Hervor

**Saber of "Silver"** ("銀"のセイバー, *"Gin" no Seibā*) is the Saber-class Servant of Emilie Sorensen in the Silver faction of the Venetian Holy Grail War.

## Profile

### Identity

Saber is **Hervor** (ハーボー, *Hābō*, Norse: ᚺᛖᚱᚹᛟᚱ), a famous female viking whose legend is told in the ***Hervarar Saga*** of Norse Mythology. The famous berserker **Arngrim** was Saber's grandfather and her father was Arngrim's son **Angantyr**.

Saber was born after her father was killed and raised by her foster-father Bjartmar. Rather than take on sewing or be raised as a bond-maid like other girls, Saber proved to be as strong as the boys and learned archery, swordsmanship, and horse riding. She dressed like a man, fought, killed and pillaged under her male surname *Hjörvard*. When she learned of her father's identity she decided to live as her father and to find Tyrfing, the magic sword.

Saber made her way to the haunted island of Samsø (*Samsey*), but she was the only one who dared to embark on the haunted island. The remainder of her crew feared the nightly activities around the barrows on the island. As Ssaber approached the barrows she saw a fire shining above them, and she approached the largest one. She then talked with a loud voice summoning her father Angantyr to reveal himself. She said that as his daughter she was entitled to her rightful inheritance, Tyrfing. Then, she also summoned her eleven uncles and she did so with such a loud voice and such harsh words that finally, her father's voice was heard and he asked not to pursue her quest. She did not give in but continued to ask for her rightful inheritance. Finally, the grave opened and in its centre a fire was shining. There she saw her father, and he warned her not to ask for the sword. It would bring death to their whole clan if she used it. Still, she persisted. Finally the sword was cast out of the grave, and she eagerly gripped it, bid farewell to her dead kinsmen and walked to the shore. However, when Saber returned to shore, the ships were gone as her crew had been scared away by the fires and the thunder from the barrows but Saber managed to get off the island.

Saber would continue her viking activities, travelling far and wide but after a while she grew tired of the adventures and returned to her foster-father Bjartmar where she betook herself to sewing and embroidering like other girls, and was considered to be a beautiful and good-mannered girl. King Gudmund's son Höfund then arrived to ask for her hand, and she said yes. King Gudmund arranged a grand wedding and entrusted the kingdom in the hands of the young couple. They lived happily and had two sons who were given the names Angantyr and Heidrek.

The cursed sword Tyrfing would continue its ill work, and Heidrek slew his brother Angantyr with the sword. Heidrek would then die to Tyrfing and the sword, now free of its curse, would be claimed by Saber's grandson Angantyr Heidreksson.

### Appearance

A beautiful young woman with fair skin, grey eyes and long silver hair that is tied into a loose braid. She wears a winged helmet and a blue and black dress with a pauldron covering the left shoulder. The skirt is slit at the right up to her thighs exposing her legs which are clad in knee-length armored boots worn over grey thigh-high stockings. For weapons, she wields the sword Tyrfing.

## Abilities

### Tyrfing

A famous cursed magical sword which features in the Tyrfing Cycle. According to legend, **King Svafrlami** captured the dwarves **Dvalinn** and **Durin** and forced them to create this powerful and spectacular sword that not only could cut through the hardest of iron like nothing, but it could never age or rust, its blade always shining like it was fire. However, the dwarves would put a powerful curse on the sword in revenge, so that it had to be used to kill someone whenever it was unsheathed from its scabbard and that it would be the cause of three evil deeds. The hope was for King Svafrlami to die by this sword which happened when the berserker Arngrim slew him with it. **Arngrim** would gift the sword to **Angantyr**. Angantyr and his eleven brothers would die in battle against the armies of **King Hjalmar**, but not before Angantyr used Tyrfing to mortally wound the king, committing the first of the three deeds.

Angantyr's daughter Saber would come in possession of the sword but was never subjected to its curse. Her son **Heidrek**, however, would fall for the curse and use Tyrfing to kill his brother **Angantyr**, committing the second evil deed. Heidrek would become king of the Goths. During a voyage, Heidrek camped at the Carpathians (Harvaða fjöllum, cf. Grimm's law). He was accompanied by eight mounted thralls, who eventually entered his tent and slew him in his sleep, the third and final of Tyrfing's evil deeds. Now cleansed of its curse, the sword fell into the hands of **Angantyr Heidreksson** who used it to defeat his half-brother **Hlod** and the Huns he led.

As a Noble Phantasm, Saber usually leaves Tyrfing in its scabbard and bludgeon her enemies with it. She can release energy blasts from the sword as she was not subjected to the curse but the amount of power she can draw upon is limited unless she unsheathes the sword from its scabbard. When Saber unsheathes this Noble Phantasm, she can release an attack that has enough power to destroy an army. However, using its full power has a price; Saber must kill someone close to her to sheath Tyrfing lest she be overcome by bloodlust and attack all others on sight. Any attempt to sheath the sword is impossible due to a mental attack that prevents Saber from doing so. As Tyrfing claimed three lives for the curse to be broken, Saber has to claim three lives with this sword before she can use it's full power. As Tyrfing has caused her sons so much grief, Saber is reluctant to use this Noble Phantasm's full power.