Integrating the Awakening kids into Fates' plot

[Jotari]

The Awakening trio of Laslow, Selena and Odin (hold on a tick, why did they even give themselves aliases? No one in the world knew who they were) are one of many examples of Fates' haphazard writing. Clearly someone told the writers "put these Three Awakening characters in the game, I don't care how" and that was pretty much it. The game barely gives any explanation as to how or why they're there and answers only come at the cost of money via DLC. And that's not entirely laziness, the game already has ten full plot relevant characters via the royals (and then some with maids and Scarlet and Gunter etc), it's hard to make the Awakening kids into something, but also not plot vital characters. But the story still deserves something more than the nothing we got.

So, here's a simple idea to integrate them into the game better (and feel free to share your own). Split them up. One is in Hoshidon, one is in Nohr, and one is either a Revelation exclusive or recruitable in both routes. What does this accomplish? Well the main idea is that they won't reveal their identity and purpose when they're alone. In the first two routes we get hints of their purpose separately, but they're holding back until they find the other two kids. Only in Revelation do you get access to all three and they come to an agreement that Corrin is the one they're looking for, sit down and explain everything, via Hidden Truths being a playable set of chapters in Revelation's main campaign. Sure it'd be weird to play two chapters of a whole different three man army, but I think it could work. Then after that they're free to die or whatever. They're only plot relevant that one moment, but that one moment has an impact on the story.

And, cards on the table, the reason I came up with this idea was actually more gameplay motivated. In that you are over encouraged to use the Royal characters in the game in general and Revelation in particular with it's use of gimmicks (often tied to dragon veins). If hidden truth was played as a natural part of the main campaign and it still gave you the dragon blood item to give Dragon Vein use to any character it would open up portions of the roster to more than the royals. And of course I could just play the DLC and give Kaze or Benny or someone dragon vein access, but I shouldn't have to, and even playing the DLC, it just ends up as a giant aborted arc as the trio never actually do finish their mission and help Corrin in any meaningful way beyond being a playable unit like the rest of the cast.

[Acacia Sgt]

So, is the other Awakening (based) trio getting split up too? Since that's what Fates did. Put three in Nohr, and three in Hoshido.

[Jotari]

1 hour ago, Acacia Sgt said:

So, is the other Awakening (based) trio getting split up too? Since that's what Fates did. Put three in Nohr, and three in Hoshido.

That is something I have zero opinion on at all. I couldn't give a toss about the Fates children, let alone discount Gaius, Thraja and Cordelia. Actually, discount Gaius is alright, since I like how much he hates Saizo for abandoning him and it's neat his name is actually meant to be Saizo. Those are actual character traits that are independent of the gimmick.

[Original Alear]

They gave themselves nicknames because Odin insisted on it is my guess.

It's possible they were all assigned to Nohr because of class flavoring - it wouldn't make that much sense for one of them to know how to fight like a Hoshido warrior. Then again, Odin became a mage type even though he was a myrmidon in Awakening.

With some inspiration from that guy from the Fate/type moon whatever series, do the awakening units die if they are killed? They should probably be given survival status if they're actually going to do something in the story. I don't think they actually need to be split between countries, that doesn't seem to achieve much, but they should have revealed something in Revelation since they were taken to Valla and didn't have to keep quiet due to the weird no talking about valla spell.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Original Alear

[Jotari]

1 hour ago, Original Alear said:

They gave themselves nicknames because Odin insisted on it is my guess.

It's possible they were all assigned to Nohr because of class flavoring - it wouldn't make that much sense for one of them to know how to fight like a Hoshido warrior. Then again, Odin became a mage type even though he was a myrmidon in Awakening.

Laslow's reclass is also Ninja (super freaking useful even if it doesn't make a huge amount of sense) and Selena's is pegasus knight (though at least that one does make sense). So their class access is rather arbitrary overall. Odin becoming a Diviner specifically because Hoshidon magic classes interested him more than Ylisse's magic classes would make more sense to me than him just using magic because "reasons".

[MeteorPhoenix]

It's interesting story/gameplay integration, because while Owain was a Myrmidon, everyone just made him a Sage anyway.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

So I just read the synopsis for "Hidden Truths", and I'm starting to double back on my assumption that it makes the story. Like, now even Anankos himself can't say the word "V*lla"? Then who's the one enforcing the curse? Fucking Aquaman?

Anyway, I like your idea about splitting the game up. But here's my thought - what if, instead of integrating "Hidden Truths" into Rev's main campaign, it's instead used to inform their respective paralogues?

Like, let's say Owain goes to Hoshido as a Samurai, named "Oda", replacing Hinata. In his paralogue, he teams up with his daughter, the Diviner Rin (named in honor of her great-aunt). But, good-Anankos also makes an appearance in the paralogue, via some deeprealm shenanigans or somth IDK. He provides some insight on the "divine dragons", but can't say too much because of the moronic Va**a curse.

Something similar would occur with Inigo (as Lazlow) in the Soleil paralogue, but this one more focused on the source of Garon's corruption.

It would culminate, in Revelation, with Severa's paralogue. Yeah, she's just going by Severa now, because Selena was already taken, and it's not like she needs an alias if she's living in *alla. In my vision, you'd recruit her after entering the Forbidden Kingdom, as a pre-promoted Hero. As long as all three of the trio are recruited and alive, this opens up a new, unique paralogue. Basically telling "the rest of the story", and explaining the trio's origins fully to Corrin (and the player).

There are a couple loose ends here (who are Leo's and Camilla's second retainers now? Wouldn't Rhajat and "Rin" be redundant? What about my boy Hisame?), that would require some "shuffling around", but I think they could make it work.

[Jotari]

1 hour ago, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

So I just read the synopsis for "Hidden Truths", and I'm starting to double back on my assumption that it makes the story. Like, now even Anankos himself can't say the word "V*lla"? Then who's the one enforcing the curse? Fucking Aquaman?

Anyway, I like your idea about splitting the game up. But here's my thought - what if, instead of integrating "Hidden Truths" into Rev's main campaign, it's instead used to inform their respective paralogues?

Like, let's say Owain goes to Hoshido as a Samurai, named "Oda", replacing Hinata. In his paralogue, he teams up with his daughter, the Diviner Rin (named in honor of her great-aunt). But, good-Anankos also makes an appearance in the paralogue, via some deeprealm shenanigans or somth IDK. He provides some insight on the "divine dragons", but can't say too much because of the moronic Va**a curse.

Something similar would occur with Inigo (as Lazlow) in the Soleil paralogue, but this one more focused on the source of Garon's corruption.

It would culminate, in Revelation, with Severa's paralogue. Yeah, she's just going by Severa now, because Selena was already taken, and it's not like she needs an alias if she's living in *alla. In my vision, you'd recruit her after entering the Forbidden Kingdom, as a pre-promoted Hero. As long as all three of the trio are recruited and alive, this opens up a new, unique paralogue. Basically telling "the rest of the story", and explaining the trio's origins fully to Corrin (and the player).

There are a couple loose ends here (who are Leo's and Camilla's second retainers now? Wouldn't Rhajat and "Rin" be redundant? What about my boy Hisame?), that would require some "shuffling around", but I think they could make it work.

Stuff like that is actually perfect for paralogues. It breaks format a bit by not being about the kids...but I don't think too many people would care. Those three specific units could just not have kids assigned to them (or rather those two men since Selena doesn't have a natural kid anyway), if it's one on each side then it's balanced.

[Scanman]

On 9/11/2023 at 1:28 AM, Jotari said:

That is something I have zero opinion on at all. I couldn't give a toss about the Fates children, let alone discount Gaius, Thraja and Cordelia. Actually, discount Gaius is alright, since I like how much he hates Saizo for abandoning him and it's neat his name is actually meant to be Saizo. Those are actual character traits that are independent of the gimmick.

Agreed; the 3 reincarnations have an entire game already. They have no reason to be in Fates other than popularity. They're all worse than their original incarnations too.

I'd remove them entirely.

On 9/11/2023 at 5:58 PM, Shanty Pete's 1st Mate said:

Like, let's say Owain goes to Hoshido as a Samurai, named "Oda", replacing Hinata.

I also agree with this. His base class is myrmidon, he's obsessed with swords, there's not a chance in hell he wouldn't fight for Hoshido. Morally, I think he'd be the least accepting of Nohr of the 3.

-----------------------

If I were to change it, I would have 6 awakening children participate: Noire, Brady, Kjelle, Owain, Inigo, Severa.

(a quick explanation of those excluded: Morgan is too tied to Robin, Lucina is too important to the plot of Awakening, Yarne and Nah suck have unique classes that don't exist in Fates-land, Cynthia is very similar to Hinako (gameplay-wise), and Gerome is... Gerome. He's kind of similar to Percy too.)

Owain, Noire, and Brady would be in Hoshido. Noire can easily replace Setsuna, Owain can replace Hinata, Brady can replace Hayato (the story for that can be retconned- he just ended up with the Wind Tribe somehow).

Kjelle, Inigo and Severa would be in Nohr. Kjelle easily replaces Effie, who is basically the same character anyway.

I think that would be a pretty good balance, and it's a lot less haphazard than how the real Fates turned out.

---------------------

I made a document on my PC called "Hypothetical Fates Redesign) with exactly this listed in it.

Edited October 10, 2023 by Scanman