LP Beach

Greener223224 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 01, 2020 5:55 pm

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

Ah, I've already recorded the rest of this chapter I'm afraid, so you won't get the chance to!

4.3: The Titular Dance

Last we left off, the forces of Zaxon led by Pamela were about to clash with Mahnya's Silesse pegasus knights. Before we continue, let's have a look at who's on the field.



Mahnya's stats. She has adept as class skill of falcon knight.



This is one of Mahnya's generic soldiers; they all have the same stats and weapons.



Pamela also has adept as a class skill.



And here is one of Pamela's soldiers.

The two forces are fairly evenly matched, which should hopefully buy us enough time to reach the battlefront, with copious abuse of warp. Let's begin!



Sigurd is obviously the most important unit to send home. Everyone else has to start the trip back on foot (or horseback, of course).



I set Lachesis to defend. With the javelin and castle bonuses she'll be easily able to counter any sneak attacks.



As of now we still can't cross the river into Silesse territory, but I'm sure that will change soon and we'll be able to charge across the bridge and protect Rahna!



Grannvale Army


Uh.



Oh! How magnificent! So this is Jungby's renowned bow knight legion!
Hmhmhm... Alas, my father is dead, and my sister is a fugitive among the traitors. This leaves me, and me alone, as the Duke of Jungby and the leader of our legion! Against the might of the Beigenritter, these winged ponies stand no chance at all! Now, sit back and watch them drop like flies!

Oh dear. Bow knights are exactly what we don't want to see!



Meanwhile, the two pegasus knight forces meet.



Mahnya's units begin to attack. They are evenly matched.





Mahnya attacks a generic soldier.



This dialogue between Mahnya and Pamela dialogue triggers when they are close.

But not once did I ever suspect we would someday find ourselves as enemies.
Mahnya... Only you would be so foolish as to insist on following your queen to her inevitable grave! Why should I complain, though? After all, once you're out of the way, that leaves me as the greatest knight of Silesse!
The only fool here is you, Pamela! No... It's too late to change your mind. You're so set on your fate... Very well. All I can do for you now is give you a last honorable duel befitting a Silessian knight.
Heh... Saccharine as ever, aren't you?

Saccharine feels like an odd word choice here, although I do get what it's going for. Sentimental might work better.

The Jungby bow knights don't move this enemy phase, but let's look at Andre to see just how totally screwed Mahnya is.





All his soldiers also have brave bows. This is not good!! Mahnya and Rahna, please let us cross the border!!



Well, we better hurry up with the warping.





We have quite a few people waiting at the bridge now.





The fighting continues, with the pegasus knights at a stalemate.







And then the Beigenritter join in. It's not a pretty sight.



Mahnya's soldiers try to fight back, but they just can't take them out quickly enough. This is turning into a massacre.





We're still warping! Still racing back to the bridge!



At Sailane, Alec is ready to promote.









Paladin doesn't come with any new class skills, nor any great upgrade to weapon ranks, but the stat boosts help keep him relevant a little bit longer.



Everyone forms an orderly queue.



Mahnya is outnumbered now. She has no hope of victory.





She survived! With one hit point!



Ah... And it's all over.





Only one of Mahnya's squadron yet survives. And now, Duke André himself rides in to battle.





The Silessian defenders are defeated, utterly.





Silesse Castle.

Time of Sadness 2: Game Over








And yet it did.

This plot beat is both where FE4 shines and where it stumbles, in my opinion. It tells a story within the bounds of the game itself, right on the map in front of you, with the player unable to intervene to prevent tragedy from occurring. It's a very effective way of marrying gameplay and storytelling.

But at the same time, it's fairly clumsy in making sure the player is powerless. The area surrounding Silesse is out of bounds for arbitrary reasons -- why wouldn't the Silessian guard let us cross when their queen is at risk? Furthermore, when you're playing fast the pacing is pretty terrible. You're forced to stop and wait for several turns, with nothing to do but queue up your units at the crossing point, until the game allows you to continue playing. It works to a degree if you're taken by surprise, making you panic in your efforts to get back south, but you can really see the glue holding it together after a few replays.

Later gameplay events are far better integrated.



We still can't cross the river!



All we can do is end the turn.





No matter. I suppose we might as well bring down the capital while we're here. Pamela, your unit will cross the mountains. Besiege and capture Thove immediately.
Very well.





Pamela's squad flies north for Thove, where I've left Lachesis in charge, while André rides for Silesse.



We still can't do anything. Repeat for another couple of turns, which I'll skip. See what I mean about the pacing?



Finally, André reaches Silesse. With no one guarding it, he captures it with no fanfare.







Good riddance!!! We'll be getting our revenge on you later.



Zaxon castle.



Now, I want a wind mage unit deployed south of Silesse River. Fortify our defensive line there. Furthermore... Donovan! You and your axemen are to occupy the capital and maintain its defenses. But don't even think about killing the queen. We can't waste a hostage of such high value.
Got it, sir!

Donovan actually has green hair, but I'm just gonna reuse Kinbaith's portrait. Sue me.

Back at Silesse:



I'll be okay! Look after yourselves, please!
People, please! The queen wants us to run, so come on! Run!



Civilians flee the castle.



Not a moment too soon, either, as Donovan and his boys arrive.



Damn it! They took all the fun outta this! Boys, it's up to you now! Get out there and butcher those little pigs! No survivors! Understand?
No! Please, stop! My citizens are as innocent as they come! It matters not what happens to me, but please, don't harm my people!
I don't think so. You've been screwin' up Lord Daccar's will long enough, missy. 'Bout time you learned your lesson!
Ahh...





Coming from someone like you, willing to kill anyone, anywhere, anytime so long as you're handsomely paid, that's quite a claim. High praise indeed, if it's from the infamous "Lamia the Infernal".
Ohoho! Quite the flatterer, aren't you? Now, where do we begin with our mayhem?
For now, your group will guard the castle. Be ready to roll out your traditional welcome in case Sigurd's thugs try causing us grief.
Guard duty? Really? Where's the fun in that? Eh, no matter. It's your money. Oi, ladies! Listen up! We're on guard duty. Stick to the castle, and pick off the enemy's leftovers if they come!





And now we can finally play the game! Buuuut, I'll leave that for later.

Next time: we fight some people, finally.

Bonus:

Lewyn and Erin

After Silesse is captured, Lewyn and Erin can have a conversation, one I won't be getting in this playthrough, for reasons that will be obvious once you see it.

Lord Lewyn...
...Oh, Erin. I'm so sorry. Forgive me. Please...
Oh, you mean about Mahnya...
...Yeah.
Oh, so she... you really did... I'm so sorry. I had no idea.
Whoa, Erin! You've got it all wrong. I guess when I was younger, I did sorta have a thing for Mahnya... But that was then. This is now, and the now is you.
C-come again?!
Erinys, I... I love you...

"This is now, and the now is you," is a pretty great line. After this conversation, Lewyn and Erin immediately get married, regardless of their love point levels with each other or with anyone else.

Claude and Sylvia

Lewyn and Erin aren't the only two potential lovebirds after the capture of Silesse! Claude and Sylvia have an... interesting conversation.



I'm Sylviiiiiiiia!
Well then, Miss Sylvia, how can I help? Have you, perchance, recently run afoul of bandits?
What's that?
Well, er... I'm not sure how to put this... You're wearing nothing but smallclothes.
Eh?! Watch your mouth, mister Father! Haven't you seen dancers like me before? This is just a dancer's clothes. It's just like you wearin' your churchy cloak!
Is that so... Hm. Surely you're chilled to the bone, wearing as little as you are, though?
Oh, no! Even 'round here I'm never cold, 'cause my heart's ablaze!
Is dancing truly so fun for you?
Yeah! I just love it!
Is that so... What of your parents? Do they agree with this career of yours?
Actually, I'm an orphan. When I was really little, my master took me in and helped me become a dancer. But he... he was an awful, awful man. He'd always beat me outta nowhere. 'Bout a year ago I couldn't stand any more of it all, so I ran away.
I see... What a horrible tale. I believe I know your pain. I once had a sister, who would likely be around your age if she's still alive.
A sister?
Yes. Alas, she was abducted while she was still an infant. I've searched for her ever since, but to this day I've yet to find any sign of her.
Ohh... I bet she's just like a princess! She's gotta be all pretty and classy... And nothin' like me...
I disagree. I assure you, I do find you to be utterly charming. In your own way, you possess a unique grace and beauty.
Oh... mister Father... really?
Of course. I could never lie.
Th-thank you... Nobody's ever told me somethin' like that... This feels kinda funny somehow... Oh... Oh, great, now I'm cryin'... What is this...?

Totally innocuous conversation, yeah? Well... Take a look at their holy blood:





They both have Bragi holy blood, which means they share a common ancestor within only a few generations. Adding to that Claude's mention of a missing sister around Sylvia's age, and Sylvia growing up an orphan... Well, it's not hard to jump to conclusions.

Of course, that's not at all what Shouzou Kaga, this game's director, intended at all!*

There are people who consider Claud and Silvia siblings, as well as people who don’t. However, I intended for them not to be siblings. There aren’t any consanguineous marriages in this game; the only exception is Deirdre and Arvis, but that’s why their marriage was painted in a negative light.

I think he's being disingenuous there. With Brigid turning up as a long lost sister just last chapter, the conversation is clearly written to lead you to a certain conclusion, and to pretend otherwise is... well, disingenuous.

Honestly I think it's a mean, but funny, trick on the player. Earlier this chapter we meet a villager who says that incestuous pairings between individuals with the same holy blood leads to powerful offspring, but of course, that practice is strictly forbidden! And then, you get a conversation that indicates two potential marriage candidates are siblings. But maybe, just maybe, marrying them off could get you some really OP units, right!? Sure you're making your anime soldiers commit incest, but think of the stats!!

The punchline won't hit until chapter eight.

*(That interview might contain some spoilers; if you've already played the game, it's an interesting read)

4.4 The Last Dance



We aim to cross the river into Silesse territory, and take it back from Daccar's brigands, who are chasing down fleeing citizens.





At Zaxon, Daccar has arrayed his forces, led by the swordmaster Lamia.



She leads a mercenary band of women, which is kinda neat since typically all the generics in this game are men. It'll be a little while before we face her, though.







Two blizzard mages have teleported in from nowhere. The southern mage can kill the civilians in one hit, so it's vital to take them out immediately. Erin is crucial to this, since they're hard to reach without her.





Easy-peasy!



Meanwhile, no one else can kill the northern mage yet, so we'll end after moving forwards.



I set up a formation to allow Sylvia to dance, but then didn't use her. I recorded this a while ago now, so I've no idea why. Maybe she couldn't reach, and I planned it wrong? A mystery.





The civilians flee towards us, keeping just out of range of the brigands. The brigands have a higher move range, though, so they'll catch up if we don't intervene!



Blizzard mage fails to hit Claude, maintaining the trend.

On the enemy phase:


Boys, get off yer sorry hinds! Guard the castle no matter what. Don't let 'em get anywhere near it!



More boys!?



Donovan using Kinbaith's portrait might trick you into thinking he's a warrior, but as a post-chapter one castle boss he is, of course, a general.



The greenies move before the enemy, so this isn't as bad as it looks, but still! Get outta there, kids!



Erin to the rescue!



Hm. Well, almost.



This was the crushing moment when I realised that armour units cannot cross mountains, even when promoted. I'm so sorry, Arden...

Unpromoted cavalry units are also unable to cross mountains, but I left Noish and Midir behind long ago, so who cares about that.





Time to leave you behind, old friend.





Bridget takes Yewfelle for a spin against the remaining blizzard mage.









Nothing else really happens that turn, we just slowly cross the mountains.



The villagers continue to flee.



All the while, Pamela's flight squad are slowly moving on Thove. It will be several turns until they arrive.



A bunch of brigands die on Erin's blade in the enemy phase.



She gets a nice offensive level from it.



All but one are dead, leaving only the castle guard to deal with. These guys aren't stationary, and some of them have bows, so Erin will not be baiting them out.

Sylvia and Dew have caught up to the green units, so I can now show you what rescuing them does!







Each one grants +100 experience, so it's a handy way to help low-level units catch up. Of course, since certain unpromoted classes are restricted from entering this area, it's only of limited utility.



All the villagers say one of two lines. They are very grateful! I shared the six levels between Sylvia, Dew and Taillte. Here are the results:

Sylvia gained 2 levels
+1 Mag

Yes, one of Sylvia's free levels was empty. She is a disappointment to us all.

Dew gained 3 levels
+2 HP
+3 Str
+1 Mag
+1 Skl
+3 Spd
+1 Lck
+1 Res

Taillte gained 1 level
+1 HP
+1 Mag
+1 Lck
+1 Def
+1 Res



Alec brings the fight to Donovan's warriors.







Sigurd heads down (after a turn of waiting for everyone to cross the mountains) to attract the castle defenders.



Oh, I guess I accidentally left Holyn in range too.





He'll be fine.



It's nice of the enemy to form such an orderly queue.



Up near Thove, I realise that Pamela's flight squad are getting a little too close to Aideen's hiding spot.



If I move her out of the way, they should continue on their path toward Thove.



Alright, let's start on the conga line.



















And then there was one.

Lex is leading on past Silesse to Zaxon, since Donovan will be easily dealt with next turn.





Pamela's crew are finally closing in on Thove and Lachesis.



The last of Donovan's protectors tries to take out the threat to Daccar's claim on the throne.



It goes very well!



For Lewyn.



It leaves him well prepared to take on Donovan and reclaim his home castle.



Lewyn doesn't get any unique dialogue here.





"Time for you to die," he says, then dies to a critical before he even has a chance to attack. Zaccar did not send a very competent force out here.



Silesse is ours once again!



I... I'm sorry I couldn't do more. Too many people have died, and I could only stand by and watch... I can't bear it. And... and Mahnya...
Don't worry, Your Highness. Mahnya's killers will die this day by my hand. Daccar's crimes are beyond forgiveness. I promise you: he will not escape me. With this in mind, I humbly request your authorization to assault Zaxon Castle.
Lord Daccar's petty greed has condemned my people to utter agony long enough. He is a murderer. Nothing more, nothing less. You may visit justice upon him, Lord Sigurd.
Understood. I'll mobilize my army to capture Zaxon immediately. For now, Your Highness, please get some rest.
Do take care of yourself, Lord Sigurd. As soon as Zaxon is under your control, I'll be coming by for a word with you.





Everyone starts heading east toward Zaxon.



What in the blazes is Donovan even doing out there?

Right now? Uh, not very much.

Blast... We've no choice. Instruct Lamia to move out and attack at once! They mustn't be allowed near my castle!



But before that, Pamela and co. have finally reached Thove! Can Lachesis stand up to an entire army? How will she survive their siege?!

















Ah... Yeah, I think she's got this handled.



Pamela is the only one who remains.



You have no idea who you're up against, do you?



Lach is looking a little the worse for wear, but she'll heal up from the castle next turn.



Pamela has no such luck.





Back at Zaxon, Lamia's crew begin to move on Sigurd's army.



Lamia's mercenary band are fairly threatening for their high quality weaponry - the archers have killer bows, as shown above, the mages have elthunder, and the myrmidons have either brave swords or sleep edges, which put you to sleep, as you might expect. Lamia clearly knows the worth of outfitting her employees!

Lamia herself is very dangerous. She has a silver blade and comes with pursuit and adept, as she is a swordmaster.

After seizing Silesse, Sigurd and Lewyn can have a conversation. In my playthrough I actually got this closer to the end of the chapter, but narratively it makes the most sense to see now.

Hey, Sigurd? Could I have a word?
Ah, Lewyn. I'm so sorry about what happened to Mahnya. I had no idea Jungby's bow knights would get involved in this mess.
No, it's not your fault. Just mine... I just haven't been thinking right lately. I should've been here all along, looking after Mother and the country. But nope, I just ran away! That's why Mahnya died... She just took my place in all this.
There's no need to blame yourself. The best you can do now is care for the queen, and ensure that Mahnya didn't die in vain.
Yeah, I know. No use pointing out the obvious, huh?
Very well. Oh, Lewyn, before I forget... Don't forget to go see your mother at the capital as soon as possible. She said it's of the utmost importance!

The game really wants you to have Lewyn visit Silesse, so let's oblige.



https://serenesforest.net/wp-content/up ... Palace.mp3


Perhaps Lord Sigurd has had quite the positive influence on you after all.
Oh, come on, Mother! You don't need to act like I'm still a child. Besides, Sigurd is hardly all that much older than I am.
Dear, compared to the likes of Lord Sigurd, you may as well still be a screaming infant. You've still much to learn from him, and quickly. Nothing would be more reassuring than having a son as fine as he by my side. Especially now that Mahnya is... Oh...
Mahnya... I should've been the one to die out there. Not her. If only I'd gotten here sooner! Mother, I'll be here to protect you from now on. I won't let Mahnya's death go to waste. I swear, I will never, ever leave you again.
Oh, Lewyn... I never thought you were capable of saying anything so kind. But your word is more than enough. For now, at least, I believe you should remain at Lord Sigurd's side. He has a greater need of your strength.
But if I do that, what about you...?
There's nothing to worry about, Lewyn. You are the heir of the wind crusader. Your place is with the rest of the world, to lead and guide it on its true path. The time has come for me to confer upon you your true birthright... The exalted wind tome, Forseti. Here, Lewyn. It's yours.
This... So this is the royal family's ancestral tome... The Book of Forseti... Oh! This power... What's this... warmth?
Lewyn, never forget: the Wind Crusader flows as the gentlest breeze. His way is to guide all the peoples of the world on the path of peace. Hate and violence is never his answer.
Yes, of course. I don't think I could live my life any other way.
Indeed. Perhaps you truly are a child of the wind... Lewyn... It's time for you to go. Take care out there, and... And don't do anything too rash.
Mother...
Go on! ...For heaven's sake, go...
Okay, mother please take care of yourself.





Yeahhhhh!



Forseti is very good. Lewyn now has sky-high avoid, and in addition, an even higher chance to trigger adept and critical. He is now basically a delete button for any enemy we'll face. Of course, he still has the usual infantry caveats of needing to get to the fight first.





Claude creeps closer to level thirty healing up Beowulf.



Erin woos her future husband by healing him. Then everyone moves forward but not quite far enough to engage Lamia's squad, because we're not ready for that yet.



You know who else isn't ready? Pamela is not ready to face Lachesis. But she doesn't have a choice!



It's time to take out the big guns.







And that's it for Pamela! She has some other dialogue if you fight her with Lewyn or Erin.

Oh. Prince Lewyn. It's been a while, hasn't it? I've some news for you. I've now surpassed Mahnya. Permanently. Ha ha ha...
Gah! Pamela! How dare you!
I could say the same of you. After all, all of this is your fault!

Oh. It's just you, Erinys. You came back, did you?
P-Pamela... PAMELA!! What you did to Mahnya is unforgivable!
Hmph. That's rich, coming from a fledgling knight like you! Prepare yourself. You're about to join your dear, departed sister!

She's a real piece of work.



On the next turn, it's time to begin our attack on Lamia's mercenaries.







Azel starts us off.



And runs away!



Now, we wait again, so we can keep picking them off next turn.



Much more convenient!



Bow girl vs bow girl. In retrospect, I'm not sure why I put a ranged attacker up against a killer weapon.





It worked out, though!



Keeping up with the parallel fighters, we have brave sword vs brave sword.



And then, uh. Sword girl vs mage girl?



I'd like to take care of Lamia so I can get rid of her authority bonus and improve everyone's hit rates.







Jamke gets two hits, and kills her in one round! Wonderful work.





Eh.





That's better, Lex!









Holyn gets hit by the sleep edge, but its effect doesn't trigger. Unlike status staves, which have 100% hit, the sleep edge has a 30 - res per cent chance of inflicting sleep.



Doesn't matter, though, because she's dead!





Sigurd can't quite finish this one off...





So Alec gets the kill. And that's all of them, except for the healer. I'm going to let Taillte battle her to get her some levels, because as you can see, she's quite close to promotion:



Wait, hang on! When did you two get hitched!? Congratulations!





It's gonna take her a few turns, but that just means extra chip experience.





Now the only thing left is to take on Daccar. He has a blizzard tome, so we don't want to dilly-dally around in his attack range.



I'll be very careful and make sure everyone is just outside!



Stand aside, loathsome gnats!



Wait, I fucked up. (It misses)



Lewyn tries out Forseti.



Hahahaha yessss





It has a very cool animation.







Anyway blah blah blah, Alec and Sigurd take out the other guards, and Sigurd positions himself in front of the castle to start chipping away at Daccar on the enemy phase.



Of course. Interesting maneuver.



Ok Lewyn, time to kill your uncle.



What nerve! You die here and now, Lewyn!





Ah, pavise, you piece of shit.



You live... for now.



Sigurd's turn.



PAVISE!!!



Taillte is still working on that priest. Not a very impressive level, but it's one closer to promotion.

On the enemy phase, Daccar foolishly chooses not to use blizzard. The result?





Mmm, that's nice.

I wait around before ending the chapter to build love points.





Another successful match!





Oh, and Taillte stops torturing that poor girl and gets a fairly good level.





Lord Sigurd, that was quite the fierce battle, wasn't it? Are you unharmed?
Yeah. Somehow, I'm okay.
I know I've asked so much of you already, Lord Sigurd, but would you and your army please station yourselves here at Zaxon? Grannvale's Lord Langbalt has already swept in with an immense army and conquered Lubeck Castle, to our east. The people of Silesse are terrified that this will prove to be but a prelude to a full-scale war with Grannvale.
Your Highness, I believe Langbalt's army is here only for me. I've no desire to needlessly endanger you or your citizens, after all you've done for us. My men and I are leaving. Now. I have a score to settle with Langbalt.
What recklessness! How could you possibly prevail like this?
They're coming for me no matter what. If we remain here, then they'll just invade. We can't afford to waste time debating this.
Is that so... How sad...
Your Highness... Thank you so much. You've given me the most wonderful year here, and you've done so much to put my mind at ease. My mother died when I was still very young, so as I grew up, I never knew the unconditional love of a mother.. But thanks to you, here in Silesse, I've come to know that very same warmth. You're like a second mother to me now... Take care of yourself, Your Highness. I hope that someday, once this is all over, we'll have a chance to meet again.
As do I, Lord Sigurd. Please, stay vigilant out there, and keep yourself safe. From the bottom of my heart, I pray that you and Deirdre will soon be reunited.

Next time: Sigurd's glorious return to Grannvale!

5.x Calm before the storm

Time for another arena interlude!

Rank 1 is Jackal, the level seventeen myrmidon with a steel sword. Myrmidons used to be a real challenge in the arena, and now they're the starting chaff! We've come a long way.



Taillte will be handling the demonstration this chapter. Thanks, Taillte.

Rank 2 is Glaith, the level twenty warrior with a steel axe. Not much to say about this guy.



Rank 3 is Geice, the level twenty three general with a steel blade.



Rank 4 is Leigh, the level twenty six hero with a bolt sword and a speed ring. This guy is tricky, and is a major wall for our weaker units.



Not Taillte, though. We will address her outfit change later.

Rank 5 is Cithiel, the level twenty nine dracoknight with a horseslayer. A little annoying for our cavalry, but avoid is boosted in arena and the horseslayer is pretty inaccurate, so it's not too big a deal.



I do love the purple dragons.

Rank 6 is Nazarre, the level thirty swordmaster with a wind sword and a shield ring.



Rank seven is Klepper, the level thirty rogue with an earth sword and a speed ring. What!! I thought the earth sword was unique! How dare you steal Lachesis precious weapon.



With bonus Taillte dodge clone!

Halfway through the arena, Taillte reached level twenty! She is the last of our army to promote -- dancer has no promotion, and I do not expect Dew to reach twenty.





Stat bonuses:
+3 str
+5 mag
+6 spd
+4 def
+5 res

The speed would be nicer if she could double, but it's still decent.



She gains C swords (not very good on her), B ranks in wind and fire magic and B in staves. She also gets the new class skill of adept! Well, now she has an unreliable method of doubling, I suppose.

Meanwhile, Erin and Bridget both visit the Love Guru, where they confirm that they are Well And Truly In Love with their targets (Claude and Holyn respectively).

Now it's time for the arena summary!

• Sigurd: beat arena. Gained 2 levels: 2 HP, 1 str, 1 spd, 1 lck, 1 def.
• Noish: beat tier 3 arena. Gained 1 level: 1 HP, 1 res.
• Alec: beat tier 3. No level!
• Arden: beat tier 5. Gained 1 level: 1 HP.
• Azel: beat tier 6. Gained 2 levels: 2 HP.
• Lex: beat tier 3 (probably could have fought more but doesn’t need the money or exp). No level (went from 14 exp to 98).
• Midir: beat tier 3. Gained 2 levels: 2 HP, 2 skl, 1 spd,
• Aideen: beat tier 5. Gained 2 levels: 1 mag (capped), 1 skl, 1 spd, 1 lck (capped), 1 def.
• Dew: no arena, no levels. This boy is too weak!!
• Ayra: beat arena. Gained 3 levels: 1 HP, 1 str, 1 def.
• Jamke: beat arena. Gained 2 levels: 2 HP, 2 str, 1 spd, 1 def, 1 res.
• Holyn: beat arena. Gained 4 levels: 6 HP, 1 str, 3 spd, 1 def.
• Lachesis: beat rank one (could have fought more but she’s maxed on money and doesn’t need levels), no level.
• Lewyn: beat arena. Gained 3 levels: 3 HP, 1 mag (capped), 1 def.
• Sylvia: no arena, no levels.
• Beowulf: beat tier 5. Gained1 level: 1 HP.
• Erin: beat arena. Gained 3 levels: 2 HP, 1 str, 1 spd, 1 res
• Bridget: beat arena. Gained 2 levels: 1 HP, 1 str, 1 skl, 1 lck.
• Taillte: beat arena. Gained 5 levels (18-23): 5 HP, 1 mag 2 spd, 3 lck.
• Claude: beat tier 3, no levels (max level already).

Extra: Names Part One

Names in Jugdral come primarily from Norse and Irish mythology, occasionally resulting in incongruous combinations. Sigurd, the dragon-slaying Norse hero, wields the dwarf-forged Tyrfing, which is cursed to be the undoing of the king it was made for. His lover is Deirdre, tragic heroine of the Ulster cycle, who had a doomed love with the warrior Naoise, before Conchobar had Naoise killed and took her as his own wife. Deirdre bears the brand of the divine, South Asian serpent, Naga. In the Balkan region of Thracia, fantasy-Irish Quan (which would more authentically be Cuan) wield’s Cúchulainn’s spear the Gáe Bolg, his birthright by descent from the Norse goddess Njörun. And in Verdane, Jamke, a military and political rival to Genghis Khan, is the brother of the Irish Cimbaeth.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. None of this is criticism in any way, since the clash of mythological sources is practically Fire Emblem tradition by this point; it’s simply fun to put it all together.

Genealogy was released in Japan in 1996, but didn’t get any official translations for the names of characters until Awakening in 2013, which featured a bunch of throwback bonus characters through Spotpass as part of Awakening’s celebration of the series. Project Naga’s patch was released in 2014, so it used all those names, seeing as they were official. Before that, the FE4 fandom used a variety of fan translations for character names, many of which were fairly literal readings of the kana — Siglud for Sigurd, and Diadora for Deirdre, for example. BookofHolsety actually wrote a couple of interesting posts on localisation in FE4 that I’ve linked at the end, so I won’t write too much on that subject myself. What I do want to talk about, though, is the names that have changed since this patch’s release.

In 2017, Fire Emblem Heroes was promoted with a huge popularity poll featuring (almost) every single character in the franchise, which meant dozens more Japanese-exclusive characters were suddenly given English names — some of these names even contradicting the ones given for Awakening! Later events in FEH also gave names to minor sub-bosses, and several castles. They have even changed names, then patched the game to change them back, because they decided they liked the original better.

The Irish names in particular have been a source of much strife for translations. The Norse names are fairly straightforward, although you did have the odd “Siglud ” or, worse, “Zigludo” in past attempts at unofficial localisation. If you’re at all familiar with Irish, you’ll know that although it uses the same alphabet as English, many letters represent entirely different sounds, which can result in very confusing orthography. Translating a name from Irish into Japanese and then into English is, as you may expect, messy.

For an example, let’s look at Noish/Naoise.

Naoise’s name comes from the Irish mythological hero Naoise (pronounced similar to “niche” but with an extra syllable on the end), also called Noisiu (pronounced similar to Noshu). In Japanese the character’s name is written as ノイッシュ which is transliterated as “Noisshu” so you can see how “Noish” became an accepted name for him. But the official name is pronounced similarly to the fan translation, it just has Irish orthography.

There’s a couple of other Irish names that went through the same process:
Holyn — Chulainn
Kinbaith — Cimbaeth

One that I think might change but so far has not is Oifey’s name. It’s pretty clearly a derivative of Aoife, a feminine Irish name pronounced like “ee-fuh,” but the kana is also pretty clearly “oi-fay,” so it’s another question of whether that was a misunderstanding of what sound “oi” represents in Irish, or it was a deliberate choice to corrupt the name Aoife.

The other significant ones are in the second generation, so I’ll talk about them later.

What complicates things sometimes is that some of the names in Genealogy are derived from mythology, but are deliberately corrupted forms. For example, Belhalla is clearly reminiscent of Valhalla, and the same is true for the Japanese kana. So it’s possible that changing from “Noish” to “Naoise” is papering over an intentional decision to name the character not quite the same thing as the mythological figure. It’s difficult to determine without interrogating the original creator of the game, who has long since left the company.

Increasingly it seems the official localisation is taking names closer to the actual mythological names, rather than attempting corruptions. “Raquesis” was reverted to “Lachesis,” “Nova” was changed to “Njörun,” and most recently “Jungby” has been changed to “Yngvi”. Many of these are perfectly fine decisions, and give a bit of weightiness and history to the feel of the world. “Yngvi” gives me pause, only because Jungby and Chalphy were such a good pair. Together they made sense as anglicised versions of Norse words, like old Anglo-Saxon place names that exist in England today. Now, you have Yngvi next to Chalphy, which feels incongruous to me.

Other changes that I, personally, find interesting (you may not):

BookofHolsety chose the name Taillte as it’s the modern spelling of the name of an Irish goddess. The more archaic name is Tailtiu, which is the version that Fire Emblem Heroes made official. Basically, BoH had a 50/50 chance of choosing the same as the official localisation, but picked wrong. I like both, but I’m more used to Tailtiu now, so it’s my preference.

Erin’s name in Japanese is Fury, but as BookofHolsety says in one of his posts linked above, that doesn’t really suit the mild-mannered character in English. He thus decided to derive the name Erin from another term for the Furies, the Erinyes, which is a clever choice. So clever, in fact, that the official localisation made the same one! Erin’s official name is Erinys as of the Choose Your Legends poll. I think it’s a fun bit of convergent localisation.

Aideen’s name is now officially Edain. On the surface, this isn’t a very interesting change, as Edain and Aideen are variants like, say, Catherine and Kathleen, but I have a crackpot theory as to why, specifically, they chose Edain over Aideen, and it has to do with the letter “A”.

When I first played this game, I spent the prologue and much of the first chapter very confused by the number of names starting with A. From the get-go you have Arden and Alec, and the woman you’re rescuing is called Aideen. Then on the next turn you get Azel, and Lex is also assonant with both Azel and Alec, adding another layer of confusion. Arvis comes in, and that’s way too close to Arden, and just when you think it’s all over, the next chapter gives you Ayra! It’s too much! Too much I say! This game is absolutely front-loaded with two-syllable “A” names!

So, with that logic, “Aideen” or “Edain” is an obvious choice, wouldn’t you say?

That’s all I have to say about names in FE4 for now, I’ll be back with more after about chapter eight.

BookofHolsety’s posts:

Notes on classes and items: http://bookofholsety.dreamwidth.org/57747.html

Discussion of official localisations: http://bookofholsety.dreamwidth.org/58141.html

Name changes: https://bookofholsety.dreamwidth.org/24839.html

Reaction to CYL: https://bookofholsety.dreamwidth.org/58489.html

5.1: Doorway to Destiny

Time Flows Endlessly On
The Silessian civil war is over, and the Grannvale army awaits Sigurd.



the hordes of Grannvale stand before him at the captured Lubeck Castle.



For Sigurd, to challenge Langbalt is an opportunity to avenge his father, Byron, framed by Langbalt for his crimes.

Beyond Lubeck, in the desert town Phinora,



Velthomer Castle, on Grannvale's border



And in Belhalla, the royal capital of Grannvale, Lord Arvis serves to aid the bedridden





Sigurd refuses to endanger the people of Silesse any further in this conflict. He is determined to fight to the end.

The year is Grann 760, early spring. The fields of Silesse peacefully rest beneath a deep blanket of snow…

Crisis 2




A lone horseman rides past Lubeck castle.





A second horseman follows, and enters the castle.

Enemy Message 2


My ambush may have put an end to Chalphy's paladin brigade, the Grünritter, but the survival of Byron alone leaves that utterly meaningless!
Y-yes, sir... But you see, milord, Byron is still gravely wounded. Surely, he has very little time left...
I've never heard such naïve drivel! Byron may not be long for this world, but he's determined to get that sword, Tyrfing, to his son with the very last of his strength. Do you not understand the threat that Sigurd would pose to us, should he get his hands on that damnable sword? Move out and kill Byron, immediately!
Y-yes, sir! Consider it done!



The enemy horseman exits with a retinue of cavalry.



For the gods' sake, he's leading the elite Graunritter brigade! How could it take him so long to put down that Isaachian resistance?! First Lex, and now Dannan... Why must both of my sons be so worthless?!
Come now, Lord Langbalt, sir! Don't worry about a thing. After all, you've still got the Beigenritter and I on your side.
I suppose you're right, André. Be sure that your men are ready to join the fray at a moment's notice.
Heh. It would be my pleasure, sir…



André of Jungby forms up his bow knights, but it seems they're not pursuing Byron just yet. As a note, from here on out you start seeing bosses mention their sons a lot. Seems like they're setting up for something, hm?

Damn that insolent worm. To think he isn't even the slightest bit remorseful for slaying his own father! Duke Ring... May you be at peace…

Crisis 2


Sigurd and his army still hold Zaxon. Despite the opening saying Silesse remains blanketed in snow, it's actually quite green. Lubeck, too, is officially part of Silesse, I believe.



Oifey: I don't believe so. The Lubeck occupation seems to be pursuing him, so they're most likely not with them.
I see. Let's give them a hand. We'll be clashing with Langbalt's army sooner or later, so why not make the first move? Move out! Our target is their front lines. Today's victory hinges on this first strike!

Threshold of Fate


Hello and welcome back! First things first, let's look at the field.





Byron is a master knight with very low HP, even if he has high defense, and that broken sword tanks his avoid.



It's a * rank broken sword! How mysterious! Whatever could this mean?

(It's Tyrfing)

Obviously, we want Sigurd to catch up to him ASAP to prevent that sword falling into enemy hands.



Slayder may appear to be right behind Byron, but allied units move before the enemy phase, so Byron actually has a fairly safe head start.



Slayder himself is nothing too scary at this point in the game.



There is a line of enemies in between Zaxon and Byron who we'll need to clear before Sigurd can reunite with his father.



For some reason, Grannvale has also deployed enemies behind Zaxon, who can only have come from Silesse. These guys are a bit of a mystery to me, to be honest.



The commanders of these two squads both have brave axes, but again, at this point? Not too concerning.

At this point, I'm sure you're wondering, "Where is the map? She always includes a map at the start of a chapter! I'm lost without it."

Never fear, my friends, here it is:



The main force will be marching forwards to Byron and beyond, but Beowulf, Noish and Midir are represented by the tiny blue arrows dealing with the villages and the Mystery Silessians.





Away we go.



Bridget wants to have a chat with Aideen before things get started.



Aideen: I did. I've heard of how he murdered our father, and later Mahnya died in Silesse as well... I can barely imagine the evil which would have possessed him to do such monstrous things.
Brigid: ...I'm going to kill André. There's no other way. Whatever the evil is, he has to be stopped. Right here, right now. You get what I'm saying, right, Aideen?
Aideen: Brigid...
Brigid: André's crimes are House Jungby's crimes. They're our crimes, too. They reflect badly on us, even though they really shouldn't. I know I'll have his blood on my hands for the rest of my life, but... Aideen, I want you to understand.
Aideen: Of course I do, Brigid…





Wow, everyone's there! Dew is the only one in range, so he can get a little chip exp and money.



Back west, Beowulf heads straight down the centre while Noish and Midir (off-screen) go for the villages.



After our turn ends, Byron rides on.





And Slayder's forces continue their pursuit.







Always nice to see.





The (fairly poor) pincer formations move in.

Arvis


Focus moves south, to the imposing castle of Belhalla, capital of Grannvale.



Duke Langbalt and his army stand ready at Lubeck. It is only a matter of time before their insurrection is suppressed.
Even so... Even now, it is almost beyond belief, is it not? That Lord Byron would slay Kurth... Or that Sigurd would incite a rebellion...
Your Majesty, if I may explain once more... Lord Byron was plotting against the crown in concert with the late Lord Ring of Jungby. His Highness fell afoul of their assault, an act to which our very own Dukes Reptor and Langbalt bore witness. His Highness learned of their schemes to seize the throne from the royal family too late, and paid for it with his life.
Naturally, Lord Sigurd had a hand in his father's revolt. What clearer proof is there than how he still harbors an enemy, the Isaachian prince? There is no question. Their treason against the state is grave. I, too, feel this pain as my own, having lost not only a prince but a father-in-law...
And in the name of my beloved wife, Princess Deirdre, I will never allow Sigurd's traitorous rampage to stand! Even if Duke Langbalt fails to defeat him, that is not the end! The elite fire mages of House Velthomer, the Rottenritter, stand ready to suppress this rebellion, once and for all!
I see... If you say it is so, then perhaps... Perhaps this could never have been avoided...



Ah... Deirdre. Bless you... You truly are a sweet child. Even if I have little time left, you give me hope for Grannvale's future... I can scarcely imagine when Kurth would have had as fine a daughter as you... But there is no doubt in my mind. None outside the royal House Belhalla possess the same Brand that graces your brow. Whence did you come, my dear? Where in the world have you been all along...
I'm so sorry, Grandfather... I simply don't remember. Try as I may, I cannot recall even a single thing...



All she knew was her own name. The rest of her past is lost to her. At first I sought only to aid her out of sympathy, as any decent man would do, but before long love took root within me... With all due respect, Deirdre, not once did I suspect that you could possibly be the daughter of our late Prince Kurth.
I remember well the day you introduce her as the woman you wished to marry... I simply could not believe what I saw! At first sight... I knew, perhaps as only family can. Precisely as I thought, beneath your circlet lies the Brand of Naga. Lord Arvis, I trust you understand. Only a full-blooded heir to Saint Heim can rightfully wield the Book of Naga and release its true holy power. And the power of Naga is the only power able to oppose the dark lord, Loptyr.
I am well aware of the legend, sire.
The holy lineage of our lord Naga and Saint Heim must never perish! Deirdre... You must bear a son with all due haste! And should your son be so fortunate as to inherit Naga's power... He shall be the Prince of Grannvale, and shall claim the throne once I am no more. Lord Arvis... until your son has grown into a man, you shall be his regent. Guide him well to adulthood. I trust you understand... Cough! Cough…

Well. What a conversation! It answers a lot of questions, and raises even more. How much does Arvis know about the machinations behind the scenes in Belhalla? He most certainly knows about Reptor and Langbalt; he's too smart and ambitious not to see what's going on there. At the same time, he's also too smart to be directly involved, I think.

But what about Deirdre? He can't know that Manfroy is behind her memory loss or her sudden appearance, or he'd be too proud to involve himself with her. But is he telling the truth that he fell in love with her before knowing she was the child of Prince Kurth? It's a little too convenient that he happened to fall in love with the woman who would grant him power over all of Grannvale.

The unfortunate thing is that Deirdre has so little characterisation that it's really impossible to say how she feels at the moment. Is she in love with Arvis, or was she manipulated into it, by Arvis or by Manfroy? It's a real shame that such a central character is little more than a plot device to enable conflict.

Ah well, let's play on.



With careful planning around Sylvia's range, I can ensure that Sigurd talks to Byron this turn.



Sigurd goes here,



boinks this mage to death while getting mildly zapped,



then moves back a square.









Then, I do some other things that aren't really relevant to the manoeuvre.



Then, Sylvia dances Sigurd, Lewyn, and *squints* Jamke? No, Bridget.



Voila. Incredibly high-level, genius-tier gameplay on show here. Hope you appreciate it!





I still have to clear out all these guys before Sigurd can make his way over to Byron, though.



Lachesis javelins someone again.



I'm kinda trying to build kills on this javelin, but I started a little late with it. Useful if it gets there, though.





By the way, I gave Arden the brave bow Aideen gave to Jamke as a wedding gift. He deserves it more.



Look at him, he's so impressive with his cape.



Last one!



Ahh, fuck you pavise.



Time to bring out the big guns.



There we go.





Hey you, guess what? Sigurd can save his dad AND beat you up on the way!





Oh, actually... He didn't beat you up, and he can't reach Byron... Hm.





Back west, Noish gets a crit on this ruffian but it doesn't really do much to his massive HP pool.



Midir, meanwhile, is about to show us all that, actually, he is a good unit after all, as he triggers accost four times and completely wrecks this guy.



Seriously, Midir can actually put in some work, especially if you give him Jamke's killer bow. I just didn't give him much attention since Jamke was decided for Aideen's husband and I focused on training him up.



Doesn't mean he gets that village money, though.



Beowulf is going to kill every single one of the bizarro Silessians.



Soon, Byron, soon...





Now, in fact! Byron will initiate the conversation with Sigurd if he's in range, which is nice.

Conversation 1


Father! Come on, you mustn't give in now!
No... There's no hope left for me now... Listen well, my son. Langbalt was Prince Kurth's true killer. And Reptor is the one holding his leash... His Majesty must know the truth! I... Death holds no fear for me. But I cannot die in peace not knowing if our honor shall be cleansed of these lies.
It's just as I thought all along... Rest assured, Father. Our good name will be cleared. I promise.
Sigurd, I... I beg your forgiveness... 'Tis my negligence which condemned you to these torments... Sigurd... Take this. It is Tyrfing... Our exalted blade...
Tyrfing... But, Father! Surely you'll still need this...
Take it, Sigurd. Use it to... restore our... honor...
F-Father! Hold on... Please! Father...
Sire...
Why... Why in the world did he have to... Gah... Reptor! Langbalt! Mark my words! You will pay dearly for all you've done!





Byron fades away.





Wow!

Next time: urgent repairs needed!

Some of the music in this game is really nice. Thanks for including the links.

Thanks! It's honestly the stupidest part of my workflow -- I don't record with sound so I have to go and look up someone's playthrough on youtube to figure out what song is playing.

5.2 Wow, This Sword is So Broken!



Here is Sigurd's new broken prf, in all its glory. You will note he also has the bargain band, which is important.



Claude is the new rescue bot as of this chapter.



Holy weapons are Very Expensive. They cost 1,000 gold per use, so a full repair from zero costs 50,000, but of course the bargain band cuts that in half. Because Sigurd doesn't have the full amount of money, the blacksmith will just repair as much as Sigurd can afford. That's fine, we won't need the full fifty uses.





Voilà! A mostly repaired Tyrfing. Tyrfing grants +10 skill, +10 speed, and +20 resistance (the rings confuse things a little), and also grants miracle while equipped. Twenty resistance is A LOT in this game, and it will come in very, very useful. Next update!



Sigurd is going to go get some more cash before catching up with the crow. Midir is heading north to help Noish with the village up there.



Because Noish is freaking USELESS!! Man I love Noish normally. Why are you so bad, Noish??



Beowulf is having a friendly chat with the axe knights west of Zaxon. Maybe he can convince them to retreat peacefully?



Apparently not.



And this is all he has to show for his efforts. Sad.





Erin is going to rescue this village! Go Erin!





Erin you missed three out of four attacks. That was pathetic.



Let's set up to take Slayder on during the enemy phase.





First, Dew's going to steal some cash and get dangerously hurt. Uh oh, gotta form a shield for him!



Worth it.





Alec does some chip, gets an empty level. We're not doing well on luck so far, are we?



Lach takes the kill with the javelin. There we go again with the HP!



She's not rescuing the village because she doesn't need the money, but I do want her there to protect Dew.



Here's the final formation. Bring on the onslaught!











Our soldiers are very good at killing by now (except Alec).



Finally, the big man himself arrives to challenge Ayra.











Well, that takes care of that!



Beowulf continues to fend off the advance from the west.





I've been taking it slowly because I don't want him to get overwhelmed by the mages, but he's almost there.



On the enemy phase, André prepares his forces.





André & co. are a bit more threatening than Slayder's forces were.





André himself is a something of a threat with a brave bow, and the shield ring adding to his bulk, but more annoying are his four leadership stars. His soldiers also have brave bows, and with André boosting their accuracy, they can be potentially very deadly.



Back near Zaxon, the villages are still a going concern. Sigurd tops up his wallet at the southernmost one.



Young man villager: Argh, how did this world turn into such a savage place…



Noish is working on the northern one.



Noish!!!



Ugh, maybe this will help.



Midir, please show Noish how it's done.



So... close...



Aideen is around to heal Noish, at least.



And Erin isn't doing any better. Whatever! Let's get back to the main event.







Lachesis attacks and moves forward mostly just to vacate the village for Dew to visit.



Good thing we somehow kept a little bit of gold hidden away from those brutes! Go on, take it. We know you need it more than us.





Arden! Arden! Arden!

(actually this axe knight was at like three HP so it's not all that impressive)







Holyn and Ayra tag team the last two axe boys.



Nice level on Ayra!





Bridget obviously needs to get close to the action to better kill her brother. She and Lachesis are just outside their range.









Close scrape there for Beowulf, but he's defeated all of the western foes!



I've given up on Noish so Midir will finish off the brigand.





Finally.



Noish and Midir don't deserve this.



You'll often find that boys'll take up their father's traits more dominantly, while girls'll be more strongly influenced by their mother's.

Thanks, Old Hubba, but we've already had this tutorial.





Bridget's hit rate is a little iffy, so I brought Lachesis along to help.



Much better.



No matter what it takes, you - the shame of my house - must be put to a timely death.
Enough! You murdered your own father! You, André, are the disgrace to Jungby's honor, and to the good name of the Crusader Ulir!

Get him, Bridget!







Unfortunately, Bridget misses her second attack.



She still got a level though.



Now we're in a bit of a pickle. No one can reach André to kill him, and I do not want him alive to be boosting all his buddies on the enemy phase.



Azel is the closest, so I move him one square, and then bring in Sylvia.



Strategy in motion!!





Another son mention!



Azel gets a very nice level.



Holyn and Ayra can't counter the bow knights, so I'll be moving them out of the way.



Perfect.



Erin is still failing to hit this guy!!



But he is also failing to hit her, so it's a wash.



There we go. These villages, man.



Erin's going to fly out of bow range, but what you can also see here is that the desert is "neutral" territory that we can't enter.











The bow knights mostly target Bridget, putting her at dangerously low health.



But she pulls through!



And what better way to celebrate than with a joyous wedding! Such a happy occasion - she participated in the death of her brother, and followed it up by getting married. Brings a tear to my eye.



At some point Sylvia got this level. I have no context in my screenshot folder. Enjoy?



Now we begin the march on Lubeck.



Beowulf and Sigurd are catching up from Zaxon, but there's no time pressure at this point, so I can happily spend a turn waiting for them.



Midir and Noish compete in a race. Whoever kills the bandit first gets the spoils from the village. My bet's on Midir.





Not so bad. Except, of course, Noish activates accost...



And all he gets is beat up. I swear to god, Noish.



Well, whatever. Claude visits the village that Erin finally saved.



His name's, er... Ares? Something like that. I feel pretty bad for the poor boy... He's gotta be just three or four years old…

Wow, so weird Eldigan never mentioned a wife or a son while he was alive, and this information is only coming up now!



And in yet more happy news, Claude and Erin are married! That's every eligible bachelorette paired off.



Alright, Midir, finish him off.





Yeah!! You win, Midir!



Oh... I fear for Silesse's future…

This adds a little bit of context -- Lubeck castle was originally held by Silesse, but Grannvale took advantage of the Silessian civil war to take possession.

Speaking of Lubeck, it's time to take it for ourselves.







Langbalt (Lombard) himself guards Lubeck castle. As Dozel patriarch and bearer of Neir holy blood, he wields Helswath, a defensive axe that can also attack at range. He's packs a punch and he's very tanky, especially with the nasty addition of pavise.



Lubeck's guards pose something of a threat at close range with their brave axes, so it's better to take them from a distance.



Like so!





There are also four ballistae, partially off-screen. The two in the top-right corner are inaccessible, so can only be removed by seizing the castle.





Lachesis takes some heat from the ballistae and the guards, but pulls through. I should have left the earth sword equipped so she would heal up, but it has so few uses I get leery about wasting it.



It's alright, though, because Erin is here to fix her up. It's nice having another mounted healer after Ethlyn's departure.



Ok.







One guard down.







Holyn and Arden chip away at the second.



I bring out the big guns to take him out--



Oh my GOD



Ugh.





Well done, Jamke!



Lewyn deletes the third. He has no difficulty with the task. Be like Lewyn, everyone else.



Lex marches ahead to take care of one of the ballistae. Langbalt, of course, is his father, so I also want him in position to attack for that sweet, sweet, unique dialogue.





Rather irritatingly, the ballista has so much HP he can't one-round it.



That's ok, though, because his beloved, Azel (though secondary to his brave axe), comes in to finish 'em off.





The ballistae miss Azel and



barely damage Lex.



Lachesis heals Bridget because I need to move her delicious charm aura into position by Langbalt.



She gets a useless level.



But that doesn't matter, her charm is what matters.



Erin does more emergency healing, bringing Lex up to full health for his bout with dad.











A mighty 1 damage! And look at what he takes in return! Needless to say, Lex will not be the one to defeat his father.



No, for that, we'll be bringing out the big guns.





Down to less than half health in one hit! Lewyn is not here to play.



"Sorry, did you drop something?"







And that's the end of Langbalt.



Lewyn has capped so many stats that it doesn't really matter what levels he gets from here on out, but this one is good enough.



Beowulf adds another kill to the brave sword by taking out the last easily accessible ballista.



Erin could, of course, kill the other two, but it would take two turns and require her eating two deadly attacks, so I won't bother.



Decision 3


They weren't? I mean, I would have thought André at least qualified, if you aren't counting Langbalt.

Oh, sorry for interrupting, Sigurd, you were trying to have an important conversation.

Listen, Oifey, I need to ask something of you.
Of course, sire. What is it?
As I recall, the territory of Isaach should be very close to the north-east of Lubeck. From what I've heard, ever since Grannvale won the war, Isaach has been governed by Dannan, Langbalt's eldest son. But I'd wager his influence has yet to reach much of the country's span, so...
I beg your pardon, sire?! Are you seriously asking me to abandon you for safety, now of all times? No! I refuse! I will not leave you, sire! I'm here for you no matter what, till I draw my last breath!
Oifey, listen... I know this is a huge imposition, but please. Just hear me out. I... I don't want to lose Seliph. He isn't even two years old yet! I can hardly fight with an infant in tow. Please, Oifey. Take care of Seliph. Take him and find refuge from this blasted war. I know I can trust you, Oifey. You are my only hope.
Sire... I... Very well. I'll take Lord Seliph. I'll protect him, no matter what happens. That said, you have to promise me. Promise me that you'll come for us as soon as this war is over. I won't leave you if you can't promise that.
Of course. I swear I'll come for the two of you.
Thank you...



I won't hand him over to anyone, not even Oifey, until Deirdre says I can!
Calm down, Shanan... I know you're still hurt about losing Deirdre, but this isn't helping. It's okay. He'll be fine with Oifey.
No! I need to protect Seliph! And you're forgetting that the people of Isaach won't exactly be happy to see more Grannvaleans! Oifey alone won't last a minute there, but if I'm there it'll be okay. Who better to protect Seliph in Isaach than the prince of Isaach? Please... I promised her...
Now that he mentions it, sire, I would be a tad more at ease if Shanan was there as well. I know you're reluctant to involve one as young as Shanan in something so dangerous. But I think we can agree he's become a talented warrior. Not to mention, I'll need Shanan to secure the people's support.
Hm... I'm sorry to burden you more, Shanan, but please... Take care of Seliph for me.
Okay! Leave it to me! I'm gonna keep getting stronger, and nobody'll ever hurt Seliph! I'll teach him all about Deirdre, but... I wonder how he'll take what happened...
I suppose we should get going, then. Farewell, sire. Take care of yourself. I pray victory and clemency find you as soon possible.
Thank you, Oifey. Be careful out there.
Yes, sir!



Seliph... I'm so sorry. Please, grow up safe and strong…

Do remember that it's been a few years since the first chapter, so the boys aren't quite as young as their portraits suggest. Oifey is seventeen, a perfectly normal age in Fire Emblem to strike out on your own, and Shanan is maybe around fourteen, although his age is harder to pin down. Even so, it's a heartbreaking moment to see Sigurd send his son off without him, for who knows how long.

Next time: what will Sigurd face as he crosses the desert?