Name: Durendal: The Peerless Sword
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-Unit, Anti-Team
Range: 2-3, 1-10
The holy sword representative of the greatest Frankish hero.
The story goes that the sword of Trojan Hector, claimed after the Trojan War by the heavens and augmented by several holy relics, was given Charlemagne with the order to award it to the greatest of his knights. It is a splendidly forged symbol of power that was once denoted the greatest defender of Troy, and now signifies the greatest defender of Christendom.
The sword is unbreakable and unstoppable. Regardless of the owner’s magical energy, the sword does not lose its sharpness, and regardless of physical defense, the sword is capable of piercing it as long as it is not a Noble Phantasm.
Because of the Christian relics contained within its golden hilt, Durendal possesses three miracles related to the works of the saints that consecrate it. When its name is invoked, one of these miracles activates. These miracles are preselected with a prayer to the appropriate saint, but because the prayers require concentration, it cannot be performed in the midst of battle. Likewise, the effects of “Migraine” may prevent switching miracles even outside of battle. This effect can only be activated once per day.
The three miracles and the relic they are tied to are as follows:
- Blood of St. Basil of Caesarea: A miracle from the patron of exorcism known for fighting against heresies in life that allows for the smiting of evil. Berserker designates a target and if that target is of evil alignment, possesses undead/demonic/monstrous attributes or is connected to a non-Abrahamic divinity, damage equal to this Noble Phantasm’s rank is appended to all attacks as bonus damage. Otherwise it does nothing. This miracle persists until the battle ends. In legend, it is this ability that allowed Roland to fell a divine sea monster off the coast of Ebuda with a single blow, disrupting the ending the ritualistic human sacrifice that occurred to satisfy it. Of course, this act had its own consequences shortly afterward...
Because of St. Basil’s role as the father of monastic community and a staunch proponent for communal service, this is extended to allies who are within range and not valid targets for this miracle. - Hair of St. Denis: As the patron of France, St. Denis shares an important relationship with the France’s military. It is his name that the French armies invoke during battle, and his tomb by which the oriflamme, France’s battle standard, was consecrated. As a result, this miracle channels this aspect of the saint, in tandem with his associations with cephalophores and mental afflictions, to provide large-scale mental defense and the effects of Battle Continuation to those within Berserker’s presence regarded as allies.
- Tooth of St. Peter: In scripture, St. Peter was granted the Keys of Heaven and told that “whatever he bound(forbidden) on earth would be bound(forbidden) in heaven and whatever he loosed(permitted) on earth would be loosed in heaven(permitted)”. This miracle grants a lesser version of this effect. By thrusting the blade into the ground, a Bounded Field with the concept of is centered around the buried blade. Any attempt at hostile action taken within its range is challenged by a Luck check. Success means the action is allowed, but all parameters and skills of the offender suffer a rank down during the next battle with the target of their action. Failure prevents the action from occurring. That said, there is a glaring flaw in this protection…
It is through this effect that the ensures the temporary truce with the invulnerable Saracen giant Ferragut is maintained during their multiple-day duel for the city of Najera. But while this is a barrier of absolute neutrality, it is unfit for use in the midst of battle due to the side-effect of healing those under its aegis, which stems from a certain incident involving St. Peter, a sword, and a servant’s ear.
Due to the restrictions of the Berserker class, the anti-fortress Noble Phantasm “Durendal: Ultimate Unbroken Hallow” has not been granted, and petitioning the Virgin Mary has no effect.