Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'Spoilers'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • Important Links
    • Serenes Forest Code of Conduct
    • Mistakes or Errors on the Site
  • Important Forums
    • Announcements
    • Member Feedback
    • Site Content
  • General Forums
    • Introductions
    • General
    • Far from the Forest...
    • Creative
    • Fan Projects
    • General Gaming
  • Fire Emblem Forums
    • General Fire Emblem
    • NES and SNES Era
    • GameBoy Advance Era
    • GameCube and Wii Era
    • Nintendo DS Era
    • Nintendo 3DS Era
    • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
    • Fire Emblem: Engage
    • Fire Emblem Heroes
    • Related Games
  • Miscellaneous
    • Forum Graveyard

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


Member Title


Jabber


Skype


Yahoo


ICQ


Website URL


MSN


AIM


Interests


Location

  1. When Gaiden was first released, it featured various things that wouldn't show up in other games until quite later. One such thing was having only a non-dragon source of conflict, in the forms of Duma and Mila( or just Duma since Mila didn't so up at all.) We all know this is a very unique thing as when it isn't a dragon causing trouble, it's a human related to one. Only two other continuities share this. Sacred Stones with the Demon King and Tellius with Ashnard and those Godesses. However with the release of Echoes, Gaiden doesn't really have that honor anymore with the two being Divine Dragons now. And for a decent reason. Mila and Duma are just weird.( and I'm not just talking about Duma's original sprite.) As Gaiden, or Echoes as I will refer to it from now on, takes place in the same universe as Shadow Dragon and Mystery. This doesn't mean much in terms of plot as the only effect this had originally was Camus and the Whitewings showing up.(And they added nothing to the plot.) But the context it gives to the setting shows why making the two dragons was a good idea. Their original concept as gods brought up many questions. Are their other gods in this continuity? Why does some random country to the west have gods while Archanea doesn't? And then there's Falchion showing up too. But Echoes answered those questions by giving them a backstory. They were both Manaketes living in Archanea, until Naga exiled Duma for a dispute they had, and Mila went with him out of familial love. But Naga wasn't a total bitch (it was just a dispute, hardly worth exile) and gave them a parting gift, another Falchion, so the two could kill themselves when faced with degeneration... Nevermind, she's a bitch. This explains why two "gods" were in Valentia as well as Falchion, and even adds some reason to Rudolph's plan to kill them. In the original, he was just tired of their influence over Valentia. Here, its because they're going mad, which can't be a good thing. It's never a good thing when gods go mad. So remaking them as dragons seems to be quite the logical move to make. Until you remember they're Divine Dragons, with the power of gods apparently, like improving the land's fertility, or taking women's souls and turning them into empty shell of hot babes. Uh, what? I mean, Mila can kind of work as a Divine Dragon, but her brother is basically proto-Grima. How the heck is this one-eyed monstrosity Divine in anyway? Earth might have been a better fit for them. (That or make them hybrids. Like they parents were from different tribes. What would happen in a case like that anyway?) That said, I do have a theory that Duma's form here isn't his natural form. Rather he found out about that alchemist from Thabes work, and being the power-driven guy he is, used it to mutate himself to gain more power. Which adds some legitimacy to Naga's decision to exile him if that was the cause for it. Huh, guess I owe her an apology. Well that's it for now. I add more to this later with the topic of the brands. But for now, I need a break. EDIT: Okay so I'm back with the topics of the Brands this time, also a new addition to Echoes as Alm only had a birthmark in Gaiden from what I heard. Brands first showed in Fe4, being a mark on the skin that to show that the characters were part of bloodlines dating back to legendary warriors who made a bloodpact with dragons. This also showed up in Awakening, with the the royal family of Ylisse all having a brand to signify their connection with Naga and the First Exalt. Except for Lissa, who is a freak occurrance where the brand does not manifest. (Unless she does have it, only it's located on an internal organ of something.) Both of those games are in or speculated to be in the same continuity as the Archanea games. Which makes Alm's and Celica's brands a bit weird. First off, it seems like Alm and Celica are the first with the Brands, or at the very least, the only ones in that generation. None of the other royal family members seem to have it. This is weird, especially when you consider how Lima was. Celica must have had bunch of siblings, yet only she has the brand. While Lissa shows the appearance of one isn't guaranteed, this is taking it a bit far. Secondly, they're the subject of a prophecy, which boils down to, "The Bearers of the brand will save Valentia." This is weird considering the how Brands have operated so far, which is basically being a mutation, for lack of a better word, that results from a bloodpact. Not some magical sign of fate. The whole deal comes off quite generic JRPG in contrast to the rest of the continuity, and if the brands are due to a bloodapct with Duma and Mila, then their portrayal leans closer to them being gods, not dragons, with the brands being a magical sign of fate, not a mutation.
  2. Hello chaps. The new demo for Octopath Traveler is out, letting us play with all eight of the playable characters. However, the demo only lasts for three hours. So, who will you/have you start(ed) with? I personally went with Tressa, then moved on to recruit Cyrus. The gameplay is stellar and the music as well, but I felt the writing was a little too plain. However, these are just the prologues, so I could see them having simple premises to get on to the recruitment of the rest of the characters. However, so far there has been no conversation between Tressa and Cyrus, which makes their journey together feel really awkward. With any luck, that'll come once you move past chapter one.
  3. SPOILERS FOR FE 4 CHAPTER 3 AND BEYOND (just getting that warning out there, I'm not spoiler-tagging this post, so if you don't want to know stuff, now you know to walk away) So I've finally been playing Genealogy of the Holy War. The Prologue and Chapter 1 were fun, I really love the large maps, the different gameplay elements (seeing mounted units able to move after acting is wonderful, I thought Path of Radiance was the first game to do that, and I LOVE that feature), etc. Sigurd is a BEAST, those stat growths are unfair. But what's really started grabbing me since Chapter 2, and now almost through Chapter 3, is the story. I'd heard good things about it, but early on it just seemed like "hey look it's really big and epic and there are a bunch of names and stuff" but there wasn't much of an emotional hook. Stuff just happened, move on. But now it's started to become so heartbreakingly tragic that I can't wait until I finish the game to talk about it. First, in Chapter 2, there are the little hints and dialogue here and there - Prince Kurth and his affair, having no heir or wife because of heartache and not getting over his one true love, and then he goes to Isaach to try and stop the war, but he's assassinated. That's all distant stuff, but it hit me all the same. We also get these great moments between Sigurd, Eldigan, and Cuan (Quan?), talking about their past as friends and in the academy, and how they swore they'd help change the world together. Then we get to Chapter 3, and the set-up rockets into so much payoff already, all in the tragic, painful kind, but in a good way from a storytelling perspective. Sigurd is pitted against his best friend, and there's just no way out of it for either of them - neither will disobey their orders, and both are determined to do things the honorable way, the best way they can, so neither can sway the other. I had Lachesis talk to Eldigan so he'd leave - I couldn't stand to have Sigurd fight against him - and THEN HE'S EXECUTED ON THE SPOT. Lachesis loses her brother, Sigurd loses his best friend, and the failing nation of Augusta loses the only hope they ever had for possibly regaining their former glory. Backtracking, before that, unbeknownst to Sigurd, Deirdre is kidnapped. And when Sigurd finally claims Seilvi (spelling?), first he sees Eldigan's head. Oifey tells him not to lose heart yet, AND THEN SHANAN SHOWS UP TO TELL HIM HIS WIFE IS GONE. His best friend murdered, his wife vanished, and also finding out that his father is the prime suspect in the assassination of Prince Kurth. Sigurd's whole world is collapsing around him, and all he's done is follow orders and do his best to do the right thing. Then we have the little scene with Ethlyn and Cuan, where she gives him the Gae Bolg. There's brief mention of the tragedy surrounding it, and notes that tragedy is likely to follow whoever wields it, but Cuan dismisses that as just a legend. But, at least for me, since I'd read a bit of what happens later, that moment just hit me, because I know that, not long from now, Cuan is going to die trying to defend his children, and have his only daughter (who's mentioned in this scene, as well - strong foreshadowing there, IS) taken from him. And Chapter 3 isn't even over yet! I was already enjoying FE 4, the gameplay is so solid and these giant maps, while exhausting, are also so exciting and epic. Being able to save every turn is a big plus, something that really is necessary with the size of these maps, and it's forced me to get out of the mindset of "beat a chapter in one sitting" because these ain't like your other FE chapters. But now the story is just hitting all the high notes for me, I'm really into it, and excited for what comes next. While I know a bit of what else happens - Cuan and Ethlyn's fate, their daughter being taken, and Sigurd dying in a fire (so many memes, that's the one FE 4 spoiler that no one can avoid), Deirdre and Arvis making evil (and not so evil) babies - actually watching things unfold is a whole different thing. It's also why I put a spoiler tag up above. While I knew some of what was going to happen (like Eldigan's entire in-game story), watching it unfold is totally different and totally worth it. For those who have played this far or farther, feel free to discuss the story and these specific moments. If the story was one of the high points for you, what about it made it start clicking with you and why does it resonate with you so much? Also, what happened to the good writers at Intelligent Systems? I still enjoy Fire Emblem, even the newest games, but the stories are the main things that, for me, have steadily declined in quality. It's sad to see, but also makes going back to one of the older games, and one I've never played, such a fresh treat.
  4. So the spot where Mila died (was it on Duma's tower or was the body transported to Mila shrine?) turned into a giant tree which the Mila Tree battle in Awakening took place, the volcano where the necrodragons spawn became Demon's Ingle (or was it where Duma died) and Alm & Celica's bloodline sired Walhart (umm... ok?) , is it strange that I find all of this to be very depressing? I have a lot of emotions after finishing the game and I only got depressed when I found out Valentia became Valm in the future. I don't know how should I express it, I feel like sequels mostly shat on a previous game's history with its own story. And what got me more disappointed was Valm became the villains ( or antiheroes for trying to destroy the Grima religion by invading ) in Awakening, disregarding Alm and Celica's legacy. Sorry, just ranting here. It's like the feeling when you find out FFXII's Ivalice world of technological wonders all came to ruin eventually, all races save humans killed society and became a corrupt medieval religion in Tactics. And Espers became super demons or something
  5. Who are your favorite Fire Emblem antagonists? I'm asking because I've noticed Fire Emblem has an antagonist problem and I'd like to just ask who you guys/gals/others think are the best ones based on what you've played. My personal favorite would be Fernand because once you hear what the man has been through via DLC because fucking why not his actions are much more understandable and you can actually feel bad for him, unlike Berkut who's only sympathetic trait was a throwaway line about a "might makes right" upbringing and a couple post-Alm freakouts.
  6. In case you missed the title, this post has spoilers for Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, Birthright, and Revelations You have been warned Introduction, Pretext, etc Now for the defense. As I said, Corrin had some good which is seen in a few moments of the story, even though, as a whole, he's poorly handled. One of his best scenes was in Revelations where Anthony isolates Corrin from the group into a trap. No one else trusts Anthony at this point after a bridge nearly collapsed under them. Only Corrin was willing to go with Anthony to try to make a way into Anankos's palace. Prior to leaving, Corrin makes "preparations." When Anthony reveals his true colors Corrin explains what his preparations were: a message left behind that if he didn't return, Anthony had indeed tricked him. Anthony points out that this meant Corrin had not really trusted him at all to which Corrin replies "I wanted to, Anthony. I really did. That's why I'm sad that things have turned out this way. Don't think that means I won't fight you with everything I have, though! The least I can do is thin your numbers so that my friends have an easier time." While Corrin still isn't exactly flawless in this scene, he's much more wise in his decision than his usual naiivities. I also feel this scene sets what could have been a good character for Corrin. If I were to rewrite Corrin, I would rewrite him a bit to not be stupid (for example the scene with Azura's "disguise," his agreement to jump off a cliff with Azura into a bottomless canyon, and his agreement with Azura that attacking both sides in the "choose a side" chapter for attention would work) and cringefully naiive. I'd write him instead as someone willing to take risks to reach people. I'd have him as the person willing to give people chances and extend a friendly hand, even if others aren't favorable of the decision, but he'll keep his sword on his belt. When Zola joins Corrin's party in Birthright and if Shura is spared in Conquest, Corrin displays this mindset. In each route, he allows the person to accompany him but makes it clear that if the accompanee takes one step out of order, Corrin will not hesitate to slay him on the spot. Likewise, calling back to Revelations, Corrin left a message behind for his friends to come if he didn't return with the assumption Anthony had set a trap. Rewriting Corrin, I'd would also have him show sense enough to discriminate between the allies he's trying to make and those he has in that he openly shows he has full faith in those allied to him, and that he deeply cares for his allies. He'd have trust for new allies to some degree and wouldn't distrust them, but the most important tasks would lie with those he knows best of course. Newer allies, trust would need to be gained more via experiences and time before relying on them for anything dire. Some support conversations could even reflect this, both with his family and with new recruits that were enemies at first. Thinking about it, a person like this Corrin would be needed to bring Hoshido and Nohr together after all the war, making him a perfect fit for the plot. As I think about it, it's like Awakening's theme of the strength of bonds and allies almost, but with a willingness to outreach and lower one's guard to connect with others. I feel focusing on that, with some degree of common sense, would make Corrin a better character. Probably still controversial though. This characterization of Corrin would make a theme of how, to interact with and reach others, you have to make yourself vulnerable. You'll be hurt by other people, you may get betrayed, but you will make many more connections and meet many more influential people than by keeping your guard up. I feel actual Corrin tried to be like this but failed at it. There was also the family theme distracting from it. I feel better Corrin would be accepting of the bad for the good of lowering one's guard to try to interact with more people. That's my opinion on Corrin. I hope you've found this interesting and that I may have given you another perspective on him/her. Oh, and as this is my first post, if there are any forum norms I missed and such, just let me know. Also, feel free to discuss. I'd like to hear opinions on my analysis.
  7. So I just beat Xenoblade 2, still watching the post final boss cutscenes. So I'll break this down into several sections, with some comparisons to Xenoblade 1. Gameplay: I honestly find the gameplay to be very great. I see it as multiple tiers of building up attacks to combo which is always satisfying, and using later special powers was amazing. The gameplay was so engaging. I'll be honest I haven't beaten Xenoblade 1 but I know of what happens, the main reason is due to how slow I find it. I know it's a great game but I just find it slow is all. Music: I daresay this game's music surpasses that of the original Xenoblade, in certain areas. I really love the combat (normal, boss, and unique boss 1+2) and cutscene themes. However most of the world themes I find lackluster with exception of Gormotti Plains (day) and Tantal (day). Honestly Xenoblade 1 has the better world themes (Gaur Plains hands down) and pretty good battle music (YWKON, Engage the Enemy, Obstacle in our Path, and Unfinished Battle. Characters: I'll admit, Xenoblade 1 has the better characters overall, all of them are perfectly done. Xenoblade 2's aren't that level of characters but still good. However Nia is my favorite right up there beside XC1's cast. The character designs for Xenoblade 2 though are definitely superior to the original. World: Xenoblade 2 has a nice varied world, but I found it was just going to the next area with almost no sense of scale. Xenoblade 1 obviously makes this its crowning achievement in terms of world building. You can actually see places you've been from other places while Xenoblade 2 is just world traveling with little connection, but it fits into the story. Story: I still think Xenoblade 1 has the better story. I did however enjoy this one's story a lot. My highlights were Chapters 1,3, end of 6-7. In total I had an amazing time with the game. My party was all 70+ with Tora being 69 (unintentional but I used Morag as tank almost immediately). I awakened every rare blade except KOS-MOS (who everyone is missing or trying to get), Zenobia, Praxis and Theory, and Herald. I plan on maxing out everyones affinity charts too and getting everyone to 99 and farming the superbosses. Once I do that I plan on playing the game all over again since I really love it that much. So me beating the game along with some side questing, blade grinding, and just messing around took me about 125 hours. Hours I do not regret and would gladly do it all over again Though I think at least 20 of those hours were sleep mode only Also just a funny moment from my playthrough here on my twitter https://twitter.com/Wartortle8MC/status/948355487799668736
  8. Welcome to Fates Fanfiction Central Previously much of the story discussion and fanfiction writing conversations were being held in Yari's Fixing Fates Story Issues (Spoilers) thread. Unfortunately it has grown too bloated for individual author's ideas to be easily seen by curious viewers (or for disorganized writers like myself who forget where they wrote down all their ideas). So I've created a new thread where everyone's ideas can be discussed and included in an easy to access OP. Feel free to message me if you'd like your ideas to be included in the OP. Each writer will have their own spoiler section for their ideas. As the thread titles suggests, the posts and ideas discussed here will concern MAJOR SPOILERS so venture in at your own risk. Now, without further ado, I offer you a survey. You can always add more information if the questions don't cover all the ideas you'd like recorded. FE Fates Fan Fiction Survey 1. What routes are you working on? Is it an amalgamation of all three? Is it an alternate universe style retelling? 2. What notable changes would you make to the plot? Are problematic elements (the curse, the magic throne, the crystal ball, operation tears, Nohr and Hoshido being too black and white, everything Aqua does) going to be addressed? Are there any themes to be communicated over each route? What is the overall direction and "point" of each route? 3. What notable changes would you make to the characters? What is Kamui all about (background, personality, abilities)? What is Aqua all about (personality, role in the plot)? What are the Hoshidan and Nohrian siblings all about (personalities, roles in the plot)? What is Garon, Mikoto, Lilith or any other important character all about? What is Hydra all about (role in the plot)? What changes will be made to minor characters 4. What notable changes would you make to the setting? What ideas do you have for world building? What kind of history does this continent have? What is the balance of natural and supernaturual elements? Are the Faceless and invisible enemies in your story? 5. Do any characters die? 6. Do you introduce any new characters? 7. Are any characters going to be cut? If your ideas are posted elsewhere on the internet, you may also include links to those sources. Different authors and their ideas. [spoiler=NekoKnight] FE Fates Fan Fiction Survey 1. What routes are you working on? Is it an amalgamation of all three? Is it an alternate universe style retelling? Working on Nohr but will consider doing Hoshido as well. There will be no 3rd route. 2. What notable changes would you make to the plot? Are problematic elements (the curse, the magic throne, the crystal ball, operation tears, Nohr and Hoshido being too black and white, everything Aqua does) going to be addressed? All of these plot elements have been discarded and work is being done to make Nohr/Hoshido less black and white. Are there any themes to be communicated over each route? As each route is defined by the choice Kamui makes, there will be a different theme, based on the faction you choose. Nohr is about duty over justice. Hoshido is about doing the moral thing over what you want to do. What is the overall direction and "point" of each route? Nohr will transition into the invasion more quickly, the conquest of Hoshido completed earlier and the latter 1/3 of the story being devoted to the rebellion against Garon. I haven't given Hoshido has much thought, but I imagine it would be a combination of defending themselves from the invasion, solving internal issues and defeating Garon. 3. What notable changes would you make to the characters? What is Kamui all about (background, personality, abilities)? -Kamui is idealistic but not as naive (he was only locked up for the first 6 years after his abduction). Is passionate about defending the weak and prefers non-lethal solutions to problems. In spite of a Nohrian upbringing, he believes in the inherit goodness of people. Kamui was kidnapped and ransomed to force a trade agreement with Hoshido but they refused. Kamui's dragon powers are a result of recieving certain genes. What is Aqua all about (personality, role in the plot)? -Aqua is the daughter of the Water Tribe chieftain in western Nohr (that giant lake area). She is never taken to Hoshido and replaces Rinka and Suzukaze as the prisoners you fight in the second chapter, after Marx puts down her tribe's rebellion. She has a friendly, if not occasionally snarky, personality. Her magical singing is a special skill taught in her clan. What are the Hoshidan and Nohrian siblings all about (personalities, roles in the plot)? -Ryoma is a stubborn upholder of traditions and doesn't believe in the social mobility common in Nohr. He holds a grudge against Nohr for killing his father and taking Kamui. He's aloof in person but passionate in battle. -Hinoka is a more experienced battle commander and warrior, something she dedicated herself to since Kamui's kidnapping. She is bold and reckless, but a paragon of Hoshidan warrior culture, alongside Ryoma. -Similar to the canon characterization, Takumi suffers from serious middle-child syndrome and works the hardest to prove himself. He hates Kamui most of all for consuming his older sibling's attention and for betraying Hoshido. -Sakura is mature for her age but is concerned about her ability to contribute to the family. She is serene and determined, the most like her mother out of the five siblings. -Marx is strictly concerned with chivalry and upholding one's duties. Though he is dedicated to justice and protecting the common people, he's stubbornly loyal to Garon. He is the 3rd eldest and last surviving child (his two older brothers died in the last Hoshido/Nohr conflict) of the king and queen. -Camilla has PTSD from her participation in the Waifu Wars but hides it behind a motherly facade. She has attachment anxiety and clings onto Kamui with the belief that his status as a foreigner will make him safe from Nohr's deadly court politics. She's both a talented warrior and political strategist making her one of Garon's favorite children. -Leon is a prodigal mage and able battle commander. He is an only child and had the happiest childhood amongst his siblings. His ruthlessness is inline with Nohrian values but often puts him at ends with the more idealistic Kamui. -Elise is also an only child and was born at the end of the Waifu Wars. She's neglected by her mother (who is busy enjoying an extravagant lifestyle as one of Garon's mistresses.) She often feels lonely and unneeded but tries to maintain a cheerful personality to support her siblings who she feels have worse problems than she does. What is Garon, Mikoto, Lilith or any other important character all about? -Garon is a strict and brutal leader who isn't shy about using underhanded tactics to further the interests of his kingdom. He has a hatred of Hoshidans, and while he isn't unnecessarily cruel to Kamui, he is emotionally distant to them. His existence is to show what Marx would become if not for Kamui's influence. There is no Gooron. -Mikoto has the same personality and role as her canon portrayal. -Lilith has been cut. What is Hydra all about (role in the plot)? -Hydra has been cut. What changes will be made to minor characters? [spoiler=Characters] [spoiler=Shared] Joker: Kamui's snarky but reliable butler. He's the youngest child of a minor noble family so he didn't have many opportunities to advance until he came into Kamui's household. He apprenticed under Gunter who taught him how to be a proper vassal. Silas: Kamui's childhood friend and a yet to be ordained knight under the service of Lord Ackerman (new character). He has the best rapport with Kamui and is thought by many to have feelings for them, although Kamui hasn't noticed. Aqua: The daughter of the water tribe's chieftain in Nohr. After her tribe's failed rebellion, she is kept as a political hostage and left in Kamui's household. She has mystical singing powers and a calm and caring personality that makes her fast friends with Sakura and Elise. Mozume: A farm girl orphaned after her village (which resides in eastern Nohr, an area with a notable population of Hoshidans) was razed by bandits. She's quite shy because of her accent but has a surprisingly bold personality if you get to know her. Ashura: An ex-ninja from the now non-existent Kouga country, he has lived a rough life of banditry and mercenary work since. He's cynical and slow to trust but has incredible insight to the underworld of Hoshido and Nohr. Suzukaze: A ninja of Hoshido but doesn't serve a particular lord. He is the twin brother of Saizo and caretaker for Midoriko. His polite and approachable demeanor makes him popular in the army. He is not fond of violence and prefers to use his talents for collecting information. He'll side with Kamui in Nohr when Kamui announces their plans to defeat Garon. Midoriko: A war orphan from the last Hoshido/Nohr war. She makes and sells medicine to make ends meet but she was looked after by both Suzukaze and Saizo. Her cute mannerisms and hardworking nature made her something of an idol in the army. She is recruited by Suzukaze after he pledges himself to Kamui and the defeat of Garon. Crimson: A Wyvern Knight and the daughter of the late king of Chevalier. She is determined to restore her country's honor after a certain incident. She's a skilled and powerful warrior but has a passion for decorating things. She will ally with Ryoma in Hoshido to make up for the wrongdoings of her father. She will ally with Kamui in Nohr after they help liberate Chevalier from a Nohrian assault. Shigure: Another member of the Water Tribe. Well meaning but brash, he tried to impress Aqua with his leadership abilities and convinced her father to rebel against Nohr. When his plan backfired, he deeply regretted his foolhardiness and pledged to rescue Aqua, independent of his village. By the time he meets the party he has almost given up hope and is planning a dangerous attack on the capital. [spoiler=Nohr] Gunter: A seasoned knight who acted as the master of arms for Garon's children. He is stern but kind, acting as a surrogate father to Kamui. He meets his unfortunate end at the Infinite Chasm after a routine scouting mission goes awry. Elfie: A noble-born knight and guardian of Princess Elise. She is extremely devoted to training and Elise's protection that many find her unsociable. Her single-minded determination and overwhelming strength has earned her a number of fans, however. She has the appetite of a bear but always burns off any weight she gains. Harold: A low-born man with a deep passion for justice. Before he came into the service of Princess Elise, he wandered around Nohr protecting the weak from harm, asking for little in return. He has remarkably bad luck and is never far from danger, but somehow he has always survived his encounters. He's the unknowing father of Lutz. Ophelia: A mercenary mage and former lover to Soleil. An eccentric girl obsessed with fancy names and spellcraft, she stands in contrast to her more grounded partner, Zero. She believes she was chosen for a grand purpose in life but is still searching for what that may be. She's hired by Leon to assist Kamui in the subjugation of the Ice Tribe. Zero: An orphan who grew up in the slums of Nohr's capital, he made a living as a thief, street ear and child prostitute. He has little conception of personal space and his lewd comments often put people on edge. He has a sadism streak and has been known to deliberately cripple targets, rather than outright kill them. Currently he is a mercenary hired by Prince Leon and works alongside Ophelia. Flora: A maid in service to Kamui's household and unknown to them, the daughter of the Ice Tribe's chieftain. She has a playful personality but occasionally has bouts of depression. While affectionate towards Kamui and Joker, she places her own family first and takes part in her family's rebellion. She dreams of eventually starting a family one day and returning to her village. Flannel: The chieftain of the werewolves at Garou Peak and the fiance of Velour. He seeks Kamui's aid when dark magic starts making his people go feral. While the Garou are generally reclusive, he has a fondness for making trips to the city and is a snappy dresser. He loves picking up knickknacks, a passion shared by his fiance. Luna: The daughter of a noble family and a vassal to Princess Camilla. Her mother was an extremely talented fighter herself leading to Luna acquiring an inferiority complex. She's highly competitive and is often irked by Belka's indifferent attitude to her challenges. Luna has a passion for shopping and works hard to pay for her hobby. Belka: An emotionally distant, former child assassin now serving as a vassal to Princess Camilla. She kills freely and barely reacts to the death of comrades, which has led some to describe her as as cold blooded as the wyvern she rides. She is seemingly incapable of feeling affection but is secretly lonely and laments not knowing how to communicate with others. [spoiler=Character Ages] Joker: 20 Silas: 16 Aqua: 17 Mozume: 15 Ashura: 35 Suzukaze: 18 Midoriko: 12 Crimson: 23 Shigure: 20 Gunter: 62 Elfie: 20 Harold: 29 Ophelia: 16 Zero: 21 Flora: 19 Flannel: 25 Luna: 18 Belka: 17 Nyx: 125 (although she stopped aging at 13) Charlotte: 20 Benoit: 27 Lazwald: 21 Pieri: 20 Seigbert: 20 Velour: 23 Lutz: 14 Soeleil: 17 Ignis: 28 4. What notable changes would you make to the setting? What ideas do you have for world building? What kind of history does this continent have? What is the balance of natural and supernatural elements? -The main plot is mostly a political struggle (no world ending dragons) although the fantasy tropes prevalent in Fire Emblem are still there. There are lingering influences of the dragons from the past (the physical state of the continent, the royal's dragon blood, and dragon spirits that occasionally possess people. Are the Faceless and invisible enemies in your story? -Faceless are removed and replaced with bandit attacks, or possessed enemies. There are no invisible enemies. 5. Do any characters die? Many characters do (particularly recruitable characters from the opposite route). Some allied characters may die as well. 6. Do you introduce any new characters? A few Nohrian characters are introduced. Lord Fulmore, the Warden of the South. Lord Ackerman, the Warden of the East. Chieftain Aquarion, Aqua's father. Also mentioned is Crimson's father, the king of Chevalier. If I write Hoshido, they are also get an assortment of lords. 7. Are any characters going to be cut? Cut Characters: Odin, Eponine, Foleo, Sophie, Kanna, Deere, Tsukuyomi, Mitama, Grey, Felicia and Izana (no longer recruit-able) [spoiler=Alazen] [spoiler=Some Key Differences] Kamui's Parentage: Kamui is not Hydra's birth child. He is the 2nd child of Mikoto and Sumeragi. -Warrant: The reveal that Kamui isn't Sumeragi's birth child is blatantly an excuse to let Kamui marry from both sets of siblings. 2nd Gen: There is no 2nd Gen. Nor is there a Secluded Realm. -Warrant: Fates' 2nd Gen manages to be even less significant than Awakening's. It's embarrassingly obvious that Fates' 2nd Gen was shoehorned due to the presence of a 2nd Gen in Awakening. The Secluded Realm serves as an excuse for the children to all be of fighting age without including a timeskip or time travel. Awakening Returnees: ​None beyond cameos that are treated as such. -Warrant: The Invisible Kingdom has failed to address the presence of the Awakening characters in a way that doesn't drag down the setting. Character Consolidation: Ryoma and Hinoka have been merged into one elder Hoshidan sibling, Elise and Sakura into one possible younger Nohr sibling. Felicia and Flora are one servant from the Ice Tribe. -Warrant: Of all their problems, the royal sisters suffer from a lack of significance for how close they supposedly are to Kamui. In particular, Hinoka's crowning moments include seeing through a disguise and Kamui pretending to slay her. Flora is noticeably more significant with a certainly more rounded characterization than Felicia. Examples of Cross-path Changes -Aqua has been removed from Fates entirely. Elements linked to her such as the prophecy have been removed or reworked. -No returning Awakening characters beyond cameos that aren't acknowledged as actually there. -There is no 2nd Gen. There is no Secluded Realm. Any 2nd Gen characters that can be salvaged will be recruitable conventionally. Examples of Hoshido Changes -The heavenly children are Firstborn Daughter Hinoka, Kamui, and Takumi. Ryoma and Hinoka have been merged into the eldest heavenly child. Sakura has been cut out to trim down on siblings. -One opposing leader in Hoshido is a daimyo whose territory was forced to surrender to Sumeragi. He or she has both the resentment and resources to oppose Sumeragi's children. -Rinka's ethnicity has a history of conflict with other Easterners. Examples of Nohr Changes -One of the Nohr sisters is axed. -Fake Garon is gone. An alternative is for Hydra's faction to make contact with Garon and send assistance. The Maids and Joker -Flora and Felicia are now one character. Her backstory is that she's the daughter of the ruler of a land conquered by Nohr. She was taken as a hostage to Nohr, putting her in the position to meet Kamui and be in his inner circle. She's an ally if Kamui stays with Nohr, an enemy if she leaves it. -Joker is the son of a Nohrian noble who had the clout to have him study in the castle. He meets Kamui and the two hit it off. A dependable schemer, he follows Kamui in all routes. Suzukaze and Saizou -The shinobi brothers are the sons of a Fuuma jizamurai. Fuuma was invaded and conquered by Sumeragi's army with the brothers' father killed in the war. The two brothers were taken to Hoshido as hostages. -Suzukaze knows what happened to his homeland and father, planting the seeds for leaving Hoshido 1. What routes are you working on? Is it an amalgamation of all three? Is it an alternate universe style retelling? At least 2 Paths (Hoshido, The New Order). 2. What notable changes would you make to the plot? Are problematic elements (the curse, the magic throne, the crystal ball, operation tears, Nohr and Hoshido being too black and white, everything Aqua does) going to be addressed?No curse, magic throne is out, got rid of the crystal, don't even think about Operation Tears, Nohr might be ''evil'' but Hoshido surely isn't ''good'', Aqua has been axed entirely. Are there any themes to be communicated over each route?A. How far will you go for your dream? To get what you're owed? B. How should the world be ruled? What is the overall direction and "point" of each route?Hoshido-Kamui leaves Nohr to claim his birthright. He works within Hoshido to get the trust of his peers, fighting both inner and outer threats. Nohr-Kamui works for validation from Marx and Garon. He's not out for Hoshidan blood, so he'd be down with the power blocs coming to an agreement. Touma-Kamui ends up in Touma after an accident near the chasm. Kamui has to spend some time in Touma, being informed by Lilith of Hydra, Touma, their rising army, and what they stand for. After indoctrination and being told about his origins, Kamui agrees to fight for Hydra against all who oppose them. 3. What notable changes would you make to the characters? What is Kamui all about (background, personality, abilities)?Kamui is the 2nd child of Mikoto and Sumeragi. Born with the bloodlines of two dragon lines, Kamui has features marking his divine lineage. Sumeragi could tell his son was set for greatness, and so doted on him when he could. Taking Kamui with him on a trip to Chevalier, Sumeragi is slain in an ambush. Seeing the small child brought before him, Garon immediately had him taken. Ending up in the capital, it was arranged for Kamui to live within Garon's household but not as if he was one of Garon's actual children. Kamui would be kept within reach of Garon and his children, yet at a distance. She would be at least occasionally given access to tutors and trainers that even a wealthy Nohrian would want, yet be told to sit a separate table from Garon and his children. Rumors spread that Kamui was a bastard child of Garon, which worked for the Nohr King since a predecessor of his married a Eastern spouse. Kamui internalizes Nohr ideals and conduct. Nohr is a society with a focus on status, bloodlines, inheritance, what have you. He also grows a respect and perhaps jealousy for Marx. He looks for validation from Garon yet resents him. He hits it off with Joker and Flora, gets along with Leon and Nohr Sister well enough, and has actually made a name for himself among the castle's staff for going around and actually aiding in their tasks (and nicely, admittedly after some practice). You can trust him to get his hands dirty and look after his troops. Having bloodlines of two dragons has its perks. He was born with a more potent form of Dragon's Vein that unfortunately also is a heavy drain on her once it reaches a certain point, along with the greater athletic skill seen in other royals. The Touma route has able to Kamui transform into a dragon using a dragonstone embedded sword forged in Touma after some time being indoctrinated and magiced on. What is Aqua all about (personality, role in the plot)?Aqua has been cut. Elements of her have been given to to other characters like Flora. What is Garon, Mikoto, Lilith or any other important character all about?Garon is out to bring glory to his house. Lilith is Hydra's agent who intervenes around the world. Mikoto is the current heavenly sovereign of Hoshido who has worked to strengthen or secure Hoshido. What is Hydra all about (role in the plot)?Hydra is the ruler of Touma who commands a rising force. Having become a gestalt of souls, Hydra directs his troops around the world to sow discord until he can forge a new nation. 4. What notable changes would you make to the setting? What ideas do you have for world building? The succession to Sumeragi's conquests is now iffy thanks to having 3 dragon blooded children. Traditionally, the succession process would have whichever child shows they were marked as heavenly take the throne unless the none of the children show such, in which case the solutions have shifted. Hinoka is the firstborn child with Mikoto's blood pact inheritance, Takumi has Sumeragi's and Kamui has both. You should keep in mind that Hoshido isn't really a country in modern way. Sumeragi conquered around the East and married into the heavenly family, one could say that Takumi would be the heir to the conquered territories instead of Hinoka. And with his blood, maybe Kamui could press a claim to all of it. What kind of history does this continent have?One of blood, skulduggery, scheming. What is the balance of natural and supernaturual elements?Hydra's empire is a growing threat, but there is no Fake Garon. Are the Faceless and invisible enemies in your story?Hydra links to the dead, pulling their souls or whatever to the gestalt. He can direct bodies and has a sort of wide vision. However, while his empire grows the tide gets bigger and bigger. Unless something is done, Hydra will be swept away. He's looking for a vessel to merge with to form a new dragon god. 6. Do you introduce any new characters? At least a few figures to flesh out the world. 7. Are any characters going to be cut? Aqua, Sakura, at least one Nohr sister, and Shenmei are examples. [spoiler=warchiefwilliams] 1. What routes are you working on? Is it an amalgamation of all three? Is it an alternate universe style retelling? · Depending on how much time I am able to find to write with my schedule, I will work on the Invisible Kingdom route but with heavy alterations to many of the plots more… “questionable” elements and characters. Later, if I feel up to it, and I am not lynched for the idea, I might try an alternate universe IK route with a new faction. 2. What notable changes would you make to the plot? · I want to make the plot more about the characters themselves and how they drive events forward through their actions as opposed to poorly implemented concepts dictating the characters actions, even if they must act OOC. I will also be reworking questionable plot decisions like: · Are problematic elements (the curse, the magic throne, the crystal ball, operation tears, Nohr and Hoshido being too black and white, everything Aqua does) going to be addressed? Where to begin? I will obviously be trying to flesh out the world, Nohr and Hoshido far more than was in the game, which will (hopefully) make each one seem less “black and white”. As for most of the magical plot contrivances holes elements, the curse will be removed, as I personally feel that if someone were to run around saying that there an invasion from a realm hidden from reality was imminent, then they would be locked up in the nearest insane asylum or praised as some new cult leader. There doesn’t need to be a death cruse here. Because Garon will just be possessed and not a familiar, the Throne itself is little more than a glorified throne in a big castle meant to show the power of the King of Hoshido.· Are there any themes to be communicated over each route? Pretty much the themes that were originally stressed in the advertising for this game. Because I am pushing the “decision” chapter back a ways (I thought chapter 6 was too early for that and, after seeing it, I feel vindicated in that belief) this will give time for Kamui to be exposed to both ideologies and make a better choice rather than simply picking one family over the other.· What is the overall direction and "point" of each route? In my view, the point of the IK route is to combine the strengths of both nations and cultures together to fight an external entity that threatens to destroy everything that both sides hold dear. It should be a story of coming together, overcoming differences and saving the world. It should also stress that there is no such thing as a fairy tale ending and that victory comes with a cost (a “beating around the bush” way for saying that characters WILL die).3. What notable changes would you make to the characters? · A lot of the characters will be either more fleshed out or have tweaks made to their background and personality to help make them less of walking tropes and more, well, well-developed. Some, mainly child characters, will be outright cut, due to character saturation and to them not being very interesting (in my view). · What is Kamui all about (background, personality, abilities)? Kamui remains the child of Mikoto and Anankos. As such he retains many of his abilities that are found in the game, i.e his dragon form. This detail, however, will not be simply glossed over by the story and will play a significant role during both the initial invasion of Hoshido, splitting off from both nations and during the revelations about the world. Kamui was kidnapped when he was only three years old, and other than some hazy images that he only glimpses in nightmares, believes that he is a child of Garon and one of the many dead concubines, similar to his Nohrian siblings. Due to coddling by his adopted family, retainers and (when he returns to Hoshido) his actual family, Kamui is a narcissist at the start of the story, believing that he is the perfect sibling. His extreme naivety will help cement this belief. As the story develops, Kamui’s narcissistic streak will break as he discovers the true cost of his beliefs and will slowly become a more jaded, cynical individual, especially as his decisions gets people close to him killed. I am placing Kamui’s age at a young 19.· What is Aqua all about (personality, role in the plot)? Aqua remains the child of Shenmei and the former King of Touma (who I have yet to make a name for). Unlike Kamui, Aqua remembers what happened in both the Sundering of Touma, an event that lead to her banishment to the real world and the deaths of her parents, as well as her own kidnapping from Castle Krakenburg and the deaths caused by that. In addition, her status as an outsider of the Hoshidoan caste system makes her, at least in the eyes of the public, little better than a criminal. Any attempt that she makes to try to explain the threat that Anankos poses to the real world are typically laughed off as the ravings of a mad princess and even the two people who show her some affection, Sakura and Hinoka, do not believe her. These factors combined make her an incredibly isolated and jaded individual, as well as an alcoholic, needing a fair amount of sake (while in Hoshido) and wine (while in Nohr) to get through the day. It is only after Kamui returns to Hoshido that she begins to see some hope for the future. Aqua is only a few months older than Kamui, though she is still 19 years old.· What are the Hoshidan and Nohrian siblings all about (personalities, roles in the plot)? I copied some of this from my post in the Headcanons thread. Camilla dotes on all her younger siblings as a way to attempt to cope with her role during the Concubine Wars. She especially dotes on Kamui due to his status as an outsider to the cutthroat nature of Nohrian politics and sees him as someone who won't ever try to stab her in the back. She does have a bit of a drinking problem, needing at least one bottle of wine to get through the day. Her role in the plot is to both be a mother figure to the younger members of her family, but also to be the one who monitors the political situation in both Nohr and Hoshido, as her specialty, besides splitting skulls with her axe, is political intrigue. Camilla is 23 years old. Marx is painfully aware that the Concubine Wars were effectively triggered by his mother, Queen Ekatrina and harbors a deep sense of survivor’s guilt, knowing that the vast majority of his extended family died because of his mother's actions. He doesn't show it though, bottling up his emotions and revealing almost nothing about how he really feels, even to his own family. Marx places a high value on loyalty to his country and especially loyalty to his father. However, as Garon begins to make decisions that endanger Nohr, Marx will begin to find himself questioning his loyalties. Unlike his younger sister, Marx chose to specialize in martial training, both as a warrior and as a strategist, relying on Camilla to help him navigate the political minefield that is Nohrian society and foreign policy. Marx is 24 years old. Leon is the most stable mentally of his siblings, if only because he knows constructive ways to deal with his emotions as opposed to lashing out during training (Marx) or drinking (Camilla). Leon prides himself in effectively merging his two older siblings’ specialties of military and political strategy, though his physical abilities are nowhere near as refined. Leon sees himself as the most pragmatic voice in the family, and is adaptable enough to know when to change his priorities to reflect the situation at hand. As such, he often finds himself advising all of his siblings (especially Kamui) on what is the probable best course of action. Leon is 18 years old. Elise sometimes wishes her family wasn't so defensive of her, but she is aware that she is the linchpin holding the Plantagenets (Nohrian royal surname) together, so she keeps up the facade of being a happy, innocent child. Deep down, she is aware of her family's past and wishes that she could comfort her siblings more than by just being the happy little sister. As previously stated, Elise feels like her role is to be a pinnacle of stability in a turbulent world. She is 16 years old. Ryoma is a strong believer in Hoshidoan superiority, but has a change of heart during the war, especially after during the abortive Chevalier Campaign and sees just how the rest of the world operates, realizing that several of Hoshido's societal and military traditions could condemn his kingdom to the ashes of history unless they change. Ryoma spends a lot of his time meditating on the samurai code and training to be as good of a king, if not a better one, than his father. Ryoma is 24 years old. Hinoka spends the vast majority of her time in training, both martial and statecraft, to the point where she only really has a close relationship with Ryoma. As such, her relationship with her younger siblings is not as strong as it seems. Hinoka, thanks to her early training under ImagawaYuugiri, has developed a rather brash and direct approach to most events, which has led to several near foreign affairs disasters. Hinoka is 20 years old. Takumi suffers from an extreme case of middle-child syndrome. In addition, the vast majority of importnat events in his life, including his birth, were overshadowed by Nohrian aggression that demanded his family's attention, leaving him with a negative view of Nohr and its people. Takmui has been struggling for the past few years to find something to excel at that his older siblings do not, though he has yet to find one. These feelings of inadequacy are only enhanced after Kamui’s return to Hoshido, which helps to drive him to Anankos’s control (at least at first). He continues to rely on old trinkets from when he was a child to calm himself though his retainers do what they can to help. He is 19 years old. Sakura wants to believe that everyone in the world is good and kind. A view that her family and retainers encourage to help keep her innocence alive for as long as possible, though the assassination of Midkoto breaks that mold. Sakura, however, quickly adapted to the new reality. She doesn’t like causing suffering, but her training in the healing arts means that the sight of blood and bodies does not scare her. Sakura is one of the few individuals in Hoshido who was not immediately suspicious of Aqua and instead tried to form some kind of relationship with her. Sakura is 17 years old. · What is Garon, Mikoto, Lilith or any other important characters all about? Here we go, I will refine more of these ideas laterGaron never becomes Gooron. Rather than be killed by IK forces and replaced, Anankos instead possesses him. This change manifests in his desire to severely weaken Hoshido or destroy, one of the major powers on the continent that could threaten his return. In order to maintain his cover, Anankos tries to imitate Garon’s prior behaviors and habits, though as time goes on, he loses patience and begins to force Garon to act more and more out of character (implied by supports between the Nohrian siblings who state that the current Garon isn’t the same one they knew as father. By the time it is discovered that Garon is under the control of Anankos, it is too late to save him, though he is able to die as himself as opposed to being Anankos’s slave. Garon is 55 at the start of the story Mikoto is not Shenmei’s sister, rather she was her close confidant and friend who was also part of the Anankos cult (one of the many Dark Dragon cults in Nohr that worship the Dark Dragons as the liberators of mankind). This was before the two of them fled to the Invisible Kingdom after the then Tactician Ektrina usurped Shenmei’s position as Queen of Nohr. After the Sundering, Mikoto fled from the Invisible Kingdom and was found by King Sumeragi, who took her in and eventually married her. After Sumeragi’s assassination, using magic she learned in the Invisible Kingdom, erects a barrier to dull aggression towards her home, though this does have the side effect of suppressing all dissent within Hoshido towards the government, stifling any opposition to her and the royal family. She still dies as a result of the assassination attempt in the Fire Plaza and is turned into one of Anankos’s agents. Mikoto is 34 at the start of the story. Lilith is a dragonkin (manakete) from the Invisible Kingdom originally. She is the child of two Astral Dragons within that hidden realm. Lillith fled from the Invisible Kingdom during the Sundering and, in an attempt to stave off degradation, chose to spend most of her time in her dragon form. Near-feral and injured after a few years, she encountered a young Kamui, Cyrus and Sophie (see other characters) who healed her wounds. Newly restored, she followed Kamui back to the Northern Citadel and was able to work there as a stable hand. When Kamui fell into the Invisible Chasm, she saved him and continued to accompany him on his travels (there is no My Castle here). She will later die trying to protect Kamui. Lilith appears to 17 though she is around 1457 years old. Iago is the son of a major noble family within Nohr’s capitol of Karakenburg. Despite being quite devious and snakelike, his talents as a strategist and his ability to find solutions to even the impossible. Like finding out that it was Queen Ektrina who struck the final blow of Concubine Wars by blowing up the tower containing the remaining concubines and their families, who were negociating an end to the war with Queen Ikona of Hoshido moderating (she died in the blast, which triggered the 4th Hoshido-Nohr War). Iago is loyal to his master to a fault, and has no problem throwing others under the bus if it means that his master is pleased with him. Ganz is a reformed mass murderer from the Underground District in Krakenburg. Originally, a soldier in Nohr’s Imperial Army, he earned a reputation as a ruthless man, driven to obtain victory at any cost. It was after he massacred almost everyone in an auxiliary unit that angered him was Ganz finally discharged and thrown in prison. Possessed Garon, wanting to sow as much chaos as possible, chose to free Ganz and place him in a commanding position within the Imperial Army, which Ganz took to with gusto, as he was now in a position to do as he pleased with the endorsement of the king. Ganz harbors a deep resentment towards all non-Nohrians, and believes that the entire world should belong to Nohr and he will kill anyone who thinks otherwise. · What is Hydra all about (role in the plot)? I will be calling him by his Japanese name, Anankos. Anankos is one of the few remaining Dark Astral Dragons left after the Great War in the far past, which split the continent. For the longest time, the Astral Dragons ruled the world under their hierarchy, governing the world in what they saw as the perfect order. Anankos is effectively their version of Satan, an individual who thought things should be run differently (ideally under him) and rebelled against the order, corrupting the original creation magic used to create the world into dark magic. At the war’s end, the few remaining dragons, including Anankos, fled to the Invisible Realm, leaving humanity, which had been the thralls of the dragons, free. Many cults in Nohr worship Anankos as the savior of mankind, while Hoshido’s religion despises him as the one who disrupted the order of the Astral Dragons. In reality, Anankos sought power for himself over the Astral Dragons and control of all creation. His lasting mark ensured the eventual extinction of the dragonkin, as the corruption of magic into dark magic triggered the degradation of the minds of all dragons who it touched. The minds of dragons could be preserved through the use of dragon stones, but only if they limited their time as dragons. Anankos’s degredation was even more severe as he was the original creator of dark magic. His attempts to stop it only delayed the inevitable. Eventually he had a relationship with one of his worshipers (Mikoto) in order to form a new vessel for himself. After Mikoto found out, she fled from the Invisible Kingdom as Anankos conquered it from the few remaining Astral Dragons. Upon securing his victory, and growing desperate, Anankos was able to trick three warriors from another realm to enter the world of fates (the Awakening trio) on the condition that he would restore their world, which he did. Though, they were unable to fully interpret his orders, causing them to be lead astray and conniving Anankos that humans could no longer be trusted with free will. Anankos still seeks to control all of creation, and will do whatever it takes. His interest in Kamui stems from the fact that he is the escaped vessel, thus being required to reverse Anankos’s degredation. · What changes will be made to minor characters Minor characters, like the named bosses, will have more of a role in their respective battles. There will likely be a few temporary OCs meant to fill roles required by the plot, such as army commanders and peasants.4. What notable changes would you make to the setting? · What ideas do you have for world building? I will post an in-depth outline of the countries of Fates within the next little bit, expect to see a description of each country, how its society operates, and how it fits in with the greater Nohr-Hoshido-IK conflict.· What kind of history does this continent have? This continent (which I will be calling Ivron, a name I got from a continent name generator) has had a long history of conflict. Whether it is the Great War of legend, the Wars of Nohrian Expansion, the Unification of Hoshido, or the multiple Nohrian-Hoshido wars, conflict is simply the way of the land. The creation of the Infinite Chasm during the Great War led to the cultural drift between the lands in the west and the east. The land to the far west is uninhabitable due to the same conflict.· What is the balance of natural and supernaturual elements? While supernatural elements (the Astral Dragons, Dark and Creation Magic, the creation of the garou and fox spirits) played a huge role in shaping the world, by this point in time, their overall role is no longer as prominent as it was. The secret arts of Creation Magic have long been both lost and out of reach of mankind and mankind can only harness the tiniest fraction of Dark Magic’s potential without being corrupted by it. The supernatural elements are there, but they do not play a major role in the story, at least in the beginning. Religion plays a large role in shaping Hoshido’s society, while Nohr’s religion played a large role in the past, worship of the Dark Dragons is less common now. The Shapeshifters (Garou and Fox Spirits) have longer lives than humans. The life expectancy for everyone isHuman: up to 90 years with proper care Garou: up to 180 years Fox Spirits: up to 250 years Manaketes/Dragonkin: functionally immortal. Can still die to natural causes · Are the Faceless and invisible enemies in your story? Yes, though with a few changes to how they function. Faceless are the result of decades of research by Dark Mages trying to create thralls to serve them. While physically potent, Faceless have little intelligence beyond survival instincts and whatever sense of purpose their creator gives them. While this makes them ideal tools of war, they are little more than that, tools. In addition, they cannot be directly controlled, and it was not uncommon for faceless to turn on their creators and their allies due to simple bloodlust. Invisible Kingdom forces are comprised of both the human forms of Astral and Dark Dragons (dragons who sided with Anankos) that serve Anankos in addition to a mixture of human forces who reside in the Invisible Kingdom. These humans are the descendants of those who chose to continue to serve the Astral Dragons rather than choose independence. 4. Do any characters die? · Yes. As I continue to create the plot, I will decide who will die. If you have a few ideas after reading all of this, please feel free to make recommendations. This is the list as it is now: · Mikoto will be killed during the assassination attempt in the Fire Plaza, just like she does in game. She will later be reconstituted as one of Anankos’s agents along with Sumeragi and a few others, similar to the Deadlords. · Garon will die two thirds of the way in after the cast becomes aware that he is possessed. He will be able to die free of Anankos’s influence though, so he won’t come back. · Ganz will be killed by Kamui after Kamui, who has begun uniting the two forces, finds him executing a group of Hoshido prisoners, including Hinoka and her retainers, though Kamui will be able to save them. · Some of the retainers will fall at some point, though I do not know when yet. · I am debating killing off some of the royals if it helps to serve the plot. 5. Do you introduce any new characters? · Other than temporary characters meant to flesh out the militaries of both Nohr and Hoshido, as well as commoners of the land, I will not be making new characters. This game already has a large cast, no need to add more fuel to the fire. 6. Are any characters going to be cut? · Most of the 2nd generation characters will be cut. This is due to their shoe-horned nature. The few that I believe are redeemable as tweaked characters are listed here: · Sophie: Cyrus’s younger sister who, along with her brother, were friends with Kamui. She, at the start, harbors an Oboro sized crush on Kamui. Both Sophie and Cyrus join Kamui early on, before he even gets to the Invisible Chasm for the first time. Sophie is 16 years old. · Eponnie: A young thief who was adopted by Zero after she attempted to rob a caravan that Prince Leon was a part of. Seeing her potential, Zero was able to stop Leon from killing her and, upon finding out that she was an orphan trying to survive on the outskirts of Krakenburg, adopted the young girl. She acts as Zero’s apprentice and as his informer on the events occupying Nohr’s lower classes in Krakenburg. Eponnie is 18 years old. · Ophelia: A young dark mage, her skills at magic attracted the attention of Odin, who was seeking to pass along the secrets of the “spell hand”. Her urge to learn about the secrets of dark magic caused her to take Odin’s teachings a bit too seriously, and she believes that she is “the chosen one”. Ophelia is 17 years old. · Lutz: Arthur’s son. After his mother’s passing during the 4th Nohr-Hoshido War (the one prior to the game) Lutz chose to take up the axe so that no other child would bear witness to their parent’s death. It was during this time that he met Michel, and trained him. Lutz and his father share a relationship similar to what Garcia and Ross from the Sacred Stones shared. Lutz is 15 years old. · Deere: Joker’s younger brother. Determined to follow his brother’s example, Deere began training to be a butler. His brother, while he does not approve of this, still tries to tutor him, though Joker’s love is tough love. Deere is 20 years old. · Matoi is a young noble of the Samurai Caste who, due to her talents, was trained personally by both Imagawa Yuugiri and Yamoto Hinoka in the art of aerial warfare. She seeks to be (what she sees) the best Pegasus Warrior. Despite her seemingly perfect nature, she is very modest and humble and nurses a few insecurities, especially regarding her appearance. Matoi is 19 years old. · Both Kinu and Velour left their villages seeking adventure and fortune despite the warnings of their Chiefs, Nishiki and Flannel respectively. They encountered each other near the Infinite Chasm, and have been traveling together for two years, exploring the world and finding treasures. Both Kinu and Velour are 20 years old, still very young for their respective species. · Kisargari and Shinonome are two of the few remaining members of the Yamoto Branch Family, which was mostly wiped out during the Chevalier Incident, where Sumeragi met his end. The role of the Branch Family is to be the last line of defense for the Royal Family and their retainers, and this is a role that both Kisargari and Shinonome take very seriously. Kisargari is 17 years old while Shinonome is 22 years old. · Midoriko: a young traveling member of Hoshido’s merchant class. She was orphaned during the 4th Nohr-Hoshido War and raised by the Hattori ninja clan, though particularly by Hattori Saizou and Hattori Kaze. She left home early on, having both aged quickly and extensively studied economics, and is determined to be the wealthiest merchant in the world. She sees the Secret Shop chain, run by Anna, as a major challenge to her goals. Midoriko is 14 years old. 7. For fun, here are the character ages as well as their last names · Marx Plantagenet: 24 years old · Camilla: 23 years old · Leon: 18 years old · Elise: 15 years old · Ryoma Yamoto: 24 years old · Hinoka: 20 years old · Takmui: 19 years old · Sakura: 16 years old · Kamui: 19 years old · Aqua: 19 years old · Felecia Arendelle: 19 years old · Flora Arendelle: 19 years old · Joker Girard: 21 years old · Cyrus Bedivere: 18 years old · Sophie Bedivere: 16 years old · Hattori Kaze: 26 years old · Gunther Guesculin: 55 years old · Tsu-Sho Mozume: 16 years old · Kouga Asyura: 41 years old · Izumo Izana: 35 years old · Hattori Saizou: 28 years old · Chiyome Kagerou: 24 years old · Asama: 40 years old · Chosokabe Setsuna: 20 years old · Fujiwara Hinata: 18 years old · Goto Oboro: 18 years old · Tiari Hana: 17 years old · Ashikaga Tsubaki: 19 years old · Inaba Fuuga: 40 years old · Inaba Tsukuyomi: 13 years old · Nishiki: 95 years old · Moagami Orochi: 26 years old · Rinkah: 17 years old · Mori Yurikama: 39 years old · Imagawa Yuugiri: 38 years old · Crimson Pyrmont: 18 years old · Lazwald/Inigo Montoya: 22 years old · Pieri Ravenkroft: 18 years old · Arthur Pendragon: 27 years old · Effie Tarth: 17 years old · Zero: 24 years old · Odin/Owain Lowell: 21 years old · Nyx Tartarus: 255 years old (I like to think that her curse outright stops her aging, making her very old) · Luna/Severa Lear: 22 years old · Belka: 18 years old · Benoit Nielson: 23 years old · Charlotte Goldberg: 18 years old · Flannel Bigby: 80 years old · Yamoto Midkoto: 34 years old · Garon Plantagenet: 55 years old · Iago: 35 years old · Ganz: 28 years old · Lilith: 17 years old (human appearance) · Deere Girad: 20 years old · Kinu: 20 years old · Velour: 20 years old · Ophelia Hathaway: 17 years old · Hattori Midoriko: 14 years old · Yamoto Kisagari: 18 years old · Yamoto Shinonome: 22 years old · Shimazu Matoi: 19 years old · Eponnie: 18 years old · Lutz Pendragon: 15 years old [spoiler=Azz] FE Fates Fan Fiction Survey 1. What routes are you working on? Is it an amalgamation of all three? Is it an alternate universe style retelling? The route I am working on is a combination of all 3. Pretty much the focus is at first, ending the war, reforming Nohr and then Touma stuff. Basically a 3rd path but better (I hope) 2. What notable changes would you make to the plot? Well, everything is pretty much being re-written story wise. It starts kind of like Revelations with more Hoshido characters joining at first, then slowly characters from Nohr join and the remainder from Hoshido join. 3. What notable changes would you make to the characters? Well for main characters, they have pretty much the same personality bases but have been expanded upon to not be so Kamui-centric. Character roles have been changed, people have set relationships, the four Touma bosses (Shenmei, Sumeragi, Mikoto and Garon), have all been re-written. Kamui and Aqua had massive over hauls as well as Hydra. The FEA trio have been re-written to not be FEA characters. All the kids have been re-written to have roles in the story. 4. What notable changes would you make to the setting? The setting for the most part is the same with a few exceptions. I still have to finalize things. 5. Do any characters die? Yes, characters do die. 6. Do you introduce any new characters? Pretty much all the capturable bosses, specifically Draj and Nacht, have been given some form of role outside of time chamber shenanigans. 7. Are any characters going to be cut? Not really unless you count the FEA trio being completely re-written. [spoiler=Damosel] If you're interested in reading my FE14 AU series A Marriage Of States. I also have an update and feedback thread on this site for the series. 1. What routes are you working on? NONE, I'm going Alternate Universe! Is it an amalgamation of all three? Pretty much everything EXCEPT Touma stuff. Is it an alternate universe style retelling? YES! Biggest differences- no ambush, no Kamui. 2. What notable changes would you make to the plot? I've made a bunch of changes because there's no Touma characters. So it's all Nohr/Hoshido drama, with arranged marriages for an alliance thrown in. Mainly- it's looking at the trouble you can have outside the battlefield. Are problematic elements (the curse, the magic throne, the crystal ball, operation tears, Nohr and Hoshido being too black and white, everything Aqua does) going to be addressed? Likely won't be any magic items from Touma showing up (so Hoshido's throne is just a fancy throne). I'm definitely trying to grey up both Hoshido and Nohr without making them unrecognisable- LOTS of worldbuilding. Are there any themes to be communicated over each route? Since I'm not stick to a route N/A What is the overall direction and "point" of each route? Character driven world exploration with a side of plot. 3. What notable changes would you make to the characters? Sumeragi isn't dead, neither is Ektrina. Garon is not a goo-monster and actually brokered a peace treaty. Because there's no Kamui I've shuffled a lot of characters whose backstory was associated with him. Gunter, Joker, and Cyrus all work for Marx instead (and have known him for years). I've also changed Flora and Felicia's circumstance in Nohr, they're no longer servants but "fostered" and Krackenstein castle (hostages essentially). The FE13 expies have been replaced with Nyx serving Leo, Charolette serving Camilla, and Gunter+Joker+Cyrus serving Marx. What is Kamui all about (background, personality, abilities)? Absenteeism. What is Aqua all about (personality, role in the plot)? Not-appearing-in-this-fic What are the Hoshidan and Nohrian siblings all about (personalities, roles in the plot)? Pretty similar to their game selves. Ryouma meditative and serious, Marx reserved and stubborn, Camilla doting and ruthless, Hinoka caring and bold, Takumi insightful and hotheaded, Leo clever and ooportunistic, Sakura shy and nuturing, Elise cheerful and excitable. Main difference is that Nohr and Hoshido have been at peace for twelve years and the oldest daughters/sons got hitched- so different reactions in line with different circmstances. What is Garon, Mikoto, Lilith or any other important character all about? Garons about being an ACTUAL father and king, though he still has his terrible person moments. Same can be said for Sumeragi. No Touma characters. Iago's a pain in the neck but not a psyco, Ganz is a criminal not given a military position. What is Hydra all about (role in the plot)? Nope. Nooooooooooooooooope. What changes will be made to minor characters? Well I've already given Lala (the songstress from Muse) as speaking bit. And the Boldts mentioned in the Saizou/Belka supports will fairly present. Daniela, Draj, Senou and other faced units will all be getting a heavy injection of personality when they make their appearances (and it WON'T be in hyperbolic time chambers) 4. What notable changes would you make to the setting? No monsters, no Hydra, no Touma, no Kamui. Impacts a bunch of stuff. What ideas do you have for world building? A lot. I was the first to suggest Hoshido have an inflexiable cast system that cause them issues. Wrote up a historical blurb on why drak mages in Nohr would dress like strippers. More stuff than I care to sum-up. What kind of history does this continent have? A tirbulent one. Once it was ruled by a single empire, but a terrible earthquake ripped it's capital assunder and two large kingdoms eventually rose from it's ashes. To the west, one founded by a warlord and those loyal to her subjegated the surrounding territories until they were able to work together for a sustainable society. To the east, a priest was raised up to commune with the gods for all of the land and eventually founded the line of kings. (and plenty more but, this is a brief sum-up) In more recent history Garon emancipated Chevalier from being a tributary and there worked out an alliance with Sumeragi. What is the balance of natural and supernaturual elements? Well there's still plenty of magic and worship of the gods. Closer to Jugdral than Ylisse though- as in most of the drama is started by people. Are the Faceless and invisible enemies in your story? Nuh-uh. 5. Do any characters die? Yes. It'd be a spoiler to say who. 6. Do you introduce any new characters? Kinda. I've give all the Nohr sib's mothers faces and names, as well as doing so for mentioned families like the Boldts. Mostly it's fleshing in NPCs rather than wholesale OCs. 7. Are any characters going to be cut? All of Touma, and FE13 expies. See second post for more authors (Party Moth, Ebony, wvype, Taka-kun, Loki Laufeyson, Sunwoo). See third post for more authors (Mox, Phillius). See fourth post for more authors (Nintendoentersoft, Metal Flash, Skywolfe, Yari, dtmahanen101, MCProductions, RedRob, Dangerus, Sire, SaiSymbolic, Abvora). See fifth post for more authors (Blade_of_Light, NightStar) *New* Support Conversations (NekoKnight, Pretty_Handsome, Etern@lDawn, wvype, Thane).
  9. So after Robin's sacrifice to kill Grima, he dissolves into nothingness. I wonder how long did it take for Chrom and Lissa to find him again? My guess is took about a year or two for them to finally meet Robin again. I'm taking in account the character endings happen before the final cutscene afterward Robin's ending happen.
  10. Let's face it the 3 3ds stories all have had debatable quality. Awakening was bland and had as much plot holes as Swiss cheese. Fates is a mess at best with MORE plot holes than Swiss cheese. Celica was dumb and Rudolf's plan is insane. So... What if they didn't turn out like this, what if YOU wrote the story? What would change what would remain the same? I am also putting up all answers on a poll to decide what rewrite is the best. Good luck! No you don't get a prize. I'll make a rewrite later. EDIT: Is this a creative thread?
  11. I had started Fire Emblem 12 a long time ago and played it on and off until chapter 5. This past Sunday I finally went back and continued playing it, getting all the way through it and getting the true ending. So yeah, I'll be listing the units I primarily used in order of class. (units in bold were ones used on the endgame map) Marth (Lord), Chris (Paladin), Luke (Paladin), Roderick (paladin), Cecille (Paladin), Midia (paladin), Sirius (Paladin, used only to recruit Nyna), Navarre (swordmaster), Malice (swordmaster), Samto (swordmaster), Ogma(hero), Astram (hero), Caeda (falcon knight), Palla (falcon knight), Catria (falcon knight), Merric (sage), Linde (sage), Katarina (sage), Malicia (bishop), Norne(sniper), Minerva(dracoknight), Barst(berserker), Tiki (manakete), and I did use Julian (thief) a lot due to chest looting. Also shout outs to Ryan, Gordin, and Draug, who were used for a little while before getting benched. So overall I really enjoyed this game. The music was very good (despite my emulator being crappy with music) and Endless Battle and Tearing Shadows are now near permanently placed at the top of my Fire Emblem music preferences (quite an achievement given ID Hope and much of Echoes and Sacred Stones held that). The story was really good and engaging to me once I got into it. I also liked how there was always different outcomes based on your actions despite map objectives never changing really. The assassins I really liked and felt sorry for. Overall, I'd say this game is my second favorite Fire Emblem game, right behind my personal preference of Awakening and barely ahead of Echoes and Sacred Stones.
  12. As the topic says I am curious what are everyones views on spoilers? On anything games, shows, books, manga, etc. just anything in general? I am asking because personally I can`t see it from the others point of view. I never understand why someone becomes upset about getting told even the smallest thing. Personally it annoys me greatly when someone complains about spoilers. Note I can feel sympathy with someone not wanting spoilers if the series just now came out and is fresh and brand new then yeah I can kinda see. But it annoys me to no end when I speak to someone about something and then they complain about freaking spoilers on a Tv show, game or book that is old as heck it`s old passed done what do ya expect? of course you are gonna hear and see stuff about it.So I can`t stand it when someone gets upset over something from like 1990`s or early 2000`s that has long passed and ended. It`s annoying when I try and tell someone about a certain character and I bring up ''insert character'' dies later in the story and I get accused of spoilers eh?? Not much was spoiled. For me it`s like this ya learn about a certain character or event in the story ''spoiler'' right? But usually when people explain stuff they tell it either in pieces or like I do since I mainly discuss characters and not so much story learn one of them dies. But it`s not spoiled technically as you still don`t know the circumstance or the cause of such event. So for me I don`t mind spoilers at all I actually actively seek them especially if there is a series and my favorite character is involved I often wanna see their status if they are alive or not so usually a fast visit to a wiki solves that. But I don`t mind because I still do not know the events leading up to it what happens between? What happens before? Unless the entire narrative is laid out in front of me and explained word for word nothing is really revealed in my eyes. It`s the journey to that key point that matters and you don`t know the journey to it unless the whole thing is laid out. So yeah Sorry if this came off as a bit rantish but it`s so annoying as recently I introduced 2 friends of mine to the Naruto series and we discuss the characters together and I bring up say Itachi Uchiha dies later and I get accused of spoilers. When i didn`t all I said was he dies later you don`t know when later is or how/why it even happens. And on top of that Naruto is old as heck it ended ages ago so avoiding spoilers is nigh impossible at this point all is said and done like with all old series. As far as video games go finding out your character dies later mainly for RPG games I find quite helpful as I am the type who likes going in ready. because some games can be cruel to ya and whatever items/equipment you had are lost or you pour a load of time into someone only to see later ya wasted all that time as they leave later Lol. I hear SaGa Frontier 2 a game which I started recently has tons of characters die on you so that was helpful for me as now I know not to even waste time training up any of them wasting time until later in. So yeah opinions? What is and what is not a spoiler to you guys? What do you consider a spoiler? And which part matters to you most?
  13. Basically, let's talk about what we have learned from the story so far, either by playing it or watching/reading about it. I'll start: I am currently playing through the game and just finished chapter 9 on the Nohrian side. From my experience so far, Awakening's opening arc was pretty good, focusing on introducing each character properly, having lots of pretty CG-cutscenes and building up to the reveal of Lucina and Owain decently. Now with the Fates arc, things are.. contrived. They thought fighting the siblings would be a pretty good idea, but the excuse they gave for that is... a little lacking. Basically it amounts to each sibling, except Sakura and Elise, coming to the conclusion that the others are being held hostage by the heroes and trying to rescue them.. even as said sibling fights alongside the Heroes.. Yeah, it's that dumb. Also, Rowan falls victim to Fates plot-illness, so Takumi is relegated to a side-show in his own chapter while Sakura and Hinoka try to find a cure. Meanwhile, Leon straight up attacks Lissa, because he thinks she is threatening or trying to hurt Camilla..?? (will he get the same heat as Takumi shooting Elise in Conquest did? Probably not.) Anyway, feel free to discuss, I'll probably post some updates here and there on what else I find.
  14. https://pastebin.com/FQ5hbdYr So I came across this datamine with English battle text. A quick name-search (control-F character name) revealed that there are callouts to certain characters. This seems to indicate that these particular characters are or will be playable at some point, probably the latter. Might just be leftover content, but given the nature of this all, I highly doubt it isn't meant to ever be implemented. And one other thing. Feel free to name-search any other possible characters in the datamine, though I think this is probably all we're getting for now.
  15. So there's this stream going and we seen at least two characters. We saw neither as playable but both Owain and Niles showed up in cutscenes so they are in the game in at least some capacity. https://m.twitch.tv/videos/177573416 2:28:20 and 3:33:00. I'm pretty happy with Niles. His design and personality make him stand out nicely. He's also another archer which is nice. I'm less pleased with Owain. His gimmick grew stale and boring when used a second time and I'm unsure why a third time should fix this. He's in his Awakening gear so he's more likely a swordfighter then a mage. I think I also spotted Donnel but as a gameplay mechanic rather then a character. Once one of the twins did a mission he appeared to spawn an item. But it could just be a regular village, he seems a tad taller then Donnel.
  16. I'm not sure if it's been done here but basically, fix your favorite/ least favorite character. With me, Fates has so much potential and no one shows this off better to me than Anthony. So basically Chapter 19 plays out like it did originally, but you gain him as a green unit and he's actually got some really good stats for him being an umpromoted unit and can be promoted right away since he's about Level 15. Chapter 19 ends like usual but Chapter 20 is a lot different. Chapters 20 and 21 shorten the Parent arc down and the Nohrian siblings get a moment with Garon. Chapter 22 is Chapter 20, and afterwards Anthony explains what happens with Scarlet and is actually more help than he was in the original and is shown more to be a guide than someone who wants you dead. The rest of the game minus 25 and 26 is more world building. The whole Scarlet thing is in 25 and 26 is the real kicker. Anthony attempts to try and kill all of you at the same time, and then reveals he was Anankos diguised in order to kill the group and Anthony had been long dead like the parents and he goes through a transformation like Berkut did in Echoes. Whatever stats Anthony had before have been capped and he has Luna, Sol and whatever offensive skills he had. Basically if you gave him Lethality, that's kind of a bad idea. After the battle, Anthony is reverted back and he apologizes for doing that, and wishes he could be of more help. With his final breath, he manages to weaken Anankos who's at an insane level of difficulty to a more manageable fight and gives Corrin the Omega Yato. This ended more as a rewrite of Fates but I think Anthony being such a crud character was due to fates story.
  17. Well, with the last Famitsu entry the presence of Validar in the game, as a NPC character by the moment, but I'm almost sure that will be playable, as Hyrule Warriors did with its villains. Leaving the facts apart, I want to start a topic to discuss your favourite villains to be playable in the game. I'm not sure if they will include more than one villain, but let's speculate (watch out with spoilers). First, I will list the most obvious options since the restrictions imposed by the developers: *FE1 (I'm not considering FE3... I've never played these games, and I thing they never said that FE3 was one of the games): Camus (very interesting one... and we don't have any mounted unit with lances yet), Michalis (we also don't have a wyvern rider with lances yet), Gharnef (with the last Famitsu article he seems the most logical option) or Medeus (we don't have manaketes! (Tiki is still not confirmed, but a "evil" playable manakete will be good as well). *FE13: we already have Validar... but as he's not confirmed as a playable character yet I'll put it in the list anyway. We also have Gangrel (another Levin Sword potential user?), Walhart (difficult considering Frederick already is in and is a mounted axe user) and Aversa (we would have the only flying mage unit so far with her). I doubt a lot that we have Grima. In his human form would be a version of Robin (is more probable that hooked Robin will be an alternative costume for both Robins), and its dragon form is way too big (SoV doesn't count). *FE14: in this game we have Garon (the most obvious option for this game and a great axe user) and Anankos (he can have a really interesting moveset in his human form, but nearly imposible option in his dragon form). Other less probable options can be Arete (having Leo and Elise can be difficult for her), Iago (first sorcerer alongside Validar?) and Hans (seems like a possible generig axe wielder). We could even consider Mikoto y Sumeragi because of Revelation story (I don't want to enter deeper in this dualities so they will be de only cases I'll mention), but is more probable that Sakura and Ryoma gets clothes based on them as an alterative outfits. My choices are Camus (is the only one from FE1 that I know because of SoV :P), Walhart (I really love this guy) and Garon (the playable character I want the most in this game). Hey, I don't restrict the proposals for this three games! There's a 99% of probability that the game gets DLC with characters from other games, so let's speculate about our favourite villain characters being playable into this game. In my case, I would really love Zephiel and Black Knight. Soooo, what are your choices?
  18. Seriously. Major spoilers. Hi all! In my obviously-too-much free time, I wrote what ended up being an essay to fix the grievance that is the blood pacts of RD. Please have a read and tell me if I overlooked anything, or if this isn't coherent. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Maybe someone has done something like this before, but I'm new, so please forgive me if that's the case. So... There are three known blood pacts in the Tellius series: Pelleas’s pact, Naesala’s pact, and Ashnard’s pact. They’re a ridiculous addition to the story that serves the function of making people who don’t want to fight each other to fight each other. They seem to fall from the sky and float around willy-nilly. We can do better than that. I’d like to posit a theory: It’s all Sephiran. The first blood pact, it would seem, ensnared the raven king before Naesala. This is the pact that Naesala inherited. It’s the story that scared Pelleas into not breaking his own contract. We don’t know much of the history of Kilvas, but it seems that the blood pact was activated and slowly grew in power until the hundredth day. Let’s suppose that the pact, instead of being the source of the curse, is simply a vessel that extends and targets the power of the Serenes Altar to the kith and kin of the signatory (blood relatives, those under his command, or those within a certain physical distance are all possibly affected). After all, the theme of blood covers both the pact and the Altar, as historically, altars are places where bloody sacrifices are made to appease the gods and maintain order. Let’s further suppose that Sephiran gave the blood pact to the raven king, and that the king’s disobedience was not punished by an automatic triggering of the blood pact’s curse (which doesn’t technically exist), but by Sephiran himself, who invoked a seid curse at the Serenes Altar. We know that the Altar can be used for curses. We saw during one scene in Serenes that Reyson believed he had the power (presumably sourced in Ashera, who seems to like severely punishing people) to destroy everyone in the forest by using it. Though talked out of bringing about this calamity, we later see him and Leanne at the altar, proving its power. Reyson is an out-of-practice and rather warlike heron. Leanne’s been in a coma for decades. Presumably, Sephiran, who is at least a thousand years old and one of the elites who combatted Yune, is much more powerful. Possibly, his shifting into a non-laguz after his union with Altina could have altered this, but all we know for certain about the effects of this transition is that he smells different and can no longer take heron form. As pure speculation, perhaps his pacts are so powerful because they’re made with the remnants of his very own feathers – heron wing vellum or something like that. And if Sephiran is the one ultimately casting the curse, then that would account for the curse’s intelligence – how it strikes royals in particular, knows the borders of the land, and chooses who inherits the mark. The pact doesn’t actually decide any of those things – Sephiran does. The inheritance issue remains a bit tricky – why would the curse continue to be channelled appropriately through the pact after the blood of the “sacrificed” one (i.e. the person who signed) has no more value (read: dead)? I have two theories for this point: a) There is no evidence that the pact actually does transfer to someone else. Only the mark does, which Sephiran could possibly whip up as quite a separate party trick in order to scare the new guy into believing that the pact has transferred, or b) the pact automatically extends to whomever it is that takes the life of the original signatory. One blood is replaced with another, if you will. The mark transfers to Micaiah because she kills Pelleas, and presumably to Naesala because he killed the previous king (as Tibarn obliquely suggested he did). If Tauroneo kills Pelleas, however, then this wouldn’t work, so we’d have to assume that this story option isn’t actually canon. It also leaves open the possibility that the blood pact would end up being directed against the original holder’s enemies, if the original signatory was killed in battle. This would be quite an annoyance for Sephiran. But, if Sephiran is calling the shots, presumably he could just remove or abandon the curse at that point. I’m more in favour of the first theory, as it’s simpler. In any case, if Sephiran were to be behind the blood pacts, it would account for Naesala’s erratic behaviour. Let’s follow what happens with him: Whether he is actually bound by his inherited pact or not, he thinks he is. Yet he wreaks havoc in PoR, regularly ticking off Begnion. He’s obviously not concerned that his actions will cause the Senate to trigger the blood pact, so either he’s doing everything at their behest, or the Senate doesn’t control the pact. We already know that the Senate is corrupt, but the members seem to be too petty to all agree about how they’d divide the spoils of Naesala’s piracy, if they were the ones ordering him to do that. Plus, they probably wouldn’t bother to pay him, like it’s suggested Oliver does for Reyson. So let’s go with the second option – that the Senate does not at this point control the contract. If Sephiran, who wants chaos and ultimately the end of the world, controls the pact, then he’s probably quite happy to let Naesala do his own chaotic thing, regardless of who it hurts. Sephiran can turn his attention elsewhere, and Naesala can still be an audacious sleazebag in PoR, literally selling out Reyson because he wants the money, not because he can’t afford to stand up to the Senate. The one thing Naesala doesn’t do is actually attack or harm Sanaki. He talks like he will when he’s supposed to help Norris take down her ship, but notably doesn’t. Sanaki is the apple of Sephiran’s eye. Likely he’s been told not to touch her. In Radiant Dawn, Naesala acts more bizarrely. Even though he sold Reyson into slavery, it seems beyond even him to actually want to slaughter Tibarn’s entire nation. Leanne and Micaiah both read his emotions on the issue, and Naesala himself seems to think he deserves to be ripped apart for it. It’s fairly clear that he was acting under duress in this instance. I postulate that when the Senate rebelled against Sanaki and Sephiran, Lekain found the pact in Sephiran’s possession, and took it for himself. Obviously, Lekain can’t do a darn thing with the pact, because he has zero seid magic. But he bluffs, or believes his own explanation of pact mechanics (the possession equals power), and begins exerting pressure on Naesala where before Sephiran hadn’t really bothered with him. Following Sephiran’s release, however, we learn that Naesala has been tasked with watching and protecting Sanaki. There’s no way that Lekain would condone this. It’s the opposite of what Lekain wants, so it really makes no sense that Naesala would be doing so if he still feared Lekain. So, presumably, after Zelgius freed Sephiran, they paid Naesala a little visit and explained that Sephiran is the one who controls the pact, not Lekain. That it’s physically in Lekain’s possession is a moot point. Naesala and Phoenicis were the victims of a catastrophic misunderstanding of contract mechanics (And if the pact can’t be inherited, then Sephiran is simply replacing one lie with another). Since Zelgius was in on the Phoenicis plot, we could suppose that maybe Sephiran was actually the one behind Naesala’s treachery against Tibarn, but then it would make no sense for Lekain to be the one holding the pact during the endgame. Probably Zelgius was just along for the ride. Sephiran and Naesala have a confusing and somewhat cryptic battle conversation when they fight each other. Sephiran is clearly well-aware of the blood pact, and Naesala is not surprised that he knows: Sephiran: King Naesala, it seems as if everything went well with the pact. Naesala: Yes, for which I am thankful. Who knows exactly what they mean by everything “going well”, but Naesala is particularly eager to rip out Sephiran’s lungs. Unfortunately, their conversation doesn’t shed any more light on their relationship. So, in summary, if Sephiran is behind the blood pacts, all of Naesala’s side-swapping makes a lot more sense. Next, we can consider Ashnard’s pact. I believe it’s canon that the “wise man” who ensnared Daein’s king was Sephiran. Pulling Ashnard’s strings was always a part of Sephiran’s plan, and this was his way to get the Mad King onto the throne. Everything happened like Almedha said it did: everyone who stood to inherit the throne before Ashnard died. This happened not because Ashnard go lucky, but because Sephiran was being pointed about who he killed. Ashnard killed the king, the pact either went obsolete or transferred to Ashnard, and he destroyed it. Either way, Sephiran’s goal of putting Ashnard on the throne was accomplished. Pelleas’s pact is more interesting. I don’t think it’s clear that Sephiran is actually behind this one. Pelleas signed it with Senator Lekain, not Sephiran or a mysterious wise man. So what is this all about? Presumably, Lekain had already obtained Naesala’s pact from Sephiran’s possessions. He recognized it as a blood pact and liked it, which sparked an idea for trapping Pelleas. Pelleas has little brain and is easy to manipulate. So, Lekain made a copy of a real pact, cobbled up enough magic to make a mark appear on Pelleas (presumably one that will transfer to whoever kills the wearer), and sold it to him as a genuine blood pact. No one ever tested it to learn that it was fake. Micaiah read Pelleas and Almedha and decided it was genuine, but all she read was their fear and conviction, not the facts themselves. Even with this, it’s still ridiculous that Micaiah chose to obey Lekain. Initially, it might have made sense to attack Ike, since she didn’t know how strong he was. But when Ike showed that he was going to positively slaughter all her soldiers, then at that point, he was clearly going to do damage faster than the pact was threatening to do. Definitely after Pelleas died, and Almedha explained that they had to destroy the pact as well, she should have explained the situation to Ike and asked for his help taking down Lekain before the curse’s strength grew strong. The only reason I can think of that she doesn’t, is that she thought Lekain would win over Ike and then kill everyone in Daein for her betrayal. Granted, the Central Army was huge, so maybe this wasn’t a completely stupid notion. But she should at least have let Ike know what was going on. Lekain wouldn’t have overheard whispered words on a battlefield, and she and Ike could have lightened up and reduced losses in the battles that were just for show, anyway. The lighter losses would have improved the likelihood of Ike’s victory over the Central Army and the eventual destruction of the blood pact. But Micaiah makes decisions based on her special gifts of reading emotions and the future, not based on brains, usually, or on Sothe’s advice. And those magical gifts come from Yune, who likes battle and chaos. So maybe Yune had a hand in enraging Ashera, as well as the people of Tellius. TL;DR – Sephiran controls pretty well every aspect of the magic of the pacts, rather than leaving control to some set-in-stone curse, and Pelleas’s pact is fake. Micaiah still can’t do math.
  19. So, since the game's been out for a few months now, I figure it's a good time to try to get a discussion rolling on what people thought of the secret boss on the 10th floor of the Thabes Labyrinth. Personally, I think it retroactively added a lot to Awakening. It made Grima feel a lot less like a villain and more like a sort of omnipresent evil that was biding it's time for the right moment to strike. Explaining how Risen were created also added a bit to their lore, making them feel like a sort of trapped plague that was suddenly unleashed on the world to me. That's just my two cents though. What did you all think?
  20. I noticed this when I saw the Creation (Grima)'s head facing forward. A few seconds later I saw Alm's Conqueror class cape, which had the Duma Faithful symbol. That is when I noticed how similar they looked to each other. Any thoughts??? P.S. It could just be me to be honest...
  21. Hello everyone, It’s NekoKnight, your friendly wet-blanket, parade-rainer and the general reason why we can’t have nice things. Today, I’d like to discuss the story of FE: Shadows of Valentia. SPOILERS AHOY! You have been warned. In a number of threads I heard people bring up their individual questions and complaints about the writing but as a whole, people say it’s a big improvement over Fates. And it IS a big improvement over Fates (thank the gods) but it also has similar elements that made Fates so bad in the first place. First I’ll do a review of the story and then discuss why it’s actually more like Fates than some people realize. Keep in mind that there are a lot of things to love about SoV, especially the excellent world-building endeavors, but this review and analysis are to discuss just the plot. The Review Analysis Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is kind of like the Phantom Menace for Star Wars. You thought Jar Jar was annoying, and that bit with the midichlorians was kind of dumb, but overall it was an entertaining story. But on closer inspection, you find it's not just a few things wrong with the plot, everything is wrong. The heroes, the villains, the plot devices, the themes and the overarching plot are just nonsensical. I don't hate the story or world of SoV. It has some interesting themes, great world-building and more than a few cunning bits of dialogue. I'm glad the game was made and would recommend it to others, but at the same time, as someone interested in storytelling, I can't ignore its flaws. What did you think?
  22. After 16 years, Samurai Jack has concluded, as a long time fan I figured i'd give my thoughts on it. Season 5 has a more structured narrative than the previous 4, while the previous 4 had like a general goal, usually they were fairly episodic, only a few reoccurring characters and such, also with a more mature rating (Tv-14 instead of PG we got blood and a dick joke among other things in these surreal 10 episodes). This season introduced Ashi, a so called daughter of Aku along with several others... But now this goes into spoilers so allow me to put this in the proper place.
  23. I decided to do this, in honor of finishing 3rd, now warning there are some potential spoilers in this so, open at your own risk. Also I plan on doing boss S-Crafts down the road.
×
×
  • Create New...