The brand of Naga

[Rukathesoldier]

I have some questions about the brand of Naga.

1.What determines where it appears on someone? Emmeryn had it on her forehead, Chrom on his arm, Lucina in her eye. It all seems kinda random.

2. Why doesn't Lissa have it?

3. Would having the brand in one's eye effect their vision?

4. Why is Inigo the only one of Chrom's possible children to be mentioned to have the brand. It seems odd that either his other possible children wouldn't have it or have it mentioned.

5. Why does Owain have it if Lissa doesn't?

[RightfulGod]

I know that number 2 is answered in between the lines in the game, but here are my guesses:

1. It seems that it's totally random. That's basically it.
2. Lissa is shown to be insecure about her lack of brand in the game, so this implies that she's a special case. Or it was some sort of deficit.
3. I have no idea, but I assume not.
4. There's no real answer to this one either but I can only assume it's because they didn't have enough time to shove in other references to the brand in the other possible children.
5. The brand appears to anyone with the royal blood so even if Lissa, who probably had a special case, didn't have it, it wouldn't be unnatural for Owain to have one.

[Czar_Yoshi]

1. It's random.

2. She got RNG screwed.

3. Nope.

4. They got RNG screwed.

5. He didn't get RNG screwed (Lissa's still a member of the royal bloodline, even though she didn't have it herself).

[ViewtifulBo]

1). Think of it like red hair, it could show up but sometimes it skips one or a few but that doesn't mean they're not carrying the gene.

2). She just doesn't. She questions this herself actually and wonders if she's not of royal blood, ergo an "unwanted" child. Chrom easily reassures her that this is not the case.

3). Not at all otherwise you'd be seeing alot of miss's in battle lol

4). Actually I think in Lucina/other sibling's A support, Lucina tells them that if she dies, then they are the next in line to wield Fachion, they decide to practice on a stump (or tree? can't recall) but it doesn't work so they tell Falchion to just protect Lucina, Chrom comes by and finds the stump completely obliterated. So although the brand isn't visible to the naked eye, they do have it in blood.

5). See point 1. :D

Edited February 4, 2015 by ViewtifulBo

[Czar_Yoshi]

If the Brand was the requirement for being able to use Falchion, Marth wouldn't be able to and Chrom!Inigo would right off the bat. I'm pretty sure the two are separate.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Czar_Yoshi

[Apotheosis]

1. Completely random.

2. Unlucky.

3. Judging by Lucina's fighting skill, it would improve sight if anything.

4. Either just the only one mentioner or his other children were in the same boat as Lissa.

5. Genes carried over, it doesn't mean it won't appear.

[BrightBow]

2. The brand from a blood pact with a dragon can appear at any time during their life. This is directly spelled out in some notes.

"A mark known as a “holy marking” surfaces on their bodies, which is the proof of forming a blood pact with the dragon tribe. Although, the time of appearance of the holy markings differs wildly for each person, sometimes appearing during their youth or even when they’re in their old age."

http://serenesforest.net/general/designers-notes/holy-war/playing-guide/

4/5. Same as 2. There is no explanation needed while some descendants would have it and others don't when it's apperance is entirely random.

Edited February 4, 2015 by BrightBow

[Jotari]

2. The brand from a blood pact with a dragon can appear at any time during their life. This is directly spelled out in some notes.

"A mark known as a “holy marking” surfaces on their bodies, which is the proof of forming a blood pact with the dragon tribe. Although, the time of appearance of the holy markings differs wildly for each person, sometimes appearing during their youth or even when they’re in their old age."

http://serenesforest.net/general/designers-notes/holy-war/playing-guide/

4/5. Same as 2. There is no explanation needed while some descendants would have it and others don't when it's apperance is entirely random.

Wait, if the Naga brand is the same as the Holy Blood marks, does that mean the line of the exalt actually made a blood pact with Naga? Who may or may not have been dead at the time? If so that kind of puts them closer in line to Selihp/Jurius' family line than Marth.

[BrightBow]

Wait, if the Naga brand is the same as the Holy Blood marks, does that mean the line of the exalt actually made a blood pact with Naga? Who may or may not have been dead at the time? If so that kind of puts them closer in line to Selihp/Jurius' family line than Marth.

Oh right, I forgot that the Falchion predates Anri, so he couldn't possibly have made a blood pact. That makes things more complicated.

Well, for the seal of the Falchion in particular, we have this:

"Meanwhile, to protect the most powerful spells, like Aura or Excalibur, Gotoh attached a contract to them so that only the user could wield them. The same kind of protection was also placed on the Falchion."

http://serenesforest.net/general/designers-notes/mystery-of-the-emblem/mysteries-of-fe-akaneias-story/

So I guess the Falchion and the Divine Weapons could have been intended to be sealed to their user differently, with the former using Gotoh's magic and the latter using a Blood Pact with the dragon who put it's power into the weapon and the Falchion could technically been used by anyone if Gotoh didn't seal it. But that raises the question of why there is a mark.

Maybe Awakening simply made up that Anri's line had some sort of mark like the crusaders. At least I can't recall any past statements of Marth having some sort of brand. Or Jugdral simply changed the mechanics behind it, since something isn't actually canon as long as it's merely in some developers notes and was never brought up in the actual works.

Edited February 4, 2015 by BrightBow

[Sentacotus]

Actually in Owain's recruitment dialogue with Lissa she notices the brand on his arm and she is very suprised and he goes on to tell her how she's his mother he shows the ring but the brand having surfaced on her child reassures Lissa that she is of royal blood.

[Jotari]

Oh right, I forgot that the Falchion predates Anri, so he couldn't possibly have made a blood pact. That makes things more complicated.

Well, for the seal of the Falchion in particular, we have this:

"Meanwhile, to protect the most powerful spells, like Aura or Excalibur, Gotoh attached a contract to them so that only the user could wield them. The same kind of protection was also placed on the Falchion."

http://serenesforest.net/general/designers-notes/mystery-of-the-emblem/mysteries-of-fe-akaneias-story/

So I guess the Falchion and the Divine Weapons could have been intended to be sealed to their user differently, with the former using Gotoh's magic and the latter using a Blood Pact with the dragon who put it's power into the weapon and the Falchion could technically been used by anyone if Gotoh didn't seal it. But that raises the question of why there is a mark.

Maybe Awakening simply made up that Anri's line had some sort of mark like the crusaders. At least I can't recall any past statements of Marth having some sort of brand. Or Jugdral simply changed the mechanics behind it, since something isn't actually canon as long as it's merely in some developers notes and was never brought up in the actual works.

Maybe it went something like this

Naga created Falchion with its fang. Anri uses it to defeat Medeus. Gotoh put a seal on it so only Anri's line could use it (possible after Anri's death when his brother took over in order to solidify his claim or maybe even before defeating Medeus). Marth (and Cornelius) uses it ages later to defeat Medeus again. Medeus and all the Earth Dragons become Grima. The Original Exalt tries to defeat them with the Falchion but can't. Gotoh, who is still a full blooded Manakete, just without the Dragon Stone, blood bonds with the original exalt in order to give him the power boost to defeat and seal Grima. That would explain the mark of the Naga (really the mark of Gotoh, he just called it Naga's mark because of the Falchion relation) ad Gotoh's unexplained disappearance in Awakening's time.

[Ownagepuffs]

The First Exalt must have formed a blood pact with Naga to defeat Grima at some point after Marth beat Medeus.

[Knusperkeks]

Actually in Owain's recruitment dialogue with Lissa she notices the brand on his arm and she is very suprised and he goes on to tell her how she's his mother he shows the ring but the brand having surfaced on her child reassures Lissa that she is of royal blood.

Owain's recruitment dialogue.

[Czar_Yoshi]

That stuff is here on SF already, you know. No need to bother with laggy YT.

Lissa
Yeah, I'm fine. I'm... Holy crow! Your arm!

Owain
This? Hah! It's not but a torn sleeve.

Lissa
...No, I mean, HOLY CROW, LOOK AT THAT THING ON YOUR ARM!

Owain
Oh, right! Sorry. Guess I should have shown you before. It's my Brand. The one carried by House Ylisse. So no more need to worry, eh?

Lissa
Th-then you know? That I don't...

Owain
That your Brand never surfaced? Yes, you told me as such. You said it always weighed on you... You should have seen how happy you were the day mine appeared! You were sobbing and laughing for an hour without pause!

Lissa
I was kind of hoping to grow out of the crying thing...

[Delphi Sage]

Best I can think of is that Lissa's design was made before considering what her character would be. Marias and Lenas have never been related to lords before, after all. Besides, the brand is really just supposed to be a convenient method of shoehorning their new logo into the series.

A logo that Smash 4 still ignored.

[Jotari]

Best I can think of is that Lissa's design was made before considering what her character would be. Marias and Lenas have never been related to lords before, after all. Besides, the brand is really just supposed to be a convenient method of shoehorning their new logo into the series.

A logo that Smash 4 still ignored.

I doubt Lissa's design had anything to do with it. They could have stuck it on her ankle or something if they wanted to.

[Delphi Sage]

I doubt Lissa's design had anything to do with it. They could have stuck it on her ankle or something if they wanted to.

Maybe. But the final result was they used that lack of logo as a method of giving false depth to Lissa.

Owain having it covered up by his sleeve seems reminiscent of that unwillingness to redesign their characters after planning their "arcs". If I was designing Owain, I would've said the logo was on his eye, just like Lucina. Would've made his chuuni appeal clearer.

[Czar_Yoshi]

It would take like 10 minutes to add a visible brand to a character's portrait(s). Why would that take a complete redesign?

[Book of Ereshkigal]

Because if the brand, was on, say, Owain's hand, they'd need to get rid of his gloves.

[Czar_Yoshi]

Make it not on his hands.

[Delphi Sage]

Where, then? Can't go on his head, that'd make him look Indian. Not on his eyes. One is obscured and the other would bring up confusion for why he isn't covering that eye up.

[Czar_Yoshi]

Emmeryn has hers on her head.

[Delphi Sage]

Yes, so that she would look more mystical/holy. But the point of a brand on Owain would be to make him seem like his Demon Eye is justified.

[Jotari]

Because if the brand, was on, say, Owain's hand, they'd need to get rid of his gloves.

Why would you need to get rid of his gloves? Just have him keep his gloves on. Hell that could be an in story plot point as Grima would naturally want to hunt down everyone with the potential to wield the Falchion.

[Wayward Alchemist]

Why would you need to get rid of his gloves? Just have him keep his gloves on. Hell that could be an in story plot point as Grima would naturally want to hunt down everyone with the potential to wield the Falchion.

"My Brand Hand twitches..."