NAME: Penbun
AGE: 27
CONTACT: PM @ hiddeninfidelity
CURRENT CHARACTERS & LATEST AC: N/A
RESERVATION LINK: http://fairyfoes.dreamwidth.org/2216.html?thread=916904#cmt916904
( CHARACTER ★ INFORMATION )
NAME & AGE: Mordred | Saber of Red | 15 or so physically and mentally, unknown chronologically.
CANON & CANON POINT:
Fate/Apocrypha, Post-Volume 2
CANON INFORMATION:
Fate/Apocrypha is an alternate-universe version of Fate/stay night that split from the normal timeline after the events of the Third Grail War. Whereas in F/SN after the Third Grail War the hatred of the servant known as Avenger would corrupt the Grail and bring ruin to both the Fourth and Fifth Grail Wars, in the World of Fate/Apocrypha, the Grail was instead stolen by an organization known as Yggdmillennia.
Around the time the Fifth Grail War would take place in the main timeline, Yggdmillennia declares not only their secession from the Magus Association but also that they were the ones who stole the Grail following the Third War.
This leads to the beginning of what comes to be called the “Grand Grail War,” in which 14 servants, the seven that would be normally summoned plus seven more summoned under an obscure reserve system normally only invoked if all seven Magi in a single Grail War decided to collaborate, fighting in teams of seven over the right to the Grail. The Yggdmillennia then title themselves the Black Faction, while the Magus Association declares themselves the Red Faction.
Mordred herself is summoned to fight in the Grail War by a man named Kairi Sisigou, who used a wooden shard of the Round Table as a catalyst during her summoning.
PERSONALITY:
Created by the sorceress Morgan le Fay via magical means, Mordred was born to help her mother to destroy Morgan's sister, Arturia, and her kingdom. To this end, Mordred used her keen skills and dedication to the ideals of knighthood to win a place among the legendary Knights of the Round Table, though she hid her face beneath a horned helmet to conceal her true identity and unmistakable resemblance to the king she so admired. However, upon being told of her origins as an artificial human conceived by sorcery from the flesh of the king himself, Mordred began to see herself as a superior human of sorts via her blood connection to Arturia, whom she viewed with child-like eyes as a great person and leader, and fancied herself the true heir to the throne and to her father's legacy.
However, this pride would not last for long, as Arturia eventually rejected Mordred and refused to acknowledge the artificial girl as her child. This shattered Mordred's view of the world and of her “father,” and eventually caused her to sow the seeds of rebellion and unrest in the kingdom while Arturia was away. The end result of all this was the meeting of the two once last time at the Battle of Camlann, where mother and daughter fought atop a hill, and, though Arthur managed to pierce Mordred with a holy spear, a counterattack from Modred sealed her mother's fate as well, as she would later die of the wounds inflicted by her own child.
After her death, Mordred's spirit would come to rest in the Throne of Heroes, the receptacle from which heroes from throughout mankind's history are called to do battle once more in the Holy Grail War. In particular, she would be summoned into what would be know as the Grand Grail War, an event in which two factions, Red and Black, clashed over the right to claim the grail for themselves.
After being summoned into the modern world, it does not take long for Mordred's master to discover the true identity of the helmeted knight he had summoned, for she almost immediately destroys the piece of the Round Table that had been used to summon her in the first place, suggesting that she was a person who had powerful negative feelings towards her past in the knighthood. This lingering resentment of her past, and especially of her less-than-ideal relationship with Arturia, forms a large basis of Mordred's personality in the present, to the point that she will become angry if any mention of the Round Table, her father, or even her own gender is made in her presence as quoted in the following exchange between Mordred and her master:
“Saber said, and the face-covering helm split and merged with the armor. When she revealed her face, Shishigou could not close his opened mouth.
"You're a girl...?"
No, perhaps he was a boy. In any case, the knight had quite a youthful appearance. This was so unexpected that Shishigou let his words slip out without thinking, and did not notice the knight's mood immediately worsening.
"Do not say that again."
"Say... what?"
Her chilling, murderous growl brought Shishigou back down to earth.
"Call me that again, and I will be unable to restrain myself."
The glint in her eyes told him of her killing intent. Shishigou's instinct whispered to him that she was serious.
"...Okay, my bad. I won't say it again."
The fact that Mordred seems to paradoxically worship and loathe her father puzzles her master, and often makes him question just where Mordred's true feelings on the matter lie. Beneath the surface, however, the matter is a bit more complicated, as Mordred's motivation to act as she did both in the past and during the Grail War was prove to Arturia, and to herself, that she was worthy of being both the king's son and the heir to the throne.
And so great was Mordred's desire to prove herself to her father that, when questioned about what she would wish for if she somehow managed to win the Grail War, Mordred responded that she would like the chance to attempt to remove the sword Caliburn from the stone just as Artuia had as a girl, in effect giving herself a chance to show with concrete evidence to that she was worthy of being the heir to the throne and her father's legacy. Mordred's desire to be loved by her father is best summed up in the final exchange between father and son during their flast battle
“—I hate you, I hate you. I hate you, the perfect king. I hate you, who didn’t acknowledge my existence. Even though I was happy to be in your shadow. You never once turned around to face me.
—That’s why this is a natural punishment, King Arthur. I destroyed everything, everything you1 had!
“Do you hate me!? Do you hate me that much!? Did you hate me for being Morgan’s son!? Answer me… answer me, Arthur!!”
At that shout, Arthur finally responded to her as they crossed swords. In a cold, completely emotionless voice, the king pronounced his verdict.
“I have never once hated you. The reason I did not hand the throne over to you is because—”
It is also worth noting that Mordred's relationship with her father has so come to define her as a person that it has been emblazoned upon her sword, which bears the name “Clarent Blood Arthur” and the title “Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father,” showcasing even in the name of her weaponry just how ingrained her convoluted relationship with Arturia has become in her legend over the years.
As mentioned previously, Mordred becomes angered if anyone refers to her by her gender – that is, referring to her as a woman or girl – for the simple fact that her own identity is highly tied to that of being the son of the king, whom, as far as she knew, was a man. To live up to and surpass the image of her father that lingers in her memories, Mordred's self-image is formed in such a way that, by her logic, she must share her father's perceived gender in order to stand on equal footing with the legendary King of Knights. Likewise, admitting herself as female would also mean that her father, of whom she is a nearly identical copy, was female as well, which would not fit the ideal image she had of Arturia, and thus would force Mordred to reevaluate her entire worldview.
Mordred is also an endlessly cocky girl who always seems to see herself as coming out on top of any given situation, calling herself the one person who overcame the King of Knights, and often gloats of her ability on the battlefield, though her master often thinks to himself that such an attitude may become an issue someday. She even goes so far as to claim that her victory in the Grail War, and thus her opportunity to wish to take up the same trial that her father did in order to become king, is a sure thing as seen in the following exchange:
“Of course, if Mordred manages to pull the sword from the stone, then she would be recognized as worthy of being king. However, there is one gaping hole in what she planned to wish for.
"Hey, can I just ask you one thing?"
"Yes?"
"Assuming the Grail grants your wish, what happens if you can't pull the sword out?"
If she wants to challenge the sword of appointment, then naturally there is the chance that she cannot draw the sword. There was not a single man in the country who was deemed worthy by the sword, after all. Mordred may carry the blood of Arthur, but it is truly questionable whether she can pull out the sword.
"What nonsense, Master. Of course I can pull the sword out!"
However, despite her time as a knight, Mordred also defines herself as someone who will do anything necessary to come out on top of a conflict, such as defeating several golems by throwing her sword, an unorthodox and risky move that most knights would never think to even try. When questioned about the matter by her master, Mordred simply states that she would do anything if it would help her win, including punching, kicking, and biting, if it came to down to it – adding that, to her, her swordplay is just another tool in her arsenal as seen as she bathes in the afterglow of a hard fought battle against the Black Factions Golems mentioned above:
“Saber gave a big stretch and skipped to the middle of the street where she spun round and round. The battle might have improved her mood, Shishigou thought faintly.
Stopping herself with one foot, Saber turned back to him and asked.
"Oh, yes - how did I do, Master?"
"Hmm?"
"What I mean is, what do you think of my fighting abilities? Well, the enemy was not a Servant, so I could not use my full strength..."
"Ah, that... Well, I'd have to say that you were incredible. You definitely showed me why you are a Saber-class Servant."
Saber puffed up proudly, looking satisfied.
"But throwing your sword at the end there? Really?"
"Don't be a fool, Master. The only thing that matters is that I win - nothing else. Swordsmanship is just another option in combat. I will punch, kick and bite if that is what it takes."
"...I agree completely."
Her mentality is so very close to his own that he almost wanted to shield his eyes from it.“
Off the battlefield, Mordred is a girl who sees herself as being above others and deserving of the finer things in life. This is seen when she asks her master to buy her clothing, mentioning that it should be no bother to simply drop a few coins on such an item for her and thinking it below her to sleep on the floor of the crypt that her master, a necromancer, had chosen as his base of operation for the war. As per the following back and forth, we can see that Mordred sees herself as a person of great stature who deserves the the best that life life has to offer due to her status as a knight:
“Saber is well within her rights to lament - the candles around them illuminated looming piles of bones. Two sleeping bags have been placed over a slightly more open area, seemingly an altar, confirming that Shishigou is planning on sleeping here.
"Don't be so demanding. There aren't many leylines of this quality, you know? This place will definitely help with recovering your prana."
"Damn the leylines. That's not the problem."
"Oh... are you scared?"
When Shishigou slapped his hands together in understanding, Saber made a face like a bellicose snapping turtle and yelled.
"No! I simply cannot stand this poor treatment! I was a knight! And even if I weren't, no one would be able to accept this!"
"Sigh... all right, fine. You can use that sleeping bag. It's more expensive, so it should be more comfy."
Mordred does possess something of a sense of honor, even noting on occasion that she would never go so far as to drag innocent bystanders into a conflict between magi and servants as seen when discussing the possibility of harm coming to common people with her master:
“Of course, one should have moderation in all things. A single death may cause little more than grief to those around them - but when one death becomes ten deaths, or a hundred deaths, public institutions will act. And if the situation becomes impossible for one person to conceal, the Association will act. That is why the fighting takes place at night, and why bounded fields should be placed before combat to turn back normal people.
But this is the Great Holy Grail War. Is there really a choice whether this city should be sacrificed to those heroes of myths and legends, called here to rampage about as they please? Besides, every stick and stone of Trifas belongs to the Yggdmillennia.
Saber remained unexpectedly quiet. A curious Shishigou turned around and saw that she was clearly cross.
"I would not stand for that."
"Stand for what?"
"Sacrificing the common folk. Why is it that magi never seem able to understand such a simple logic?"
Saber spat out in obvious disgust.
"Well, that's just what they are."
"Disgusting. I would never stoop so low, Master."
"Yeah, yeah... we'll try not to involve the peasantry, Your Highness."
This is partly because of her own sense of right and wrong, but also because Mordred believes that part of being a right and just king is looking out for the safety and well-being of the common folk – and, as Mordred believes herself the proper heir to the throne of Camelot, she holds herself to these standards as well.
It is also worth noting that Mordred does not like to be kept in her spiritual form as some servants do in order to make it easier to hide themselves from their rivals, but rather prefers her physical body because she prefers keeping her own two feet planted firmly on the ground, stating when speaking of the fact to her master:
“In any case, Shishigou walked up the dome-roofed staircase towards the designated location. Said to contain one hundred and seventy-two steps, this staircase as well as the Church on the Hill are both famous sights.
Suddenly, Saber spoke to Shishigou.
"...There's something I want you to do, Master."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Buy me some clothes."
For a while, Shishigou could not find the words to respond to this utterly unexpected request.
"...Why?"
"Staying in this form makes me ill at ease. I cannot calm myself without my own feet planted on the ground. And I cannot walk around the city, even during the day, whilst wearing this."
It is true that her 'clothes', or rather, full suit of armor could not possibly be worn in public. Then again, the majority of the Holy Grail War is to be conducted during the night, so it is not exactly a pressing need...
"Do this for me. I trust that my Master is not such a miser that he would begrudge sparing some coin for mere cloth?"
"...Guess I don't have much of a choice."
In all, Mordred is a girl with a complicated relationship with her past, yet one who is nevertheless fully capable of acting in the present as well. Though she is cocky, often looks down on others, and is sometimes quick to anger, she is capable of working with others that she deems worthy of her attention, as seen when she is finally able to say something positive about her master after a meeting between the two of them ,Shirou Kotomine, and his servant, the Assassin of Red. Though, naturally, given Mordred's stubborn and haughty personality, this same show of trust comes about in the form of a rather backhanded compliment:
“Shishigou reached the end of the stairs and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Still, he made Saber confirm that there was no presence of any Servants nearby.
"Actually, Master..."
"Yeah, what?"
"It's simply that... it comforts me to know that my Master is not a man who would give a price for trickery and deceit. Not that I'm greatly relieved, mind. Just... well."
With some hesitant wording, she voiced her praise. At the very least, he had managed to benefit greatly from refusing Shirou's proposal - the Master had gained the trust of his Servant.
"You're welcome. Now, we go to Trifas. If worse comes to worst, we could be dealing with every Servant in the war. You okay with that?"
Saber declared herself loudly in response.
"Leave everything to me, Master, for I am Mordred, the only knight to have surpassed my father!"
Shishigou accepted this internally. It is said that, in summoning a Servant, a Heroic Spirit with a mentality similar to the summoner's own will be chosen. And she truly did resemble him.
Yes... especially in her over-abundance of confidence.”
COURT ALLIANCE & REASONING:
UnSeelie: Though a knight by training and code of honor, Mordred is a person defined in legend as a force of treachery and deceit who tore apart an entire country merely in revenge for the slights that her own father had leveled against her. She is also by no means a completely terrible person, as envisioned by her going out of her way to avoid hurting civilians during the Holy Grail War, but is nevertheless described by her master as a person who will approached her battlefield in a state of madness that pushed her further and further as a means of revenge against her own flesh and blood. Had she drummed up rebellion, her master would go on to comment, as a “knight”, the sort of person she had been during her time as a member of the Round Table, she likely would not have gathered the throng of followers that she had rallied under the banner of toppling the fallen King of Knights from her lofty throne. Rather, at the time she had become a warrior of spurred on by her own blind rage, a state of mind that brought some to her side who desired only to see how far that Mordred would go in her quest for revenge.
It is this drive for change, for the destruction the of the king whom she had seen as having fallen from the grace and failed the very people he ruled, that would most likely spur Mordred to side with the Unseelie court. She is not a person who holds herself to closely to what would constitute the “rules” and instead operates on doing whatever befits the current situation. Besides the above mentioned rebellion and the spirit that drove Mordred to commit such acts, she is also known to do things in combat that no normal knight would ever think of doing. Whether throwing her sword, or even saying that she would go so far to bite and kick at foes if it would benefit her at the present moment, Mordred does not constrain herself to silly things like “honor” if it would obstruct her advancement in someway.
It is for these reasons that I feel that Mordred would find home in the Unseelie court.
ABILITIES:
Servant: As a hero summoned by the Holy Grail, Mordred is something of a spiritual being who's physical form is only bound to the mortal realm by a steady flow of mana provided to her by any Master she may be contracted to at the moment. This spiritual nature also gives her, as it does all Servants, the ability to take on a nearly invisible spirit form and imparted upon her a basic amount of information concerning the modern age.
Clarent Blood Arthur: Modred's most powerful Noble Phantasm that fires a wave of blood red magical energy from her sword. A technique much like her Father's Excalibur, Clarent Blood Arthur is a destructive force classified as an “Anti-Army” Noble Phantasm with a range of between 1 to 50 people. After its use, Mordred's small body is wracked with horrible pain, but, if her master is powerful enough, she will be able to move not long after invoking her demon sword.
Secret of Pedigree: A Noble Phantasm that prevents others from learning Mordred's name, class, and other characteristics as long as she is wearing her helmet. The effect persists even when she is not “wearing” her armor, such as when she is wearing the casual clothes her master had bought for her, but will be negated any time Mordred uses Clarent Blood Arthur, as that technique requires her to show her true face.
Knight: Aside from all of her super natural powers, Mordred is also a talented knight, having served as a member of the illustrious Knights of the Round Table for some time, and possess all of the talent and training that go along with the title. Meaning that she is competent in the use of swords and armor, and has some training in horse-back riding, as show by her above average score in the “Riding” skill as a Servant.
INVENTORY:
The sword Clarenet
Her armor
The outfit that her master bought for not long after arriving in Trifas.
Armor
Servant statistics
Class : Saber
Master:
Kairi Sisigou Strength: B+
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Mana: B
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: A
Class Skills
Magic Resistance: B
Riding: B
Personal Skills
Prana Burst: A
Instinct: B
Battle Continuation: B
Charisma: C
Noble Phantasms
Clarnet Blood Arthur: A+
Secret of Pedigree: C
