Somehow, This is All Vashi's Fault - An FE Dream Game... Thing

[MRDRHAWK]

Okay, so. I'm pretty sure Vashi's rubbing off on me, because much like her, I've started dreaming of an FE game myself, though I have a bit more to start with than I believe that she originally did.

A few things:

1. This uses RD's three-tiered promo system. Because three tiers are awesome.

2. Ideas in this post may be shittier than they appear.

3. Insanity is probably going to ensue from this.

4. Names will... probably not come to me through all this, so RNG is used.

Setting

The game takes place on the continent Peinsam (heavily based on England), which features a lot of lush fields and large cities, usually run by a governor that answers to the continent's kingdom, which is actually ruled over by four "lesser" rulers who more or less handle one quarter of the continent's major matters out of the central capital, Ciasioum. They are protected by a large standing army in each sector, and an elite fighting force known as the Eight Orders, with two members of the force hailing from each different area.

[spoiler=Hulea]

The northwestern area of the continent, Hulea, is the one that flourishes, primarily due to its much more manageable climate. This is where much of the farming takes place for the entire continent, and as such, trade and inevitably money flows into the area at a rapid pace. This is also the most notorious "bandit country", as with more money around, there are inevitably greedy savages who wish to get their filthy hands on as much of it as possible. Coincidentally, this area is also where our story begins.

The area is ruled over by Pancras, considered to be the most loutish of the Four Kings. His primary M.O. is to lavish himself in his riches without any care in the world. His primary guardians of the Eight Orders are Driscoll of the Silver Night - a Ranger with superior skill with sword and bow - and Jeannine of the Corona Sunset - a Seraph Knight who is known far and wide by her golden mount and ruthless efficiency with the lance - both of whom are very serious about their duty and are considered to be more of the ruling party than Pancras is. They lead a very traditional army, filled with heavily armoured lancemen and horsemen of all sorts.

[spoiler=Aunuam]

Aunuam is the arid southwestern area of the continent, and is typically considered the weakest financially of the four due to the lack of natural resources. It does house some mining, and farming near the border of Hulea is becoming more and more common, but typically Aunuam relies on trade with the other three sectors to function normally. The military of the area, however, is considered to be the most elite of the group due to their wyvern corps and magical prowess, likely attributing to their Eight Order representatives.

The sector is governed primarily by Lanny, considered a general coward considering the high-powered defenses that he has shored up in his area. However, he is considered to be an honest ruler, and has the full support of his people. His Eight Orders representatives are Theodore of the Rose Wing - a powerful Dragonmaster with crushing power with the axe and a natural charisma to ensure undying loyalty - and Regan of the Star Children - an Arch Sage with mastery over all magics and an insatiable lust for battle.

[spoiler=Rallall]

The northeastern territory of Peinsam is considered to be the most treacherous environment-wise, as it has many frigid areas and harsh mountain ranges that even experienced climbers would consider difficult. This natural landscape would normally pose problems for the people in the area in terms of economy, but they thrive off the cold and are considered to be a staple in the fishing and lumber trade of the nation, with their cold-water fishing and lush forests, cold as they may be.

Their ruler is Calvin, the youngest of the Four Kings and arguably the most ambitious of the lot. His power lies in his ability to rouse his people if he needs them for any purpose, and the fact that he is the only one who remains a combatant if there ever arose a need for him to battle. The two representatives of the Eight Orders for Rallall are Tobias of the Eagle's Eye - a cruel and cunning Marksman who's bowmanship is unrivaled - and Roxanne of the Wild Cross - a Saint whose magic is rivaled only by her greed. The two make for an effective duo to aid in Calvin's ambitions.

[spoiler=Gosche]

The southeastern part of the continent, and the one that is most commonly used as the port of the area. As such, trade flourishes here, and the port is usually the first to be attacked in the event of another kingdom's advance. As it stands, the main cities of Gosche have been rebuilt several times; thus, their resources are lacking and more often then not the people in lower classes suffer much more than they should.

The ruler of Gosche is Merrill, a shrewd man and the eldest of the Four Kings. Though his love of money is similar to that of Pancras, he does care for his people, even if he personally is unable to defend them from an invasion due to his age. The last two members of the Eight Orders, as well as the heads of Merrill's personal guard, are Basil of the Lodestar - a Gold Knight with great influence and a greater sense of justice - and Chelsea of the Gale Winds - a Trueblade who chooses to have her actions speak louder than her words.

Player Units So Far

Lords

Recruit -> Commander -> Vanguard: Lamont

A simple farm boy who has his home attacked by corrupt Hulean soldiers looking to make a quick buck while their boss isn't looking. While normally hateful of conflict - especially if it involves bloodshed of some sort - he will not hesitate to step in if someone is being repressed on a small scale. Eventually, this is deconstructed, as he's unable to cope with the conflicts that he ends up seeing and becomes mentally broken.

He specializes in axes, and gains swords on promotion to Vanguard. His growths trend him initially towards being a Glass Cannon, but his Tier 2 promotion gains include a +15 Resistance Growth, meaning he'll be more of a Jack of All Stats-type unit.

Fencer -> Lord -> Noble: Rosalie

A cheerful and upbeat girl from Gosche who makes her way to Hulea on a whim so that she could learn about the others in her continent. In reality, she is the niece of Merrill (and effectively, his heir), and much like Lamont, she too ends up mentally scarred in regards to the conflict that ensues when word of her heritage begins to spread.

She is your typical Fire Emblem Lord character, coming with a Rapier and promoting at fixed points. She gains a lance and a mount on promotion to Noble. Her growths trend her towards more of a speedy variant of the Mighty Glacier, with low Strength & Magic growths, but substantial growths in all other stats.

Jade Edge Mercenary Group

Mage Knight -> Sage Knight: Felicity

The acting leader of the Jade Edge mercenaries of Hulea, and a former member of Pancras' Royal Guard. She is a stern yet caring leader who, while she does come off as abrasive to many others, truly does care for the people of Hulea and keeps their best interests in mind. That said, she will not hesitate to rush into combat alone if she deems a situation direr than it actually is.

She is the Jeigan/Oifaye of the game, and specializes in Thunder Magic, which has a 2x effectiveness against wyvern riders and other such draconic units, in addition to both other types of Anima magic and Light magic, which is 2x effective against Dark magic practicioners (only if they have a Dark tome equipped). Upon promotion to Sage Knight, she is able to utilize all forms of offensive magic. Her growths keep her balanced, but trend her more towards Fragile Speedster territory. Her Mastery Skill (since this class line didn't exist in FE10) is Enlightenment, a Magic-oriented version of FE10!Colossus.

Mage -> Sage -> Arch Sage: Cade

The de-facto "tactician" of the Jade Edge group, who possesses a brilliant mind but little tact. Part of this is due to being raised in a private school, where they did not teach him manners and where he was unable to truly interact with the others in his age group.

He specializes in Fire magic, which gives a 2x effective bonus to armoured units such as Knights. Upon promotion to Sage, he gains Staves, and as an Arch Sage, can wield all forms of Magic. His growths make him a quintessential Squishy Wizard, albeit a very powerful one.

Fighter -> Warrior -> Reaver: Elvin

A senior member of the Jade Edge group, and arguably the most sensible one. He is quite reserved and speaks very little outside of helping give orders during battle, but when he does speak, it often comes out in the form of advice and figurative "words of wisdom." He more or less acts as the Oswin of the team, and his growths are similar to those of Nolan in FE10.

Archer -> Sniper -> Marksman: Brielle

An inexperienced, but bright, recent recruit of the Jade Edge group. She tends to avoid speaking to the other men in the group due to their age, but has a sisterly relationship with Felicity because of their similar backgrounds. Her growths are... well...

HP: 75%

Strength: 55%

Magic: 40% (there are bows that runs off Magic in this game, btw)

Skill: 65%

Speed: 45%

Luck: 15%

Defense: 40%

Resistance: 30%

... Yeah.

Also, Marksmen get 1-3 range on bows in this game, and Archers gain 50% more experience. The idea is to make an Archer that doesn't suck dick for the whole game.

Mercenary -> Duelist -> Hero: Anita

A tomboyish mercenary, and another recent recruit into the Jade Edge mercenaries. She's somewhat insecure about her natural gifts, and tends to hang back in battles in order to prevent getting in the way of "more skilled" fighters, such as Felicity & Elvin.

Duelist is more of less a promotion to make Hero a T3 class (so that Vanguard can be Lamont's T3 class). They gain +15 to Crit on promotion from Mercenary, but upon promotion to Hero, they lose this bonus. However, they gain Axes. And one of Lances or Bows.

So... yeah. Uh... I'll figure out more stuff later, I guess?

Mods, if this is the wrong place for this topic, then please move it.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Burakkuhoku

[Sorin]

Poly, color me suitably impressed. Following this.

[Lance Masayoshi]

This is as I've said in the Skype chat a pretty good idea.

I'll follow this.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Zeref

[Breezy Kanzaki]

I'll be checking in on this now and again.

next thing you know this'll happen to me but with Sakura Wars

[Ace Tactician]

Looks and sounds awesome, I'll be following this for sure.

[ZemZem]

*impressed* Following. This is quite the idea.

[FrostyFireMage]

Neato

[AnonymousSpeed]

Wow Poly, I will say that you have done well. Maybe I'll try recording my ideas again, but for how yours are pretty cool.

[euklyd]

Recruit -> Commander -> Vanguard: Lamont

A simple farm boy who has his home attacked by corrupt Hulean soldiers looking to make a quick buck while their boss isn't looking. While normally hateful of conflict - especially if it involves bloodshed of some sort - he will not hesitate to step in if someone is being repressed on a small scale. Eventually, this is deconstructed, as he's unable to cope with the conflicts that he ends up seeing and becomes mentally broken.

I'm suddenly interested. Following.

What role do the Jade Edge play in the story/game? I assume that Lamont joins up with them, but is there anything beyond that? Who are they, basically; it looks like you have an idea about what they are but you don't really tell us anything beyond "They're mercenaries from Hulea."

Also, what exactly is this? Are you planning to make this a game, or is it an idea/story? Or simply a "dream"?

/confused

This is as I've said in the Skype chat a pretty good idea.

I had to check my logs to make sure I hadn't missed something. Obviously not the one I'm a part of.

[MRDRHAWK]

What role do the Jade Edge play in the story/game? I assume that Lamont joins up with them, but is there anything beyond that? Who are they, basically; it looks like you have an idea about what they are but you don't really tell us anything beyond "They're mercenaries from Hulea."

Also, what exactly is this? Are you planning to make this a game, or is it an idea/story? Or simply a "dream"?

/confused

I had to check my logs to make sure I hadn't missed something. Obviously not the one I'm a part of.

They're quite important as Lamont's travelling companions. In addition, Felicity in particular has a very important role early-on (being a former member of Pancras' Royal Guard) and Anita is kinda-sorta Lamont's "canon" love interest.

The other reason why I said little else is that I don't really have a lot of the actual story plotted out. Some bits and pieces, sure, and a few characters, but nothing overly huge. When I come up with more, I'll let you know.

Also, this is an idea. That just so happens to have come to me whilst I was sleeping one day. I don't think I'm gonna be able to hack this, what with the T3 promotions and all.

[Phoenix01]

Seems interesting. Following.

Also you could call the T2 of Mercs "Duelist" or something like "Brigadier".

[MRDRHAWK]

Seems interesting. Following.

Also you could call the T2 of Mercs "Duelist" or something like "Brigadier".

I... actually, yeah, that does sound better.

[DodgeDusk]

As I said on Skype yesterday, this is a pretty awesome thing. Definitely following

Although the fact it's based off England and not Wales displeases me greatly

Edited February 5, 2014 by DodgeDusk

[MRDRHAWK]

Alright, so I got a few more things for this last night. Probably from playing Xillia before I sleep.

[spoiler=Story Stuff: Prelude and Prologue]

For the record, this is moreso to let you know that, hey, THIS IS THE WORLD YOU'RE GOING INTO. GOOD LUCK, FUCKO.

[spoiler=Prelude]

So, we're zoomed in on a fight scene in some castle - I'm pretty sure it's Gosche, considering that there's two people on the throne instead of one. Then this big fucko comes in and points his sword at their throats (yes, he has a BIG FUCKING SWORD) and threatens them to stand down (in an awesome baritone), or he'll kill everyone that they've ever loved. The one guy basically spits in his face, and the dude with the sword kills his wife. As the king's yelling out "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"s and whatever, one of his generals approaches and says that they've secured the castle, to which said dude kills the king and leaves.

I'm pretty sure said aggressors were Calvin & Tobias, bee tee dubs. And from this, I think I've gathered that Calvin is the Final Boss... or, well, one of them anyway. I haven't gone that far.

[spoiler=Prologue]

THEN SUDDENLY SCENE CHANGE. We shift to Hulea, where we've come to Lamont's farm. An interior monologue ensues, and I can clearly make out his voice as being familiar... but I'll save a full list for later based on what I've gathered.. Anyways, his monologue gets cut off by the sound of his fence breaking, as a couple of soldiers come in. They basically mock, belittle and berate Lamont before they decide that they're gonna trample his crops. So they start doing just that, as Lamont runs in to grab his axe.

Thus, the first battle ensues.

Pretty standard stuff, Lamont versus three Soldiers, all with lances. The boss is Dante, a Level 3 Soldier that carries an Iron Lance drops a Vulnerary. Lamont's only armed with an Iron Axe and a Hatchet (which is still like it was in FE8), since the game also teaches ranged combat here too. Goal is to Rout.

After this, Lamont looks off and sees a bunch more soldiers rush towards him... but then they get stuffed by a rider with a tome, a mage (who still has that stupid hat that Miriel had in FE13), a fighter (who seriously looks like fucking Nolan too... god dammit), and a sword-wielding woman (who Lamont keeps checking out, HINT HINT).

Ladies and gentlemen, your Jade Edge mercenaries.

After they chase off the soldiers, the mercs introduce themselves and Felicity decides to take Lamont in so that he won't keep getting attacked. Cade seems kind of against it, until Anita points out that he took out a few of the soldiers before they even got there. Lamont seems... overwhelmed by it all, but agrees anyway.

[spoiler=Voice List]

Calvin: Patrick Seitz - It was pretty easy to discern this one. The tone's very similar to the one he uses for Ragna the Bloodedge, but... y'know... more actually evil.

Tobias: I couldn't really tell, but.. I'm kinda thinking it sounded like Matthew Mercer? Gonna have to wait for this dude to pop back up to figure this one out.

King dude: Steve Blum? I know this can't happen since unions and such, but... eh.

Lamont: Lucien Dodge. AKA, Origins!Green and Waver Velvet. I guess because I liked Waver so much and wanted someone a bit younger, so that his naivety is really amplified in the viewer's eyes to indicate that, yes, he is just a simple farmboy thrust into the throes of an eventual war, why do you ask?

Felicity: Tara Platt. I think this one's pretty self-explanatory: Serious chick with authority. Bonus points for being a mage.

Cade: Christopher Corey Smith. For some reason, I picture him with Kittan's voice. 'Nuff said.

Elvin: Marc Diraison. Probably from recently watching some Fate/zero as well, but hey... he's got a smooth voice.

Anita: Cristina Vee. I knew I was gonna get her in here SOMEWHERE, so it makes sense that she's an important early-game character (and eventual love interest).

I also heard Todd Haberkorn's voice in there, but that's more for the next part~

[spoiler=New Characters]

Yep. I also got a couple of flashes of new characters: one Thief, and one Soldier.

Thief -> Rogue -> Whisper: Edwyn

This is the Haberkorn guy. I'm not too sure of his backstory, but he looks about the same age as Lamont, and from what I remember of his actual dialogue, he has a bit of an affinity for flower puns. I'm not even sure of his stats, but, being a Thief, expect lots of speed, lots of skill, and lots of knives.

Soldier -> Halberdier -> Sentinel

Not sure of anything here. Only have a class for this one. Didn't speak, couldn't tell a gender... nothing. Maybe a trap/reverse trap? Will have to wait on this one.

So... yeah. Thoughts?

[Ace Tactician]

Alvin sized big freaking sword, right?

So the king of Rallall and one of his Eight Order Reps enter into Gosche castle, And Calvin kills Merrill before leaving.

Lamont seems to an eye for someone already.

Nice way to start things off.^.^

[MRDRHAWK]

Alvin sized big freaking sword, right?

BIGGER

[AnonymousSpeed]

No North 0/10

[MRDRHAWK]

LOTSA NEW SHIT

[spoiler=Story shit]

[spoiler=Prelude]

So, a couple more things to note/clarify:

-The aggressors really WERE Calvin & Tobias leading Rallall's forces

-The guy he killed was NOT Merrill, but rather Rosalie's parents

-Said prelude occurs about six months prior to the story

[spoiler=Chapter 1]

So, this chapter occurs right as Lamont as his new companions head back to the town of Brennus, where the Jade Edge group is situated. Lamont is more formally introduced to the others, including Brielle, the "other" new recruit. Brielle seems happy to meet Lamont, while he's still trying to get adjusted to being thrust into the field of mercenary work.

Suddenly, a villager appears and warns the group of a bandit attack on the town, to which Felicity curses loudly and tells Anita to follow her. Lamont says that he wants to come too, which Felicity agrees with since he needs to gain some combat experience. Brielle makes the same argument, but Felicity rejects her offer because she feels that Brielle would be too in danger from the fight.

The trio approach the bandit group and call out their leader, who's hiding out in a house on the edge of town. He introduces himself and sends the group to kill Lamont specifically, and to capture the other two alive so they can sell them off.

Chapter 1 Notes

Player Units: 3 (Lamont, Anita, Felicity)

Enemy Units: 7 (6 Brigands, 1 Fighter [boss])

Win: Rout the enemy

Lose: Any allied unit dies

Villages: 2 Total (1 Vulnerary, 1 Fire)

The boss is Gervase, a Level 5 Fighter, with a Hand Axe and a Vulnerary. I'll edit the starting stats for the three PCs into the OP.

After routing the bandits, Felicity compliments Lamont on his efforts in helping the villagers. Anita does the same, but that one gets Lamont flustered, which makes Anita want to tease him a bit. Felicity interrupts the pair, however, and tells them that they should return to the base, which they agree to do.

After they get back, Felicity is writing up her report when Brielle & Elvin approach Lamont and ask him how his first mission as a mercenary went. He said that while he was glad to help, he was still uncomfortable with taking another person's life, to which Brielle can't respond, and Elvin can only offer condolences. Cade jumps in and notes that Lamont had better get used to it, as he tosses a small sack of gold the way of our little lordling. Felicity comes back and dismisses the group for the night, and the chapter officially ends.

[spoiler=Chapter 2]

As the mercenary troupe regroups after a night's rest, Felicity notifies them that they've been having difficulty maintaining peace with the local bandit groups, to which Cade attributes to the fact that, according to a friend of Elvin's outside of the group, is due to their uniting as one band, the Caratacos Thieves' Guild. Felicity notes that it could be a problem if they sent all their men in at once, so they decide to take to the offensive to quell the bandit threat once and for all. Everyone is told to get ready and come, including Brielle, which excites her.

Before they leave, Anita approaches Lamont and apologizes for the previous day, which Lamont handwaves. He compliments her back, which causes Anita to get flustered herself and run back to rejoin the group. As they move to leave the town, the group is ambushed by a larger pack of bandits led by a Mercenary named Jerred, who's out to avenge his comrade in the name of the Caratacos Guild. He orders his men to spread out and moves directly into the opening of the gate out of town, effectively trapping the group and forcing them to fight their way through, much to Lamont's horror.

Chapter 2 Objectives

Player Units: 6 (New Units: Cade, Elvin & Brielle)

Enemy Units: 11 (5 Brigands, 3 Fighters, 2 Archers, 1 Mercenary [boss])

NPC Units: 1 (Edwyn [recruitable; shows up on Turn 3, talk to him with Lamont, Felicity, Cade or Brielle])

Win: Seize the Gate

Lose: Any allied unit dies

Villages: 3 (1 Steel Axe, 1 Pure Water, 500 Gold)

Jerred is a Level 6 Mercenary, carrying a Longsword. He will move off the gate, but only to attack if someone is within 2 range of him; as such, it's best to kill him in one go as opposed to slowly chipping away at him. Edwyn will pop out of a house on Turn 3, and joke that the bandits are stealing his work. The conversations with the group that can recruit him vary, but Brielle's reveals a bit of his backstory (he's apparently a childhood friend of the young archer girl, and turned to thieving to make ends meet for his family).

Edwin's stats are as follows:

Level: 4

HP: 20 (50%)

Strength: 7 (35%)

Magic: 0 (10%)

Skill: 11 (55%)

Speed: 13 (60%)

Luck: 4 (30%)

Defense: 5 (25%)

Resistance: 1 (20%)

Afterwards, the group heads through the gate and leaves the town. Lamont is still shaken up by the battle, but Anita comforts him, saying that they couldn't have avoided the conflict.

[spoiler=New Characters (for later on)]

Squire -> Sword Knight -> Duke Knight: William

The "green knight" of the horseman duo; generally befitting his status, he's the serious one of the two. That said, he does enjoy animals - almost to an absurd degree - especially his mount, Silver, who he raised from a foal into the majestic stallion he is today. Generally, if you show him a "cute" animal, he'll go into an odd frenzy of squee, making him the quirkier of the two despite being more serious.

Squire is basically Cavalier with a new name. Sword Knight's now a Tier 2 promotion that specializes in swords (duh), but unlike FE9, can also use Lances (however, swords are still the preferred weapon for him). Duke Knight's basically, aesthetic-wise, Eliwood's Knight Lord class from FE7. He gains bows on promotion to DK.

His growths trend him towards being a Mighty Glacier; trading in Speed for high Defense and surprisingly solid Resistance.

Squire -> Lance Knight -> Gold Knight: Ingram

The laid-back "red knight" of the duo, who's surprisingly normal compared to his partner's quirkiness with animals. He's actually not fond of riding - he was in training to become a Soldier before he injured himself and took rather well talent-wise to horseback - but does it anyway, especially if it'll keep his partner in line.

Gold Knight's still Gold Knight. He'll specialize in Lances, and gain either Axes or Bows on T3 promotion. His growths tend to lead him into Lightning Bruiser territory, with his high Speed and Skill growth coupling with his class's good defenses and quality Strength.

Pirate -> Corsair -> Berserker: Drogo

A bandit looking to go straight after witnessing the Jade Edge group in action. While he's generally more apt at charging in and smashing things with his powerful axe swings, he's surprisingly intelligent for someone of his status.

Corsairs gain Swords on promotion, and Berserkers have their traditional +20 Crit Bonus. His growths are what you'd expect of a Pirate: great Strength, good Speed, mediocre everything else. Still, he's unique in his class tree until the end of the game, so he's still worth using.

Dragon Rider -> Dracoknight -> Dragonmaster: Kate

A young woman in the Hulean army; originally from Aunuam. She's very devoted to her King, Pancras, despite knowing of the sorts of things that he did - and still does - to his people. After meeting the Jade Edge group, however, she questions her loyalties and ultimately leaves said army to join the group, vowing to better her newfound home country with aplomb.

Her growths are quite similar to Jill's in FE10, making her more like a Pegasus Knight with added bulk.

[spoiler=New Voices]

Rosalie: Lauren Landa. I enjoy every role of her's that I've seen, and thus it only makes sense.

William: Troy Baker. If only because Travis Willingham can't have all the fun in loving dogs.

Ingram: Vic Mignogna. I feel like this fits, based on his role as Junpei in Persona 3, who I see as similar to Ingram.

Drogo: Keith Silverstein. I wanted a deeper voice for him, and replaying Soul Calibur 4 and hearing him as Zasalamel fit a bit too well for Drogo, IMO.

Kate: Michelle Ruff. There's a reason for this later on.

Edited February 8, 2014 by Flan-kun~

[Ace Tactician]

Yay, Merrill is still alive. Bummer about Rosalie's parent's though.

New characters and Lamont getting used to mercenary life slowly

Edwyn and Brielle being childhood friends is quite interesting.

So much awesomeness.

[AnonymousSpeed]

I'm guessing Edwin is a Myrmidon or a thief? You didn't specify in the post.

[MRDRHAWK]

I'm guessing Edwin is a Myrmidon or a thief? You didn't specify in the post.

Thief, and I had actually mentioned him before, in my last update.

[Lance Masayoshi]

I liked this. How detailed this is and such.

Also, for new characters/bosses and such, make FE7/8 statsheets for them so it gives us an idea of what they would look like if they were in a hack themselves.

[MRDRHAWK]

OKAY SO STUFF TIME

I also have IMPORTANT LATER EVENTS but fuck posting them in here

The ending is gonna be a giant dick/vag punch though, I WILL WARNEST THOU THUSLY

[spoiler=Story shiz]

[spoiler=Chapter 3]

When we last left off, the Jade Edge group recruited Edwyn, killed a Merc, and left the town of Brennus to head to the Caratacos' fortress. As they reach a checkpoint outside of Fregnom, one of Hulea's largest trading posts, they're blindsided by a group of thieves representing the Caratacos Guild. The leader of this pack of thieves doesn't reveal himself, so Felicity orders the group to dispatch all the enemies they see.

Chapter 3 Objectives

Player Units: 7

Enemy Units: 16 (5 Brigands, 4 Thieves [1 Boss], 2 Mercenaries, 2 Fighters, 2 Archers, 1 Myrmidon [Triston, Recruitable])

Win: Rout the enemy

Lose: Any allied unit dies

Chests: 4 (Steel Sword, Hand Axe, Secret Book, Armourslayer)

The boss is Denholm, a level 10 Thief armed with an Iron Dagger, a stealable Vulnerary, and a dropable Energy Drop. Most of your units will be outsped by him, so the best strategy is to attack him with your best units. Triston will be elaborated on during the new character showcase, and you have to talk to him with Felicity to recruit him. He comes with a Killing Edge, a Wind Edge, and a Vulnerary, at Level 6.

Afterwards, the group moves to advance, but are stopped by a singular girl who runs up to them from the other side of the checkpoint to warn them of the danger that lies ahead. Felicity assures her that the group will be fine, and then asks the girl's name.

... It's Rosalie.

Lamont quietly remarks that the name is beautiful, while Edwyn moves in to charm her. Rosalie commends Edwyn for his efforts in making her feel welcome, but she notes that she's got her eye on someone else, as she subtly looks over at Lamont.

THIS SCENE IS IMPORTANT. Trust me, keep this scene in your mind at the end for maximum feels.

If Triston was recruited, he & Cade have a short conversation relating to how he can be of use to the group. Cade just tells him to shut up and relax; clearly, he's got a plan to maximize his effectiveness.

[spoiler=Chapter 4]

As the group reached Fregnom, Rosalie approaches Lamont as he welcomes her into the group. She notes that Lamont has been especially nice to her, to which he notes that he actually hasn't done anything for her yet. After some teasing from Rosalie about that, Felicity interrupts and gets the group ready to move through the town. Before they do, though, they're surrounded by horsemen bearing the same colours as the Caratacos Guild, which is bad enough...

However, Felicity notes that the men are somewhat familiar to her. She notes that some of them are men that she trained and trained with alike, as the rest of the group is in disbelief, except for Triston (if he's still alive). Either Triston or the boss of the Chapter will explain that some of the soldiers in Hulea deserted and became a part of the Guild so they could continue holding power. Felicity gets pissed off and orders the group to attack the riders, whose leader summons out some of his unmounted buddies.

Chapter 4 Objectives

Player Units: 9 (New Units: Rosalie)

Enemy Units: 22 (8 Squires [1 Boss], 4 Thieves, 4 Brigands, 2 Mercenaries, 2 Fighters, 2 Archers, 1 Soldier, 1 Mage)

NPC Units: 2 (William & Ingram, will join automatically after they appear as NPCs on the map on Turn 4)

Win: Defeat all 8 Squires

Lose: Death of Lamont, Rosalie, Felicity or Cade

Notice anything different? The win/loss conditions are different. Only certain units have to be kept alive to continue for now; the others can die freely if you so choose, though the story will change drastically if any deaths occur, so be wary. Then there's the win condition, which is kind of odd, but it makes sense; without the riders, they're just common mooks. Besides, the boss is at the back of the map and likely won't move, so you can just rout it at your leisure. The enemy count is also high, and the unit diversity is nuts... Expect this to be your first real challenge, especially if you've just been using Felicity to bulldoze the maps, because if your units are starved for EXP due to Jeigan overuse, your units will get wrecked.

The boss is Theobald, a Level 10 Squire with a droppable Short Spear and a Steel Sword. As noted above, despite his high movement, he likely won't move, so you can likely bait him into equipping his Steel Sword, then pick at him from range.

After the map, Elvin opens up the possibility of the Caratacos group having connections to the Hulean military, which Felicity seriously ponders as well. Meanwhile, Cade, Lamont & Anita speak to William & Ingram afterwards about where they came from and why they joined up, to which they simply reply "the lady in black hired us". Lamont immediately figures out that it was Rosalie who hired the pair and wonders how some wanderer could afford to hire a pair of riders, but doesn't press further into it. Meanwhile, Rosalie herself will act giddy about her first real taste of combat, but then wonder why the people they fought had to die.

Depending on if he lived or died, either Triston will lead the group to the Caratacos' main fortress, or the group captures a straggler of the band that attacked them who didn't bother coming out, and he'll lead them to the fort himself.

[spoiler=Chapter 5]

The group heads into the Caratacos' main fortress, led either by Triston, who seems to have earned Cade's trust as well as that of the group at large, or their prisoner, whom Cade promptly roasts alive to make sure he doesn't betray them, much to Lamont's chagrin (as well as Rosalie's, but she masks it well by hiding behind her rider bodyguards).

The boss, Zane will appear, flanked by a pegasus knight, of all things, and order every last man to attack, including said pegasus knight... who happens to be a dude. Welp.

Meet Dion, the series' first male Pegasus Knight. He decides that he doesn't want to fight, and will attempt to flee the map from where your army comes into the fortress. Before he can, though, Felicity orders the charge, and the fight begins.

Chapter 5 Objectives

Player Units: 11

Enemy Units: 25 (1 Rogue [boss], 4 Squires, 4 Thieves, 4 Brigands, 3 Mercenaries, 3 Fighters, 2 Archers, 2 Soldiers, 1 Mage, 1 Pegasus Knight)

NPC Units: 1 (Dion, can be recruited if you talk to him with Lamont or Elvin)

Win: Seize throne

Lose: Death of Lamont, Rosalie, Felicity, Cade or Triston (if he's alive)

Chests: 6 (Elthunder, Elfire, Speedwings, Silver Axe, Steel Bow, Kard)

Yep, promoted bosses. Zane, our boss this time, uses a Silver Dagger, and drops a Master Seal and a Dracoshield. Dion won't be attacked by the enemies, since they assume he's charging forward, but if you don't block him off, he'll run away and you'll miss your chance to recruit him. Also note the stuff in the chests; it's pretty damn amazing, and you'll want it badly.

Afterwards, Felicity breathes a sigh of relief, and the rest of the group celebrates their hard-fought victory...

And then ​the Fire Nation Hulean Army attacked, led by none other than Driscoll.

Apparently, they were coming to raid the bandits' fort, but find the Jade Edge group having beaten them to the punch. Driscoll is about to thank the group and invite them to meet the Hulean king, Pancras... until he notices Rosalie.

He orders the army to seize her and subdue the other members of the group, in the name of the Four Kings. Lamont steps in and asks what they're going to do with Rosalie, to which one of the soldiers cuts off Driscoll - who was merely going to take her back home to Gosche, since he's not a total douche like his king - and basically tells Lamont to fuck off. Before he can flip his shit, Felicity grabs him and throws him on her horse, then rides off along with the rest of the Jade Edge group, who'd already fled, with Driscoll going back to the Hulean capital to convene with Jeannine on the best course of action.

[Ace Tactician]

Wonder what happens to Rosalie...

More intrigue~

lol, one of the bosses is named Zane.

[AnonymousSpeed]

Come on Poly, don't give up, we just reached something important!