,” he said softly. “You’re… not quite what I expected.”
What…? What did he mean by ‘You’re not what I expected’?
A litany of thoughts rushes through the girl’s mind as she continues to stare wide-eyed at this individual before her. Sure, she looked weak. Sure, she wasn’t some great sword, spear, or bow-wielding warrior. Sure, she was locked up in a pair of cuffs and dressed in rags. That didn’t mean she was weak! She was a Servant, after all!
And so, a pout forms upon her face as she closes her eyes angrily and quickly turns her head.
"Well, that's not a very nice how-do-you-do, mister!"
Reopening her eyes, they’re rather narrowed, in stark contrast to her more curious expression from moments ago.
“Hmph… I had a cool introduction planned, but I don’t want to do it anymore.”
One gets the feeling that if she could cross her arms, she would.
“But I gotta do one, so I guess I’ll do another one.”
Closing her eyes, the girl clears her throat dramatically, puffing her chest out.
“I’m Rider! A Servant, Heroic Spirit, whateveryoucallit. Here for the holy grail! And, whoever my Master is, I guess! So…”
True Name: Hollófernyiges Titles: Black King Fernigesh, The Dragon Tyrant Class: Rider Gender: Female Era: 12th Century Alignment: Chaotic Good Chaotic Neutral
Attribute: Earth
History
Once upon a time, upon the cold, wet plains of Eastern Europe, there was a land which would one day become known as ‘Hungary’, lorded over by the most supreme beings in all the sky, earth, and sea-- dragons. Enormous reptilian creatures which represented the pinnacle of mother nature’s design, symbols of strength, nobility, good and evil all at the same time. Hope and fear, oppression and freedom. Far before humans ever set about claiming this land in the name of man, the dragons played in games of their own, complex conflicts jockeying over power, over territory, over their vain egos and pride. It was a cruel existence, all things told-- where at the end of the day, what mattered was strength and the smarts applied to it.
Hollófernyiges was not always the dragon that the prison of history remembers her as.
The clan of dragons that Hollófernyiges’s draconic parents belonged to was nothing particularly special. A medium sized faction, it neither commanded great lands, nor came to be dominated under the big three. It stayed out of the great games of power, electing to remain on the sidelines and do dealings with those who would come and go. A middleman which benefited all, and which all benefited from, protected by the guarantees that a move by one would provoke a move of protection by the others.
Thus, when the one to be known as Hollófernyiges hatched, she seemed destined for a comfortable, but mostly uneventful life among her draconic kin. As loving parents do, they treated her as their own ‘princess’, a title which little Hollófernyiges came to love, playing immature games of faux-royalty as she lived a dream of being a noble and fair ruler over her own little fiefdom. But in these merriments and games of pretend came the seeds for ideals and convictions to take root.
Dragons, her parents told her, were cruel.
Why…?
The games that the grown-up dragons played, violent and full of deceit.
How come…?
The reality of their world, that heartlessness wins, and that all the good could do to survive was to keep their heads low.
But… Was it always this way? Things changed all the time. If nobody tried, how could anyone know for sure?
Little Hollófernyiges was not convinced. There had to be a way to achieve peace amongst dragonkind, to get everybody to live harmoniously together. To stop them from being evil, to stop the cycle of violence once and for all!
So, the young Dragon started spending her time with the boys her age, joining in on their sparring and half-play fighting, alongside living a double faux-life as her parents’ most beloved princess. To say she was a natural at fighting would be an incredible understatement. Even at a young age, she possessed something of an acumen for it, which swiftly earned her the respect of her family’s youth.
Years and decades passed as she grew into a fine dragon indeed, conventionally attractive, intelligent, and with a certain talent for engaging in physical acts a dragon of her gender absolutely was never expected to engage in. With the same ideals in her heart as the ones she had formed so long ago, she stepped into the draconic political space as one of her family’s representatives. The role was intended, as always, to act as a way for the family to corral favor with the three great clans. Just like all the others in attendance, to act subservient.
But Hollófernyiges was, in secret, not cooperating.
Between diplomatic sessions, she talked to the other, weaker clans. Between offerings of honorifics and tribute to the great dragons of the land, she spread her ideals to those not considered the greats. With every adjournment came plotting, planning, dreaming for a beautiful and equitable future. The foundations of cooperation, of the weak striving forwards together. Of the good-natured and hard-working seeking to build a beautiful tomorrow for themselves, and not for the whims of the tyrants above.
Centuries passed.
Through these efforts, the weak banded together, and bided their time. The great diplomat Hollófernyiges continued to rise in status in both the world above, and the underground world she had been so carefully masterminding. Duels were even won in defense of her prestigious position, duels which she never lost, even when foul play was afoot.
Then it came. The great draconic war everyone was fearing, fought between the Clan of the Six Heads, Clan of the Twelve Heads, and the Clan of the Twenty-Four Heads. For all their size and ferocity, they had expected all of their would-be allies to rise up and fight on their behalf as vassals, or to sit the war out.
Unfortunately for them, Hollófernyiges had other plans.
The web so meticulously constructed sprung into action, as clan after clan suffered varying coups, defecting to a united front of the idealistic and honorable. Ones who sought to overthrow the old world’s order to create their utopia, where all dragons had a say.
The subsequent four-way war was violent indeed, but Hollófernyiges insisted that they stick to their ideals and honor, to prove themselves better than their opponents. The war stretched on and on, with Hollófernyiges taking to the front. In keeping with codes of honor, any dragons the mighty Hollófernyiges bested in battle were allowed to return home alive, and as she was the brunt of their fighting power, this left the united front in a constant stalemate as losses mounted, imperceptibly slowly.
Even more decades crawled by.
With no end in sight, the dragon heading the Clan of the Twenty-Four heads decided that something must be done to break the stalemate. One of these factions had to go, for any of the surviving three to stand a real chance against one another. And so, they elected to strike at the faction they saw as the most weak and vulnerable, the one full of bleeding hearts and hopeful romantics. The United Front. Whilst Hollófernyiges was doing battle with her followers, a strike team snuck into their base of operations, only to massacre everyone that they could. To get them to shatter, they had struck at their very foundation, expecting them to break.
Hollófernyiges returned to find many of their friends and close compatriots dead and critically injured. Worst of all… Her parents didn’t make it out alive, having fought to the death but lacking the strength to save even themselves.
Something within the kind Dragon’s heart broke that day.
Gone were the pretenses of honors, the strict adherence to ideals. Hollófernyiges threw the fair conduct she had been committing to out with the wind, tightening her grip on every single kind of power. Throwing more and more of her own dragons into the meat grinder, getting more and more personally engaged in destroying the enemies to her polluted dreams, the Dragon Empress finally reigned as King of the ashes, a century after the war’s start-- imprisoning the leaders of the former three clans and enacting a great purge upon the survivors whilst placing preferential treatment on her own.
This was fine. It was necessary for her to realize her dream of a safe, secure future for dragonkind. For herself. Meaningful progress was never made to the world system under pacifistic bleeding hearts. She’d gladly take the sacrificial role to make that dream come true.
But she just needed to be a little more sure. She needed to secure a future where those who had fought with her would be able to finally carve out the future they so desperately fought for.
Just a few more purges. Just a few more banishments, imprisonments, tortures.
Besides, they had been so cruel and evil for so long, what was a bit of justly-deserved retribution, eh?
She built for herself a metaphorical castle, to protect herself and those whom she considered close. Never again would anything come to harm her, or her followers. Not even when her methods grew more cruel and persistent.
The Dragon Tyrant hadn’t expected that the very people who would doubtlessly come to fall in love with that tattered dream that they all shared would come to rise up against her rule. But they did indeed. A great civil war, a ‘war in heaven’, so to speak. Some time into the fighting, a little voice nagged at Hollófernyiges. A voice thought long forgotten and discarded. The side of her which promised to embody the ideals she entered these bloody conflicts with, to prove her family wrong.
And so, she retired from the fighting, leaving the dream in the hands of the ones who still possessed the idealism and bleeding hearts that she now saw herself as lacking. She retired to a little den in a small cave, observing silently, and being sure never to be spotted.
In relative terms, the bearers of those dreams… Fell immediately to the advance of the rebellion.
How could this be?
Why, why?! They believed in her ideals so hard. She had spent so long cultivating them within her followers. She had told them time and time again of the wonderful world they were to build together.
Ah… That’s right. She had forgotten something.
Ideals alone would never be enough to build a kingdom.
Without the strength to fight for it themselves, they were just empty words.
And so emerged Hollófernyiges, the great Dragon Emperor-turned-tyrant. Her following had diminished greatly to defectors, deserters, and overall combat losses to these revolutionaries which sought to re-establish their wicked status quo. But Hollófernyiges was the strongest of them all. If there was anyone who could restore control, it would be her. And so she continued to fight, backing up what little remained of her ideals with her own strength as proof of her convictions. The situation seemed to be improving.
But the three heads of the three great clans had been released, and they fought as one.
They could never defeat Hollófernyiges, of course. But they had a plan.
Through considerable effort and nearly every single dragon that yet remained in this revolution’s demise, they managed to throw the great Dragon Emperor to the ground, only to swiftly place one mighty seal each upon her, reducing her form to a weak, pitiable young girl. With their leader neutralized, what little remained of her following finally dissipated at last, as the three great clans placed a punishment of eternal imprisonment upon the one who once ruled over it all, as they gradually hunted down and eliminated everyone who had once helped the one who sought to overturn the draconic order.
At the end of it all, only four of their kind remained. But the seals kept the once-magnificent Dragon Emperor in check, and the survivors imparted all kinds of abuse in retribution for what they perceived as injustices which had been brought upon them, especially by such an upstart.
Eventually, the race known as ‘humanity’ came to inhabit the great plains and hills of the land, staking a claim of their own.
Hollófernyiges watched them build their villages, cities, castles, and civilization from her tower’s windows. The type of life that she imagined that her cause would one day create.
But she saw in them the same fragility of those whose ideals crumbled at the smallest bit of resistance.
These people would be the perfect subjects to re-establish her ‘Kingdom of dreams’ upon the world. To end suffering and pain once and for all, and to ensure prosperity for all. She just had to find a way to break these damned seals.
…Then one day, a hero by the name of János Vitéz came by to visit. What a handsome man he was.
And what a pretty lady he had brought with him. So pretty. The most beautiful thing the Dragon had ever seen. She wanted her. She needed her… Only when she had a love so innocent and from the heart would she then feel secure in herself.
Hollófernyiges asked, weakened by all the years of neglect and abuse, for a drink of water.
The hero, generous as he was, went down and to a distant well, giving a drink to the poor, pitiable girl.
This repeated two more times… Then SNAP! The cuffs fell. The great figure, once repressed, sprouted into its full magnificence once more. The Dragon Tyrant made her escape, her future beloved in tow.
The hero had attempted to pursue her, but with her trademark technique, she sliced him into many pieces with not too much effort at all. How pitiable… At least he had the strength to back up his own desires.
Hollófernyiges treated the woman lavishly to all the luxuries she could which had once been stashed away. But this did not convince her, neither did it convince the hero, who refused to give up-- seemingly defying death itself whilst coming back. Right from under her nose, the hero managed to sneak the woman away, and once the Dragon Emperor grew privy to this fact, she rushed to her stables, and leapt upon her most trusted five-legged steed.
They took off, and Hollófernyiges asked the great horse if they could catch the fleeing hero. It laughed and proudly declared that they could go about many daily errands, and still catch them handily. As promised, it took merely a moment for her to catch up, as the great horse could travel twenty miles in twenty steps. Hollófernyiges declared to the hero that she would let him live, so long as he relinquished the woman back into the dragon’s care. But he refused. He fought. Were her sense of justice not so worn down, so tired out, so weak at this point, she may have been tempted to relinquish the woman right there. But the world had taken so much from her. It had taken everything. She didn’t want to lose anything. Not ever again.
He refused. A great battle in the sky commenced, The hero was tenacious. He was witty, agile, able to constantly just barely avoid death through a combination of his own ability, pure luck, and the determination to do what he thought was right. He struck multiple times at the great dragon, and nothing happened. But he kept struggling, unlike the dragons who had betrayed their cause during the times of their first revolution. There was a certain feeling of irony, welling up within the dragon’s heart as she exchanged blows with him, riding upon the five-legged steed. If everyone had been like him, instead of looking after themselves, none of this would have to happen. She could have invited this great hero into her draconic domain, where all were happy, where all loved, where all frolicked and treated one another as equals.
But this would never happen.
Especially since the great hero managed a great strike at the horse’s leg.
With a great tumble, the Tyrant began to fall.
Fall, fall, fall.
Panic. Rage. Doubts. But no fear. She had discarded that long ago. She didn’t have enough time to transform before she was to hit the ground, and be vanquished for good. During the fall, she watched as the victorious Hero departed with his beloved, and sighed wistfully to herself. Every emotion she felt in these eternal seconds gradually melted away one by one, to leave a final train of thought.
Perhaps that for all the effort she had put in…
She supposed that even she was too naive to truly be worthy of that dream.
And so, Hollófernyiges, the Dragon Emperor, great Tyrant over all dragonkind accepted it all.
It was a long way down…
If she had the chance to do it over, however, well…
…Well, that’d never happen.
Right?
Personality Personality Overview: When it comes to Rider, her looks are not all that far from what one might expect of her personality. Innocent, oblivious, full of energy and childlike curiosity. However, this does not mean that she is to be underestimated. If nothing else, Rider possesses determination-- leaps and bounds of it, and seems to be very intelligent for someone of their stature to match this level of bravery and supplement it nicely. Though one may need to remain patient with her given her seemingly airheaded and oblivious nature outside of battle, there lie all the things needed for a powerful warrior to take root. Sharp reflexes, great analytical skills, and tactical cunning. Though, one may have to stop her from attempting to befriend every opponent she fights, and encourage her to go for the kill rather than showing mercy.
The Horse of Yega seems supportive of the girl in all of these matters, often calling her ‘princess’, much to the girl’s visible glee. He seems to serve as a more level-headed translator of her sometimes immature speech littered with childish rhetoric and allegories. It often feeds into her imaginative tangents, seemingly seeking to please and entertain the young girl at almost any and all times. Regarding external events, it will often commentate on them with a certain dry wit, whether it be regarding opponents, allies, or even Rider’s own master. The only time that they drop these mannerisms is regarding Rider herself, which the Horse of Yega treats like the royalty it often refers to her as.
. . .
Hollófernyiges is a callous, taciturn woman who possesses a great deal of selfishness and avarice towards her many worldly desires. To the Dragon Tyrant, strength in being and strength of personality are what matter first and foremost, and even then, she possesses arrogance in the unshakable belief that she is the strongest, and rightfully so as one who claims the title of the most feared in the land. Even when challenged by great odds, she retains the bravery seen in her sealed form, refusing to back down and withdraw unless her more analytical side tells her that the situation is well and truly disadvantageous.
In stark contrast to her sealed self, she appears to be a disillusioned cynic who no longer believes in any one ideal. She only lives for herself and to protect that which she has decided is worth protecting-- which usually tend to be things that can feed her appetite for material possessions to fill the void in her heart. One can say that this could be because of her past of exploitation and abuse by her draconic kin before rising to become the Dragon Tyrant, but telling her this will lead to an almost uncharacteristic flare in rage towards the one who gave her such a reminder.
For those who mistreated her in her unsealed form when she was weak and relatively helpless, she will waste no time ‘executing’ them. But for those who treated her well in spite of her diminished stature, in spite of the possible disappointment at seemingly not summoning a great hero, she treats with the level of sheer adoration as she does her most prized possessions. Being the subject of Hollófernyiges is thus seen by her as a privilege, and is not something to be denied should one value their personal wellbeing.
The Horse of Yega, meanwhile, reveals its true nature as one who seems to be a loyal servant to Hollófernyiges. No longer having to play along with any childish games or shenanigans, it more or less appears to embrace its nature as the Dragon Tyrant’s servant, acting as a still more level-headed confidant for her to defer to, should she not particularly enjoy her master’s company. It still possesses the same amount of snark and dry wit, but expresses these moreso at the expense of those that the Dragon Tyrant dislikes, rather than everything going on as it once did when she was sealed. It will occasionally still call Hollófernyiges ‘Princess’ as it did in her unsealed form, but notably the Dragon Tyrant seems to get more annoyed at being called this, insisting that she be referred to properly as a King, in which the Horse of Yega usually relents its teasing in this matter.
Parameters Strength: D* Endurance: B* Agility: D* Mana: A Luck: D
Class Skills
Riding: EX
A Class Skill of Rider and Saber class Servants, denoting the ability to ride mounts and vehicles. Rider-class Servants will typically possess a high rank. It is said that dragon type mounts are an exception, requiring a different ability other than Riding.
All vehicles and all creatures up to the level of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast can be used as mounts. Hollófernyiges is able to ride anything, including other dragons as the one once known as the Dragon Tyrant, as her memories are not sealed even in her base form.
Magic Resistance: C+
A skill that grants protection against magical effects. At C-rank, this cancels spells which have two verses or below.
However, once unsealed, Hollófernyiges gains a correction of + permanently, due to the seals having suppressed any potent effects the Dragon Emperor could use for combat.
Personal Skills
Claws of the Raven: A
A skill which represents Hollófernyiges’s extreme degree of proficiency in dicing opponents into chunks blisteringly fast, earning them the nickname “Ravenclaw”.
The sealed variant of this, available in her first form, allows for Rider to, however limited, project slashes from arm movements as ranged attacks, as if the Dragon King’s swipes were so strong that they projected outwards, slicing through the air itself. Due to the clumsy movements afforded by her restrained hands and the three seals placed upon her via means of the cuffs, these attacks are not very strong (using only her base STR stat), and are fairly telegraphed with the movements which have to be made. Thus, it is only really viable at close ranges and point blank in lieu of a melee weapon.
Unsealed however, is the true power of this skill. The range and firepower of the slashes are dramatically increased to the equivalent of a Shadow of Dragons Attack, as anything that is not a Servant will be sliced through like butter, up to and including entire buildings. It also allows these attacks to be far more numerous, allowing Hollófernyiges to set up incredibly brutal kill zones. Enhancing these attacks with the Dragon Reactor allows for her attacks to exceed its existing Shadow of Dragons level of strength and travel significantly faster-- these attacks also becoming engulfed in flames which will explode on contact with the ground, leaving behind flames in their wake. Of course, the same lethality of the cuts applies to the physical blade itself as well.
The King’s Scales: A A skill which is emblematic of the claim made by the other dragons throughout the land that even united in their strength, they would never be able to defeat Rider. To these ends, in her sealed initial form, this skill allows Rider to gain physical invulnerability in one specific area of the body at a time against all forms of attack, selected either every hour or right as she expects a fight. This is a handy skill to assist Rider’s longevity with her otherwise frail body.
At its full strength, this skill allows Hollófernyiges to completely resist any form of attack. However, any attacks directed at her wings in dragon form will still deal regular damage as a weak spot, and any attack which would hit her scapula (that is to say where one might imagine wings sprouting out) will damage her in much the same vein. Weapons which have managed to slay a dragon may ignore this effect, but will still have their damage reduced by the equivalent of two ranks.
Dragon Core (Tyrant): A
As the strongest dragon in the land, it is unsurprising that the Tyrant receives a core of her own. In her starting, sealed form, Rider cannot count on the core much at all, as the three seals placed upon her do their job rather impressively. This reduces the dragon core to a nearly ‘dead’ skill, where the only benefit it provides is higher passive mana regeneration seeping through the seals with its strength, making her base form an efficient Servant in terms of mana economy.
When the seals are undone, the Dragon Core is free to exert the fullest of its powers upon Hollófernyiges, becoming a titanically powerful mana generator and performance enhancer simultaneously. Regarding anything she does, Hollófernyiges may choose to enhance it by means of channeling Mana from her reactor into said action. This applies to things as simple as running and jumping, to actions as fearsome as breathing her flames or resisting physical attacks. It should be mentioned that whilst the core is incredibly potent, it can short out for a short period if overloaded, which will usually force her to withdraw.
Noble Phantasms
「The Five-Legged Steed」 Horse of Yega
Rank: A NP Type: Anti-Army Range: - Maximum Number of Targets: 500 Description: The magical, monstrous steed that Hollófernyiges once rode. A phantasmal beast, it is an equestrian being with five legs which could fly so long as all legs remained intact. This sentient talking horse is leaps and bounds quicker than any other, to the point that when queried on if they would be able to catch up to some fleeing adversaries, it loudly declared that Hollófernyiges could go about many daily errands, and still catch them easily. It was said to traverse “twenty miles in twenty steps”.
To represent its blistering speed, with every step it takes, the Horse of Yega may choose to engage in an instantaneous sprint, be it a short distance or a long one with a maximum range of one mile per step. When provided with ample mana reserves, this may be incredibly dangerous, as each step represents a possible repositioning, and all flanks are no longer safe. Otherwise, it is an incredibly quick endurance runner, and at most levels of mana will likely hold back greatly on its true sprinting potential. Whilst its speed in endurance is unrivalled on the ground and formidable even in the sky, it must rely on trampling whatever foe it wishes to inflict harm on as physical attacks, or rely on the Dragon Tyrant herself, which tends to be difficult in the sealed form she starts off in. All defenses are shared between Rider and the Horse of Yega whilst she is riding it aside from the effects of The King’s Scales.
Rank: EX NP Type: Anti-Army Range: 0~1000 Maximum Number of Targets: 999 Description: The crystallization of Hollófernyiges in the form feared most by all. Sealed behind a set of seemingly rotting wooden cuffs is a fearsome dragon which was said to be able to defeat every single dragon in the land combined, one who ruled over their kin most unfairly to service their selfish desires. An unstoppable force of nature, unkillable to anyone in the land, only repressible by means of the three great seals placed upon their wrists. Three great acts of generosity are needed to undo these seals, such as attempting to break them with command spells. Initially placed upon the King as a punishment to eventually rehabilitate her, the strongest dragon’s will is never so easily beaten down. When the cuffs finally fall…
Fernyiges, the Dragon Emperor, rises at last.
This is the true form of Hollófernyiges, an enormous, 25 meter tall black dragon which overshadows even most of their fellow kin. Hollófernyiges is no longer sealed, and receives all the boons as a Dragon of the Phantasmal Beast class, unquantifiable statistically, as she exceeds the frail visage of humanity once seen in her sealed form. Her dragon core, unsealed, is now finally free to exert its immense increase in power, in addition to the bonuses she already receives. All of her skills are unsealed, allowing them to now operate at their maximum strength.
On the more miscellaneous side, Hollófernyiges may transform into a humanoid form, but one which cannot fly. It is still classed as a Phantasmal Beast Dragon, but possesses less firepower in exchange for finesse. This is useful so that she may continue to ride Horse of Yega, still benefiting from its instantaneous sprint potential. In this humanoid form, she now dons an enormous and strong, but nimble blade-- emblematic of the King’s great claws-- which allow for her Claws of the Raven skill to reach much further ranges, and exert much more firepower due to the sword being an actual weapon, as well as the King’s true claws in dragon form. In both forms, Hollófernyiges gains access to a powerful flame breath as a secondary form of attack, which decreases in range in humanoid form. Calling upon its true name will allow Hollófernyiges to unleash a truly colossal fireball from her mouth with this method, which remains the same size no matter which form is assumed when doing so.
(Note: The ‘cuffs’ are symbolic. Hollófernyiges is able to move her hands around like any other, but can’t take advantage of her skills unless she joins her hands together to form the cuffs. When not fighting, she doesn’t like keeping them on her, so will cover up the seals with things like bracelets.)
True Name: Hollófernyiges Titles: Black King Fernigesh, The Dragon Tyrant Class: Rider Gender: Female Era: 12th Century Alignment: Chaotic Good Chaotic Neutral
Attribute: Earth
History
Once upon a time, upon the cold, wet plains of Eastern Europe, there was a land which would one day become known as ‘Hungary’, lorded over by the most supreme beings in all the sky, earth, and sea-- dragons. Enormous reptilian creatures which represented the pinnacle of mother nature’s design, symbols of strength, nobility, good and evil all at the same time. Hope and fear, oppression and freedom. Far before humans ever set about claiming this land in the name of man, the dragons played in games of their own, complex conflicts jockeying over power, over territory, over their vain egos and pride. It was a cruel existence, all things told-- where at the end of the day, what mattered was strength and the smarts applied to it.
Hollófernyiges was not always the dragon that the prison of history remembers her as.
The clan of dragons that Hollófernyiges’s draconic parents belonged to was nothing particularly special. A medium sized faction, it neither commanded great lands, nor came to be dominated under the big three. It stayed out of the great games of power, electing to remain on the sidelines and do dealings with those who would come and go. A middleman which benefited all, and which all benefited from, protected by the guarantees that a move by one would provoke a move of protection by the others.
Thus, when the one to be known as Hollófernyiges hatched, she seemed destined for a comfortable, but mostly uneventful life among her draconic kin. As loving parents do, they treated her as their own ‘princess’, a title which little Hollófernyiges came to love, playing immature games of faux-royalty as she lived a dream of being a noble and fair ruler over her own little fiefdom. But in these merriments and games of pretend came the seeds for ideals and convictions to take root.
Dragons, her parents told her, were cruel.
Why…?
The games that the grown-up dragons played, violent and full of deceit.
How come…?
The reality of their world, that heartlessness wins, and that all the good could do to survive was to keep their heads low.
But… Was it always this way? Things changed all the time. If nobody tried, how could anyone know for sure?
Little Hollófernyiges was not convinced. There had to be a way to achieve peace amongst dragonkind, to get everybody to live harmoniously together. To stop them from being evil, to stop the cycle of violence once and for all!
So, the young Dragon started spending her time with the boys her age, joining in on their sparring and half-play fighting, alongside living a double faux-life as her parents’ most beloved princess. To say she was a natural at fighting would be an incredible understatement. Even at a young age, she possessed something of an acumen for it, which swiftly earned her the respect of her family’s youth.
Years and decades passed as she grew into a fine dragon indeed, conventionally attractive, intelligent, and with a certain talent for engaging in physical acts a dragon of her gender absolutely was never expected to engage in. With the same ideals in her heart as the ones she had formed so long ago, she stepped into the draconic political space as one of her family’s representatives. The role was intended, as always, to act as a way for the family to corral favor with the three great clans. Just like all the others in attendance, to act subservient.
But Hollófernyiges was, in secret, not cooperating.
Between diplomatic sessions, she talked to the other, weaker clans. Between offerings of honorifics and tribute to the great dragons of the land, she spread her ideals to those not considered the greats. With every adjournment came plotting, planning, dreaming for a beautiful and equitable future. The foundations of cooperation, of the weak striving forwards together. Of the good-natured and hard-working seeking to build a beautiful tomorrow for themselves, and not for the whims of the tyrants above.
Centuries passed.
Through these efforts, the weak banded together, and bided their time. The great diplomat Hollófernyiges continued to rise in status in both the world above, and the underground world she had been so carefully masterminding. Duels were even won in defense of her prestigious position, duels which she never lost, even when foul play was afoot.
Then it came. The great draconic war everyone was fearing, fought between the Clan of the Six Heads, Clan of the Twelve Heads, and the Clan of the Twenty-Four Heads. For all their size and ferocity, they had expected all of their would-be allies to rise up and fight on their behalf as vassals, or to sit the war out.
Unfortunately for them, Hollófernyiges had other plans.
The web so meticulously constructed sprung into action, as clan after clan suffered varying coups, defecting to a united front of the idealistic and honorable. Ones who sought to overthrow the old world’s order to create their utopia, where all dragons had a say.
The subsequent four-way war was violent indeed, but Hollófernyiges insisted that they stick to their ideals and honor, to prove themselves better than their opponents. The war stretched on and on, with Hollófernyiges taking to the front. In keeping with codes of honor, any dragons the mighty Hollófernyiges bested in battle were allowed to return home alive, and as she was the brunt of their fighting power, this left the united front in a constant stalemate as losses mounted, imperceptibly slowly.
Even more decades crawled by.
With no end in sight, the dragon heading the Clan of the Twenty-Four heads decided that something must be done to break the stalemate. One of these factions had to go, for any of the surviving three to stand a real chance against one another. And so, they elected to strike at the faction they saw as the most weak and vulnerable, the one full of bleeding hearts and hopeful romantics. The United Front. Whilst Hollófernyiges was doing battle with her followers, a strike team snuck into their base of operations, only to massacre everyone that they could. To get them to shatter, they had struck at their very foundation, expecting them to break.
Hollófernyiges returned to find many of their friends and close compatriots dead and critically injured. Worst of all… Her parents didn’t make it out alive, having fought to the death but lacking the strength to save even themselves.
Something within the kind Dragon’s heart broke that day.
Gone were the pretenses of honors, the strict adherence to ideals. Hollófernyiges threw the fair conduct she had been committing to out with the wind, tightening her grip on every single kind of power. Throwing more and more of her own dragons into the meat grinder, getting more and more personally engaged in destroying the enemies to her polluted dreams, the Dragon Empress finally reigned as King of the ashes, a century after the war’s start-- imprisoning the leaders of the former three clans and enacting a great purge upon the survivors whilst placing preferential treatment on her own.
This was fine. It was necessary for her to realize her dream of a safe, secure future for dragonkind. For herself. Meaningful progress was never made to the world system under pacifistic bleeding hearts. She’d gladly take the sacrificial role to make that dream come true.
But she just needed to be a little more sure. She needed to secure a future where those who had fought with her would be able to finally carve out the future they so desperately fought for.
Just a few more purges. Just a few more banishments, imprisonments, tortures.
Besides, they had been so cruel and evil for so long, what was a bit of justly-deserved retribution, eh?
She built for herself a metaphorical castle, to protect herself and those whom she considered close. Never again would anything come to harm her, or her followers. Not even when her methods grew more cruel and persistent.
The Dragon Tyrant hadn’t expected that the very people who would doubtlessly come to fall in love with that tattered dream that they all shared would come to rise up against her rule. But they did indeed. A great civil war, a ‘war in heaven’, so to speak. Some time into the fighting, a little voice nagged at Hollófernyiges. A voice thought long forgotten and discarded. The side of her which promised to embody the ideals she entered these bloody conflicts with, to prove her family wrong.
And so, she retired from the fighting, leaving the dream in the hands of the ones who still possessed the idealism and bleeding hearts that she now saw herself as lacking. She retired to a little den in a small cave, observing silently, and being sure never to be spotted.
In relative terms, the bearers of those dreams… Fell immediately to the advance of the rebellion.
How could this be?
Why, why?! They believed in her ideals so hard. She had spent so long cultivating them within her followers. She had told them time and time again of the wonderful world they were to build together.
Ah… That’s right. She had forgotten something.
Ideals alone would never be enough to build a kingdom.
Without the strength to fight for it themselves, they were just empty words.
And so emerged Hollófernyiges, the great Dragon Emperor-turned-tyrant. Her following had diminished greatly to defectors, deserters, and overall combat losses to these revolutionaries which sought to re-establish their wicked status quo. But Hollófernyiges was the strongest of them all. If there was anyone who could restore control, it would be her. And so she continued to fight, backing up what little remained of her ideals with her own strength as proof of her convictions. The situation seemed to be improving.
But the three heads of the three great clans had been released, and they fought as one.
They could never defeat Hollófernyiges, of course. But they had a plan.
Through considerable effort and nearly every single dragon that yet remained in this revolution’s demise, they managed to throw the great Dragon Emperor to the ground, only to swiftly place one mighty seal each upon her, reducing her form to a weak, pitiable young girl. With their leader neutralized, what little remained of her following finally dissipated at last, as the three great clans placed a punishment of eternal imprisonment upon the one who once ruled over it all, as they gradually hunted down and eliminated everyone who had once helped the one who sought to overturn the draconic order.
At the end of it all, only four of their kind remained. But the seals kept the once-magnificent Dragon Emperor in check, and the survivors imparted all kinds of abuse in retribution for what they perceived as injustices which had been brought upon them, especially by such an upstart.
Eventually, the race known as ‘humanity’ came to inhabit the great plains and hills of the land, staking a claim of their own.
Hollófernyiges watched them build their villages, cities, castles, and civilization from her tower’s windows. The type of life that she imagined that her cause would one day create.
But she saw in them the same fragility of those whose ideals crumbled at the smallest bit of resistance.
These people would be the perfect subjects to re-establish her ‘Kingdom of dreams’ upon the world. To end suffering and pain once and for all, and to ensure prosperity for all. She just had to find a way to break these damned seals.
…Then one day, a hero by the name of János Vitéz came by to visit. What a handsome man he was.
And what a pretty lady he had brought with him. So pretty. The most beautiful thing the Dragon had ever seen. She wanted her. She needed her… Only when she had a love so innocent and from the heart would she then feel secure in herself.
Hollófernyiges asked, weakened by all the years of neglect and abuse, for a drink of water.
The hero, generous as he was, went down and to a distant well, giving a drink to the poor, pitiable girl.
This repeated two more times… Then SNAP! The cuffs fell. The great figure, once repressed, sprouted into its full magnificence once more. The Dragon Tyrant made her escape, her future beloved in tow.
The hero had attempted to pursue her, but with her trademark technique, she sliced him into many pieces with not too much effort at all. How pitiable… At least he had the strength to back up his own desires.
Hollófernyiges treated the woman lavishly to all the luxuries she could which had once been stashed away. But this did not convince her, neither did it convince the hero, who refused to give up-- seemingly defying death itself whilst coming back. Right from under her nose, the hero managed to sneak the woman away, and once the Dragon Emperor grew privy to this fact, she rushed to her stables, and leapt upon her most trusted five-legged steed.
They took off, and Hollófernyiges asked the great horse if they could catch the fleeing hero. It laughed and proudly declared that they could go about many daily errands, and still catch them handily. As promised, it took merely a moment for her to catch up, as the great horse could travel twenty miles in twenty steps. Hollófernyiges declared to the hero that she would let him live, so long as he relinquished the woman back into the dragon’s care. But he refused. He fought. Were her sense of justice not so worn down, so tired out, so weak at this point, she may have been tempted to relinquish the woman right there. But the world had taken so much from her. It had taken everything. She didn’t want to lose anything. Not ever again.
He refused. A great battle in the sky commenced, The hero was tenacious. He was witty, agile, able to constantly just barely avoid death through a combination of his own ability, pure luck, and the determination to do what he thought was right. He struck multiple times at the great dragon, and nothing happened. But he kept struggling, unlike the dragons who had betrayed their cause during the times of their first revolution. There was a certain feeling of irony, welling up within the dragon’s heart as she exchanged blows with him, riding upon the five-legged steed. If everyone had been like him, instead of looking after themselves, none of this would have to happen. She could have invited this great hero into her draconic domain, where all were happy, where all loved, where all frolicked and treated one another as equals.
But this would never happen.
Especially since the great hero managed a great strike at the horse’s leg.
With a great tumble, the Tyrant began to fall.
Fall, fall, fall.
Panic. Rage. Doubts. But no fear. She had discarded that long ago. She didn’t have enough time to transform before she was to hit the ground, and be vanquished for good. During the fall, she watched as the victorious Hero departed with his beloved, and sighed wistfully to herself. Every emotion she felt in these eternal seconds gradually melted away one by one, to leave a final train of thought.
Perhaps that for all the effort she had put in…
She supposed that even she was too naive to truly be worthy of that dream.
And so, Hollófernyiges, the Dragon Emperor, great Tyrant over all dragonkind accepted it all.
It was a long way down…
If she had the chance to do it over, however, well…
…Well, that’d never happen.
Right?
Personality Personality Overview: When it comes to Rider, her looks are not all that far from what one might expect of her personality. Innocent, oblivious, full of energy and childlike curiosity. However, this does not mean that she is to be underestimated. If nothing else, Rider possesses determination-- leaps and bounds of it, and seems to be very intelligent for someone of their stature to match this level of bravery and supplement it nicely. Though one may need to remain patient with her given her seemingly airheaded and oblivious nature outside of battle, there lie all the things needed for a powerful warrior to take root. Sharp reflexes, great analytical skills, and tactical cunning. Though, one may have to stop her from attempting to befriend every opponent she fights, and encourage her to go for the kill rather than showing mercy.
The Horse of Yega seems supportive of the girl in all of these matters, often calling her ‘princess’, much to the girl’s visible glee. He seems to serve as a more level-headed translator of her sometimes immature speech littered with childish rhetoric and allegories. It often feeds into her imaginative tangents, seemingly seeking to please and entertain the young girl at almost any and all times. Regarding external events, it will often commentate on them with a certain dry wit, whether it be regarding opponents, allies, or even Rider’s own master. The only time that they drop these mannerisms is regarding Rider herself, which the Horse of Yega treats like the royalty it often refers to her as.
. . .
Hollófernyiges is a callous, taciturn woman who possesses a great deal of selfishness and avarice towards her many worldly desires. To the Dragon Tyrant, strength in being and strength of personality are what matter first and foremost, and even then, she possesses arrogance in the unshakable belief that she is the strongest, and rightfully so as one who claims the title of the most feared in the land. Even when challenged by great odds, she retains the bravery seen in her sealed form, refusing to back down and withdraw unless her more analytical side tells her that the situation is well and truly disadvantageous.
In stark contrast to her sealed self, she appears to be a disillusioned cynic who no longer believes in any one ideal. She only lives for herself and to protect that which she has decided is worth protecting-- which usually tend to be things that can feed her appetite for material possessions to fill the void in her heart. One can say that this could be because of her past of exploitation and abuse by her draconic kin before rising to become the Dragon Tyrant, but telling her this will lead to an almost uncharacteristic flare in rage towards the one who gave her such a reminder.
For those who mistreated her in her unsealed form when she was weak and relatively helpless, she will waste no time ‘executing’ them. But for those who treated her well in spite of her diminished stature, in spite of the possible disappointment at seemingly not summoning a great hero, she treats with the level of sheer adoration as she does her most prized possessions. Being the subject of Hollófernyiges is thus seen by her as a privilege, and is not something to be denied should one value their personal wellbeing.
The Horse of Yega, meanwhile, reveals its true nature as one who seems to be a loyal servant to Hollófernyiges. No longer having to play along with any childish games or shenanigans, it more or less appears to embrace its nature as the Dragon Tyrant’s servant, acting as a still more level-headed confidant for her to defer to, should she not particularly enjoy her master’s company. It still possesses the same amount of snark and dry wit, but expresses these moreso at the expense of those that the Dragon Tyrant dislikes, rather than everything going on as it once did when she was sealed. It will occasionally still call Hollófernyiges ‘Princess’ as it did in her unsealed form, but notably the Dragon Tyrant seems to get more annoyed at being called this, insisting that she be referred to properly as a King, in which the Horse of Yega usually relents its teasing in this matter.
Parameters Strength: D* Endurance: B* Agility: D* Mana: A Luck: D
Class Skills
Riding: EX
A Class Skill of Rider and Saber class Servants, denoting the ability to ride mounts and vehicles. Rider-class Servants will typically possess a high rank. It is said that dragon type mounts are an exception, requiring a different ability other than Riding.
All vehicles and all creatures up to the level of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast can be used as mounts. Hollófernyiges is able to ride anything, including other dragons as the one once known as the Dragon Tyrant, as her memories are not sealed even in her base form.
Magic Resistance: C+
A skill that grants protection against magical effects. At C-rank, this cancels spells which have two verses or below.
However, once unsealed, Hollófernyiges gains a correction of + permanently, due to the seals having suppressed any potent effects the Dragon Emperor could use for combat.
Personal Skills
Claws of the Raven: A
A skill which represents Hollófernyiges’s extreme degree of proficiency in dicing opponents into chunks blisteringly fast, earning them the nickname “Ravenclaw”.
The sealed variant of this, available in her first form, allows for Rider to, however limited, project slashes from arm movements as ranged attacks, as if the Dragon King’s swipes were so strong that they projected outwards, slicing through the air itself. Due to the clumsy movements afforded by her restrained hands and the three seals placed upon her via means of the cuffs, these attacks are not very strong (using only her base STR stat), and are fairly telegraphed with the movements which have to be made. Thus, it is only really viable at close ranges and point blank in lieu of a melee weapon.
Unsealed however, is the true power of this skill. The range and firepower of the slashes are dramatically increased to the equivalent of a Shadow of Dragons Attack, as anything that is not a Servant will be sliced through like butter, up to and including entire buildings. It also allows these attacks to be far more numerous, allowing Hollófernyiges to set up incredibly brutal kill zones. Enhancing these attacks with the Dragon Reactor allows for her attacks to exceed its existing Shadow of Dragons level of strength and travel significantly faster-- these attacks also becoming engulfed in flames which will explode on contact with the ground, leaving behind flames in their wake. Of course, the same lethality of the cuts applies to the physical blade itself as well.
The King’s Scales: A A skill which is emblematic of the claim made by the other dragons throughout the land that even united in their strength, they would never be able to defeat Rider. To these ends, in her sealed initial form, this skill allows Rider to gain physical invulnerability in one specific area of the body at a time against all forms of attack, selected either every hour or right as she expects a fight. This is a handy skill to assist Rider’s longevity with her otherwise frail body.
At its full strength, this skill allows Hollófernyiges to completely resist any form of attack. However, any attacks directed at her wings in dragon form will still deal regular damage as a weak spot, and any attack which would hit her scapula (that is to say where one might imagine wings sprouting out) will damage her in much the same vein. Weapons which have managed to slay a dragon may ignore this effect, but will still have their damage reduced by the equivalent of two ranks.
Dragon Core (Tyrant): A
As the strongest dragon in the land, it is unsurprising that the Tyrant receives a core of her own. In her starting, sealed form, Rider cannot count on the core much at all, as the three seals placed upon her do their job rather impressively. This reduces the dragon core to a nearly ‘dead’ skill, where the only benefit it provides is higher passive mana regeneration seeping through the seals with its strength, making her base form an efficient Servant in terms of mana economy.
When the seals are undone, the Dragon Core is free to exert the fullest of its powers upon Hollófernyiges, becoming a titanically powerful mana generator and performance enhancer simultaneously. Regarding anything she does, Hollófernyiges may choose to enhance it by means of channeling Mana from her reactor into said action. This applies to things as simple as running and jumping, to actions as fearsome as breathing her flames or resisting physical attacks. It should be mentioned that whilst the core is incredibly potent, it can short out for a short period if overloaded, which will usually force her to withdraw.
Noble Phantasms
「The Five-Legged Steed」 Horse of Yega
Rank: A NP Type: Anti-Army Range: - Maximum Number of Targets: 500 Description: The magical, monstrous steed that Hollófernyiges once rode. A phantasmal beast, it is an equestrian being with five legs which could fly so long as all legs remained intact. This sentient talking horse is leaps and bounds quicker than any other, to the point that when queried on if they would be able to catch up to some fleeing adversaries, it loudly declared that Hollófernyiges could go about many daily errands, and still catch them easily. It was said to traverse “twenty miles in twenty steps”.
To represent its blistering speed, with every step it takes, the Horse of Yega may choose to engage in an instantaneous sprint, be it a short distance or a long one with a maximum range of one mile per step. When provided with ample mana reserves, this may be incredibly dangerous, as each step represents a possible repositioning, and all flanks are no longer safe. Otherwise, it is an incredibly quick endurance runner, and at most levels of mana will likely hold back greatly on its true sprinting potential. Whilst its speed in endurance is unrivalled on the ground and formidable even in the sky, it must rely on trampling whatever foe it wishes to inflict harm on as physical attacks, or rely on the Dragon Tyrant herself, which tends to be difficult in the sealed form she starts off in. All defenses are shared between Rider and the Horse of Yega whilst she is riding it aside from the effects of The King’s Scales.
Rank: EX NP Type: Anti-Army Range: 0~1000 Maximum Number of Targets: 999 Description: The crystallization of Hollófernyiges in the form feared most by all. Sealed behind a set of seemingly rotting wooden cuffs is a fearsome dragon which was said to be able to defeat every single dragon in the land combined, one who ruled over their kin most unfairly to service their selfish desires. An unstoppable force of nature, unkillable to anyone in the land, only repressible by means of the three great seals placed upon their wrists. Three great acts of generosity are needed to undo these seals, such as attempting to break them with command spells. Initially placed upon the King as a punishment to eventually rehabilitate her, the strongest dragon’s will is never so easily beaten down. When the cuffs finally fall…
Fernyiges, the Dragon Emperor, rises at last.
This is the true form of Hollófernyiges, an enormous, 25 meter tall black dragon which overshadows even most of their fellow kin. Hollófernyiges is no longer sealed, and receives all the boons as a Dragon of the Phantasmal Beast class, unquantifiable statistically, as she exceeds the frail visage of humanity once seen in her sealed form. Her dragon core, unsealed, is now finally free to exert its immense increase in power, in addition to the bonuses she already receives. All of her skills are unsealed, allowing them to now operate at their maximum strength.
On the more miscellaneous side, Hollófernyiges may transform into a humanoid form, but one which cannot fly. It is still classed as a Phantasmal Beast Dragon, but possesses less firepower in exchange for finesse. This is useful so that she may continue to ride Horse of Yega, still benefiting from its instantaneous sprint potential. In this humanoid form, she now dons an enormous and strong, but nimble blade-- emblematic of the King’s great claws-- which allow for her Claws of the Raven skill to reach much further ranges, and exert much more firepower due to the sword being an actual weapon, as well as the King’s true claws in dragon form. In both forms, Hollófernyiges gains access to a powerful flame breath as a secondary form of attack, which decreases in range in humanoid form. Calling upon its true name will allow Hollófernyiges to unleash a truly colossal fireball from her mouth with this method, which remains the same size no matter which form is assumed when doing so.
(Note: The ‘cuffs’ are symbolic. Hollófernyiges is able to move her hands around like any other, but can’t take advantage of her skills unless she joins her hands together to form the cuffs. When not fighting, she doesn’t like keeping them on her, so will cover up the seals with things like bracelets.)
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