Sarmaticus

**Sarmaticus: Iron Conqueror** (鉄軍馬の征服者サルマチカス, *Tetsugunba no seifuku-sha*) was originally the large equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, which was erected in honor of the latter's defeat over the Sarmatians. Cast out of gilded bronze, the horse figure towers at 4.24 m (13.9 ft). While the statue itself was somewhat ubiquitous for its era, as "great horse" monuments were common in Rome around the time it was first constructed, "Sarmaticus" remains distinct in that it is the only one to survive to the modern era. Having withstood the ebb and flow of centuries, the statue bore quiet witness to the city of Rome for nearly 2,000 years, enduring throughout its glory, fall, Renaissance resurgence, and 20th century political turmoil. As such, the equestrian statue has become one of the symbols of the city, granting Rider significant renown when the "Iron Conqueror" appears in its true form.

As opposed to representing an armament, Sarmaticus was primarily a work of art. As such, Sarmarticus is most powerful not for its physical form, but because of its ability to appropriate the skills of other past heroes who were in some way inspired by the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. The emperor's horse is dynamic and powerful in form, seeming to have been frozen in motion. With carefully crafted, rippling muscles and a vibrant rendering, the sculpture was so lifelike that, according to legend, Michelangelo commanded the horse to walk to a marble pedestal he had constructed for its display. Allegedly, a small figure of a bound barbarian begging for mercy was once positioned under the horse's raised hoof, which symbolized Rome's defeat of the invading tribes. However, unlike other statues of Roman emperors, Marcus' hand was outstretched in an act of clemency, and he appeared in political rather than military garb.

As a Noble Phantasm, Sarmaticus grants Rider two chief abilities: The first is based on the physical form of the horse itself, the second centers around the legends associated with the statue. In other words, one ability reflects the *form* of the statue while the other demonstrates its *essence*. Ironically, the "true" ability of the Noble Phantasm allows Rider to counterfeit the abilities of others. Thus, Rider's Noble Phantasm is notably difficult to classify, as it can display many attributes.

## Sarmaticus: Iron Conqueror

 **Rank** | A+

**Sarmaticus: Iron Conqueror** (鉄軍馬の征服者サルマチカス, *Tetsugunba no seifuku-sha*) is the "default" form that Rider's Noble Phantasm takes. During his life, many of the battles fought by the late-period Roman army depended on their ability to counter invading tribes who relied heavily upon mounted warfare. Rather than attempting to match the horseback warrior's speed and dexterity, the Romans developed defensive tactics and fortified armaments in order to withstand repeated, light assault. One form developed was the cataphract, a heavily armored cavalry unit which allowed frontline horsemen to penetrate the enemy's ranks with a swift, ferocious "shock change" that relied upon the weight and momentum of the cataphracts to break through defenses and trample all in its path.

While Rider can summon the Iron Conqueror in its true cataphract form, he is able to manipulate its size and shape, which allows him to guard his identity. Typically, he prefers to use it in the shape of a Roman pilum, which allows for greater versatility on the battlefield. Essentially, by condensing the powerful form of defense into a small spear, Rider is able to imbue his own body with the excess power normally associated with his mount. As such, Iron Conqueror refers to the ability of a cataphract to fortify a particular unit. In this case, Rider fortifies himself, which enables him to drastically increase his own durability, speed, and offensive capabilities.

Rider is also able to use the Noble Phantasm to achieve short, incredibly fast bursts of speed, and due to the strength of his enhanced attacks he can typically break through an opponent's defenses–whether they be physical or magical. In addition, because of its nature as a Noble Phantasm, the pilum cannot be destroyed except by another Servant or its own user. Disguising his Noble Phantasm as a weapon also protects Rider's True Name, and unless he uses his Noble Phantasm in its true form it would be difficult for an opponent to guess at his identity aside from the fact that it is Roman in nature

## Forged in an Emperor's Mold

 **Rank** | EX

**Forged in an Emperor's Mold** (帝王の偽造, *Teiō no gizō*, lit. *"Counterfeit of the Emperor"*) Rider’s false Noble Phantasm was assigned to him by others over the centuries via being continuously misidentified as other horse-back riding conquerors, and for his statue being used as the mold for subsequent “imperial horse-back” memorial statues of other famous heroes. As such, his false Noble Phantasm grants him two main abilities. First is the ability to take on the characteristics of the individuals that the statue itself was misidentified as, including Constantine, the Roman hero Marcus Curtius, Theodoric the Great, etc. The second is the ability to summon forth Heroic Spirits who were immortalized as triumphant conquerors riding horse-back following the model of the equestrian statue, including Peter the Great, Napoleon, and even George Washington.

## Notes

* Historically speaking, the name of the statue is unknown. After Marcus Aurelius defeated the Sarmatians, he was given the title of "Sarmaticus," which the author applied as a name to the statue in order to refer to it more easily.