Zenobia

A third-century queen who ruled the Palmyrene Empire (kingdom) that was located near present day Syria. Palmyrene was under the Roman Empire's control, but it expanded its territory by invading countries like Egypt. Zenobia, who actually held power, bestowed the title of emperor upon her son and began their rebellion against the Roman Empire.

However, when the militant emperor Aurelian ascended the Roman throne and began a series of conquests to restore Rome's glory, the Palmyrene Empire collapsed, and Zenobia was captured. During Aurelian's triumph, Zenobia was humiliated by being forced to parade through the city of Rome wearing dazzling golden shackles, chains, and jewels. Following this, Zenobia's fate is uncertain. Some say she died, while some say she lived happily as an ordinary Roman citizen...

Height/Weight: 175cm, 60kg

Origin: History

Region: Palmyra

Alignment: Lawful-Good

Sub-Attribute: Human

Gender: Female

A chaste woman with a minor weakness for love stories. Her attire is proof positive that one's decisions about how much skin to reveal reflect not at all on one's moral character.

The queen of the Palmyrene Empire, which was a third century kingdom located near Syria during the reign of Rome's militaristic emperor, Aurelian. She was known as both the bravest woman warrior in the Eastern world, and one of its greatest beauties. She also spoke several languages, was well-versed in academics, trained her body to physical perfection, and enjoyed horseback riding and hunting. It was for these qualities that she came to be known as the wise and powerful queen who stood behind her husband, Palmyra's ruler. However, following her husband's death at the hands of relatives, she assumed the throne in his place.

Palmyra was once part of the Roman empire, but it built up its army and declared independence while Rome was preoccupied with a number of difficulties across the entirety of the empire. At one point, Palmyra managed to claim control of Syria, Arabia, Egypt, and more, greatly expanding her domain. However, she and her army eventually fell in a campaign personally led by Emperor Aurelian, which put an end to Palmyra's resistance. Zenobia was then forced to wear golden chains and jewels, only to be paraded around Rome in a public spectacle of humiliation during which she was forced to walk ahead of Aurelian's carriage as part of his victory procession.

She will never forget her defeat at Aurelian's hands, nor the humiliation she suffered when he paraded her around Rome like some kind of living trophy. Neither will she forget the weight of the gold chains, the pain of the golden shackles, or the shameful glittering of the jewels she was forced to wear. Some claim that, terrified, she begged for her life at her trial, though none can confirm this.

As a Servant, she exists to redress the matter of the humiliation she suffered in life. No matter how unreliable the reports, or how unclear her own memories may be, she cannot countenance the notion of anyone believing that the Queen of the East begged for her life.

Rather than pretending her humiliating defeat never happened, she has materialized in the very attire fashioned for her humiliation, that she might overcome all it represents. Now that she is a Servant, the time considered her prime is the moment she cast her humiliation aside and died as a truly valiant warrior. She understands that if she had materialized as her pre-defeat warrior queen self, she would constantly be subjected to looks of disdain from those who knew what fate awaited her.

"She might look proud now, but she's just going to end up broken and humiliated, right?"

Any Zenobia forced to hear such things said about her could never be her true self. And so, her degrading attire serves to proclaim to all around her that it will take more than that to break her spirit, that even clad in golden chains and shackles, she will never submit. To anyone. Ever. And so, while her garments may be humiliating, her eyes—the eyes of a true queen—remain proud and resolute.

Augusta Assumption: B

A skill that demonstrates why Zenobia and her son proclaimed themselves co-emperors. She bestowed the title "Augustus"—the highest honor in the Roman empire, typically afforded only to the emperor himself—upon her son, while also taking the title "Augusta," the feminine form of "Augustus" typically used for the emperor's mother or wife, for herself. This was not done out of a secret desire to assume rulership of Rome for herself. Instead, it is believed she did this as a show of strength and as a way to mock the Romans by proclaiming herself and her son more fit to rule their empire (and by extension, the world) than they were.

Consequently, using this skill will never imbue her with Roman attributes.

Aurelian's Siege (Resist): A

It was Aurelian personally leading the siege against Palmyra that resulted in Zenobia being taken prisoner. Thus, this skill indicates Zenobia and her army's fierce defiance of the Romans, even up to the moment of their capture.

Glory to Palmyra: A

A skill that demonstrates Zenobia's expertise in running a nation, thanks to both her excellent mind and superior strength. Indeed, it was these very qualities that enabled Palmyra to flourish under her rule. As an oasis city located in the desert of Syria, Palmyra was a key point for caravans coming and going. It is said that at its peak, Palmyra ruled over all of Syria, Arabia, and Egypt alike.

『Authentic Triumph』

Rank: A+

NP Type: Self-Targeted

Range: 0

Maximum Targets: 1

Shatter, Golden Chains and Humiliation.

This Noble Phantasm's True Name can only be released when Zenobia truly feels that she has proven herself to be the ideal queen, or when she feels she can prove as much in battle. If she doubts herself, even the slightest bit, it will fail. By channeling every bit of her magical energy, mental energy, willpower, determination, anger, and pride, Zenobia shatters the golden shackles and chains that are deeply tied to her Servant Spirit Origin and transforms into the hypothetical version of herself she always wished to be: a Queen of the East who shook off the defeat and humiliation she suffered at Aurelian's hands and achieved victory over the Roman empire.

Rather than physically releasing her body, it enables Zenobia's mind to escape her tainted past, not unlike a conceptual substitution which overwrites the possibility of the flawed, imperfect Zenobia who may have begged for her life in terror from her Servant self, temporarily replacing her very existence with her ideal, perfect self.

When this Noble Phantasm's True Name is released, it boosts all of Zenobia's stats to an astonishing degree.