Berserker (Fate/Crossover - Der Großmann)

**Berserker** (バーサーカー, *Bāsākā*) is the servant of ??? in the ??? Holy Grail War.

## Profile

### Identity

Berserker's true identity is **Der Großmann**, a supposed mythical creature associated with woodcuts carved by an unknown artist in 16th century Germany.

He was known as “The Tall Man”, “The Big Man”, “The Giant Man”, and many more. The legend states that Der Großmann is a fairy who lives in the Black Forest. Parents would warn their children not to go into the woods late at night or stay up too late. If they disobey their parents, Der Großmann takes them. The children that do go to the forest late at night get chased by Der Großmann. He will proceed to chase the children and once caught up, he will take them to a fate unknown. The chase would stop when the child returns home and confess to their parents that they have disobeyed their parent’s warnings and had gone to the forest. However, other stories were told differently.

Some stories tell that a way Der Großmann lures children into his forest is by haunting children, whispering voices in their head to come follow him. Those that do, again, gets taken away to a fate unknown. A few other stories state that Der Großmann would tap at the window of a child that stays up too late and he would take them to, as the legend repeats, a fate unknown.

The legend and origins of Der Großmann began from a story called the Die Geschichte des Ritters or The Tale of the Great and Noble Knight, a German folktale that based around the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg in South-West Germany. The story is about a brave knight known only as the Der Ritter, who was appointed by the church to slay a great evil who had been stealing children from a local village. It is thought to be one of the earliest examples of The Slenderman or Der Großmann as he would later be known as in Germany. At the time the Der Großmann was refered to as Der Namenlose (The unnameable/unspeakable one), and Der Unheilige (The Unholy).

What makes Der Großmann so fearful is that his existence is questionable. He may be real…or he may not be. Perhaps the majority who have encountered the tall man have never lived to tell the tale.

### Appearance

It’s told that Der Großmann is incredibly tall, really thin, and that he has multiple upper limbs which is reported to be either five or six limbs. That way, he can hide behind the trees of the Black Forest. Der Großmann uses his upper limbs to capture and take his victims away. His facial features, on the other hand, is described in many ways. Some say that he has pearl orbed eyes and no face. Others describe him to be faceless but left with a gruesome large smile.

The Der Großmann is also said to wear a piece of silver armor that resembles that of a medival knight.

## Abilities

Der Großmann is said to be capable of slowly driving victims to madness, can induce paranoia, give coughing fits to them, and can induce disorientation and dizziness, amnesia, and insomnia. He is even said to be capable of visiting them in horrendous nightmares that vary from person from person. Such victims are slowly driven to insanity by Der Großmann and are soon incapable of thought outside the realm of his fear. This induced insanity is said to weaken victims, making them more susceptible to his control. He loves to toy with his prey before finishing them off.

In some cases victims become mindless minions for Der Großmann, working to bring in more victims to him for his satisfaction. These minions may plant listening devices in your home, follow you around without you being aware of it, and watch over you-even as you sleep.

Some say he can teleport and appear at multiple locations at the same time. In some myths he is able to distort electronic equipment; quite possibly Der Großmann is some electromagnetic entity.

With his psychokinetic powers Der Großmann can deflect bullets and other objects away from his body before impact. Ambush would also be quite impossible; if you’ve seen Der Großmann it is most likely that he is closely watching you and all of your actions. Failed attempts to strike at Der Großmann with a weapon may be met with him obstructing your nervous system and disabling bodily functions-making it ever more easy for him to finish you off.

Again, it is not known exactly what happens once a victim has finally been taken by him. Some say they simply disappear. In more gruesome accounts the victims’ bodies are found impaled on tree limbs with their organs placed throughout their bodies in plastic bags.

The most frightening possible fate may be that Der Großmann extends his fingers to great lengths, punctures the bodies of victims, and destroys every major internal organ they have from within; tying them up from the inside into a great slendery (and bloody) knot.

Remember, the thought of Der Großmann may bring him ever more closer to you. Trying to forget about him will also lead him to you; once you see him there is no turning away from the possibilities of ends which await you. Those slender shadows you see moving about in the dark of the night or that tall and misshaped tree in the distance may very well be Der Großmann. Waiting…watching…grinning all the while.

### Noble Phantasm

#### **Angst vor Der Unheilige; "Walking into the Unspeakable Void"**

A Noble Phantasm that allows the user to walk through rather three dimensions, but rather the 'four dimensions' on the Earth, including his own pocket dimensions. He can appear anywere he wants and becomes more intangible against his victims who are stuck in three dimensions, he also able to insert his target into his pocket dimension at will.

## References

https://slendermanconnection.fandom.com/wiki/Der\_Gro%C3%9Fmann

https://slendernation.fandom.com/wiki/Der\_Ritter

https://aminoapps.com/c/urban-legends-cryptids/page/blog/der-grossmann-german-urban-legend/WvRa\_pVSXuLm1eb0qDnzKY16zpYNBgrpX4

https://www.quora.com/What-is-Der-Gro%C3%9Fmann