All's Fair in Love and Holy War: Let's Play Fire Emblem 4

[metis]

The current tally, including votes from all sources, is:

Erin 13
Sylvia 2
Taillte 9
No one 1
Lex 1

[Greener223224]

let the lovesick pegasus girl win over the prince at least once in this damn franchise.

Have you even PLAYED this franchise? This happens all the goddamn time.

[AradoBalanga]

let the lovesick pegasus girl win over the prince at least once in this damn franchise.

Have you even PLAYED this franchise? This happens all the goddamn time.

Catria and Cordelia say hello.

[Greener223224]

[REDACTED] and [REDACTED] say hello.

How many Fire Emblem games have you played? Have you even played FE3?

[metis]

Friend, it is not that serious.

[Greener223224]

Friend, it is not that serious.

If it's not serious, then why are you and everybody else going vanilla? Why is Arden x Ayra allowed, but having to go through Gen 2 without Holsety until Chapter 10 is just unbearable? Why do people make statements like "Tharja and Cordelia are the only female characters in the entire franchise" so cavalierly? Am I seriously the only person on the internet who cares about Fire Emblem's characters?

[Basil]

nice meltdown

[cheetah7071]

nice meltdown

[metis]

Anyway, I'm going to call the vote now. The final tally is:

Erin 14
Sylvia 2
Taillte 17
Lex 1
No one 1

[JamieTheD]

MODNote: Kindly don't be all "Nice meltdown." Report if someone's (plural or singly) getting too heated, and stay cool. Can't lie, I've never liked that phrase, it doesn't do anything except add potential for escalation (not to mention the mental health aspect of the phrase. As someone who's had a breakdown or two, it ain't pretty, and it sure as fuck ain't nice. 0/10, would not recommend.)

[Greener223224]

Well, the tide turned against Fury, at least. I'm gonna try and compose a better response to that Cordelia retort...

AragoBalanga, not every girl with a crush in Fire Emblem is some variant of Cordelia. That's a retroactive labeling from FE13 that's wormed its way into conceptions of the entire franchise. Fans (and apparently some developers) invented to justify why Cordelia acts the way she does and never gets the chance to be paired with Chrom...ignoring how the OTHER Pegasus Knight in the game, Sumia, crushes just as hard and is nearly as fixated on Chrom as her, and yet she gets the privilege of being Chrom's official love interest.

Like I said, Peg Knights get with nobles and princes all the time. Marth himself is officially paired with Caeda. In FE6, Thany is one of Roy's potential wives, Klein and Tate are one of the game's hinted romances, and Yuno is already married to Zealot, who becomes a king after the game ends. In FE7, all three pegasus knights can be paired with at least one of the lords. FE8 can have Vanessa hook up with Innes, and Tana hook up with Ephraim.

I know it was probably a joke, but it's a poorly researched joke, and nothing triggers me more than applying broad generalization to this franchise.

[Basil]

MODNote: Kindly don't be all "Nice meltdown." Report if someone's (plural or singly) getting too heated, and stay cool. Can't lie, I've never liked that phrase, it doesn't do anything except add potential for escalation (not to mention the mental health aspect of the phrase. As someone who's had a breakdown or two, it ain't pretty, and it sure as fuck ain't nice. 0/10, would not recommend.)

My opinion on this is that I could write a long effortpost that describes how I think the poster's attitude towards Fire Emblem gives the fandom the bad rap it has, and probably come across as a real dick; or I could post 'nice meltdown', and everyone forgets about it in a day or two. I really appreciate what you're trying to say, but the posts were already reported and nothing was happening.

Anyways, this probably isn't the place for this, so I'm sorry for the tangent.

[metis]

3.4 Training Montage

Enemy Message 1


We open on the melted candle-like fortification of Orgahil.



S'only a matter of time b'fore them Grannvale guys're bangin' down our doors too, eh? What d'ya say?
Damn it, Duvall! The only reason they're coming is because you lot all went pillaging, against my orders! You've got nobody but yourself to blame!
Keh, enough! I can't take yer arrogance anymore! Shut it an' open yer ears! Ya actually ain't the daughter o' the late cap'n, y'know. Yer just some li'l girl what the boss found, cryin' alone in this ship we raided. Th'boss jus' picked ya up an' raised ya 'imself. 'Fore we knew it, ya'd all grown up an' were bossin' us all 'round, all nonsense-like!
W-what?! I... that's...
But yer li'l act's worn its welcome out. No point keepin' ya 'live, eh?
Damn it all... You really think you clowns can take me that easy?!







Pizare and Duvall part.





Duvall takes his spot defending Orgahil. That's a very nice ring he has.



The pirates of Orgahil assemble two forces, once to head south into Agustria, and another to chase Bridget down.











Here is our first look at Bridget in battle, dodging an axe.



She readies her bow to loose...



and kills the pirate who would attack his own leader!

Two more attack, and she cuts them both down.



It won't always be so easy, though, since many of her pursuers are mercenaries she won't be able to counter on the enemy phase.



Now, it's Arden time!



His damage output isn't very impressive. Don't worry though, we'll be working on that.





The pirates to the bridge, and Pizare crosses a huge amount of ground to reach the tip of Agustria. How can he move so far?



Aha. The leg ring grants +3 movement. That would sure be nice on a dancer... Or maybe on an armoured unit desperately trying to keep up with the rest of the army?





Pirates also emerge on the coastline near the Tower of Bragi, bringing us to the introduction of Claude and Taillte that I ended the last update with.

Over by Silvail, Ethlyn and Quan have a conversation. Incidentally, as of a recent event in Fire Emblem Heroes, Silvail is now officially Sylvale. Papillion is Papilio, Jacoban is Jacobi, and Agusty is Agusti. Not huge changes, but interesting.

Manster Palace


Here. Take this.
A spear? ...What?! I-isn't this Gáe Bolg?! Why do you-
Your lord father entrusted it to me, Quan. He thought it prudent for you to have it at hand, in case our battles grew too fierce.
Even just holding it, I've seldom felt so strong! Why did you wait till now, though?
With the spear, your lord father also passed onto me its tale... I'm so sorry...
...Aye. Gáe Bolg bears the baggage of a truly sad legend. But that is all it is: a legend.
But-
Ethlyn, trust me. Triumph is within our grasp this day. I'll not fall victim to an old myth. I'll not let it stop me from returning home. Our dear little Altena still awaits us, and I'll not allow some fairy tale to disappoint her.
Yes... Quan, no matter what happens... We'll never lose each other... Right?
Ah, you're concerned about Deirdre, aren't you... There's nothing to worry about. It won't be long until we find her.
Yes... I want to believe she'll be okay, too. I wish I could believe it. But...
Ethlyn? Come now! Dry your tears. Do you truly feel so bad about this?
I... Yes... Knowing th-that Sigurd and Deirdre may never meet again... Th-they love each other so... so much... Why, Quan... Why did this happen to them?!
Ethlyn...





So Quan and Ethlyn have a daughter back in Leonster? Sheesh, she'll barely remember them by the time they get back.



Gae Bolg is our very first holy weapon! Isn't that thrilling! Aren't you all excited to see it in battle!?

... Well, I have to admit I totally forgot to use Quan in battle after this for a demonstration, so you're not going to in this chapter. Sorry!!



Here's Bridget.



She comes with pursuit as a class skill.



And she has major Ullir blood, the same as Aideen! Why, whatever could that mean? Anyway, Bridget has good stats and is pretty great in combat, and you can probably sense what I'm about to say, BUT she's a foot unit, so her ability to actually get to fights is limited. She starts out this chapter in the thick of things, though, so that's not really an issue.

The fight in this chapter takes place on two fronts, one at the Tower of Bragi, and the other on the bridge to Madino. I'll present each in turn, rather than going back and forth.



Here's a helpful map!



Also these guys are still back in Silvail and therefore will not be appearing for a little while.

Tower of Bragi:



Bridget will be running in the direction of the tower to avoid being overwhelmed by the swarm. No combat this turn, she'll just be heading around the cliff. She will not be distracted by the allure of gold from that village! It is a trap.



Taillte's wrath makes this section quite fun, as she can take one (1) hit from one of these pirates before dying, so you want to use Claude's healing to have her yo-yo in and out of wrath range every phase so she can one-shot the pirates.





It requires being careful about movement ranges, but this section is basically made for Taillte to show off the utility of wrath so it's pretty simple to draw in one at a time.





The pirates chase Bridget but can't attack her yet.





You have signed your death warrant...





Ah, so satisfying. Like this, Taillte can chew through most of the pirates.



She's still in wrath range, so she can kill the one pirate she can reach, then Claude will heal her up for the enemy phase.











Fortify is very expensive, so using it for this purpose is a bit of a waste, but Claude has no other healing staves so oh well!







Taillte will get quite a few levels out of this.

Back to Bridget:



One pirate has reached the village. Bridget may not have time to stop by for a reward, but she will defend it!



In order to thin out the herd safely, Bridget will attack from the square by the cliff so that a couple of the ranged attackers will reach her in the enemy phase.













About three pirates can reach Bridget this phase. She counter-kills them all, but they do rough her up a little.



She gets a level from it! Not a super exciting one, but a level nonetheless.





The pirates are getting closer! Bridget will head onto the isthmus and meet up with Taillte and Claude.







The three of them will be holing up all together to form a wall and take the pirates out slowly.









Fortify gives a huge amount of experience, so Claude will get a lot of levels from using it despite already being promoted.







Taillte out of wrath range isn't quite as impressive.





I somehow thought I was effectively walling the pirates off by positioning Bridget here, but



Pretty obviously I was not.



Taillte needs protecting very badly, so Claude will have to take a hit.









This just never gets old.



Anyway, they sit here for a while doing basically the same thing for several turns, so I'll skip through it and just give you the levels:











Erin shows up to help out.





She's focused on taking the lone archer so she can contribute some more.



Another Bridget level...







A pirate fails to hit Taillte, which saves his life.





Still nets her a level though!



We're whittling them down.











And that's the last of them! Now it's time to return to Madino.



As is their nature, the pirates have formed an orderly queue to cross the Agustrian border.



Beowulf opens salvo on Pizare.





Pizare hits very hard with his silver axe!



Alec also has a go and gets hurt even worse.



Doesn't stop me from putting Dew in front of him, though!





Alright, I want you to go and find your favourite song for getting pumped, because it is time for an Arden Training Montage!!





































Phew! Good workout! We're across the strait and ready to take on a second wave of pirates. Pizare ran off back to Orgahil twice during the montage, first to heal up and this time he's there getting back-up.

First, though, we're going to check in on Holyn and Ayra, who hung back to visit some villages.







Ayra is pretty fragile, so this helps bulk her up a little.





Don't think there's been a war lately where someone or other didn't hire 'em. They're like a pack of hyenas descendin' on fresh prey: brutal and indiscriminate. Nothin' survives in their wake...

Uh, thanks, I guess? Kind of out of date now but I'll remember that for next time.

Additionally, it seems I completely forgot to get the village that's in the middle of the forest. Oh well, it only gave cash. It is interesting, though, because its dialogue varies depending on whether or not Silvail has been seized.

If it has not been seized:

Ah... the Cross Knights. Lord Eldigan's elite knightly battalion. Their might is legendary, and none in Jugdral can even compare to them. Actually... My boyfriend is a Cross Knight!

Sniff... I can't believe it. My boyfriend died in this blasted war. Damn the Grannvale army... No, no... Damn King Chagall! This is all his fault!





Pizare emerges with fresh men.



He has a huge range, so I'll be relying on the "cavalry line" to prevent him getting through to my squishy healers.









Beowulf is also getting a lot of training in this update.



Pizare goes around the cav line to target Finn.





Initially I planned to get Sylvia the leg ring, because it's always useful on a dancer, but she can only hit him for one damage and that's just too tedious for me to do. And Arden would really like the extra movement! So:









Arden now has a total of seven (7) mov!









The underlevelled horse swordies start working their way through the remaining pirates.



Lewyn in the upper left is on his way to meet his future wife.



Sylvia is going to make some money with her thief sword.





There's no such thing as zero damage in FE4, so she does exactly one damage.







She's quite wealthy now! (Dew gave her a bunch of money earlier)













Aideen is getting closer to promotion!



The pirates are now dealt with, so we prepare to storm Orgahil itself.



Meanwhile, Midir approaches Bridget.



Oh, sorry! You're not her. My mistake. But then, that must make you...
What's this you're mumbling about? Speak up, you weird little man!
Er... May I ask your name?
I'm Bridget.
Bridget... You're gorgeous...
Excuse me?! You've gotta be joking!
I must be dreaming... There's another one... And she's even more beautiful!
Ugh... That's it!

Gross, Midir. You really are a weird little man.











Noish does his first cool thing this chapter by activating accost a bunch of times and then getting a crit, to finish off this castle guard.



Claude visits this village to get some fortify repair money.



Why are you even here? We've absolutely nothin' to do with Agustria or Grannvale! Look. If you've really gotta fight, take it somewhere else, you thoughtless sod.

Even though she's mad at us, she still gives us gold. What a world.





A beautiful romance begins.



Arden takes the fight to Duvall. It's always nice having a boss who doesn't have pavise.







Arden: There Are Only Three Stats That Matter.

I leave Arden there for a few turns to grind the rest of the way to level twenty.



Someone else wants to talk to Bridget! This one will probably be nicer.

Aideen's Theme


Surely you recall me?
What? How do you know my name? Hang on... You look just like me! Aideen, huh... It sounds kinda familiar... But where from?
Bridget, listen well. I am your twin sister! We lost you to pirates years ago, when you were just five years old. I've searched for you for years. I never lost hope that we would meet again.
This is all so sudden... No. Weird feelings like this aren't enough! I need proof!
Proof, you say? Here. Draw this bow.
Huh? Okay, that's a nice bow and all, but what's it gotta do with anything? Guess I'll humor you. So I draw it and- ...Whoa! W-what's going on?! The hell is this...? I... What's this weird feeling boiling within me... Are these memories? Ah... my heart is on fire... Aideen? Yes... I remember now! You're Aideen... my sister.
Oh, thank the gods! You remember! That bow is your birthright, Bridget. It is Yewfelle, the sacred bow of Jungby. Legends tell that the exalted weapons of this land, such as this one, can only be wielded by a single heir per generation. For House Jungby and Yewfelle, that rightful heir is you, Bridget. I trust this proof will suffice?
Oh, Aideen... Come here... Let me get a good look at you... How's our father doing? And our brother... André, right?
I've so much to tell you, too... Bridget... My sister.









Another holy weapon! This one also won't see use this chapter. It also grants renewal.





Alright, time to get him out of the way!



Beowulf takes the kill.









Aideen warps Midir far away from both her and her sister. Also because I really wanted her to reach level twenty.



Dew is on a little mission of his own.





Mmm? Nope, nothin' over here. Over there, maybe? ...Aww, man! What a borin' little dump.
???: ...Who... Who are you...
Huh?!
???: ...State your business...
Heh, maybe if I pretend I can't here 'em...
???: How dare you... defile this sacred ground... ...BEGONE!
Kyaaa! S-sorry! Please don't hurt me!





Free sword, nice!



Claude makes his way over Sigurd to share an important message.

A New Advance


I'm glad Taillte was close at hand. We may not have survived, if not for her magic. More importantly, Lord Sigurd, my prayers to Saint Bragi were answered.
You have the truth of all this, then?

Decision 1
That I do. As I thought, Duke Reptor is behind all of this. On his orders, it was Duke Langbalt who killed Prince Kurth. The two then successfully framed your father, Lord Byron, for the crime.
Just as I thought...
The pair's treachery runs deeper still. The murder of Isaach's King Mananan was also the handiwork of Duke Reptor. He feared a peaceful end to the war would end the sole excuse for the conquest of Isaach, so he secretly had the king killed.
Is that so... Reptor's grubby hands are all over this mess...
Not quite. In the shade of his avarice, there's something else at work... Something unsettling and terrifying. Not even Lord Bragi could scry this evil presence, obscured by its power as it is.
An evil presence? Could it be that dark priesthood... Wait! What of my father, Claude?
Lord Byron yet lives, but is injured and weak. I fear he is not long for this world...
Father... This can't be happening...
I'll hasten back to the capital. His Majesty needs to hear the truth. Lord Sigurd, for the time being, stay here and restrain yourself from rash action.
Understood. I can't thank you enough, Father Claude. I beg of you, do everything you can. Save my father and his good name.
Our fates lie with the mercy of the gods...

Sigurd also has a conversation with Bridget, which I did not get because I got trigger-happy with warp and sent her back to Agusty.

Are you holding up okay, Bridget?
Huh? Who're you? Wait... How do you know my name?!
The villagers told me of a woman who leads the pirates of Orgahill, and of her devotion to aiding the poor and weak. That would be you, correct?
You must be that Grannvale man... Sigurd, right? Guess this is it. Come on. Just get it over with.
Ahahaha! Oh no, you're mistaken! I'm certain not here to kill you. I just want to talk to you, Bridget. I'd like you to ally with us. We'd love to add your strength to our own, to help us better fight the pirates. What say you?
Wait. You really want me, of all people?
Certainly! You'd be a tremendous asset.
You're a strange little man, Sigurd...

Ok Midir can be little, but I refuse to think of Sigurd as little.



Arden has found his way back to Agusty to promote.







Glorious.



He can now use a range of weapons, and he gets PAVISE! Finally, it's our turn! Let's head to the arena and try it out.



Ahahahaha! The POWER!





Arden clears the entire arena out, an unimaginable feat at the beginning of this chapter.



Ayra, how do you feel about this development?



You're damn right.









Taillte and Bridget also make their way through the arena.



I have been allowing this chapter to run as long as it has because I am desperately trying to make Finn and Lachesis get married.



Love stops growing at turn 50!! I'm getting very worried!





Oh thank god. Now I can finish the chapter.



Victory 1


Oifey, would you please gather our troops here? Now that this is all over, I'd like to ensure that everyone's alright.
At once, sire.

The camera pans down to Agusty castle...

Enemy Message 2




Oh dear. This doesn't look good.



Seize these vile allies of Byron, accomplices to his murder of Kurth and his bid to take over the kingdom! It is the will of His Majesty! No mercy for enemies of the state!



To think, he personally put an end to that miserable prince and nearly killed Byron for putting up a fight... I've never seen such a bold ploy! And with Arvis using His Majesty's trust, it all worked flawlessly! Convincing the king of anything is hardly a challenge, but to succeed with a tale of this scale takes quite the storyteller... And here we are, the the entirety of House Chalphy framed for the crime! Heh heh... Our victory is all but assured. The throne of Grannvale shall be mine, one way or another. I'll leave no pest who dares interfere with me alive...

Thank you, Reptor, for that illuminating expository monologue. Also I want to note that it took me ages to find where I'd saved his icon because I very usefully named it "Friegeguy" instead of his actual name.

Crisis 1


I'm a traitor now, and a Grannvale legion now waits at our doorstep to arrest me?!
Sire, and to think, the war here was over at long last, and you were about to go and search for Deirdre.
Gah... How could His Majesty have fallen for Reptor's lies? How could he possibly believe that my father, of all people, would kill Prince Kurth?! Aah... If only Father Claude had gotten back to the capital before they struck... Why?! Why is this happening?! I fought a pointless war, I let Eldigan die, and now this! What have I been fighting for all along?!
Sire...





Queen Rahna bade my corps and I to come and retrieve you. We invite you and your subordinates to retreat with us to Silesse, until your good name has been cleared in Grannvale.
...Queen Rahna of Silesse, you say? Why is Silesse willing to give aid to an alleged traitor like me?
Please, sir. Time is of the essence. The Grannvale assault is sure to begin at any moment now. My pegasus knights will escort you across the sea to safety in Silesse.

Next time: Silesse!

[Tanegashima]

This new fan translation is worlds better than the old one, especially in regards to dramatic moments. Also that segment with Tiltawhirl v. Pirates is the Est done right.

[Greener223224]

This new fan translation is worlds better than the old one, especially in regards to dramatic moments.

No it's not.

Also that segment with Tiltawhirl v. Pirates is the Est done right.

A lot of FEs tend to know how to give units the proper training opportunities. Est herself shows up as a flying unit in a level full of cavalry going over narrow bridges, and has the Triangle Attack to take advantage of. Nino in FE7 has the tight, linear pathways of Chapter 26x/28x, so she can just hide behind a lord or Jaffar and kill oncoming enemies with her magic. FE8's Trainees have the game's in-built grinding, and FE9 has Bonus Experience.

[Tanegashima]

Not trying to be snarky here, but what about the old fan translation did you find superior exactly? Aside from how this new one consistently makes bad name localization choices (Quan is especially indefensible when his entire story is a reference to Cuchulainn and he literally has the Gae Bolg.)

[Greener223224]

Not trying to be snarky here, but what about the old fan translation did you find superior exactly? Aside from how this new one consistently makes bad name localization choices (Quan is especially indefensible when his entire story is a reference to Cuchulainn and he literally has the Gae Bolg.)

...Okay, I had never realized that connection between Cuan and Cuchulainn before. That’s just utterly bizarre, especially when there’s another guy literally named Cuchulainn in Holyn. Really nice spot you have there.

(EDIT: Or he could also be named after Cian, the guy who married Eithne AKA Ethnia, who Ethlin is named after.)

I’m not really able to explain why I like the old script better, but for the most part, I just found the dialogue (and names) easier to remember and more natural-sounding, “geez”es and all. Plus there’s all the opportunities Bookofholsety takes to rewrite a bunch of my favorite scenes and lines, which end up less memorable as consequence. I’ll see if I can manage to be more detailed about my preferences as the game goes on and more moments pop up.

[metis]

Not trying to be snarky here, but what about the old fan translation did you find superior exactly? Aside from how this new one consistently makes bad name localization choices (Quan is especially indefensible when his entire story is a reference to Cuchulainn and he literally has the Gae Bolg.)

I'm actually planning a post on the localisation of names, I think it's an interesting topic. That might be coming up next, depending on how the write-up goes.

...Okay, I had never realized that connection between Cuan and Cuchulainn before. That’s just utterly bizarre, especially when there’s another guy literally named Cuchulainn in Holyn. Really nice spot you have there.

(EDIT: Or he could also be named after Cian, the guy who married Eithne AKA Ethnia, who Ethlin is named after.)

I’m not really able to explain why I like the old script better, but for the most part, I just found the dialogue (and names) easier to remember and more natural-sounding, “geez”es and all. Plus there’s all the opportunities Bookofholsety takes to rewrite a bunch of my favorite scenes and lines, which end up less memorable as consequence. I’ll see if I can manage to be more detailed about my preferences as the game goes on and more moments pop up.

I've actually never played with the older translation, so I would be interested to hear your thoughts and comparisons. I like BoH's translation overall, although I think it does lack a bit of spark in certain places. I find Sigurd's dialogue in particular to be lacking in personality. He comes across strangely casual in sections, in a way that is often inappropriate to the emotion of a situation he's in. I think you could make a case for that being reflective of him maybe not understanding the political gravity of events, but it doesn't feel right to me.

[Greener223224]

I find Sigurd's dialogue in particular to be lacking in personality. He comes across strangely casual in sections, in a way that is often inappropriate to the emotion of a situation he's in. I think you could make a case for that being reflective of him maybe not understanding the political gravity of events, but it doesn't feel right to me.

Sigurd's actually one of the bigger points to touch on regarding the FE4 script. The general gist of his scenes, his dramatic arc, and the few lines he gets in FE13 and Fate/GO Heroes imply him to be one of those "virtuous knight errant ideal" types that tend to crop up in fantasy stories, of which I really hate that the best analogue I can point to is Jonathan Joestar from Jojo Part 1. His speech to Ayra and his first meeting with Dierdre are pretty big highlights for that attitude:

Sigurd:
“Ira, wait! We’ve got Prince Shanan. You don’t need to fight anymore!”

Ira:
“What!? YOU rescued Shanan? Prove it to me!”

Sigurd:
“Prince Shanan told me that you’re the younger sister to the King of Isaac. He also said that you’d be hostile towards us since we’re from Grandbell. But consider the facts. You have a young prince to protect. Is this war really worth risking your life over!?”

Ira:
“My brother, the king, was prepared for death when he entrusted Shanan with me. We’ve come this far… But you’re right. I can’t risk my life for Verdane! I must see Shanan through until he’s old enough to become a respectable king.”

Sigurd:
“Then put down your sword. As a descendant of Baldo, the Crusader of Light, I will not betray you.”

Ira:
“…Consider your trust reciprocated then. That’s the way of the Isaacian warrior. For now I consecrate my sword to thee. But I still view Grandbell as my sworn enemy. Just so you’re prepared for the day when that enemy may include you.”

Sigurd:
“War sure can be cruel. Ira, warrior of Isaac… I pray that day never comes.”

Diadora:
“Stop it… Let go of me!”

Demagio lookalike:
“Heh heh… What s’matter? Don’cha wanna have a little fun?”

Diadora:
“Please… just let me be on my way!”

Demagio lookalike:
“Grr! Sweetie, you best just shut your trap!”

Sigurd:
“Hey, what’s going on here? Let go of the girl.”

Demagio lookalike:
“What gives? Ulp! It’s that Grandbellian Holy Knight!”

Sigurd:
“That’s right, so get moving! Nothing gets under my skin more than scum like you! You apologize to the girl and then get out of my sight!”

Demagio lookalike:
“Alright already. Er… Sorry, miss. I’s just havin’ a little fun.”

Sigurd:
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you at all?”

Diadora:
“No, I’m fine. Thank you very much… Sigurd.”

Of course, most of that attitude, in the original translation, was kinda buried under a whole lot of simplified language and contemporary onomatopoeia, and the result was that Sigurd came off less like a classical paladin, and more like Fox McCloud:

Shanan:
“I’m Shanan… prince of Isaac. …Aren’t you Kinbois’ men?”

Sigurd:
“YOU are the prince of Isa-!? Forgive me. I’m Sigurd, Holy Knight of Grandbell. We took care of Kinbois. You’re safe with us.”

Shanan:
“Really? Then Ira doesn’t have to fight anymore! They’re makin’ my auntie fight against her will! Please, you gotta help her!!”

Sigurd:
“Ira!? You mean that sword fighter? But she um.. well…”

Shanan:
“Wha-? She’s dead? You guys killed her!?”

Sigurd:
“Geez, I’m sorry! I had no idea!”

Shanan:
“Aaaaagh… Ira!”

Sigurd:
“Aren’t you Levin? I heard you’ve been helping out the villagers. I certainly appreciate it. I also heard you’re a bard… …but one that can do magic?”

Levin:
“Yeah, call it… a hobby of mine. I take it you’re that Sigurd guy. You must have an awful lot of free time to be runnin’ around startin’ wars all over the place!”

Sigurd:
“Huh? I don’t follow. What’re you so angry about?”

Levin:
“Try putting yourself into these people’s shoes for a second! They’re just tryin’ to make a livin’ here. Then you show up, flashin’ your shiny swords around…”

Sigurd:
“Hmm… I see your point. Geez, I feel awful about the Agustrian people.”

Levin:
“Well, talk is cheap. If you really feel so bad, why don’t you pack up and leave?”

Sigurd:
“Alright then. Look, I’ll go consult with my people.”

Levin:
“W, w, whoa! You serious about pullin’ out!?”

Sigurd:
“Yeah, I’ve been tossing the idea around myself, and you just helped me make up my mind. I’m through fighting. I’ve got to try and settle this with King Shagaal peacefully.”

Levin:
“Ah… that’d be a complete and utter waste of your time. He wouldn’t listen to you. And if Grandbell pulls out now, all the citizens who helped you guys out’ll be tossed in jail! Doesn’t that bother you?”

Sigurd:
“Well, um… of course it does! But… didn’t I, er…”

Levin:
“Hahaha! You’re alright, Sigurd. Look, how about I join up with you guys?”

Sigurd:
“Join up wi… Just who are you!?”

Levin:
“Me? Just a traveling bard, my friend.”

And to be fair, this was pretty much a result of FE4 itself being written using modern Japanese syntax rather than actually going for anything more flowery, and there's not really much problem with other characters speaking contemporary with the occasional medieval spice (see also: Final Fantasy Tactics), but the results on Sigurd are still pretty conflicting.

Bookofholsety's aims, of course, were probably to try and fix this problem, but I'm guessing he either missed some spots, liked the idea of a knight errant capable of using casual syntax, or just wasn't capable of making flowery dialogue as well as the localizers behind FE11. So we end up with a Sigurd whose only notable changes are to make him sound lamer. Then again, I don't have access to the full Project Naga script, so I can't really compare and contrast all that many lines. Plus there's some changes that are just fine and without any clear preference, like Sigurd's "thousand slashes upon my heart" being changed to "Even should my body be rended and rent, no regrets will ever haunt me".

But of course, the BIG changes to Sigurd's dialogue doesn't really come until Chapter 5, so this is about all I can talk about for now.

Man, I wish this forum had a spoilerbox option.

[Tanegashima]

The entirety of the old translation had everyone speaking very casually, even lords and kings. Also I'll never forget Lex's line "You little player, you."

[metis]

4.x Promotion! Free Promotion With Every Two Promotions

It's arena time, once again! You may notice a few characters missing in this update, which is a result of these interludes taking place after the chapter introduction, where that will be explained. So don't worry about it for now.

As the title suggests, we have a lot of promotions today! First off is Aideen:

• +5 mag
• +3 skl
• +2 spd
• +2 def
• +1 res

She also gains rank C in all anima magic, which allows her to finally enter the arena and earn some money for herself! She and Jamke married late last chapter, as well.

Let's go to the arena now, and see who gets enough levels to promote.

Rank One is Kamahl the level thirteen wind mage with elwind.



Here he is being shown who the superior wind magic user is.

At Rank Two is... Kaledin the Paladin. My god. Anyway, he's level sixteen and wields a steel sword.



Archers will instead face Keith the level sixteen arch knight with a steel bow.



Rank Three is Senghor the level nineteen forest knight with a steel blade.



Senghor is tough for some of our slower and frailer units because forest knights (promoted sword knights) come with adept as a class skill, and he hits reasonably hard. Not an issue for Lewyn, though.

For archers, Senghor wields a flame sword instead.



Very striking.

At Rank Four we meet la femme Nikita, a level twenty two pegasus knight with a brave lance.



For this run at least she was surprisingly not that dangerous. The brave lance weighs her down so she's not actually very fast, and she's fairly inaccurate too. Passing around the wingslayer helps for any sword-users having trouble with her.

Archers fight Nene the level twenty two archer with a silver bow.



Rank Five is Kraft the level twenty five mage knight with elthunder and a shield ring.



The shield ring, of course, doesn't do anything against magic. Kraft can do big damage against most units since they're typically low res, but he's not a challenge to kill himself.

Rank Six is Nikias the level twenty eight warrior with a brave axe.



Perhaps the brother of Nikita? Who knows. If he connects, that axe packs a punch, but he's not very accurate so not too hard to get past.

For archers, he instead has a brave bow. The bow is more accurate than the axe, but since the only units facing him are Jamke and Bridget, they aren't really going to struggle against him.

Finally, Rank Seven is Atlas, a level thirty baron with bolganone and a skill ring.



Bolganone is a powerful tome, but see how Atlas is at weapon triangle advantage, and has a skill ring, and he's still at very low hit? Pavise of course makes him annoying to beat, but the armourslayer helps immensely for anyone finding him a challenge.

Overall, the way our army has grown means that they either found this arena very easy to get through, or they've been so far left behind in levels that they can barely beat the first couple of ranks. Most significantly, many characters have enough gold to trade around the paragon ring, which enables us to get them to promotion.

Let's see how they all did:

• Sigurd completed the arena. He gained two levels: +2 HP +1 skl, +2 lck, +1 def.
• Noish beat rank two. He gained one level: +1 HP (i hate you noish)
• Alec beat rank six with the paragon ring. He gained five levels, putting him at level nineteen: +3 HP +2 str, +4 skl, +2 spd, +1 lck, +1 res.
• Arden beat rank six. He gained two levels: +2 HP +1 spd.
• Azel completed the arena with the paragon ring. He gained five levels: +4 HP, +2 mag, +1 spd, +3 def, +1 res. Reached promotion
• Lex beat rank six. He gained two levels: +2 HP, +1 def.
• Midir could not beat rank one, and gained no levels!
• Aideen beat rank two. She gained one level: +1 mag, +1 spd, +1 lck.
• Dew beat rank one and gained one level: +1 HP, +1 str, +1 spd, +1 def.
• Ayra completed the arena. She gained two levels: +1 HP, +1 str, +1 spd, +1 def. Reached promotion
• Jamke completed the arena with the paragon ring. He gained five levels: +4 HP, +1 str, +1 spd, +1 lck, +1 def. Reached promotion
• Holyn completed the arena. He gained two levels: +2 HP, +2 str, +2 skl, +1 spd, +1 def. Reached promotion
• Lachesis completed the arena. She gained two levels: +2 HP, +2 str, +1 lck, +1 def.
• Lewyn completed the arena with the paragon ring. He gained five levels: +5 HP, +3 mag, +3 skl, +1 def, +4 res. Reached promotion
• Sylvia beat rank one. She did not level. (better than midir!!!)
• Beowulf completed the arena with the paragon ring. He gained six levels: +6 HP, +2 str, +3 skl, +3 def. Reached promotion
• Erin completed the arena with the paragon ring. She gained six levels: +4 HP, +1 str, +2 spd, +2 def, +3 res. Reached promotion
• Bridget completed the arena. She gained two levels: +2 HP, +1 lck, +1 def, +1 res.
• Taillte completed the arena. She gained four levels: +3 HP, +3 skl, +3 spd, +4 lck.
• Claude completed the arena. He gained two levels: +1 HP, +1 mag, +1 spd, +1 skl, +1 def.

That's seven (7) promotions! Get hyped!!

Lewyn promotes to sage:

• +7 mag (!)
• +5 skl
• +8 spd (!)
• +2 res

With those huge stat gains, Lewyn has capped speed already. He also now has B rank in all anima magic, light magic and staves.

Azel promotes to mage knight:

• +5 str
• +3 mag
• +1 skl
• +1 spd
• +4 def
• +2 res

Azel has much lower stat boosts from this promotion compared to Lewyn, but he gets something even better: A horse! Azel has also capped speed, although that's less impressive given mage knight's much lower cap. He can also now use swords.

Ayra promotes to swordmaster:

• +5 str
• +5 skl
• +5 spd
• +2 def
• +3 res

Ayra additionally gains the class skill adept. Pursuit + astra + adept is a pretty fun combination! It also makes for some even more fun builds in the second generation.

Holyn promotes to hero:

• +5 str
• +3 mag
• +2 skl
• +2 spd
• +2 def
• +3 res

Unfortunately, Holyn does not have the same promotion as Ayra. Swordmaster is strictly superior to hero, given the higher speed cap and therefore promotion boost, and especially the adept class skill. Hero doesn't get anything comparable, not even axes, as has become standard for heroes.

Jamke promotes to sniper:

• +5 str
• +2 skl
• +2 spd
• +2 def
• +3 res

Beowulf promotes to forest knight:

• +1 str
• +9 skl
• +6 spd
• +2 def
• +3 res

Forest knight comes with adept, meaning Beowulf has pursuit, accost and adept altogether, which is another very fun combination. His sword rank is boosted to A.

Erin promotes to falcon knight:

• +7 mag
• +3 skl
• +3 spd
• +1 def
• +5 res

Falcon knight is a very magic-focused promotion -- it also gives C rank in staves, as well as bringing her sword and lance ranks to A. She can now use magic swords moderately well. This promotion I find has a lot of potential for the second generation if you want to find her a magic-focused husband. A flying healer can be very fun.

Right, that's all our promotions done. I also did a lot of ~inventory management~ during this interlude, so I'll go through everyone's items.



Sigurd takes the javelin to have a ranged option, and the speed ring to keep it from weighing him down too much.



Alec got every piece of effective weaponry as I tried to get him all the way through the arena and up to promotion. He gets to hold on to them for now, and also the power ring to keep him relevant.



Arden doesn't have anything new, I just thought you'd like to see him.



Lewyn has the pursuit ring, as promised.



Holyn got the silver blade I promised him two updates ago.



Azel is pretending he's a windy boy rather than a flamey one. Since mage knight's speed cap is so low he needs all the boosts he can get, so he has the lowest possible weight tome. Honestly might be better to swap Lewyn and Azel's tomes, since Lewyn has higher magic and Azel will probably see more combat.



Claude gets Azel's cast off thunder tome to enable him to go through the arena for much needed fortify-repair cash.



Aideen similarly has Azel's old fire tome. There's a couple of expensive staves in the pawn shop I want her to buy, in particular restore and one of sleep or silence.



Pursuit + adept + accost + horse make Beowulf the perfect candidate for the brave sword. It only has nine kills at present, so he'll have to work overtime to get it to crit-threshold.



I consolidated Lachesis's inventory a little. I still feel like she could do with one more weapon...



Since I took Ayra's brave sword away from her, I thought the miracle sword might be a nice replacement. I'm thinking more about her daughter, who will inherit vantage from Arden. Vantage + miracle + astra = fun?



Erin gets the brave lance, the wind sword as a ranged option, and mend for clutch heals, although I doubt she'll do that much of it.



Finally, Sylvia picked up the knight ring. It works best in combination with the leg ring, but even on its own it's quite handy for her to go into the front lines to dance, then run back out of danger.

That's everyone who had a significant change in inventory -- the rest are basically the same as ever (ie Lex still has basically every axe in existence, Midir has one bow). I'll see you next time!

[metis]

4.x.ii The Final Bachelorettes

This is it, folks, the big send-off. Unfortunately, this is our final season, due to certain… externalities. So we’re going all-out and all-in with three bachelorettes and NUMBER bachelors for what we’re calling Bachelor In—

Hey Jake? We’re meant to be in PARADISE. What are we doing in this frozen hellscape?

Sorry, doll. All our entrants are in political exile after being accused of treason against the king. This is the best we could do.

Ugh. Fine.

What we’re calling Bachelor In Silesse! This year, all our contestants will live together in an isolated winter palace, and we watch to see if love will bloom through the powdery snow. Let’s meet our contestants now!

Erin

My perfect date?We go to Applebee’s for half price apps. We have some good conversation. You tell me about your dog that has cancer and I open up about my gambling addiction. At the end of the night you kiss me goodnight. We hang out a few times. Then you slowly stop texting me. I accuse you of only wanting to hookup and you say that it’s just a weird time in your life right now and you’re not ready for a relationship. I cry for a bit and eat 2 pints of ice cream then begin to swipe again.

Attributes
Swords
Lances
Pursuit

Interests
Magic
Staves

Sylvia

The only reason I want a boyfriend is so that when I’m singing Fergilicious and it’s at the part where she says “I be up in the gym just workin on my fitness he’s my witness” I can point to him and he’ll do the little “wooOOH” part because right now I have to do both parts by myself and it’s stressful because right after wooOOH part I have to get right back into rapping and the transition is harder than you think

Attributes
Swords
Miracle
Adept
Minor Bragi blood

Interests
Sword arts
Pursuit

Bridget

My brother once put me through a Christmas tree wrapping machine then my parents put me in the boot for the ride home.

Attributes
Bows
Major Ullir blood

Interests
Swords
Sword arts
Pursuit

Beowulf

Well I’m a fat fuck with a big horse. If we can’t get a big greasy burger then we won’t work. I’m 26 years old but don’t let that fool you, I have no social life like I’m 40. If my horse doesn’t impress you my personality probably won’t either. Welcome to the shit show.

Attributes
Swords
Pursuit
Accost

Alec

I like long walks on the beach with my girlfriend until the LSD wears off and I'm just dragging a stolen mannequin around McDonald's carpark. Love a coffee, love photography and adventures!

Attributes
Swords
Pursuit
Nihil

Noish

6ft 3in

Attributes
Swords
Critical
Accost

Midir

Difficulty level 9 very shallow very high strung very judgmental NOT EASY GOING can smell insecurities doesn’t like short people hates Jugdral

Attributes
Bows
Pursuit
Accost

Claude

Listen, I need to be clear about this: I think it is brave and good and pure of you to be looking for love and I know that it can be really hard and defeating at times (we’ve all been there) but I hope that you don’t let some stupid show make you feel any less valuable, loveable and worthy than you are. We might not match, not everyone is everyone’s type, but I’m rooting for you and I hope you find what you’re looking for.

Attributes
Major Bragi blood


Holyn

Q: Do you own a gun?
A: No
Explanation: I would like to own one someday. Personally I’m more into swords.

Attributes
Swords
Luna (sword art)
Minor Od blood

Dew

I love pizza and fun socks. Show me yours and I’ll show you mine. Still talkin bout socks.

Attributes
Swords
Bargain
Sol (sword art)

Azel

My mom told me to go on this show because I won’t meet anyone my age on club penguin

Attributes
Tomes
Swords
Pursuit
Minor Fjalar blood

Lex

Grandfather seeking companion for grandson. He suffers from poor choices.

Attributes
Axes
Paragon
Vantage
Minor Neir blood

That's everyone, folks! Who would you like to see pair off? Vote however you like: Sylvia and Holyn? Lex and Azel? Erin and her pint of ice cream? It's all up to you!

[Greener223224]

Fury with Claud, Sylvia wih Azel, Holyn with Briggid. Sorry, Lex.

I'm also declaring that anyone who wants Azel to end unpaired is a big stinky jerk.

[Tanegashima]

Holyn and Briggid
Sylvia and Azel
And sorry to a certain future child, Lex and Fury (I want to see how viable Paragon, Vantage and more beef can make the other one)

[Grumpy Turtle]

Erin still isn't over Levin, so she clearly needs a rebound and who better than fellow Nice Guy Midir? They can bond over their sad tales of how they've been hovering around their crushes since forever, only to have them run off with some random beefcake/mage floozy.

Sylvia is a fun person who likes to have fun. While Dew also likes fun, he looks like he's maybe ten, which won't do. Of the other available bachelors, Noish seems the most likely to go WHOO.

And Noish won't get married without his buddy Alec, so if him and Briggid can bond over their mutual love for wearing bandages on their heads, there can be a double wedding.

[clearcardinal]

No real opinion on the pairings, but I really enjoyed the write-up! Sylvia especially was perfect.

[Cythereal]

While Dew also likes fun, he looks like he's maybe ten, which won't do. Of the other available bachelors, Noish seems the most likely to go WHOO.

Sylvia and Dew are both about 15 years old.

[Tanegashima]

As of their recruitment, yeah. I don't know exactly how many years passed through the campaign but I'm assuming it's been about 2-3 by Silesia. Artists just too lazy to make updated timeskip portraits for relatively minor characters.

Edit: Yeah, found the TCG art. Dew looks more like this by now. He basically grew up to be a blonde version of Julian from Akaneia.

[metis]

Here's the current tally:

Erin/Noish 1
Erin/Azel 3
Erin/Claude 4
Erin/Lex 2
Erin/Holyn 1
Erin/Midir 3
Erin/alone 1

Sylvia/Dew 6
Sylvia/Beowulf 2
Sylvia/Claude 1
Sylvia/ Azel 3
Sylvia/Lex 1
Sylvia/Noish 1

Bridget/Azel 1
Bridget/Dew 3
Bridget/Holyn 3
Bridget/Lex 2
Bridget/Midir 2
Bridget/Alec 2
Bridget/Claude 1
Bridget/alone 1

Lex/Holyn 1
Lex/Beowulf 1
Lex/Alec 1
Lex/Noish 1
Lex/Claude 1
Lex/Midir 1
Lex/Azel 1
Lex/Dew 1
Lex/Brave axe 2
Alec/Noish 1
Claude/Azel 1
Noish/”Those are two separate measurements” 1
Midir/Therapy 1
Dew/Erin’s ice cream 1

To make these results feel a little more concrete, I'm going to have a runoff vote for each bachelorette's top two results (three for Erin since there was a tie).

Choose between:
Erin/Azel
Erin/Claude
Erin/Midir

Sylvia/Dew
Sylvia/Azel

Bridget/Dew
Bridget/Holyn

Please pick a unique bachelor each time (ie don't vote erin/azel and sylvia/azel pls)

Otherwise, we will be holding a wedding ceremony between Lex and his brave axe shortly.

edit: this is a fresh vote, starting at zero, so you can vote again/change your mind. Sorry that this is a little convoluted!

[clearcardinal]

Erin/Claude
Sylvia/Dew
Bridget/Holyn

[Grumpy Turtle]

Erin/Midir
Silvia/Dew
Bridget/Holyn

[Greener223224]

Still the same. Fury/Claud, Sylvia/Azel, Briggid/Holyn. I have no idea why we’re pairing Dew with Sylvia.

[Grumpy Turtle]

Can't speak for everyone else, but I voted for it because Silvia parties and Azel does not.

[Tanegashima]

Azel can be Sylvia's designated driver, though.

Brigid and Holyn, because Brigid is legitimately too old for Dew if her sister is Sigurd's childhood friend.

All magical options for Erin except Midir? Bah. Well, Midir can go back to posting furiously on Reddit, Erin and Claude it is. If she can't get the prince at least she can get someone who is roughly duke-equivalent.

[metis]

Current tally!

Erin/Claude 8
Erin/Azel 4
Erin/Midir 2

Sylvia/Dew 9
Sylvia/Azel 5

Bridget/Dew 3
Bridget/Holyn 11

There's a clear favourite in each race, but there's still room for a shake-up.

I'm going to bed now, so I'll leave the vote open until late morning tomorrow, roughly twelve hours from now.

[metis]

Ok, vote closed!

The final results:

Erin/Claude 11
Erin/Azel 8
Erin/Midir 2

Sylvia/Dew 13
Sylvia/Azel 7

Bridget/Dew 4
Bridget/Holyn 17

Sylvia/Dew is a new one for me, I've never done that pairing before so that'll be fun! I'm secretly very happy about Erin/Claude, I love that pairing but was trying not to manipulate votes in their favour haha.

[metis]

Oh I should summarise all our pairings, in case anyone's forgotten any:

Aideen/Jamke (married)
Ayra/Arden (very close to married)
Lachesis/Finn (married)
Taillte/Lewyn (have only just met)
Erin/Claude
Sylvia/Dew
Bridget/Holyn

I feel like I'm forgetting someone, but I think it's just that Ethlyn and Quan and Deirdre and Sigurd come pre-married, so it's throwing me off.

edit: Of course! How could I forget the most important couple of all: Lex/Brave Axe.

[metis]

4.1 Family Reunions

Glorious Grannvale

The unthinkable has come to pass. Sigurd is now a traitor in the eyes of his beloved Grannvale.





It lies under the watchful guard of the valiant pegasus knights and wind mages, and so for over a century since its foundation, Silesse has maintained itself as a neutral nation and resisted all invaders.

However, ever since the death of its king several years ago, the royal family has been plagued with strife over its inheritance, and shades of war creep over the peaceful land.



The king's greedy younger brother, Duke Daccar,



As if acting in concert, the king's youngest brother, Duke Maios,



Out of disgust at this uncles, Prince Lewyn left Silesse to travel the world years ago.

Is there no end to the dukes' avarice? Their lust for power will condemn Silesse, a beautiful and majestic land, to the searing ravages of a brutal war.


Silesse Palace






Two pegasus knights fly out of the Silesse palace.







They enter Sailaine castle, where Sigurd and his fellow exiles have been living.





As much as I appreciate the offer, we're fine. I can't thank you enough for your hospitality, Your Highness.
I know Sailane is perhaps too small to house all of you adequately, and I'm sorry, but please, bear with me for a while longer... I'm doing all I can to hasten your liberty. I've sent letter after letter to Belhalla to advocate for your innocence. As of yet, however, I've still heard nothing at all from King Azmur.
This... This has to be Reptor's doing! First he betrays my father, and now he's stopping all of your letters! He must be!
Calm yourself, Lord Sigurd! I know well the pain you're feeling, but you cannot let your grudges rule you. Your anger will not save your father. Hatred will only destroy you from within. I swear to you, I can and I will find a way to set this to rights, but you must be patient.
You're right... Im sorry, Your Highness. I really appreciate all you've done for me.
It's alright, Lord Sigurd. Oh, before I forget... There actually has been some good news from Grannvale of late.
Good news, you say?



It took King Azmur only a glance to recognize her true heritage. She bears the brand of Naga, the proof of a true heir to House Belhalla. There is no doubt. She is Kurth's child.
I see... Thank goodness. At the very least, this means the royal lineage won't go extinct.
That's not all. The princess and Duke Arvis are in a relationship. King Azmur has given his blessing, and a magnificent wedding will soon be held.
Arvis? Really?
All who've seen the happy couple eagerly attest that this beautiful princess and Duke Arvis are perfectly matched together. To say nothing of how happy the couple is said to be! Young love is wonderful, isn't it?



It's been over a year since she vanished. She's missed an entire year of watching Seliph grow up.
I'm so sorry, Lord Sigurd, but cheer up. I know you'll reunite someday.
You're right. I feel it, too. I can't give in to sorry just yet. I can't give up on finding her.



Ah, of course. I'll be with you in a moment. Lord Sigurd, one last thing... Beware of Duke Maios of Thove. I regret to say that my brother-in-law has long hungered to claim Sailane for himself. It's only a matter of time till he goes so far as to attack you. I wish I could provide you with reinforcements, but...
...I know. The capital is under the very same threat from Duke Daccar of Zaxon. You cannot afford to weaken your own guard. Daccar will pounce upon you given even a hint of weakness. Don't worry about it, Your Highness. There's nothing the Thove army can throw at us that we can't handle.
Ah, of course. I should be more confident in such veteran heroes as yourselves. Oh! I've been talking for so long, I lost track of the time. Take care, Lord Sigurd.
You, too, Your Highness. Thank you.



You've just chatted for hours and hours with Sigurd, yet you can't even acknowledge your own son?
My son? The one who abandoned me two years ago, going gods know where? How do I talk to someone who's clearly not here?
Heh heh... So this is how it's going to be, is it? You're still mad at me, then?
Of course I am! Do you have any idea how hard it was without you, and how worried I've been after you? That my own son could be so cold-hearted... I thought I knew you better than this.
Look, I know you're upset, but I had my reasons for all this. But come on, I'm home safely! Surely that counts for something and you can forgive me? I swear I'll make up for it and be the very picture of a good son. Hey, how about I give you a shoulder massage to start?
Oh! What nerve! Treating me as if I'm an old crone... Look, Lewyn, there are more pressing matters which we need to talk about, and soon. Come to Silesse as soon as possible. Do not forget! Do I make myself clear?

(Rahna leaves)

...Sigh. I thought she'd never stop.



Indeed, she hasn't been anything as cheerful as this since before you left.
Thanks, Mahnya. Knowing you're at her side is a big relief. Look after her, okay?
Yes, sir! Rest assured, I will protect the queen with my lief, on my honor as the captain of the Silessian pegasus knights.
Thanks. Oh, one more thing... Are you gonna leave Erin here with Sigurd?



Oh. Eavesdropping, were you, Erin?
You were about to tell him too much, so...
Ah. My apologies, Erin. There are things he shouldn't know just yet, of course... Erin, I'll be leaving with Queen Rahna and returning to Silesse Castle shortly. You'll stay here and keep and eye on Prince Leywn. Best of luck.
Thank you, Mahnya.



Queen Rahna and Mahnya depart. Nice rhyme there, huh? Mahnya's name has officially been changed to Annand, so appreciate the rhyme while you can.

Manster Palace


Rest assured, we'll be back, this time leading the full military might of Leonster to your aid. May that day come soon, my friend.
I'm going with Quan, Sigurd. Don't worry, though. We'll be back before you know it! Take care of yourself.
By your leave, sir, I'll be departing with my lord. Thank you for all you've done for us. Don't give up, sir. One day, I know, the charges against you will be cleared and your good name restored. I know you can do this.
Thank you. You've got quite the journey back to Leonster ahead of you. I wish I could do more to help you on your way. May your journey be a safe one!



The three of them leave. This is why I was so keen to have Lachesis and Finn married by the end of the last chapter, because it was their last chance. I couldn't fail to fulfil the wishes of the people!

Here's the equipment they'll be taking back to Leonster.







Pretty barebones. Normally I would give Ethlyn the pursuit ring and maybe another sword, but the Light Brand will do. Since Finn is a father to a sword-wielder, there's no point him taking any lances since they'll all disappear on inheritance.

The chapter continues as we move to the far north of Silesse.

Enemy Message




Very well. Relay my orders to Cuvuli: move in on Sailane! Dithorba, I trust your pegasus corps are already briefed on your mission?
Yes, sir. Our task is clear. My squadron is to raid the enemy from above, disrupting their tactics.
Good. Now get to work! Grannvale will owe us a handsome reward for bringing them the heads of their infamous traitors! Heh heh heh...



So here we are, embroiled in a foreign country's civil war once again. At least this time rather than conquering in the name of Grannvale, we're defending the country from Grannvale proxies at the request of the reigning monarch.



Maios is sending his forces southwest from Thove, while we ride to meet him from Sailane. The southern red circle represents Cuvili's mage squad:



The northern red circle is Dithorba's flying squad.





As a falcon knight, Dithorba has adept as a class skill, so she's one to watch out for.



Maios comes with tornado, A-rank wind magic. I would dearly love if it was droppable, but alas it is not.



Let's begin. First things first, Sigurd and Claude have a conversation.

Decision 1


I did return to Grannvale, and I was about to relate the truth to His Majesty. But Reptor interfered before I could do anything, and now I, too, am branded a traitor to the motherland.
Ugh. I've had enough of just sitting here and letting Reptor have his sorry way! I swear, I've half a mind to storm straight into Grannvale and end this once and for all!
No. You know better than to rely on brute force or risk the common folk's safety. For now, Lord Sigurd, we must endure.
But, Father Claude-
Make no mistake. I feel your pain, too, but this crisis's end now lies in fate's hands. There is nothing any of us can do to save ourselves anymore.



There's not really anything to do this turn, so I just get everyone out of the castle and end turn.







Cuvili's wind mages shuffle forwards. They're in the middle of a forest so they can't get very far.



We have the requisite pirates, of course.



And Dithorba's squad move out as well.



Enemy Message 2


Heh heh... Why, this little drama is finally getting interesting. Wouldn't you say, Pamela?
Indeed, sir. However, as I recall we didn't account for Sigurd's fugitives being here. Their strength poses a real risk to the plan. If Maios at least succeeds in weakening them, perhaps Silesse's fall will still go smoothly?
Even if he fails, I still have my private deal with Grannvale in my favor. Their Lord André should arrive shortly with a battalion of reinforcements. Heh heh... My victory is certain, Pamela! I'll be sitting on the Silessian throne by the end of the week!
Without a doubt, sir.



Now Aideen wants to talk to Jamke.

Aideen's Theme


Yes. Please, accept it. As formidable as the Silessian pegasus knights are, so long as you have this bow, I know you'll have the upper hand.
Thanks, Aideen. I know I'll be able to keep you safe with a bow like this. I guess I'll see you later, once this is all over.
Jamke... I'll be praying for your safety.





The brave bow is a very welcome addition! If Aideen married Midir, she'll have a fairly similar conversation with him with the same result. If she's married to Azel, however, he gives her a rescue staff. Claude would give her the same staff in the next chapter.



No one can even reach the pirate sacking the closest village, so it's another turn of moving units forward and nothing else.



Same goes for the enemy.







Finally we're in range! Lachesis will fairly safely draw the enemy in. Since they're all wind mages, they're quite fast and accurate, so it pays to be careful.



Everyone else lines up behind the tree line.



In the backlines, Taillte starts on the pirate.





And Erin finishes him off.



I actually want Taillte to get the village though, so Erin just flies off to rescue the next one.







Lachesis takes a bit of a beating from these wind mages. She can't double them with the javelin so she leaves them at just under half health. This was unintentionally very clever of me, as I will show you:



Cuvili is carrying a sleep staff and a physic. Because Lachesis left those mages at low health, he prioritises healing one of them over using sleep on Lachesis. I didn't remember when starting this chapter that he has sleep, so none of my healers have the restore staff, so if anyone got slept they'd be stuck that way for five turns. But with my extremely clever tactics, I have avoided that problem! Strategy in action!!



Fire magic bests wind, wind bests thunder, and thunder bests fire. However, dark and light magic have an advantage over all of the others. Think your strategies through with care.

Taillte visits the village, which gives us a tutorial of the magic triangle I've already gone over. But maybe you've forgotten!



She now has enough money to buy the paragon ring, which she will do... later. She's not going to get into combat anytime soon; she, Lewyn, Bridget and Holyn are going to hang around here building love points rather than trudging all the way up to Thove and, presumably, back again.

Let's start on deleting mages.













Azel is very, very good now, by the way. He spent a long time trailing behind, but now he's a very effective killer. I wish he could have a stronger tome without losing speed, but wind does the job fine for now.





Sigurd kills with the silver sword, then switches to the javelin for the enemy phase.





Aideen heals up Erin, and that's where I leave everyone for the enemy phase. I still want to keep the frailer units out of harm's way, so Sigurd and Lachesis will take the brunt of the enemy's attacks.



Erin skirts the edge of territory she's allowed to fly in, heading to the next pirate.







Behold the fruits of my genius again!



Dithorba and co are getting a little closer.









Erin kills this pirate, but if I recall correctly, she will not visit the village for a couple of turns because I forgot she was there.





Alec takes out the mage threatening Lex. He is one level away from promotion, so I'll be feeding him a lot of kills.





The classic fortify levelling trick. Claude will probably be the first character to hit thirty, which is the level cap.





Sylvia dances so Dew can get up to this guy for some cash.





They're not carrying that much, though.



I plan for Midir to finish him off, but





Gah. Midir!!!



You go sit over here and think about what you've done.







Azel and Lex work together on this pirate.





Sigurd does the ol' weapon switcheroo again.



Dithorba's squad are coming in closer.



I have to balance drawing them in with staying out of sleep range because I can't reach Cuvili to kill him in this turn.



Meanwhile, Erin visits a village.



I daresay this makes Lord Arvis, husband to the princess, quite the influential figure.

I don't know if that's a good thing or not...





Sigurd and Beowulf take out the last two wind mages. It's now just Cuvili left of this initial force.



Jamke visits the southern village. He just gave all his money to Aideen so she could staves later, so he's in need of more.



Divine heirs can wield even the most advanced weapons with ease, and'll have an easier time growin' stronger. 'Course, it's not every day you meet someone blessed with that sorta blood.

Certainly not, and certainly you would never see an army full of them trampling your local woods.



Noish gets this one.



And only they'll be able to wield their family's divine heirlooms. However, if kin intersect, their offspring'll have their exalted blood enriched and'll reap almighty powers. Needless to say, mind, doin' that is condemned and forbidden...

A lot of old men dispensing wisdom about the holy bloodlines of Jugdral in this chapter! This time: please don't commit incest in the pursuit of power.



On the enemy phase, lacking in targets to either heal or sleep, Cuvili moves closer to us, all the better for us to kill him next turn.



The onslaught of pegasus knights begins!



Beowulf leaves this one at 5 hp.



Sigurd leaves this one at 3 hp. Sigurd is having a bit of trouble one-rounding generic enemies at this point in the game.



Ah, yes, that'll help!



Most of the flying squad couldn't reach our units, so they've scattered through the forest. Priorities are to take out Cuvili and Dithorba, the two most dangerous units.







Ayra puts some work in.



Alec still has the wingslayer, which is definitely handy this chapter.



Midir can't even kill units he gets effective damage against... Pathetic.



Beowulf, take over.



Azel is going to weaken Dithorba.



This is where your journey ends!





I want to make some room by clearing out other enemies before taking care of her, so I'm going to attack-canto into a formation for Sylvia to dance.







Noish makes a path for Lex, and gets an actually good level for once in his life.





Lachesis makes use of her diverse weapon skills.



Lex reaches Cuvili! Since he has no weapons he's not weighed down by anything, and has decent avoid. It can make killing him a pain.





Doesn't matter though!



Not for long.











Ok! Lachesis turns her bow on Dithorba.







Side note: Dithorba has a daughter, who has now been left motherless. Oh, the tragedy. The daughter, Misha, turns up as a recruitable character in the sequel/spin-off, Thracia 776.



Good levels this update!

The rest of the pegasus knights go down without much incident.



Even Sylvia gets a kill in!



Some gold, too.





Beowulf takes out the last one for a nice level to round out the update.

Next time: Thove approach! A mid-air battle!

Bonus

Azel and Taillte have a conversation this chapter that I skipped to avoid gaining love points between them, but it gives some nice characterisation to them both, so I'll show it to you here. For this, it's important to remember that Taillte's dad is Duke Reptor.

Tine's Theme


I need to ask you something quick.
Hm? Me?
Yeah. That okay? I mean, we've been friends for years. And I don't think there's anyone else who I can ask about this.
Huh. You look downright grim and serious... If you really think I can help, then sure. What seems to be the problem?
Well... I, er... I'm only with you lot because I was just following Claude around, but I'm starting to think I shouldn't have done that...
What makes you think so?
It's because people are acting kinda like they're treading carefully 'round me. And when I'm around, people stop talking about my father...
Ah... That certainly doesn't sound fun. But I'd say people really do like you. It's more that they honestly aren't sure how they should treat you, and that they're worried they'll cause you grief. Don't worry too much. It'll all be fine once they get to know you better.
Yeah... Guess you're right. Thanks, Azel. Think I might be feeling a bit better 'bout this now.
Hah! Glad you're back to normal, Taillte. If you're ever feeling like this again, I'll always be here to help you through it, no matter what happens.
Okay. Thanks!



Taillte gains 5 HP from this conversation, which is a really nice bonus. In retrospect, I could have safely gotten it without messing up marriages, but at the time I was playing cautious.

Character profile: Bridget (off. Brigid)


[Might O; Fire Emblem Heroes]

HP: 50+40%
Str: 30%
Mag: 20%
Skl: 30%
Spd: 20%
Lck: 10+60%
Def: 20%
Res: 5%

Raised as a do-gooder pirate, only to find she has a destiny as a descendant of a crusader.

Oops, I forgot to put Bridget's bio in for the last two updates! At least in the interim she was released in FEH, so we get to see some nice art of her dressed as a pirate for the, uh, pirate festival they hold in that game. Not much to say about her at this point -- her growths are pretty low, but she's a prepromote with good bases so that's fine. The most interesting part is her 20% growth in magic, which must be a result of sharing genetics with Aideen.

[metis]

4.2 Bridge Boy

Hello, it's been a little while! I'm back and ready to fly through the rest of this chapter! When we left off, we were making the approach to Thove castle, where the younger of Lewyn's two uncles has based his rebellion.



In our way are two bridges guarded by some of Silesse's famous wind mages.





All three mages guarding the second bridge have blizzard, a siege tome that makes closing in dangerous for our army of resistance-challenged soldiers.



Nothing for it, let's begin!



Taillte, Lewyn, Bridget and Holyn are still waiting around near Sailane castle. They're using this time to deepen their relationships.







The first bridge is guarded by some mercenaries. This one foolishly launches himself into battle with Beowulf. He is dead now.





Lach is slowed down enough by the javelin that the mercenary can double her, but she's very tanky at this point and he doesn't do much damage.



Their commander is much more sensible and attacks at range, putting quite a dent in Beowulf.



Meanwhile, this blizzard mage is just hanging out in the mountains. He's not actually that threatening since his range doesn't reach a lot of the path, but Erin's going to take him out anyway.





Arden! Arden! Arden!



Beowulf gets another kill on the brave sword. That is his highest priority at the moment, I really want to get those numbers up.





After we cross into the middle island, focus moves to Thove castle.







Oh no! Whatever will we do without the bridge! There's simply no way -- yeah nah I won't go on pretending I don't know what to do. Dew can lower the bridge if he stands next to it. If he's dead, the chapter isn't impossible, just incredibly tedious -- Sigurd and most promoted units can cross the mountains south of Thove castle, where the blizzard mage is hanging out. It just takes a very, very long time.











I like the enemy war mage sprite a lot.





These idiots all miss. Wonderful!



Erin gets rid of the mountain mage.





This village is on the verge of being wiped out, so Beowulf charges in to rescue the residents.



If it’s not down, and you don’t have a key, you’re not getting across. But I bet if you had someone handy along like a thief, you might be able get it down.

Helpful!

If you visit this village after letting the bridge down, he says this instead:

Huh… The bridge is already down? How did you know how to do that?



The forest keeps us from reaching the blizzard mages on this turn, but as you've seen, they're not terrible dangerous.



In the backlines, Noish and Midir are going to visit these two villages and then run off and hide in a corner. They're not going to contribute for the rest of the chapter.



Only Grannvale's House Belhalla, the heirs to Saint Heim, inherit Naga's power.



House Velthomer wields the power of fire, as bestowed by the fire goddess, Fjalar. And House Friege wields thunder powers, as bestowed by the thunder god, Thrud.





And back at Sailane, Taillte picks up the paragon ring.







Lachesis is the only one to take any damage from the blizzard mages, so we're set to take them out.





Beowulf takes on the commander.



War mages wield magic and swords, so this guy has a slim sword for melee combat. He still has piddly mage strength though, so it doesn't do much damage.







That's the mages taken care of.



Dew is still catching up, though, so I leave Lachesis in range to attract some of Thove's guards on the enemy phase.





Javelin fight! It would be fun if the river was depicted in the battle background, but that's a little beyond this game I think.



Lachesis can double but not kill this guy, so that's the only combat this phase.



Thove's guards group up around the river even though they can't actually attack.



Dew is still another turn away from the bridge.



Lachesis finishes off the javelin armour she started on.







Erin pops up from behind the mountains to delete a mage and get a meh level.







And Azel takes Lachesis' place because he'll be more effective at chewing through the armours.



Sylvia visits the second closest village to Thove castle. It's important that she's the one who visits this one. If you do so with anyone else, you just get some more crusader lore:

Legend has it that all direct heirs to the Crusaders bear exalted brands on their bodies, which appear on them in their infancy. Prince Kurth's daughter has her Naga brand on her forehead. Actually, that was how they recognized her as a direct heiress to Saint Heim.

But for Sylvia...



If you don't mind, perhaps you could do a little dance for us? It's been so long since we've had time for respite or fun...

Yep, not a problem! If you think it'll help everyone cheer up a bit, then I'm gonna dance my feet off! ...Okay! Heeeere we go!





Oh! What fantastic dancin'! I dunno how, but now I feel like I'm ready to give life my all! I can't thank you enough, miss. Here, perhaps this magic sword'll help ya out. It oughta do a fine job of keeping ya safe.





The shield sword is a very nice little thing, instantly making the wielder much bulkier, and this is the only way to acquire it, so this is an important event. It's not very useful on Sylvia, since she sees so little combat, but she'll keep it for now.



Azel does this a bunch of times;



and some of the others take the coward's option and attack Erin.



They are the only ones who survive, so maybe they're just smart.



Azel gets an empty level for his trouble. He's capped speed, so maybe that's to be expected.



Now it's Dew's time to shine!





Wonderful!



Let's clear out these two, and then take on Maios.





Alright, Alec is ready to promote whenever he makes his way back to Sailane.



Erin adds another kill to the brave lance.



Maios is not a very threatening boss. Tornado is scary when it comes on enemies that can double, which Maios is not. He also has barely any magic compared to strength, so he doesn't even hit that hard. He does, of course, have pavise, but that's just annoying more than anything else.



Beowulf gets us started.









He misses that last hit, but still put a great big rent in his armour, which is great.



Lachesis heals him up so he can survive the enemy phase.







Damn!



Oh, nevermind.







I start sending people back towards Sailane, and then it's time to seize.



Lord Sigurd, I presume? We can't thank you enough for getting rid of Lord Maios. The entire population of Thove is rejoicing at his downfall!
Hm? Are you sure? I mean, I just conquered you. Am I not the enemy here?
Lord Maios was nothing but a tyrant. All he ever did was bleed us dry. You fight in the name of Queen Rahna, and there isn't a Silessian alive who doesn't bear the utmost adoration for our queen.
Is that so? Thank you. Anyway, in the interim I think I'll leave governing Thove to you, sir. Once the crisis has settled, the queen will be in touch to arrange a proper successor. Until then, I'm sure you'll be a just governor to help heal Thove's wounds.
Very well. Please, Lord Sigurd, do all you can to protect the queen. She is a treasure to us, and a beacon of peace and kindness.
Rest assured, my good man. So long as I live, I swear that I'll let no harm come to Queen Rahna. You have my word.

Is Sigurd becoming self-aware?! Wonders never cease.





Lachesis gets a level from topping up Sigurd's HP. More magic is very nice on her.





We move south of the mountains, to Zaxon, where Duke Daccar, Lewyn's older brother, rules.



I almost feel bad for my brother: little more than a pawn in my dreams who'd outlived his usefulness. Pamela, it's your turn. Lead your pegasus knights into battle at once! Sigurd is well clear of the capital. Seize it while he has no chance of aiding them!
Yes, sir!



Uh oh.



Silesse castle, the capital.



I'm glad Oifey isn't the only one always going on about dire news. I guess every leader has someone for that.

What?! This can't be happening! ...So, at long last, Daccar has put to rest his tired old façade of innocence.
Be at ease, milady. My squad will keep Pamela's at bay.
Mahnya, are you sure you can do this? I've heard stories of the sheer terror of Pamela's might as a warrior.
Of course... I know better than to take lightly such a formidable foe. But remember, I am one of the Four Falcon Knights of Silesse. I never enter a battle ill prepared.
Ah... I'm so sorry, Mahnya. I already know well how you feel about all this, but... I...
To fight in your name is the only life I know... Milady, please. Don't worry about me so much. If that's all, then, I'll be going. Knights, to me! Move out!




Next time: what will happen when these forces clash!?

Extra

If Erin waits next to Sylvia during this chapter, it automatically triggers this conversation:

Hey! Hey, Erin! You totally like Lewyn, don't ya? Like, do ya really like him?
Huh? I... that's... Er, no. Prince Lewyn is beloved and respected by all the people of Silesse, myself included.
Oh? Okay, then. Then I guess you'd be okay with me and Lewyn getting together, right?
Er... Yes. I wouldn't really mind...
Reeeeally? That wouldn't but ya at all?
No, I'm sure I'd have no issue. Why do you ask? Am I supposed to object?
I dunno! But if it's all fine by ya, then I guess it's time for me to go work my magic on Lewyn...
Er... The thing is, a prospective queen of Silesse ought to possess the same grace and dignity as our Queen Rahna.
Oh, so you're sayin' I'm not cut out for it? How rude!
Er, no... That isn't-
Hrmph! Fine then! I'll show you!

These fools don't even realise there's a third entrant in the race! This event gives 50 love points to Lewyn and Sylvia, and 25 love points to Lewyn and Erin, which is why I didn't get it in my playthrough.

[Greener223224]

Should we start making demands for the incoming feeding frenzy of levelups?