Are Crest similar to Blood Pacts

[Gamemast]

Just a question I’ve been having.

Are the crest the characters have like the brands that Chrom/Robin or the Holy blood of the Jugdral cast?

If so how did they get them if they were the enemy of those dragons?

[Original Alear]

It seems like crests can be bestowed through some kind of process. We know Jeralt got his from Rhea, and the crest of flames in Byleth was also done through Rhea/Sitri stuff.

But Edelgard was bestowed her crest of flames not by lineage (though her Hresvelg crest was from lineage I think), nor by draconic intervention, but by experimentation of TWSITD. So you don't even need draconic blessing every time to bestow a crest. Maybe the crests were ultimately only available through dragon lineage/blessing, but Edelgard at the very least got her second crest seemingly without direct draconic involvement at all. That also means it is possible that the 10 elites were bestowed with crests through slaying and experimenting with dragons, rather than being blessed by the dragons, especially considering that we know they made the crest weapons with bones from dragons (all Sothis?). I  don't think the game ever truly clarifies if the 10 elites were ever really on the side of the Nabateans, but it's also possible that they obtained their crests prior to the conflict between those two factions arose.

Edited 2 hours ago by Original Alear

[Jotari]

In terms of narrative and functional use in the lore, yes, they seem to be the exact same thing under different names.

1 hour ago, Original Alear said:

It seems like crests can be bestowed through some kind of process. We know Jeralt got his from Rhea, and the crest of flames in Byleth was also done through Rhea/Sitri stuff.

But Edelgard was bestowed her crest of flames not by lineage (though her Hresvelg crest was from lineage I think), nor by draconic intervention, but by experimentation of TWSITD. So you don't even need draconic blessing every time to bestow a crest. Maybe the crests were ultimately only available through dragon lineage/blessing, but Edelgard at the very least got her second crest seemingly without direct draconic involvement at all. That also means it is possible that the 10 elites were bestowed with crests through slaying and experimenting with dragons, rather than being blessed by the dragons, especially considering that we know they made the crest weapons with bones from dragons (all Sothis?). I  don't think the game ever truly clarifies if the 10 elites were ever really on the side of the Nabateans, but it's also possible that they obtained their crests prior to the conflict between those two factions arose.

The fact that the different crests interact with the different weapons would suggest the elites killed and drank the blood of 12 (10 Elites+Nemesis+Maurice) different dragons and that each relic comes from the bones of a different dragon.

Edited 14 minutes ago by Jotari