#finn of leonster

[ladyniniane]

Ladies of Jugdral

Ladies and gentlemen, here are my FE4 OCs!

I created these characters 7 years ago, the second time I played FE4. Since I recently received some asks about this game, I thought it would be fun to give them a makeover.

The story take place during the second generation.

Here we have, in order:

❧ Giovanna

Age: 24

The daughter of a wandering priest, Giovanna begins as a healer and camp follower with little combat experience. She joins the army alongside her lover, an Isaachian freedom fighter, only to lose him in battle. Gravely injured herself, she is rescued by Julia’s magic.

A deep friendship develops between the two, with Giovanna becoming a lady-in-waiting of sorts to Julia. Julia teaches her light magic, helping her grow both as a healer and a fighter. Meanwhile, Giovanna encourages Julia to stand up for herself and offers her practical wisdom.

Warm, sociable, and outspoken, Giovanna enjoys the finer things in life and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Her pragmatic nature helps her move forward, but she has a strong sense of justice and a quick temper. She holds grudges and can be blunt—sometimes even crude—traits that surprise those who expect a priest’s daughter to be more reserved.

Love interest: Shannan

❧ Amy

Age: 32

Amy’s mother was a Velthormer paladin whose rebellion against her liege cost her everything. Orphaned, Amy was taken in by a former knight of Leonster turned monk, who trained her in sword and lance.

She can only speak with great difficulty due to an injury received during her childhood and primarily communicates through sign language. She makes a living escorting convoys and competing in tournaments. Along the way, she crosses paths with Giovanna, whom she has met before. Their reunion leads Amy to join the liberation army, giving her a purpose beyond mere survival.

Tough, direct, and no-nonsense, Amy can come across as harsh. However, she is also a grounding presence and a voice of reason when needed. Fiercely loyal, she will defend her friends with everything she has. Her injury has made her self-sufficient, but it also isolates her, and she sometimes feels lonely. Her sense of humor leans dark, but she can be funny and witty, even if few people get to appreciate it.

Love interest: Finn

❧ Helena

Age: 23

Life is easy under the Empire when your mother is a bishop of the Loptr Church. Raised in comfort—her mother having endured a harsh childhood in the desert—Helena grew up away from the sect.

She was taught that the return of Loptous would liberate the adepts from persecution, but reality proves far different. Horrified by the child hunts, she abandons her privileged life and joins the resistance, prepared to fight against her own mother if necessary.

Her knowledge of the Loptr Church’s inner workings becomes invaluable in unraveling its secrets.

Friendly, curious, and enthusiastic, Helena has a strong sense of justice and a knack for making people feel at home, even in dire circumstances. Though she is still naïve in some ways, she adapts quickly and doesn’t shy away from hardship. She carries guilt for once believing in the sect’s lies but is determined to challenge them.

Lacking magical talent, Helena instead excels as a rider and archer. She also received an excellent education, but her greatest strength lies in organization and logistics.

Love interest: Saias

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

Thraciaanon back at it again here to say Finn deserves so much more love and appreciation… I unironically think he’s one of if not the most tortured characters in Fire Emblem. This poor man at the age of 16ish is put in charge of Leif’s life and wellbeing, forgoing eating to make sure Leif and his daughter are able to have enough, running from town to town because they’re always under the threat of being captured; if he fails, Thracia will forever lose the one person that could unite it peacefully. He watches or hears that all of his friends have died, and Leif says at one point he’s gone through so much it’s like he’s forgotten how to smile, and that he can’t even remember the last time he saw Finn cry. When they retake Leonster castle, Finn is so overcome with joy and finally lets it all out, and man I just wanna see him happy!! Legendary Finn in FEH now!! A duo alt in FEH with him and Nanna now!!

FINN IS HOW YOUNG!?

[livingrief]

Finn is a faculty member at the academy, but he makes it habit to always make rounds. It makes sense, especially as a trained knight, to keep aware of your surroundings and anything that could happen on monastery grounds. One could never be too keen. 

As he's rounding the corner to the lake, he sees a figure staring out wistfully to the horizon. I know that look. Focusing his eyes, Finn tries to get a better glance at whoever might be across the lake. Though it was rude to stare for so long, he was compelled by an overwhelming need to confirm his suspicions. 

A blonde bob and that hair clip. That effortless posture. It might just be Nanna. 

Nanna. He had not seen her in so long, believing she had followed Lord Leif to Leonster. But if Lord Leif was not in Leonster, then the likelihood of her making her way here was all the more... Finn sighed. Nanna would always be like that. Good-natured but assertive. Bubbly but with a commanding presence. He was honored to be her father but he'd been slacking. She deserved more....

And if it really were her, how would he face her? Looking back, memories of Fiana, the one time they were truly happy, embraced his mind. Back when Nanna was so little and he was always worried about protecting her. Before she learned how to fight and stormed the battlefield herself. How long could he have clung to defending her? Everyone had to grow up at some point. But she was his only......His..... Finn shakes his head. If she was all the way in Fodlan, surely she had grown out of her need for him. But he needed her. At what point does the parent ask to be protected? Finn stilled himself, but his legs would not move forward. He was a lousy father. But then again, he thought of her calling out for him. By Gods, he had missed her. One person that he had to put up less face with. It was easy, it was natural with Nanna. He missed being family. Slowly, slowly, his legs began to move. "Nanna," Finn called out. It really was her. There was no mistaking it. "I'm sorry for not reaching out earlier..... I should have done better." "I had thought you were in Leonster," he adds. A pathetic attempt. She'd easily see through him. Would she accept an old man's plea? [@hosannan}

daughter of mine

[skelezomperman]

Comparing the First and Second Generation Trios of FE4

One of the themes of Genealogy of the Holy War is the juxtaposition of the actions and behaviors of the second generation characters against that of their parents. The child characters inherit the traits of their parents not just physically but also in terms of behavior. Yet in many ways, they end up doing better in the areas that their parents failed in; for example, Seliph does not rush into a relationship like Sigurd did. In this essay I will discuss this juxtaposition that occurs. 

Seliph vs Sigurd

Seliph and his father despite being related are rather different people. We see the contrast between Sigurd and Seliph on several different levels. Sigurd is the bold Holy Knight who never shirks away from the opportunity to correct a perceived wrong; Seliph is a nervous teenager who reluctantly assumes the role of Jugdral’s messiah. Sigurd is prone to immediately rushing to fight to correct an injustice as seen in his intervention in Verdane to rescue Edain; Seliph is reluctant to fight at times as seen when he needed to be coaxed by Lewyn to continue the Thracian campaign. Sigurd shows little reflective thought until he is prompted by external forces to think while Seliph oftentimes questions himself and his leadership as his story presses onwards.

An interesting contrast to look at would be the contrast between Sigurd’s relationship with Deirdre and Seliph’s possible relationships. Sigurd falls madly in love with Deirdre and the two marry very quickly after they first meet. Some people argue that this led to Deirdre’s location and abduction by Manfroy. (1) On the other hand, Seliph’s relationships proceed at a slower pace than Sigurd’s relationship with Deirdre. In his lover conversations with Larcei and Tine, Seliph directs his partner to fight by his side rather than Sigurd directing Deirdre to be behind him, while his conversation with Lana highlights a relationship where Seliph chooses to wait for Lana rather than jumping at anyone new (i.e., Julia). This shows a capability to stop and think that Sigurd did not show with Deirdre.

Seliph has a conversation directly with Sigurd at the end of Chapter 10 of Genealogy. Sigurd teaches Seliph the valuable lesson to learn the sorrow of the common people. This is what Sigurd failed to do: he failed to consider what regular people went through in Agustria and other lands where his actions had a direct impact. In other words, Sigurd was an excellent warrior but a poor ruler. Seliph learns from Sigurd and others that he must be compassionate and considerate to others; by doing this, he avoids repeating the mistakes of his father. In my opinion, this conversation showcases the theme of children learning from their parents’ mistakes more than any other scene in the game.

Leif vs Quan

Quan’s flaw is his inability to be aware of his surroundings. His famous lack of situational awareness contributes to his demise at the Aed Massacre. There, he thought that Thracia would attack Leonster in his absence rather than attack him directly. He somehow did not realize that cavalry is weak in the desert, a fact that any seasoned player of the Fire Emblem series could say. Some would also point to Quan’s involvement in the embargoes placed on Southern Thracia, claiming that this made the Aed Massacre deserved, though I would note that this policy predates Quan. Ethlyn has her shortcomings too; she is prone to throw herself into situations to follow her loved ones as seen when she rushed to Sigurd’s aid at the beginning of Genealogy.

Leif actually has similar shortcomings to his parents. In Thracia 776, he ordered his forces to support Ulster which resulted in the loss of much of his strength and the death of his key advisor in Dryas. This led to the siege of Leonster which Leif and friends barely survive. However, he has the luck of being in good hands - under the mentorship of August and Finn, he is able to learn both from his own mistakes and the mistakes of his father. Perhaps this is best seen later in the Thracia arc of Genealogy where Leif is able to recognize his long-lost sister and set the path for her recruitment. This eventually helps Leif accomplish the dream of unifying the Thracian peninsula under one rule – not just a pro-North rule but a rule that benefits all Thracians. And we see at least that the people like it, given Leif’s eventual title as “Sage-Lord.” (2)

Ares vs Eldigan

Both Eldigan and Ares are stuck in prickly situations for their first real appearances in the plot. Eldigan tries to negotiate with Chagall to prevent him from attacking the Grannvalians only for Chagall to imprison him. Meanwhile, Ares goes on a mission with Javarro to attack Seliph’s army only to realize that Lene was being taken in his absence. Their reactions are what makes the difference. Eldigan gives Chagall chance after chance to improve even though he literally killed his own father to begin the Agustrian arc. Even at the end where he is convinced by Lachesis to break off the attack against Sigurd, Eldigan does not outright break from Chagall. Ares, meanwhile, deserts Javarro when the latter taunts him over Lene. He is willing to even join his mortal enemy in Seliph if it means he can defeat Bramsel and save Lene. Ares’ willingness to change sides allowed him to not only survive but to save Lene whereas Eldigan’s stubborn stance led to his death and the occupation of Agustria. (3)

Perhaps the contrast expresses itself best in Agustria’s state under the care of each one. Agustria is totally occupied by Grannvale after Eldigan’s death. He tried to preserve Chagall since he saw him as the leader of Agustria but his efforts in standing by such a cruel man were in vain; they did nothing to save Agustria from its fate. Ares fixes the mess left behind by his father’s generation by unifying Agustria under his rule after the events of Genealogy. He even enlists the help of Leif in this campaign; he does not try to “go it alone” so to speak as Eldigan did. (4)

Tying in between it all

One could, perhaps, compare other children with their (possible) parents as well. For example, Ced has the interesting twist of outright repeating the mistake of his father Lewyn. He leaves his mother behind to try to search for Lewyn only to be distracted by the strife within Thracia. Nanna mirrors her mother just as Ares mirrors his father, except that she is able to convince Ares to directly make amends with Seliph in a way that Eldigan did not with Sigurd. I did not cover these cases in detail because I wished to limit the scope to Seliph, Leif, and Ares, but they do offer fodder for discussion. (5) So we return to our comparison of our trios. Sigurd, Eldigan, and Quan were not without their good qualities; they all had good hearts and genuinely cared for the people around them as well as for each other. But it turned out that Sigurd was too rash, Eldigan was too rigid, and Quan was too ignorant for the world that they lived in. Seliph, Leif, and Ares were not without their faults either; sometimes their faults caused problems as seen in the siege of Leonster. But each of them still improved on the faults of their parents and this helped them successfully defeat the Empire and become a well-loved leader in their native countries. But perhaps one fact that I cannot omit is how their fathers did assist in their growth. Quan somehow was wise enough to leave Finn behind with Leif and that choice, chance as it was, paved the way for Leif to lead a successful rebellion against the Empire. Ares was able to come around on Seliph because of a letter that Eldigan wrote. (6) And of course, Seliph was directly told by Sigurd to pay more attention to the common people. As much as one can malign the first generation trio, I must acknowledge how they provided for their children.

Conclusion

For me, Genealogy and Thracia fundamentally are not just stories about struggling with an evil mastermind. They showcase many problems in the world which the characters must also pay heed to. With the first part of Genealogy, I find it enthralling that the main characters not only have flaws on display but that their flaws directly lead to their downfall. It is certainly a draw, too, that the characters in the second part of Genealogy and in Thracia are confronted with the flaws of the earlier generations: the inability to pay attention to the needs of the people, the ongoing blood feud between North and South in Thracia, among other things. Of course, the children aren’t perfect either. Leif especially is still prone to making rash decisions even with good advisors around him. But isn’t that what usually happens in real life: each generation makes their own mistakes which must be fixed by later generations.

Footnotes:

I subscribe to the line of thinking that the Loptrians were on the verge of finding Deirdre in any case. Sigurd’s encounter with her at least led to the birth of Seliph.

Thracia 776 Leif ending

Of course as seen in Eldigan between a Rock and a Hard Place, the option of joining Sigurd wasn’t inherently desirable either. But I point out that for Ares, joining Seliph ran the risk of joining the losing side too. Ares had a lot to lose still.

Thracia 776 Nanna ending: “Following their victory at Belhalla, Nanna devoted herself to helping Leif liberate Agustria.”

The original draft of this piece actually included Ced and Nanna among others, but I felt that an in-depth discussion would be distracting to the main point.

I am assuming that the letter which Nanna gave to Ares was not a forgery. Genealogy does not give any direct reasons to doubt the letter’s authenticity.

[charisu]

Can confirm Lil' Nordion still has that quirky bug where Hawk is the only one mentioned in the Silesse epilogue. This makes it look like Lewyn's kids skipped town out of spite lol

On the flip side if there is no Forseti inheritor (most common in an all-sub run), a non-noble Ced or Hawk also receive no recognition. This drives a certain headcanon of mine where Ced is fully fed up with his father (Finn), having thought he could let go and bid him well as long as he remained true to his oath to Leonster, and disappears looking for him in Aed. forever chasing after a ghost 🤗

Glad I never clean out my saves from other romhacks. Also, it looks like Hawk's informal "old man" オヤジ still hasn't been caught (Ced uses the more formal 父上). I'll have to check out the Spanish patch to see if the same oversight is there too.

Hope it's okay to tag! @lilinagaming

Edit: Yeah "neustro padre" would be what Ced says. I was hoping for "el viejo" because there's just the tiniest bit of plausible deniability whether Hawk considers his dad close or not. (the emotional difference between "my old man" and "that old man")

[randomnameless]

As sort of expected after browsing the Fodlan games,

At times, the French localised script is different from the eng one, but I've heard this game's eng localisation was discussed a bit so...

I guess as long as there's nothing on the level of Rhage I won't be bothered, granted I'm not over analysing characters and writing serious posts about them yet lol

So far, Ilenia was a badass and would have put Fado to shame, instead of waiting for her execution on her throne, she takes some people with her and launches an attack at the enemy commander to act as a diversion while her son escapes. And then we have a redux of the scene where Finn escapes Leonster castle smuggling his young prince away.

I'm half wondering if not rescuing Scarlett will spare me from jiggle physics because the only other female character I have now definitively doesn't have them, but given how the protag wants to save her...

Alain, on the true and tried fe tradition, beats red units to later recruit them, I can't wait to recruit more people lol.

Non plot wise... The artwork/background/even clothes and armors for the characters are pretty and while I know I'm old, I still don't understand why some devs insist on giving us weird af 3D models when you can still do beautiful and awesome models/graphisms in 2D.

The battalion sort of system makes a frightening amount of sense, and while I know FE is FE so gameplay wise it would have been really complicated to put in place, but I legit can't imagine for hcs or even fics ideas Fodlan now without a similar system lol

[silentlilyy]

rotating the modern/vampire AU in my head…was thinking of a timeline for this and tbh this is becoming less of a modern AU and more just a supernatural AU since i’ve got it taking place in the late 2000’s/early 2010’s, as it’s also kinda inspired by the sims 3 supernatural pack 😭 this also means the gen 1 gang were teenagers around the 80's, so my excuse for giving everyone fluffy hair is that they copied their parents lol

(more rambles under the cut)

so my thoughts on where julia and julius are during all of this…seliph and lana are both in university so i don’t think they’d be too far behind? probs around 18-ish?

the loptous cult is still cooking up plans in the background, this time they’re witches (gender neutral), i wanted the chalphy/belhalla/velthomer extended family to be humans though so i think deirdre and arvis are like…1/4? 1/8? witch - julia and julius do get magical powers though. inspired by another AU i saw floating around, they’re like artificial creations the loptous cult made to try to resurrect loptous (again) (not sure what loptous is here, maybe some powerful wizard idk) using deirdre and arvis’ DNA they got somehow, and so when the plan eventually gets leaked there’s this kind of joint custody situation where the twins spend half the time with the chalphys, half with the velthomers. (so like they see deirdre and arvis as their parents but it’s kind of a weird clone-ish situation? idk.)

castle nordion has ares nanna and diarmuid living in it, but i’m not sure what the chronological ages are here yet? i still have eldigan as sigurd’s bestie (along with quan) from back in the 80s, and i think what happens is that sigurd was a vampire hunter but quit after he met eldigan, although eldigan gets killed eventually by someone else. (i feel bad for killing off like half the nordions but…its jugdral.) lachesis is also dead, i think death by sunlight to go with the yied desert thing, so maybe to save finn or someone…? the issue is that i now have to figure out why the gen 2 nordion trio still hunt humans if their parents had human friends :P so maybe its a situation where they blame the humans for their parents death, probably pushed by grahnye who’s alive for a bit longer (but still gets caught by vampire hunters too). (beowulf was a vampire too since he’s nanna and diarmuid’s bio dad but i think he lives somewhere else, like probably went undercover and had fergus at some point, who’s a half-vampire)

everyone who’s from grannvale is human, and i think there’s a vampire hunting organization floating around here? like the supernatural stuff i think isn’t really known but there’s an undercover organization type deal going on. so after sigurd leaves he doesn’t say anything to deirdre or the kids, which eventually leads to the main plot with seliph and lana’s vampire adventures.

there’s a side thing going on over in thracia where i think the leonster/thracia conflict is still happening but now there’s werewolves involved, so like i see it where quans a full werewolf, same with the thracia royal fam, but ethlyns a human so leif and altena are both half-werewolves. on full moons they don’t fully transform and just get ears and a tail, as well as slightly more cranky than usual lol. (unless to go with the holy blood situation in canon, altena got the powers but leif didn’t? not sure) i haven’t really thought about this side of it yet bc it’s more of a subplot but this way the sigurd/eldigan/quan and seliph/leif/ares trios all cover the main three factions: humans, vampires, werewolves.

i was wondering if i should include zombies and fairies like sims 3 did but i think that’s making things way too complicated tbh 😭

[markoftheasphodel]

An entire set of Forging Bonds revolving around the bond between Leif and Finn, in which Finn decides to teach his not-son about other forms of strength besides the ass-whooping kind and introduces Leif to MARTH.

In between this and FEH ‘confirming’ that Finn hangs with Seth and Frederick (and now Kent) in some kind of Obsessive Knights Anonymous clique… I remain tickled af by FE’s handling of my Leonster boys.

[feshippingpolls]

5/5 or perhaps their reunion is friendlier? they'd have an opportunity to commiserate, and there's a sort of warmth maybe, that could come from knowing there's someone out there who understands you. though i wonder what it'd take for stoic finn to open up - maybe oifey being someone from his past makes it easier. i'm thinking of this scene from around ch73 of oosawa? - after seliph and leif conquer ulster. finn's resting from an injury, and oifey pays him a visit. they talk a bit about how proud finn is of leif lol but it's two things that stand out to me:

one, oifey tells finn that he was willing to risk finn's life to have an advantage at capturing leonster. finn tells him he doesn't mind.

"if the war calls for it, there's no choice", finn says. "i'd do the same thing in your place."

that mutual agreement that their shared goal is more important than either of their lives - or maybe the carelessness with which finn treats his own life? it could make for such interesting conflict if they managed to get close after their ch7 reunion.

two, oifey sheds some tears. seliph had stopped him from killing ishtore a while ago, refusing to let him continue shouldering the burden of getting his hands bloodied so seliph wouldn't have to.

"i didn't understand…what this has all been for, until now…" oifey says. finn tells him "i want to cry like that soon, too." there's something there we can work with, i think. i think these weary old guys can rest for a bit together.

(also if you use cheat codes to make them lovers and take them to the castle oifey goes "finn? were you waiting for me?" like he's surprised anyone cares enough about him to do that. and then finn goes "mm. i was gravely worried...you mustn't stray from my side" like he's protective?? it's cute. i know these are stock lines, but they help give ideas lol)

^

[landslioness]

The remainder of their previous conversation still stirred in his mind after the battle's end. He was not privy to joy after the victory, no, all he felt was a dull ache knowing that there was more work to be done.

But his thoughts turned to the lioness. She always, always overworked herself too hard. For her sake, for others' sakes, for his sake...When would she learn to stop? The possibility remained that such actions could translate to the battlefield. His blood stirred thinking merely at the possibility of her getting injured.

No, he didn't deserve to stand by her side. But he could try to protect her from the sidelines. He was still a knight of Leonster, yes? Even if he had discarded his title of husband, any man worth his salt would lend a hand to a lady in trouble.

He'd found himself looking for her before thinking of it. Medics pointed him to the tent with faces drowning in pity. Was it that bad? Rushing in, he lifted a flap of the tent to see her lying down.

The wounds were severe. She was clearly resting and he meant not to disturb her. Finn entered only to observe. If he could have prevented this. But she too was a warrior and wished to battle. He must respect that. His head reached for her forehead to check temperature. She was warm. Fingers reached out to brush her golden locks away. Maybe he could just stay like this for a moment.

"I know you're a force to be reckoned with," he starts, "but seeing you like this, sometimes I wish you wouldn't give it your all...." No, that wasn't right....  His hand moved to feel the warmth of her cheek. "No, I don't mean that. I only wish there was something I could do for you, Lachesis."

“Sleep.” They told her. “You need rest.”

It was the immediate command of the nurses after the people who have come to check in on her have left. While they seemed scattered during their presence, they were insistent for the patient to get some further shuteye, perhaps while she was in more control of her body. Without thinking of anyone that she’d want to see her in this state, Lachesis simply obeyed.

Her dreams still are not peaceful. They mirror whatever limbo she’s found herself in while unconscious post-battle. Well, not entirely. She can visualize some lush forests in the distance, and standing on a wide field, some hills to her side. Lachesis would love to describe and explore more, but she is still wedged in one position. A terrible premonition, especially when more figures morph into her sights.

This is no simple field. It is a battleground.

One by one, cavalry units toss themselves from the right into allied forces on the left. Just like counting sheep, but way more frequent…and harmful. As strong as she knows her allied force to be, the opposing mounted force is mightier. She knows from experience. This is her experience.

Their clashes get closer to her. Then closer. She anticipates facing the fabled Black Knight any second now, his demonic sword of dark gleaming for its next victim. But instead, to her surprise, another knight charges right for her, aiming straight for her heart. The young princess closes her eyes. It’ll be over soon.

Clash!

Lachesis slowly opens her eyes, looking up to find a knight on her side. No, that’s…Finn? He…saved her. His mouth opens.

"I know you're a force to be reckoned with, but seeing you like this, sometimes I wish you wouldn't give it your all...."

…What? That’s not right. That isn’t what he told her here.

"No, I don't mean that. I only wish there was something I could do for you, Lachesis."

He corrects himself atop his horse, and this is still all…wrong. So wrong.

“Finn…”

–

“Finn…”

She faintly feels a palm on her cheek, tempting her to open her eyes. But her golden eyes are of fool’s gold, glassy and fake. Her mumbles make it clear that she is only speaking in her dreams.

“You’re supposed to…be there for me. No, of course. That’s not…what you told me then…”

The princess unconsciously lifts her hand to join Finn’s. A smile much too wide finds itself on her face.

“You told me…to keep going. That is all you need to do for me. Finn.”

And with that singular sentence, Lachesis drops her hand back to the bed and head rolls back to the center of the pillow. The smile has barely dimmed.

[paladin-tourney]

Paladin Tourney - Preliminary Poll #1 (Fire Emblem)

Melady (Fire Emblem) vs. Cain (Fire Emblem) vs. Titania (Fire Emblem) vs. Finn (Fire Emblem) vs. Camus/Zeke/Sirius (Fire Emblem) vs. Frederick (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

Propaganda:

Melady

Literally will do anything for her princess. She betrayed her kingdom and had to kill her lover because of how loyal she is to princess Guinivere. Also she rides a wyvern, which is badass, and she’s an s tier unit gameplay wise.

Cain

He’s one of Marth’s most loyal knights and serves him until death. Started the “Cain and Abel” archetype, which is a recurring character trope within fire emblem. Also he can promote into a class named paladin.

Titania

She used to serve as a knight for the kingdom of Crimea but became deputy commander of the Greil mercenaries. She’s super cool, very useful in combat, has a huge axe, and is a mother like figure to the other mercenaries. Also her class is literally paladin.

Finn

Will do anything for his lord and lady including raising their son after their deaths. Dude sacrificed so much just so Leonster (his kingdom) gets restored.

Camus/Zeke/Sirius

This guy loses his memory and changes his identity a lot, doesn’t mean he isn’t a good paladin tho!

Frederick

literally paladin class, eternally suffering fantasy babysitter trope, extremely broken in early game!!! iconic, i love paladins who are always suffering for who they’re pledged in service to, “pick a god and pray”

[gascon-en-exil]

🔥 the Jugdral games

Finn is lowkey the character everyone wishes Ike or Byleth were. He's

a commoner, or at least common enough to not have holy blood or a special lineage like Ike with his famous general father and supernaturally-balanced mother or Byleth the stillborn zombie powered by a dragon heart;

who drives an unprecedented amount of the story for a playable non-lord, with FE5 and around a third of FE4 Gen 2 coming down to Finn rescuing and raising Leif to conquer Thracia and take revenge for House Leonster;

who never draws focus from or otherwise compromises the writing of any female character in anything he does, unlike Ike with Micaiah or Byleth with Edelgard in CF and to a lesser extent other routes (fandom would do that by roping Finn into paternity wank over Lachesis's kids, but because the two literally never speak to each other in either game I won't hold that against the writers);

who's extremely easy to read as gay, courtesy of his lack of love conversations, decades of devotion to his lord above anything else, and apparent inability to please women which is why Lachesis left him;

and who continues to direct policy from an advisory role in the epilogue of FE4, rather than becoming an autocrat himself or leaving the continent to go wandering.

Oh, and Quan/Finn is some delicious toxic yaoi, and I'm not even talking about Quan being married or the age gap (which may not survive a remake, anyway; my money's on the whole cast getting aged up to avoid accusations of the game being a teen pregnancy simulator). Quan is an outright imperialist looking to settle a blood feud by conquering a sovereign nation, and Finn is fully onboard with that and devotes ~20 years of his life after his lord's death to raising Quan's son to fulfill his father's ambitions. And yet after all that vengeance feels hollow, and Finn wanders the desert for a while per FE5's epilogue before coming back since he didn't find whatever he might have been looking for. If Dimidue is the full realization of FE's homoerotic lord/knight dynamics with an actual happy ending to its name, then Quan/Finn is their tragic predecessor.

That this guy still only has his base version in Heroes is an absolute travesty.

[arthoure]

top 5 jugdral FE characters?

1. Ares

2. Ethlyn

3. Finn

4. Quan

5. Leif

...hmm. surprising Leonster bias here.

[livingrief]

♡

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Finn knows that his cause is over and there is nowhere to return after the wars. He thought that Lachesis was dead for most of this period, and his duty to Lord Quan was over. Leonster was restored. Their great dream had been fulfilled after long days of suffering. So he cannot understand why he must be permitted to walk the Earth after this.

In the darkness, there is one lone light that speaks to him. A gentle, sweet light that asks nothing of him but to stay by his side. Nanna has never betrayed him, and even if she did, he would think nothing of it. Her warmth fills up the empty cavity of his chest. She is merely Nanna - not Princess of Nordion or fiancée of Lord Leif (though both of those are fine), but she is his daughter, nothing more, nothing less. She has stood by his side through this arduous journey, and he's watched her grow into the woman she is today. 

Finn is profoundly proud of her. She is the light in the dark, the lone gleam of luminosity that stays in his life and in which he fully trusts. She's a beacon of hope in an otherwise harsh world. But Finn would not mind if she let go of that persona, for Nanna is Nanna. She can be whoever she wants to be, and he'll stay by her side. Her presence is enough to give him the strength to continue on.  To try for another day. To make that extra step. "Nanna is a person who draws others to herself," Finn says. "I'm sure she'll do whatever she sets her heart out to. She's quite gifted....that girl. My Nanna......"

[skelezomperman]

This is in regards to Fe4 which is that though you might prefer one ship to another, you have to often read other lines a character has based on their other lovers just to get a general picture of what that characters story is. Like for instance, Lachesis being told to go to Leonster and seek refuge with Finn can very much be more related to her wanting to visit Ares there which is something only brought up in her Noish lover conversation. This part of her character’s story is pretty much something that can work for any type of pairing you have in mind for her and it is something I wish Fe4 fans would do more often.

An interesting discourse that has recently gained attention. I personally prefer Finn/Lach, of course, but it's not really implied by Genealogy. I think a lot of misinformation comes from people misreading the conversation between Lachesis and Beowulf in Chapter 5 which is something that I've felt for a long time. Below is the conversation in the Project Naga translation:

Lachesis: Beowulf... Beowulf: Look, Lachesis. If somethin' happens t'me, I want ya to go to Leonster fer me. Quan's kids're there with Finn. Help 'em out where I can't, yeah? Lachesis: No! You mustn't say such things! If I go to Leonster, you will come with me! Beowulf: Lachesis... I don't think I've done right by ya. Lachesis: W-what? Why...? Beowulf: I knew how ya really felt all along... Lachesis: ...Oh! Beowulf: Look after yerself, Lachesis. This was fun while it lasted. Lachesis: Wait! Beowulf!!

Let's focus on the emphasized lines because those are the ones at hand. The first thing that Beowulf tells Lachesis is to go to Leonster and help Finn with Quan's children. Notice the context that Finn is mentioned in: he is mentioned in the context of being Leif's caretaker, not as a lover for Lachesis. I would argue that Finn being mentioned is incidental, but the original text does mention him first while PN reverses the order to have Beowulf mention Quan's children first.

The second thing he says is that he "knows how Lachesis really felt all along." What does this mean? It means that Beowulf thinks that Lachesis doesn't truly love him at that point...and that's it. Beowulf doesn't say who Lachesis is truly in love with, just that he thinks that their relationship fizzled out. Any claims that Beowulf was thinking about someone specific requires conjecture - it requires the person to project their own inference onto the conversation. I will also point out that it's not even necessarily that Lachesis moved on to someone else because Beowulf never implies that - he only implies that the relationship fizzled out, or perhaps that it wasn't even real in the first place.

The error is that people think that Finn being mentioned earlier in the conversation means that Finn is Lachesis' lover. But as I stated earlier, Finn is mentioned in the context of being Leif's caretaker. His presence within the conversation is incidental. By the same logic, one could perhaps claim that Beowulf thinks that Lachesis was in love with Quan because if that were the case, it would make sense for Lachesis to want to take care of her crush's children after his death. It's not illogical to think that Beowulf is breaking off the relationship because Lachesis pines for Finn, but a strict critical reading of the conversation does not provide any fodder for or against this assertion. Ultimately, like with many things in this game, the cause of Beowulf and Lachesis' separation is up to player interpretation.

For posterity, here is the conversation in Japanese:

ラケシス

ベオウルフ･･･

ベオウルフ

ラケシス、もし俺になにかあれば

レンスターに行ってくれ

レンスターには

フィンと、キュアンの子がいる

俺に代わって彼らを助けてやってくれ

ラケシス

そんなことを言わないで！

行くときはあなたも一緒です！

ベオウルフ

ラケシス、

おまえにはすまなかったと思っている

ラケシス

え？ 　どうして･･･

ベオウルフ

おまえの気持ちは知っていた･･･

ラケシス

！･････

ベオウルフ

ラケシス、元気でな

短い間だったが、楽しかったぜ

ラケシス

待って！　ベオウルフ!!

And by the old DTN translation:

Lachesis:

“Beowulf…”

Beowulf:

“Lachesis, if anything were to happen to me, I want you to go to Lenster. Fin is there with Cuan’s children. Give him a hand, okay?”

Lachesis:

“How could you say that? When we go, we’ll go together!”

Beowulf:

“Lachesis, I’ve got a confession to make.”

Lachesis:

“Hm?”

Beowulf:

“I’ve known your true feelings all along.”

Lachesis:

“What…!”

Beowulf:

“Take good care of yourself. It was mighty nice while it lasted.”

Lachesis:

“Wait! Beowolf!”

I don't think that this changes the meaning too much, but I will note that DTN translated the first emphasized line as "give him a hand" and not "help 'em out." One might note that the pronoun 彼ら means they, not he.

[anruraiocht]

Abatina and carnation

botanical headcanons (no longer accepting)

abatina :   is there anything in life your muse has changed their mind about over time   ( due to becoming more educated on the topic ,   certain experiences  ,   etc .) , or that they   would   change their mind about under certain circumstances ?

ABATINA: THE EVER LOOMING SHADOW OF LEIF FARIS CLAUS

Smiles thinly.

Look. Look. I'm sorry for the feminism loss as well, but it is so hard to talk about Miranda without talking about Leif. Ten years of projecting all of your issues on a guy will do that to you.

When we first meet Miranda, she seems entirely adamant that she blames Leif for everything that has happened to her. The little blame game she tries to play is extremely emotionally driven (literally what was Leif, age 2, supposed to do girl) and falls apart under scrutiny.

like ok. let's walk through this for a second.

"it's leif's fault" > finn is the one who brought him there > finn only brought him because leonster fell > leonster fell because thracia attacked and ulster didn't step in until the end > (dominoes) (THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF NORTHERN THRACIA VS SOUTHERN THRACIA THAT BROUGHT US TO US POINT)

So. Obviously through the events of FE5 and experiencing the war firsthand, Miranda's opinion on Leif changes. She already knows, deep down, that it isn't actually Leif's fault, but it isn't until she is forced to contend with the reality of the situation that she is able to admit it.

carnation :   what is your muse’s relationship with their gender ? how do they express or not express this relationship ?

CARNATION: JUGDRALI MISOGYNY HITS DIFFERENT

(it gets long here)

Okay so let's get one thing straight: if Miranda was a man, she would be dead. Full stop. When you're taking over a kingdom, the last thing you want is to leave a male heir alive. A male heir, left alive, can eventually take back their kingdom and become king, but a female heir cannot. She, however, can be used as a hostage. And she is! For ~ten years! Before we even learn her name, Miranda's agency is stolen from her.

The moment Miranda gets agency (and her kingdom) back, her advisors tell her that she needs to marry Leif to tie Ulster to Leonster. It's no secret that the Munster District is doing. Uh. Bad. As in, Miranda and Leif are the only heirs left alive by the end of Thracia 776. It makes sense, strategically, to have the only two heirs left alive get married and merge their kingdoms and both of them understand this. Doesn't mean they have to like it, though!

Leif: "...And Ulster was successfully liberated by Lord Seliph, so the people should be happy that their princess was safe.”

Miranda: “Well, yes, but… The people want more than that. My advisors are urging me to marry you so that we can unite with Leonster. They think they can just tell me what to do because I’m a girl…” Leif: “Well, you and I are the only heirs that survived this turmoil. What your advisors are saying only makes sense. But I’m not sure…”

We're not gonna get into Leif's little unhinged moment that happens right after this btw. The important part here is that Miranda is frustrated. Obviously. Miranda has been living in the basement of a Loptr monastery for a year and it's not enough that she made it back alive. Well, yes, your highness, it's all well and good that you survived, but there's not much you can do for us as a princess... would you mind getting married? As soon as possible? To the guy you've projected all of your problems and issues on for the last decade? Thanks!

Jesus fucking Christ!!!!!!!!

When they pulled this line for one of Miranda's skill activation quotes in FEH (albeit shortened from 女だと思ってバカにしてるわ to 女だと思って…！), it has been translated as:

I am a girl, not a fool!

Which I think is very evocative of the way Miranda thinks of herself. She does not resent existing as a girl, but she does resent the way she is looked down upon for being a girl.

And while we're on the topic of how Miranda talks (the most inelegant segue in the world)...!

It's not as noticeable in English, nor is it especially noticeable when you first meet her and she's hissing and spitting at Leif, but Miranda uses feminine speech (女性語) when she speaks! This is a style of speaking in Japanese that is considered "ladylike" and formal, using more polite terms. Traditionally speaking, it's a style of speech associated with upper class ladies.

This is more noticeable in her Conomor recruitment dialogue...

コノモール もうおやめなさい！ ... それなのに あなたは何をしているの！

As well as her conversation with Leif in the last chapter...

リーフ王子 少しいいかしら ... 私・・・ あなたに謝らなければ ならないことがあるわ

I've bolded the relevant parts here. Miranda affixes the polite o- prefix to yamenasai and ends some of her sentences with the more traditionally feminine ending particles of no, wa, and kashira.

It's... a little hard to explain in English but the way she speaks is very princess-like haha.

There is also the Genderisms of Miranda's promoted class: Mage Knight. In FE4, Mage Knight is a male only class (as a promotion for Azelle and Arthur + enemy units). In FE5, we get our first female Mage Knights through Olwen and Miranda, but the rest of the Mage Knights in the game are male. We can say that Olwen is following in her brother Reinhardt's footsteps, but Miranda doesn't have that same connection. Would she be better served as a sage, considering her 70% magic growth and fucking 5% strength growth? Absolutely! However, she saw that sages get staff access and said oh no thank you. i'm here to kill and maim.

And she deserves it.

That last part isn't exactly related to genderisms (or is it? Every other girl capable of wielding magic in FE5 besides Miranda and Olwen gets staff access... :thonking: ) I just think it's very funny characterization through gameplay. her ass is NOT healing.

tl;dr: Miranda is a character that is defined by her status as a princess and as a girl.