Book III Opens: December 2018 (Speculation + Discussion)

[Etrurian emperor]

Considering we heard of Hel this chapter its safe to say the Norse mythology references won't be stopping anytime soon.

[Diovani Bressan]

 

On 21/11/2018 at 8:39 AM, Garlyle said:

A new image for Book 3 at 0:55 - not looking bright.

Spoiler

I am 99% sure that's Sharena! If we compare the headgear from both characters, I believe it's the same. And this can also works with the plot of the Xenologue 4, which is about Hel, the Ruler of the Dark Realm. I believe, in the first Book III trailer, Sharena sacrificed herself to save the Summoner from a attack, so now the Order of Heroes will travel to the Dark Realm to bring Sharena back. This can be interesting, since we are dealing with the death, characters like Gunnthrá and Laegjarn can reappear.

 

Edit: Also, now I notice that Fjorm is also on the ground. Maybe Anna will fall too, and Alfonse and the Summoner will be the only ones alive?

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Diovani Bressan

[Zangetsu]

Their deaths better have value otherwise it just tells me they learn nothing from Book 2

[TheWill]

21 minutes ago, Diovani Bressan said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I am 99% sure that's Sharena! If we compare the headgear from both characters, I believe it's the same. And this can also works with the plot of the Xenologue 4, which is about Hel, the Ruler of the Dark Realm. I believe, in the first Book III trailer, Sharena sacrificed herself to save the Summoner from a attack, so now the Order of Heroes will travel to the Dark Realm to bring Sharena back. This can be interesting, since we are dealing with the death, characters like Gunnthrá and Laegjarn can reappear.

Edit: Also, now I notice that Fjorm is also on the ground. Maybe Anna will fall too, and Alfonse and the Summoner will be the only ones alive?

 

Tbh, I thought it was their parents. It's not too unreasonable for her mum to have a similar hairstyle, right?

[Zangetsu]

A Fire Emblem game where the protagonist mother is "stuff in a fridge".

 

Who could've seen that coming? 

[Diovani Bressan]

4 minutes ago, TheWill said:

Tbh, I thought it was their parents. It's not too unreasonable for her mum to have a similar hairstyle, right?

It's possible they can have similar hair, but I believe the ones on the ground are the Princess of Askr and the Princess of Nifl, not the Queen and King of Askr.

[Landjager]

My out-there prediction: Loki is revealed as Sharena's mom. We find out Alfonse's mom shortly died after he was born. Loki stole her identity and later gave birth to Sharena. That's why she has pink tips in her hair. As we know, hair color is one of the key indicators of genealogy in the Fire Emblem multiverse. It's one of the only constants. Also, I may be wrong, but I think this is at least the second time Loki has singled Sharena out in a conversation.

 

As an aside, when the realm of the dead is mentioned in detail in most mythologies, it's in a story about traveling there to bring someone back to life. These quests usually end in failure or something akin to the Sacred Stones scenario with Orson to reinforce that the dead stay dead. That being said, the three most recent games all featured at least one character who was "dead" but later revealed to not be dead. I'd prepare yourself now for characters not staying dead.

[TheWill]

46 minutes ago, Diovani Bressan said:

It's possible they can have similar hair, but I believe the ones on the ground are the Princess of Askr and the Princess of Nifl, not the Queen and King of Askr.

Definitely exciting either way! 

Although I really do hope Shareena gets some ample development this Book.

[IGdood]

Interestingly enough now there's a 3rd version of the video with Japanese audio but the subs are in traditional Chinese

[Othin]

Based on the Xenologue, it sounds likely that the premise is that the entire Order of Heroes will die and have to fight their way out of Hell.

[Jingle Jangle]

I'm getting more interested in book 3 now. I get the feeling that Hella is a chick.

Edited November 21, 2018 by Jingle Bells

[Sire]

I am currently reviewing FEH's story scripts so I can send detailed feedback on the story. Here are some a lot of thoughts I have after the review, which are spoilered to save space.
* * * * * * * * * *

Spoiler

The first half of Book I is rather generic and boring save for the introduction. Most chapters follow the "fight heroes under contract, free them from contract, short story snippet, next chapter" routine. While the introduction itself is still not thrilling and exciting, it is better than most as it lays some lore foundations for FEH.

Now the second half of Book I focuses on the Zacharias/Bruno subplot, which was actually entertaining for its time. This starts picking up during the World of Blazing (Chapter 7) and lasts until the end of Book I. Bruno ends up being the most interesting character of Book I due to the subplot and the curse of the Emblian royalty. We also start to see how amazing Alfonse is since he is the most developed character of the Askr trio (Sharena is friends with everyone while Anna remains gold hungry and is mostly used for event stories). However, some of this development is found in paralogues and xenologues, which can be confusing for newcomers who don't know the release timeline...
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Let us take a short tangent into the paralogues. Funnily enough, I found the paralogues to be more interesting than the main storylines, mostly due to the character interactions. Granted, most of the text is fluff dialogue, but it was entertaining nonetheless. I mean, we got Hector bring Armads to the "Day of Devotion" event (Love Abounds). We have Hector and Ephraim beings bros (Arrival of the Brave).

However, there are some stand-out paralogues. Blazing Shadows delves into Bruno's search for a cure for his curse, references various things in Elibe, and continues the Zacharias/Bruno subplot. Echoes of Mystery supposedly teaches Sharena not to trust everybody, but friendship wins in the end so whatever (I know this storyline originally came from New Mystery, swapping out Kris for Sharena, but it is still something). The Sacred World has Seth lecture Veronica on being a ruler and butt heads a bit with Xander. (If only Seth was as busted in Heroes as he was in Sacred Stones...) Adrift deals with death, dreams, Azura, and may be a lead into Book III.

As for Xenologues, they are probably the most story driven chapters and also represent the height of what FEH has to offer. Detached Princess delves into the mind of Veronica and how she does not understand family, as well as a bit of the Embla curse. The Brink of Chaos introduces Loki (I think) and a storyline reason for why the Tempest Trials exist. A People's Hero is an exception to the rule, having a nonexistent story, but it does grant you a free 5* Vanguard Legend Ike! Finally, the latest Xenologue, Whispers of Death, seeming tease Book III with a new villian: Hel.
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Back to the main story, let us continue to Book II. Again, most of it is fluffy stuff revolving around "Sutr will burn everything! *maniacal laughter,*" but it does have more plot points than Book I.

Some development begins in Chapter 4, Fiery Resolve, where Alfonse (outside of his infamous "Grr") outsmarts his foes by signaling the populace to flee before the town is razed. Veronica, apparently learning a little bit with her encounter with Seth from A Sacred World, butts heads with Sutr on how to rule. Chapter 5, Blood and Snow, actually has Anna do something clever by covering their trail. We also have a good scene with Laevatein and Laegjarn. The best thing about chapter 5 is how there is actual conflict, portrayed here as the Askr army trying to outwit Muspell using tactics. Chapter 6 continues the game of wits, ending with Laegjarn being captured by Askr.

And then Chapter 7 tosses everything into a volcano. Gunnthrá dies (rather pathetically, I might add. It may have helped if she had a CG death instead of just text). I mean seriously, who cares about Gunnthrá outside of her worth as a unit? And then, Laegjarn escapes because why not. Sutr is a boring villain who simply wants to burn everything. If one wants to be one dimensional, at least make it entertaining...

The Rite of Frost (Chapter 8) tries to make Fjorm *cough* relevant *cough*, but the real treat here is Veronica and Xander getting beaten up by Sutr. Veronica is captured and we wonder what will happen next.

Now in Hellfire (Chapter 9), we get introduced to Helbindi and Ylgr. Helbindi acts all tough, but he fights for his sister. Ylgr is Ylgr, and it makes me question if Book II Ylgr is different from the one we can summon. At least it isn't Loki!Ylgr, which everyone saw immediately (Bruno/Zacharias took a little bit more work).

Chapter 10 is a failed attempt to take on Sutr, as he is in Phoenix Mode and can revive. Woo. At least we get more Laevatein and Laegjarn, as well as the first hint of Prince Hrid.

Chapter 11 drops the mention of Zacharias helping out from the shadows, as well as directing the heroes to where the Rite of Flame is performed. We get more Muspell development, learning that Helbindi was saved by Laegjarn. We also get a turnaround where Laegjarm manages to ambush Askr. The chapter ends with the party wondering if they may have a traitor in the ranks.

Chapter 12 goes into some detail of the Rite of Flame, saying sacrifices must be used (currently Veronica and one of Sutr's daughters). Helbindi is released from service after his failure, and learns that his sister has been slain by Sutr. Also, lots of stuff about who the traitor, revealed to be Loki *shock horror,* and after beating her Loki decides to help out the party because why not.

The finale of Chapter 13 has Laegjarm sacrifice herself to save Laevatein from the Rite of Flame. We get to see Helbindi break out Veronica and the real Ylgr. Bruno shows up and saves the day. Then, we fight Sutr and he dies. Fjorm falls for the Summoner. The End.

TLDR BOOK II: All that is awesome in Book II is based around Askr, Embla, and Muspell. Nifl basically has nothing of value (Gunnthrá is pointless and Fjorm is just a figurehead. At least Yglr acts as a support character for Helbindi and Hrid is mostly a blank slate.) The tactical plays between Alfonse and Laegjarm were enjoyable. Laegjarm and Laevatein moments are precious. Helbindi is awesome. Sutr is boring as heck, while Loki just sits in the background and messes with everybody. Veronica, despite her short screen time, had more interesting stuff than Nifl ever did.
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Another tangent, there are storylines in the Tempest Trials. For the sake of time, I'll just say I enjoyed To Die on the Battlefield as well as the callback to an earlier TT by Dorcas and Mia.
* * * * * * * * * *
...So yeah, those are random thoughts that are probably a bunch of nonsense.

Looking back, they did actually keep to their word when they said they'll pay more attention to story for Book II. The only thing going on with the first book is the Bruno/Zacharias arc as well as the curse of Embla (with the curse still ongoing). For the second book, there's Helbindi, the Muspell sisters, and the tactical plays. It's just a shame that Nifl characters and Sutr are so incredibly boring, as well as some poor storytelling (the traitor arc comes to mind).

I can only hope Book III continues to improve on the storytelling. My pie in the sky is to have FEH reach FGO storytelling (especially if we get quality similar to FGO's Camelot chapter), but Fire Emblem never really had super amazing storylines. There are some good ones, but FE always seemed to focus more on the characters themselves instead of the overarching plot.

[Robert Stewart]

My guess for the plot of book 3:

Loki wants to achieve immortality, and to accomplish this she wants to kill or usurp Hel. But she isn't strong enough to do it herself, so she will incite a war between Askr and Hel.

Depending on how things go, Askr will realize Loki's plan and have to undo whatever they end up doing in Hel. This will be either at the end of Book 3, or it will happen in Book 4.

Also I assume that the Askran parents are killed, and Book 3 involves rescuing them from Hel.

[Ottservia]

3 hours ago, Jingle Bells said:

I'm getting more interested in book 3 now. I get the feeling that Hella is a chick.

I mean in actual norse mythology Hel is the third child of odin and is the sister to Thor and Loki. She, I believe, is an ice witch and rules over the underworld. Though don’t quote me on that as my knowledge on norse mythology is a bit shaky

[Hilda]

not sure if the death of the parents has any impact... i mean they werent even involved in any story, let alone shown...

[Hilda]

3 minutes ago, Otts486 said:

I mean in actual norse mythology Hel is the third child of odin and is the sister to Thor and Loki. She, I believe, is an ice witch and rules over the underworld. Though don’t quote me on that as my knowledge on norse mythology is a bit shaky

I knew it!!!! Odin was the villain all along! Eldrick smackdown!!!

[Jingle Jangle]

5 minutes ago, Otts486 said:

I mean in actual norse mythology Hel is the third child of odin and is the sister to Thor and Loki. She, I believe, is an ice witch and rules over the underworld. Though don’t quote me on that as my knowledge on norse mythology is a bit shaky

What I'm referring to is Loki tier kind of chick. Not that I'm complaining.

[Ottservia]

45 minutes ago, Hilda said:

I knew it!!!! Odin was the villain all along! Eldrick smackdown!!!

That does beg the question if we are  gonna see the ACTUAL Odin at all in heroes or at least some kind of equivalent. Hell at this point I’m surprised Thor hasn’t shown himself yet. 

Edit: @Jingle Bells so I just did some quick research and apparently Hel isn’t Loki’s sister but is actually Loki’s daughter which makes things 1000 times more interesting. Also in my research I found out that Hel has a brother named fenrir who is a wolf. If there was anytime to put in beast units, His intro into the story would be it if he comes into the story anyway.

Edited November 21, 2018 by Otts486

[Ice Dragon]

5 hours ago, IGdood said:

Interestingly enough now there's a 3rd version of the video with Japanese audio but the subs are in traditional Chinese

That would most likely be (officially) for Taiwan, who I believe gets Japanese audio and traditional Chinese text in-game. It's also the demographic outside of Japan least likely to understand spoken English.

Why they're suddenly catering to the Taiwanese (and possibly also Chinese) audience now is anyone's guess.

Edited November 21, 2018 by Ice Dragon

[Icelerate]

This Xenologue was cool. 

Spoiler

I'm glad Surtr is back but this time he's a pawn much like how he initially used to use pawns. It's nice how the plot shows the flaws in Surtr's philosophy and how it can be used against him. Him reluctantly accepting his Fate was handled well because prior to his death, he was very angry at the prospect of dying and not being the strongest. 

 

[XRay]

44 minutes ago, Ice Dragon said:

Why they're suddenly catering to the Taiwanese (and possibly also Chinese) audience now is anyone's guess.

Like every CEO out there, Anna probably wants access to bigger markets and more money.

Edited November 21, 2018 by XRay

[Michelaar]

7 minutes ago, XRay said:

Like every CEO out there, Anna probably wants access to bigger markets and more money.

Business is important!

[DefyingFates]

5 hours ago, Otts486 said:

but is actually Loki’s daughter which makes things 1000 times more interesting.

Agreed. I don't care for Loki but seeing her serve her own daughter (and be sincere for once) would be nice to see.

5 hours ago, Otts486 said:

Also in my research I found out that Hel has a brother named fenrir who is a wolf. If there was anytime to put in beast units, His intro into the story would be it if he comes into the story anyway.

Especially if he joins our side as a free unit!

As for the retrospective trailer, did the narrator sound like Feh to you? I'm sure her VA could just be doing a voiceover here in addition to being Feh, but I can't help remembering all those laguz!Feh fanarts... Now there's a free unit I'd love to have!

[Sentinel07]

3 hours ago, Icelerate said:

This Xenologue was cool. 

  Hide contents

I'm glad Surtr is back but this time he's a pawn much like how he initially used to use pawns. It's nice how the plot shows the flaws in Surtr's philosophy and how it can be used against him. Him reluctantly accepting his Fate was handled well because prior to his death, he was very angry at the prospect of dying and not being the strongest. 

 

Agreed. However slight, it does add to his character.

[Midnox]

On 11/21/2018 at 7:11 AM, TheWill said:

Tbh, I thought it was their parents. It's not too unreasonable for her mum to have a similar hairstyle, right?

Besides, other than Eliwood, every self respecting FE protagonist parent must die at one point or another. It’s in the job description