Golden Wild Hunt: Night of the Golden Hind and the Storm (黄金鹿と嵐の夜, Ōgonroku to Arashi no Yoru?) is a Noble Phantasm where Francis Drake summons an expanding ghost fleet of countless ships lead by her command during her lifetime. It is a symbol of her everyday life and it contains attributes of the anecdotes of the fire shipWPs that defeated the Spanish ArmadaWP and the anecdotes of the "Night of the Storm" that is transmitted throughout Europe.[4][5]
With the lead ship and her other Noble Phantasm, Golden Hind, acting as the core, it expands countless small crafts and exterminates the enemy with overwhelming firepower.[6] Including the fire ships at the time of maximum deployment, its attack will overrun all those that the fleet faces in the areas of the ocean that lies in front of them, appearing to be a decisive victory for Captain Drake.[2] Rider stands on the figurehead of the Golden Hind and attacks with three large floating cannons as the rest of the ships provide supporting fire. Although it is an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm that has a high rank, it possesses an unusual special characteristic where its power fluctuates according to the amount of wealth Drake possesses at the time she is using this Noble Phantasm.[2]
The Wild Hunt is a personification of storms, such as rainstorms and blizzards, which takes on the form of hounds and goats, horses and armed soldiers, or even monsters. An Order of Fairy Knights and spirits that appear with wind and thunder, and even speculated to contain the ghosts and spirits of those who died in Britain and could not go to Heaven or Hell, being turned into Fairies as part of Wild Hunt. King Arthur is considered to be the King of ghosts and spirits in this sense, since she too is said to have not gone to Heaven or Hell, but instead went to Avalon, the Realm of the Fairies.[7] Generally malevolent heroes, celebrities, or even ancient deities are considered to have become the leader of the Wild Hunt. While the most widely believed commander is Francis Drake, legends depict various other leaders of the Night of the Storm, including King Arthur having turned into a demon, especially in the folklore of Scotland, the god of ancient times, OdinWP, or even CainWP, the first murderer.[5]
Golden Hind[]
Golden HindWP (黄金の鹿号, Ōgon no Shika-gō?) is Francis Drake's beloved ship during her lifetime, sometimes deploying it as her Noble Phantasm as a Rider so that she can embark on the ship. In addition to possessing four artillery cannons at the bow and stern, it is equipped with fourteen cannons on both sides of the boat with a span of a little less than 37 meters.[6]
Back in the days, the mainstream naval battles would be boarding battles where a ship would crash into another ship. However, this ship was already reflecting the tactics it would take in the later Spanish Armada naval battle; it was a practicable specification that allowed for long-distance bombardment battles. To suit the boarding battles, the most pirate-like act would be not punishing their opponent's ship during these battles with their superior bombardment capabilities. In similar situations where the enemy would not surrender under their bombardment threat, they would commence boarding anyways due to their honor as pirates.[6]
Although it was a galleon ship given the name "Pelican" at its time of departure, Francis Drake changed its name to Golden Hind because its "appearance was badly suited" for such a name (or, the ship's genetics was bad for such a name).[6]
... so, if one utters this ship as the name "Pelican", this adorable yet foolish elder sister will get truly angry.[6]
Noble Phantasm
■ Golden Wild Hunt: The Night of the Golden Hind and the Storm
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 20 ~ 40
Maximum number of targets: 20 ships forward deployment
Class: Rider Master: Shinji Matou True Name: Francis Drake Noble Phantasm: Hunt of the Golden Hind: Golden Stag and the Eventide Tempest Keyword: Invincible Armada, Logbook Strength: D, Defense: C, Agility: B, Magic: E, Luck: EX Anti-Magic: D, Rider on the Storm: A+, Settler of the Stars: EX
01 - Hunt of the Golden Hind: Golden Stag and the Eventide Tempest
This Noble Phantasm is Rider's ace in the hole and forms the basis of her day-to-day life. With her flagship, The Golden Hind, at the fore, a vast flotilla of smaller craft expand ever outward and exterminates her enemies with overwhelming firepower. Its attributes contain vestiges of not only the fleet that eventually defeated the mighty Spanish Armada, but also of the stories involving the golden stag and the eventide tempest that had spread throughout the whole of Europe.
The eventide tempest is the encapsulation of all storms, from blizzards to cyclones, which manifest in the imagination of men as beasts and soldiers, saviors and monsters. Depending on who is speaking, the leader of these apparitions ranges from a fallen King Arthur to the Norse god Odin to the first murderer of men, Cain. in England, it is believed that Francis Drake rides the endless storm despite the fact that the role assigned to her is usually given to malevolent figures of history and myth.
02 - Invincible Armada
The name given to the Spanish naval forces during the period of history known as the Age of Discovery.
The Invincible Armada consisted of an estimated 65,000 men serving on more than a hundred large warships, each of which weighed in at over 1,000 tons. Its might was such that it earned Spain the reputation of being "The kingdom on which the sun will never set."
03 - Logbook
The sailing logs of a renowned explorer who successfully circumnavigated the globe.
The logs themselves are illegible, with pages cracked and flaking. However, it seems that the author of these logs was a ship's captain who made their name as both an adventurer and fleet commander.
Anti-Magic [D]
Cancels single-action spells.
It also bestows magical resistance equal to that normally provided by a physical talisman such as an amulet.
Rider on the Storm [A+]
Talent that lets one sail objects recognized as ships.
As the ability to lead is essential in her position, this unique skill also has an effect on Charisma and Military Tactics.
Settler of the Stars [EX]
This unique ability is given to those heroes whose exploits became turning points in human history.
Any difficult voyage and insurmountable challenge cease to be "impossible" and became "events to be realized."
01 - Character Background
The person who circumnavigated the globe and paved the way for England to become the dominate superpower in the Age of Discovery through its substantial earnings. This person was also the one who was given credit for the virtual destruction of Spain's Invincible Armada, which caused the nation once thought of as "the kingdom on which the sun will never set" to teeter on the edge of collapse.
She is a person who has dedicated her life to hedonistic pursuits and sees no difference between a paragon of virtue and a rogue scoundrel. She revels in all things gaudy, whether they are in war or in her private life, and is content to chase after ephemeral pleasures and leave nothing of worth behind, much like the passing of a raging storm.
She is particularly entranced with treasures of gold and silver, but her true love lies not with enduring treasure, but those treasures that explode like fireworks and then quickly fade away.
As she so often declares, "I chase after gold so that I can scatter it like a storm!"
It is for this reason that she is wholly incompatible with the Hero of Legend that symbolizes "an inexhaustible treasury." She would also be at odds with the fox-eared Caster, as Caster is the epitome of eternity.
As a devoted libertine, all that matters to her is the inevitable crash at the end of it all. A Legendary Spirit who is completely indifferent to the frailty of human existence, she is content to indulge in her own whims and desires until death comes to greet her.
She died of dysentery at the age of 55. Her dying wish was that she be buried in her full armor.
02 - "Franciscus Draco"
Sir Francis Drake is generally considered the first person to successfully circumnavigate the globe (the first person known to have attempted this feat -- Ferdinand Magellan -- was killed halfway through his voyage).
Though a male in life, Francis Drake has materialized in Fate/EXTRA as a woman.
During the time of Francis Drake, England was considered to be a second-rate power with no real influence beyond its borders and no colonies of worth overseas. It was primarily due to his voyages and successes on the high seas that gave rise to the British Empire. The combination of the wealth he brought to the country and the detailed maps he produced while circumnavigating the globe allowed Britain to assemble a fleet that rivaled that of Spain's.
An oft-mentioned aspect of the Drake mythos is that of his ship, the Golden Hind. Not only was it the flagship of Drake's fleet, it was seen as a symbol of hope and a source of miracles. The exploits the Golden Hind made possible elevated Drake (known and feared by the Spanish as El Draque) to a level on par with King Arthur. Both are said to dwell in Avalon and "across the ocean", the city of the dead, and will eventually return to lead England to true glory.
During what was to be the final confrontation between England and Spain's Invincible Armada, Francis Drake was commissioned as a vice admiral in the English navy. Using an unorthodox strategy involving the use of fire-ships, he forced the Spanish fleet into open water where they could be bombarded with cannon fire.
In addition - and this is merely literary creation - there is also a story full of romance in which Drake was a companion of Queen Elizabeth and, just before setting sail for the world circumnavigation, switched places with the Queen, who could no longer go out in public due to receiving a wound on her face.