#Faerghus bad they have daughters inherit

[randomnameless]

It's funny in hindsight to realise Cat was completely overlooked because she BaD bcs she lufs the Evil Lizard Lady and berns a city when ordered too bcs she religious extremist or whatnot -

When you look at her supports in Houses she's a complex character who, when faced between two difficult choices, picked one and wants to make sure it was the right choice so she follows the evil lizard lady to the depths of Tru Piss and brings more of this so beloved "realism" to the table - which leads the token dumb idiot obsessed with "justice" to think about what and who he is using his fists for* (something he ignores on in Nopes and Tru Piss) - despite her presentation of being, well, a token brash idiot too.

But comes Nopes, and while the game leans even more on the "brash idiot" angle, we get this :

When I was a kid, I never imagined I'd be wielding some holy relic as a Knight of Seiros. I thought my destiny was to follow in my father's footsteps and become the next Count Charon.

Faerghus is very sexist and the land of toxic masculinity, Cat expected to become the next Count Charon, aka, the leader of one of the Kingdom's most important Houses.

Meanwhile, the very same game tells us that the Southern Church Rebellion started because a Lady Varley wanted to become Minister rather than a potted plant for her crestless husband. Huh.

*Funny how the entire schtick "but X kills children!" is adressed in the Capsar/Catherine support - and it all comes down to circumstances, Cat praises Caspar for having ideals, but when it comes to a situation where Caspar will have to chose between a life or a death ? Caspar's reply is to basically continue fighting for what he thinks is "just" or what feels "right" to him -

And given how you can unlock this support in SS (where both units are here by default!) this support gets a conclusion when we have to fight crazed!Rhea : both Cat and Caspar feel like dirt, and yet pull through, Cat even rationalising this crap battle as "ending Rhea's suffering".

[synergysilhouette]

Brainstorming child units for some 3 Houses characters

I really enjoyed making child units for "Engage" characters, so I wanted to do the same for "3 Houses." These kids would be available as the game is now, though I like to imagine they live in a "golden route" world where the wars didn't result in the death of any of the students (Edelgard included). And I should clarify: in my universe, these children could be the oldest in their family; it's possible that their parents had more kids afterwards (besides the possible kids they can have via different pairings). And just because I didn't list a character here doesn't mean they don't have kids; I just listed a few people here. And this goes without saying, but these characters descriptions are reliant on the fact that the child units are not related to each other, otherwise they'd obviously be different.

Artiya, child of Byleth. Given Byleth's own mysterious childhood that still remains shrouded in mystery, they make sure to always keep their child Artiya close at hand, just as Jeralt did with them. Of course, they're grateful that Artiya happens to have a bit more emotion to them--though to Byleth's chagrin, this makes it easy for their opponents to manipulate them. As such, Byleth has decided to keep their child's ancestry a secret--though Seteth, Rheya, and Flayn are always close at hand, as their family.

Blue Lions

Albus, son of Dimitri. Despite making peace with his own demons, Dimitri's precocious son Albus was quick to read his mind, and just like his father, shouldered the burdens of his family, vowing to always protect them. Thankfully, Albus lacks Dimitri's killer instinct, but has regrettably inherited his bad dancing, making him easily flustered at social gatherings, and will frequently ask Matilda for assistance, and Dedue is more than happy to embarass himself if it means protecting Albus and Dimitri's honor.

Lonato, son of Ashe. When Lonato was born, Ashe knew immediately that he wanted to name him after the man who cared for him so deeply. As the new head of House Gaspard, he was expected to teach Lonato about the mannerisms of being a ruler, though Lonato--much to Ashe's pleasure--was more concerned about sincerity than charm, and vowed to become a knight and leader worthy of his father's legacy. Rumor has it that an archer in Faerghus looks identical to Lonato, and they occasionally swap lives out of Lonato's altruism and the archer's natural eloquence.

Felicity, daughter of Felix. Unlike her father, who has his own history with Dimitri, Felicity is quite proud to be the friend of Albus. It was mentioned once that when they sparred, they were like bolts of lightning in the sky--and that Felicity outmatched him and the prince developed an interest in magic instead of physical weapons. Ever the tactful one, she kept the prince's interest a secret and helped him to hone his craft in every physical weapon known to man. This inspired her to become a teacher herself, aiding youths in the kingdom who couldn't afford a formal education in the field of combat.

Johanna, daughter of Sylvain. Extremely beautiful, she was the exact opposite of her father in virtually every other way: she was studious, had chaste romances, and was more awkward than charming. Worried that she'd be raised to be seen as a bride-to-be similar to his own childhood, Sylvain taught her a great deal about self-worth and understanding that love should be earned, not bought with titles or prestige. Johanna took this to heart, being a sweet and kind friend to all those who needed it.

Black Eagles

Gisila, daughter of Edelgard. Raised as the heir to the empire, her life has been under strict supervision, whether she likes it or not. Despite Edelgard's best attempts to educate her about equality, Gisila's inborn talents and intelligence has made her believe all the more in a rigid hierarchy. She isn't afraid to use dirty tactics to reach her goals--namely manipulation, especially blackmail--but this isn't to say that she doesn't care about others. Those in the empire revere her as a goddess on earth, despite her mother's attempts to dissuade any future churches rising and becoming corrupt in the way she views Seiros.

Alaric, son of Hubert, is just as dangerous and sneaky as his father--only his social skills and deception are much better. He knows how to put a smile on your face before establishing the finishing blow, but unlike his father, has no issue letting the royal family do their own dirty work if they wish to. His upbringing revolves around the royals, and he has no problem with this, given that it brings him power and prestige. Ironically however, he has found himself to be a somewhat devout man, twisted as he may be, and has his own personal morals that he refuses to compromise.

Talia, daughter of Linhardt, is just as much a voracious reader (and insatiable sleeper) as her father, which has earned her the moniker "The Sleeping Scholar." However, she has mastered breathing techniques to make it difficult to tell when exactly she's asleep and when she's pretending. Just like her father, she desires an easy life and often tries to play neutral party--though this sometimes results in her having to be a double agent. Of course, in contrast to her father, she does have some feelings of respect for her house, though her power does more than enough as the next leader of House Hevring.

Wolfgang, son of Dorothea, is the most talented muscician in the realm. Trained expertly by Manuela and his mother, his voice has a siren-like quality, as well as having learned to play instrument he has been introduced to--though he has a fondness for the piano. He cares greatly for his image and prefers performing to studying, but despite his vapid first impression, he is shown to be quite capable and kind to others.

Orion, son of Petra, is a master of linguistics. Never truly forgiving Fodlan for having made his mother a political hostage in her youth, he generally stays in Brigid unless on a political mission. He doesn't have much to say, but know that he understands everything everyone else says!

Golden Deer

Matilda, daughter of Claude, is strangely even-tempered--most of the time. While she often conducts herself with grace and ease befitting her father, she does carry some of his troublesome traits. When she really gets in the mood, she carries out wild and seemingly self-destructive plans that risk a great deal. Even her father is worried by her recklessness. Of course, her schemes always turn out for the best, and she doesn't do them often, so most everyone lets them slide.

Gaston, son of Hilda, is the most handsome brute you'll ever find. However, he's a rose with sharp thorns; he'll only surround himself with those he views beneficial to his station, often trying to seduce nobles of higher rank than him. He doesn't have too many friends, but those who he chooses to befriend will have his undying loyalty--unless you come between him and his shallow goals, of course.

Helena, daughter of Lysithea, is...a disappointment. In contrast to her prodigy of a mother, Helena is completely average in her studies. Lysithea believes it's because she refuses to apply herself, but Helena always manages to divert her attention by having the servants make her something sweet--or cooking it herself. Hmm, perhaps Helena is exceptional, just in a different field than anyone could've foreseen.

Luther, son of Marianne, is just as quiet as his mother, albeit not as pessimistic. He's taken to the Church, having found solace in their divine teachings, and is a delight to be around. His softspoken voice makes him easy to approach, and as most don't know about his crest they feel comfortable being around him. He's noted as a great and wise friend, though some wish he was more outgoing.

Lorelai, daughter of Lorenz, the most fashionable woman in the realm. Inheriting her father's flair for the dramatic, she is seldom seen without a rose in her hair, similar to the rose he keeps clsoe to his chest. She always flaunts her status (though usually without malice), and embraces the hierarchy in Fodlan, though she often speaks out about the cruelty to those of a lower status. She and Gaston get along quite well.

3 Hopes

Dianthus, child of Shez, is about as different from their parent as you may expect. They abhorr their parent's mercenary past and are a stickler for the rules, leading to a strain in their relationship. However, due to Shez's protectiveness over them and Dianthus's compassion for others keeps them together. They place their comrades' safety at the priority, and has a somewhat naive look on life, putting them somewhat at odds with the world leaders.

Lemme know what you think! At some point, I'll probably add an Ashen Wolf child unit or two, or perhaps another member of the 3 main houses.

[lochnessies]

I know that I'm a bit late, but the discourse about Rodrigue and Gilbert as bad fathers, I've seen it (although with a lessen extent) with Ingrid's father too. But precisely Ingrid's conflict is resolved when she talks with him. So, I don't know if again it's the fandom making Faerghus worst than it really is, when you can clearly see bad parents from the empire and the alliance and nothing is said about them, or it's because Rodrigue and Gilbert can be actually relevant to the story.

i’ve seen count galatea be dragged through the dirt before *cough* teatg *cough* but to a lesser extent than others since he makes no physical appearance. 3h definitely has a lot of weird parental relationships now that i think about it

here’s my take of all father characters in 3h in no particular order:

seteth: wonderful father that has spent 1k years taking care of his baby. maybe a bit protective but considering what he’s been through i don’t blame him. plus he and flayn talk and come to an agreement.

alois: 10/10 no red flags just wish we knew more about his wife and daughter

ludwig: shitty man but ferdie seems to love him. i suppose he was alright to his child and saved his nastier side for others

edmund: bro why did u think telling ur daughter to be afraid of herself was a good idea. this is frozen all over agin

king of almyra: implied to have consorts other than tiana so that takes him down a peg in my eyes. plus claude seems a bit miffed about some of his childhood due to his parenting. probably not intentionally abusive but i would keep an eye on him

mr. victor: kinda an ass ngl he knows his son doesn’t want to be a knight yet pushes him into it anyway.

gloucester: same as ludwig

vestra: a serial killer but definitely a better man than hubert gives him credit for. kinda ironic that he drilled imperial obedience into his kid and is in turn killed by said child for disobeying the crown.

galatea: seems like a nice guy who cares for his daughter. once they get to talking things smooth over.

rodrigue: good dad 9.5/10. the man has the patience of a saint to deal with felix’s melodrama.

lambert: nothing but good things are said and dimitri loved him very much. sad he got chopped

gilbert: i give him a 5/10. good dad while in the kingdom but let his grief cloud his judgment for what was best for him and his family. for that i’ll have to dock off five points

gautier: inheritance by crest is a flawed system but so is by sex or birth but at least his has some logic behind it. maybe could have given miklan some consolation money or land but i don’t blame him for kicking the man out. i would have done it sooner

ionius: nothing he says lines up with the timeline and edelgard implies that part of her reasons for being Like That is due to him grooming her beliefs. plus he had a harem and liked schoolgirls so… ew

lonato: once an honorable man who let his ignorance and grief over his terrorist kid cloud his judgement and was willing to kill his adopted one. i’ll give him a five like gilbert

bartels: dude literally wanted to marry his stepdaughter. -10/10

[nanigma]

Blue Lions Translation Chapter 3

Okay, these things take a long time for me to put out, because I mostly get my translation vibe on in the evening. And I work most evenings these days.

If you really enjoy my work and can afford to throw some spare change my way, here is a link to my ko-fi account.

My comments in italics

Starting out with the Exploration Dialogue, cause the mission briefing scene is the exact same for all houses.

Exploration

Dimitri

Dimitri: Even when there's no chance to win, there are situations where you simply have to draw your sword and fight.

Dimitri: However, this case seems far too excessive... Lord Lonato is not that much of a fool.

Dimitri: … If he had enough allies to make his rebellion a decisive one, it would be a different matter of course.

[Choose: Allies?] and [Choose: What do you mean?]

Dimitri: … Ah, no.... it was an idle thought. It's just, there's definitely something suspicious about this.

Dimitri: Even if we are only dealing with the aftermath, something unexpected can always happen. Please make sure to be thorough in your preparations, Professor.

English has Dimitri refer to some vague preparations already being in place in his first sentence, whereas the Japanese more clearly refers to them only being supposed to be there for the aftermath. 

Dedue

Dedue: His Highness is strong. However, no matter how skilled, if he takes to the front lines, anything may happen to him.

Dedue: … He is a great man that Faerghus absolutely cannot afford to lose.

Dedue: I wonder if the church understands this.

Two things to point out here about how Dedue refers to Dimitri here. First he uses あの方 (ano kata) for him, which is very polite and respectful way to talk about someone in the third person. 方 (person, in this case) is the more polite form of  人 (hito), which can also mean person, but usually in a more human/man/woman kind of way.  Now Dedue uses  方 twice in this sentence and that is to refer to Dimitri also as an お方 (okata), which again is a highly respectful term. Suggested translations are often gentlemen/lady, though the connotations obviously don’t fit in this case. Too bad the English translation didn’t incorporate this moment of fanboyism. :(

Felix

Felix: … Catherine, huh? Her excellent technique, the sword she wields....

Felix: Hm... Apparently, she hides her past so thoroughly, it seems not even fragments of it are known.

Felix: I suggest you also make her your sparring partner. She is strong... likely stronger than even you.

Ashe

Ashe: …...

Ashe: Professor, there has to be some mistake. The thought that Lord Lonato would be raising an army is simply...

Ashe: … He didn’t say anything even to me.

Sylvain

Sylvain: Professor, did you see Felix around? He's always had a habit of vanishing the second I take my eyes off him.

[Choose: I saw him at the training grounds] +Support with Sylvain

Sylvain: Well, just as I thought. Sorry, Professor. Thanks for helping me out!

[Choose: I saw him at the dining hall]

Sylvain: Oh, is that so? Sorry, Professor. … At any rate, he must be eating there by himself, I am sure.

English is simple (which just has him go “Right, it’s meal time”), but I feel the Japanese line implies that he was planning on inviting Felix to eat with him and is disappointed to be told he already went ahead.

Mercedes

Mercedes: I heard rumours regarding Lord Lonato. They say he is a very kind and gentle lord.

Mercedes: I really wonder why such a kind man would suddenly raise an army...?

Mercedes: Ah, by the way, Professor. Didn't you work late again yesterday? Pushing yourself isn't good for you.

Mercedes: People who stay up late will have a ghost rise up from the bottom of their well and... Just kidding.

I am sure everyone is familiar with Japanese ghosts and their association with wells. Most famous of the older stories is probably Okiku.

Annette

Annette: This time we have to help out the knights, correct? Could that mean...

Annette: … Ah, no, I am sorry! It's just, someone I am looking for might be among the knights.

[Choose: Is he a knight?]

Annette: Yes. If he is here, most likely... it's just a possibility, he might also be among the monks.

Now I am imagining Gilbert with a tonsure.

[Choose: It would be nice if you could meet him] +Support with Annette

Annette: Thank you so much, Professor! I'll definitely catch him someday...!

Ingrid

Ingrid: I simply cannot understand why His Highness would allow someone from Duscur at his side.

Ingrid: 4 years ago, they committed treason by killing the king and slaughtered all of the innocent soldiers and knights accompanying him.    

Ingrid: Even if His Highness forgives them, I cannot do so... ever.

Ingrid interestingly uses the term 弑逆し (shiigyakushi) here, which refers to killing your own lord or father. This would imply Duscur was already some kind of vassal state to Faerghus, but from what we know Duscur was independant before the Tragedy. (I checked the books in the library on this in Japanese) Feels like a weird inconsistency.

Scene: Into the Fog

Dimitri: Being able to accompany “Thunder Catherine”, famed for her bravery... haha, it is quite an honour.

[Choose: Thunder?] and [Choose: Thunderbird?]

Okay, this is a bit of a word joke that the English decided to skip out on entirely rather than come up with an alternative. So Catherine's relic is simply named “Thunder” (雷霆 raitei) in Japanese, netting her the nickname “Thunder Catherine”. The first response would simply be Byleth wanting to clarify this. The second response implies they also didn't even listen too closely to Dimitri and heard something different: Thunderbird ( 雷鳥  raichou)... or better known to us as the real life bird species “ptarmigan”, whose Japanese name uses the kanji for thunder and bird. Sadly, this slip up doesn't change any dialogue and the localization didn’t have a joke here..

Catherine: Hm, you don't know? This is “Thunder”... It is one of the Heroes' Relics.

Catherine: A very long time ago, the goddess granted her power to ten heroes... It took the form of these Relics that were passed down to their descendants.

Catherine: Although tempting, there won't be a chance to swing Thunder this time. After all, our duty is to deal with the aftermath.

Sidenote, but Catherine uses the pronoun “atashi” for herself, which is typically considered extremely girly or even childish. It is also written in katakana, which makes it stand out more and implies a “rougher” pronounciation.

[If Ashe is alive]

Ashe: … Why would Lord Lonato start such a reckless uprising?

Catherine: Shouldn't you be the one with more details on this, Ashe?

Ashe: I don't understand. He didn't tell me anything about this...

Dimitri: … I am sure Lord Lonato didn't want you to get involved in his revenge.

[Choose: How are Ashe and Lord Lonato related?]

Ashe: Lord Lonato adopted me and raised me like he would a true son.

Another interesting side note: Japan didn't do what we consider adoption for a big part of it's history. Rather, it was mostly common to do for those without a male heir. One way had them finding a suitable husband for their daughter (usually one without an inheritance of his own), then adopted their new son-in-law into the family, so their name could be passed on. The other way involved adopting a distant relative.

What this means is that Japanese media often handles adoption plots a bit weird from what we know. So Ashe is super formal when talking about and to his ostensible father figure, as well as his role as a commoner being far more emphasized than his adoption by nobility. Japan really isn't as gung ho about “Blood doesn't matter” when it comes to family as the western world is. The relationship between adoptive kids and parents often feels more like a benefactor with his beneficiary.

Ashe: He was also a kind, great man. And yet still... This must have something do with my adoptive brother...

In relation to the above, the term Ashe uses to refer to Christophe here is more commonly seen when adressing one's brother-in-law.

[Choose: Revenge?] or [Continuing]

Catherine: Hey, Byleth. Do you know about the Tragedy of Duscur?

[Choose: I've heard about it] and [Choose: I have no idea]

Catherine: Well, it's the name of an incident from 4 years ago, where the King of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus was killed by the people of Duscur, but...

Dimitri: ...I do not mind. Catherine, please continue.

Catherine: Lord Lonato's son, Christoph, was executed by the church on charges of being involved in the incident.

[Choose: The church executes criminals..?]  

Catherine: From the church's perspective,  in place of the still chaotic kingdom, we passed judgement that did not exceed the doctrine.

[Choose: Why was the king targeted?]

Dimitri: …......

Catherine: It was known that King Lambert planned to implement large scale reforms and he had a lot of political enemies.

[Continuing]

Catherine: … Whatever the truth, since then, Lord Lonato has held a grudge against the church.

Catherine: No... it would be more accurate to say that he has a grudge against the church and the one who handed him over to the church...

Church Soldier: Report! The enemy is drawing closer! There is no way to avoid them!

Church Soldier: The enemy forces were much greater than expected and because of the mist, they managed to slip through the knights' siege on them!

Catherine: Oh... Byleth, our mission has changed. Everyone, prepare for battle!

During Battle

Skipping most of Catherine's dialogue

Dimitri: There's shouting coming from within the fog... it appears the knights have already started the battle.

[Reacting to killing militia]

Ashe: Even the townspeople were sent to battle...!? Lord Lonato... why would you...!

Dimitri: Ugh... I am sorry... This is not something that can be forgiven... !

In English Dimitri seems to target this last bit at the civilians, but to me this here sounds more like he is directing it at Lonato for sending them into battle.

Ashe vs. Lonato

Lonato: Ashe... stand aside. I have to defeat the wicked ones! Without fail!  

Ashe: Lord Lonato... please stop this now! Why would you do something so reckless?

Lonato: Rhea is an infidel that deceives the people and blasphemes against the goddess. With a cause this great, we surely possess the divine protection of the goddess.

Ashe: Even if you say that, all of this is wrong. How could you mobilize even the townsfolk!

Lonato: … In that case, turn your blade against me without hesitation! I cannot turn back at this point!

Dimitri vs. Lonato

Lonato: I deeply apologize, Your Highness... To think I would come to cross swords with you...

Dimitri: … Lord Lonato. I sympathize with your resentment to an extent.

Dimitri is being extremely formal here, using the pronoun “貴公" (kikou) to address Lonato. It's a very archaic term (aka. Samurai old), normally used by men to refer to other men that are equal or below them in rank. He is already pretty formal usually, but this shows he turns it up a notch when dealing with kingdom affairs.

Dimitri: I have no wish to take you down, but... I apologize.

Lonato: Your Highness... For my son, for the sake of the people, I simply cannot stop here.

Lonato: If it is your wish to stand in my way, then I can only force you aside...

Scene: A Harsh Reality 

[If Ashe is alive]

Ashe: ... Why did something like this happen. Even though Lord Lonato used to be such a kind man.

Ashe: The townsfolk were all such good people too... And yet, these people... I killed them.

Ashe: There was nothing... There was nothing else we could do. I know that, but I... !

Dimitri: ... Please, don't push yourself, Ashe.

Ashe: ... I apologize for making you worry.

Ashe: ... I will take a moment to assess the situation in town. I just hope my younger siblings are okay...

[He leaves]

Dimitri: … For me this was also the first time I fought against citizens. I did it, even though protecting them is my duty.

[If Ashe is dead]

Dimitri: There were militiamen among the enemies. … For me this was the first time I fought against citizens.

[Continuing]

[Choose: It was an unavoidable sacrifice] and [Choose: That's just reality]

Dimitri: … These people were neither knights nor soldiers! They were not just people to be... killed.

Dimitri: No... I am sorry. It is not right to blame you.

Dimitri: Indeed, if we had not killed them, many more citizens may have lost their lives in the future.

Dimitri: I can understand this logically. But still... Hey, Professor.

Dimitri: In any era, the people in power always fight and howl at each other for the sake of some greater cause or to avenge the lives that were trampled upon.

Dimitri: Still... can any loss of life be forgiven, so long as you hold up the two words saying “Greater Cause”?

In Japanese, it's 'the two characters' that make up the word 'taigi' (greater cause).

Dimitri: Lord Lonato did not raise his blade out of self-interest, but for the sake of the justice he dedicated himself to.

Dimitri: Maybe if we didn't cut them down like that, we might have found some other way together...

Dimitri: I ... have to think that. Though maybe you’ll just tell me I am downplaying it and laugh at me.

[Switch back to Catherine with some dialogue common to all routes]

[iturbide]

Hfjdhjf can I please have more information?? I think the reason I managed to float by so spoiler free was half because up until recently I never was super interested in Three Houses, and my knowledge was limited to what I was told about the routes. WHICH WAS APPARENTLY VERY LIMITED. V E R Y.

friend of course you can have more information

legit though I am so impressed that you’ve managed to stay spoiler free regardless of the context, I am massively spoiled for fandoms I’m not even in and yet you’re managing to come at it fresh like I did when I started my Golden Deer playthrough.

also this came in and frankly your wish is my command

But okay.  So.

Dimitri is honestly fascinating and a tragic, deeply flawed character in his own right.  But understanding his break requires backstory.  His mom died when he was still pretty young due to a plague that swept through Faerghus, and when he was around ten his father re-married an Imperial woman named Patricia von Arundel (who is also Edelgard’s mother, hence the step-siblings thing).  Edelgard, as it happens, had come to the Kingdom with her mother and uncle, Volkhart von Arundel, in order to escape the chaos caused by the Insurrection of the Seven, where the Imperial nobles seized power from the Emperor (Edelgard’s father), and the two became friends: she taught him to dance during the three-ish years she was in the Kingdom, and just before she left Dimitri gifted her a dagger, symbolic in the Kingdom of a hope for someone to cut their own path forward.

Two years later, Dimitri’s life basically becomes hell.  While he and his family are traveling through the neighboring lands of Duscur, their caravan is attacked: his father Lambert and his bodyguard Glenn are both brutally murdered, his step-mother goes missing, and he is the sole survivor.  He witnessed the people responsible, but although he tried to tell people what happened, the people of Duscur were blamed for the attack, and the genocide soon followed.  The whole incident came to be known as the Tragedy of Duscur, and it left Dimitri with massive trauma that went completely unaddressed: he suffers from survivor’s guilt and PTSD, he completely lost all sense of taste, he’s had a constant headache since the incident...oh, and also he sees hallucinations of the people who died.  So there’s that.

Now, because Dimitri was only 14 at the time and he couldn’t take the Faerghus throne until he reached his majority at 18, his uncle Rufus stepped in as regent in the meantime.  Rufus is pretty fucking terrible!  In fact, he sent Dimitri at age 16 to go put down a rebellion in Western Faerghus -- and again, Dimitri is a traumatized teenager who’s been getting no help or support.  The people around him, notably Gilbert and Felix’s father Rodrigue, are trying to foster him into the next King of Faerghus rather than tending to his very real mental and emotional needs following the events of Duscur, so Dimitri has been silently bottling up all of his problems for the better part of two years.  He...kind of snaps during that rebellion, and it ends up as a brutal slaughter; Felix bears witness to it, and ever after he treats Dimitri like a wild animal, calling him a beast and a boar.

This is all just piling on the trauma, as you probably noticed.  He manages to hold it together and keep up a calm exterior, though he’s deeply afraid of the darkness within him, and does his utmost to bury it and keep it under control.  At age 17 he comes to Garreg Mach, and over the course of the school year things just get progressively worse: he starts slipping and growing more violent over the course of repeated encounters with the Flame Emperor, since he recognizes the masked mages from the attack on his family’s caravan in Duscur and believes that the Flame Emperor must have been responsible for the Tragedy.  But he pretty much snaps during the revelation at the Holy Tomb, where Edelgard is unmasked as the Flame Emperor -- in the Blue Lions route, he literally crushes an Imperial soldier’s skull with his bare hands in his attempts to get at Edelgard.  It’s shocking, especially since up to that point the super strength that came from his Crest was played for laughs more than anything else.

He continues slipping in the weeks leading up to the attack on Garreg Mach, publicly alluding to his hallucinations and how they whisper to him and vowing to take Edelgard’s head himself.  CF is the only route where he actually stays pretty sane, so we’re going to focus on non-CF routes: in the battle for the monastery, Edelgard’s forces end up victorious, and he’s forced back to Faerghus, expecting to take the throne and rally a counterstrike against her...only to arrive and be accused of regicide when it’s revealed that his uncle Rufus has been viciously murdered.  Cornelia (who is, in fact, a Twisted agent) takes power in the Kingdom and basically hands it off to Edelgard as the ‘Dukedom of Faerghus,’ then orders Dimitri be imprisoned and later executed; but before he can be killed, his vassal Dedue manages to break him out of prison, though the escape attempt apparently costs him his life (he can be saved by other Duscur survivors depending on the results of an earlier paralogue, though -- the important point is that Dimitri thinks Dedue is dead).  After that, Dimitri spends the next four-ish years wandering alone in the Faerghus forests, the isolation exacerbating his already poor mental health until he’s openly conversing with his hallucinations; he also starts attacking Imperial forces he comes across in Faerghus and basically ripping them apart, leading to a lot of rumors about a wild beast on the loose.  Also, somewhere in this five year span he loses an eye.  No, we have no idea how.  Fandom burns for answers.

Now, Dimitri’s fate varies significantly depending on playthrough here.  In Silver Snow and Verdant Wind, he’s literally consumed by his rage and guilt and his desire for vengeance on behalf of those taken from him, and he ends up dying in pursuit of it.  In Azure Moon, he’s lost any real ability to tell reality from hallucination, and believes even Byleth is nothing more than a figment; he continues his single-minded pursuit of Edelgard, committing atrocities of his own and admitting to being nothing but a base murderer, the beast Felix accused him of being so long ago.  But eventually, through the intervention of Byleth and his classmates, he starts to come around a little more -- though it takes Rodrigue’s death and his final words, encouraging him to live for himself rather than those who have already gone, to really wake him up and get him moving forward.  The game takes the turn a little fast, but it’s still really touching to see Dimitri coming back from the edge and recognizing the importance of his own desires.  The campaign continues, they retake Fhirdiad, there’s a parley with Edelgard where she refuses to back down and continues to insist that war is the only option, things get crazy with the final boss like holy shit, but in the end after Edelgard’s been defeated, Dimitri offers his hand to her...and her final act is to throw the dagger he gifted her when they were children at him, and he instinctively kills her in retaliation.

Look, Dimitri doesn’t come out of this smelling like roses.  He killed a lot of people in very, very violent ways.  But he recognizes that what he did, even if he wasn’t mentally sound at the time, was pretty atrocious and spends the rest of his life seeking peace with as little bloodshed as possible.

But okay I have gone on for a long time about Dimitri so if you’re still here, congratulations let’s talk about my favorite Lord.

Claude is a mystery wrapped in an enigma.  That’s literally how he’s presented in the game, and it’s great.  He’s sociable, amiable, friendly, mischievous, and has a reputation as a schemer.  He jokes about his own reputation a lot, especially when he’s called out, but he’s wickedly smart, especially where tactics, information gathering, puzzles, and secrets are concerned.  We literally go through the whole first half of the game getting only the tiniest hints about him personally and what his aspirations are -- we don’t even know where he came from, he legit just showed up out of the blue when Duke Riegan named Claude as his heir -- and meanwhile he’s out there trying to unravel the mystery behind Crests, the Church, and the Flame Emperor -- and while he doesn’t manage to succeed before the timeskip hits, he manages to uncover an alarming amount of information.  Also, despite his reputation as an untrustworthy trickster, he cares deeply about the people around him and does his best to keep them safe, even if it means resorting to underhanded (but ultimately non-lethal) methods.

Once we hit the timeskip, we find out more of the secrets that he’s been hiding.  For context, Fodlan’s neighbor to the east is Almyra, and relations between the two nations have been...tense, to say the least: a few hundred years ago Almyra invaded Fodlan and a bad time was had by all.  In order to prevent it from happening again, the Alliance built a fortress called Fodlan’s Locket in the pass connecting the two nations (the pass being called Fodlan’s Throat).  Presently, the Alliance is headed by a communal council of nobles from the major families, who meet at regular round tables in order to debate business that affects their territories and pass legislature; the round table is headed by Duke Riegan, who had two children, a son set to inherit the title and a daughter who went mysteriously missing years ago.  Unfortunately, House Riegan and House Gloucester have never been on the best of terms, and when Duke Riegan’s heir was attacked and killed on the road while traveling to visit Duke Gloucester, there were a lot of rumors that Lorenz’s dad might have been involved, though nothing was ever proven in that regard.  It left Duke Riegan in a tough spot, though, since he was getting on in years and suddenly had no heir...at which point, Claude ‘miraculously’ steps in with his Crest and is named heir to House Riegan.

Turns out?  Duke Riegan’s daughter didn’t go missing: she eloped with an Almyran.  And that Almyran, as it turns out, became king of Almyra.  So Claude’s an Almyran prince.  Turns out, he didn’t exactly have a great time growing up, though: Almyrans view the people of Fodlan as cowardly and weak, so they viewed Claude’s mom as such...and Claude himself, too, since he was half-Fodlan.  No matter how much he argued or fought, it never seemed to matter.  He got bullied a lot, and started picking up tactics and poison mixing as ways to defend himself...but more than anything, he hated how small-minded Almyrans were when it came to him and his mother.  Then Duke Riegan’s heir died, and his grandfather reached out to his daughter, hoping to have Claude tested for a Crest -- which, as it happens, he bore.  Claude was so excited, believing that things in Fodlan would be different, better...

...and instead, he found that things in Fodlan were exactly like they were in Almyra.  People hated him for half his heritage -- just this time, it was for his ‘savage’ Almyran half instead of his ‘cowardly’ Fodlan half.  It was hilarious, in a sad way, how alike the people of Fodlan and Almyra were when it came to hating things they didn’t know...and that was how he decided on his goal.  What Claude wants to do is destroy the borders between people and forge understanding between them.  He found through hard experience that people always fear the outsider -- but if you break down the walls, there’s no ‘inside’ or ‘outside’ anymore.  There’s just people.  What he wants to do is unify the Alliance, then Fodlan, then perhaps even the world...not through force or subjugation, but by bringing them together, uniting them through what they share in common and helping them understand and find value in their differences.  His aspiration is to ensure that no one has to suffer like he did growing up.

And so, once things are all settled in Fodlan (and he’s assured that he managed to achieve his goal in small scale with his friends in the Alliance), he leaves Byleth in charge, forgoes leadership in the Alliance, and heads back to Almyra to continue working toward that aspiration.  He becomes the king of Almyra so that he can start working toward that larger goal from the other side of the border, intending to open roads toward peaceful diplomacy and trade with Fodlan.  He knows their bonds are strong, even when they’re apart, and he knows that they’ll all be reunited someday.  Also Claude is the only Lord who has the possibility to live in all routes (barring Silver Snow but he’s only listed as ‘missing’ not ‘dead’ so I hold out hope) which I think says a heck of a lot about how great he is.  He’s just so good and so kind and cares so much about people and he makes my heart warm and yes I’m done yelling about how much I love Claude for a moment.

So hopefully that fills you in a little on the other Lords at least in part please enjoy my novel-length ramble.

[goldguile-a]

okay, helena von riegan, a post at long last... 

pls note this absolute unit hc is based off discussions with @reztactics, so if the idea of posthumous canon character/oc based around a character who very definitely exists and is alive but we don’t see them bothers you, please replace said canon characters with just generic faerghus noblemen. this got lengthy so uh... under the cut it goes!

helena von riegan... godfrey von riegan’s younger sister by two years. while godfrey inherited the major crest of riegan, helena didn’t inherit a crest at all. 

sovereign duke edgar von riegan saw an opportunity-- with godfrey secure as his heir, he could use his daughter to gain even more influence and power for house riegan by marrying her off to a family who lacked a crest of their own. 

while not nearly as bad as bernadetta’s parents, edgar primarily raised his daughter with the intent of selling her as a product: the perfect bride, complete with a crest for any children she produces to inherit. she was taught to be seen and not heard, to be gentle and demure and ladylike, to attend to her lord husband’s every need with nary a complaint-- while godfrey learned archery, she learned to dance. when he would sit in on roundtable conferences to observe their workings, helena was made to embroider or play music. ( she enjoyed the music, to an extent. ) 

this fragile porcelain doll was not helena von riegan in the slightest. she was a sweet girl, friendly to all she met... but loud. rambunctious. wild. opinionated and unafraid to show it. she wished to learn to fight alongside her brother and support him when he became sovereign duke, and argued with their father often over being sold off like a pretty little trinket. godfrey would often step in to mediate and shield his little sister from their father’s anger, but there was only so much he could do-- especially with his time to study at garreg mach monastery fast approaching. ( he would be made leader of that year’s golden deer house. )

this led to an idea on godfrey’s part: framing it carefully, he presented the idea of helena accompanying him to garreg mach to ‘learn’ to be a proper lady from her peers. perhaps if she could find a suitable match at the monastery she could get along with, she would settle down. edgar considered it for a long while, but agreed. he sent a sizable donation to the church with a letter requesting his daughter be taught alongside everyone else, but not to allow her to join in on the class missions. while it at least got helena away from their father, godfrey lamented the circumstances in which she was being limited. while he truly wished to rectify house riegan’s failings and give his sister the freedom she deserved, there was little he could do with their father in the way. 

where godfrey lamented, helena bloomed. she made friends with judith von daphnel while godfrey grew close with prince lambert egitte blaiddyd and rodrigue achille fraldarius of the blue lions... and presumably the leader of the black eagles, but i dunno who led the class. a prominent noble at the time, most likely. when she learned she wasn’t allowed to join her class on missions for practical battle experience, she took to training with judith anyways and bothering her brothers’ friends to help her too. determined to keep pace with her classmates, even with so few experiences to partake in a real fight, helena trained on. she noted she had particular skill with a sword and chased that skill, honing it whilst her brother focused on archery-- he would inherit failnaught someday, after all.

she soon found herself developing a very big crush on lambert. they took to training together, one on one, frequently. sparring sessions grew intense, and helena promised herself that the day she could best him in a practice match would be the day she confessed her feelings to lambert. the day came, she won, and the two became a couple. godfrey expressed concern-- a man as obsessed with his image as their father would explode at the thought of a daughter of riegan consorting with the blaiddyds, given their house spearheaded the crescent moon war and won leicester’s independence. helena boldly declared she didn’t care. godfrey agreed to keep the relationship from their father, dearly wanting his sister to know some measure of happiness. 

unfortunately for helena, word got out nonetheless. an opportunistic noble of the golden deer house had set his sights on marrying her and earning his family that crest. determined to curry favour with edgar, he wrote to the sovereign duke shortly after the ball, detailing how helena had arrived on lambert’s arm, wearing kingdom colours ( her dress was blue ) and dancing the night away with the prince-- and that the duo had disappeared from the ballroom not long after. ( in truth, they had gone to the goddess tower to make a wish: knowing their relationship likely could not last, the couple wished instead to remain friends until the very end. no matter what happened. ) 

edgar, as godfrey feared, was furious. within a matter of days he arrived at the monastery, located the dorms, and marched on up to his daughter’s room to pull her out of school. literally. he grabbed her by the wrist to drag her to a waiting carriage, planning to have the school send back whatever personal belongings were left behind. the grounds were alive with the sound of edgar angrily berating his daughter for embarrassing him and helena’s protests, demands, and humiliated begging for her father to let her go. the scene was only stopped by the appearance of a knight of seiros ( i personally like the idea of it being jeralt, but it doesn’t have to be. ) who came to the teenager’s aid and escorted the belligerent sovereign duke off school grounds. 

the incident would be another small stain on house riegan’s honour, a minor scandal talked about the lords and ladies of the alliance for days. lambert and helena ended their relationship by the end of the year, and the group of companions went their separate ways. lambert would ascend the throne and thankfully marry for love. rodrigue became known as the shield of faerghus. judith bloomed into a brilliant hero, and the von riegans returned home. godfrey resumed his preparations to become the next duke riegan. helena... was confined to the estate. while godfrey had smoothed things over a little with their father, the older man’s rage had not entirely subsided. it was difficult, but with judith’s help she managed to keep in touch with lambert all the same. the letters were sporadic, but a comfort.

and to helena’s horror, she soon found herself engaged to the very man who wrote to her father after the ball. unable to stomach the thought of marrying someone clearly only interested in sleeping with her and potentially getting the crest of riegan into their bloodline out of the deal, helena made a decision: she would run away from home, never to return. so long as godfrey was around house riegan would be set back on the proper path. there was no need to worry. no matter what happened, anything had to be better than this. 

judith smuggled her out of house riegan’s estate, disguised as a simple soldier among the reinforcements edgar was sending to house goneril against the almyran forces ( holst had not yet been born or was still a toddler at best. ) from there, helena found herself engaged in battle with the almyran forces. it was exhilerating. it was freeing. it was her or them, and with the wind in curly dark hair and the clash of metal as blade met blade, she felt alive. 

eventually, she would go on to cross blades with the man who would go on to be known as nader the undefeated. impressed by the woman’s battle prowess and ability to keep up with him, the almyran general couldn’t help but strike up a conversation as they fought. when helena shared her story, an idea struck her: she could escape to almyra, far beyond edgar’s reach. she could start anew in the foreign kingdom, and never have to worry about anything ever again. to her surprise, nader agreed to take her back with him. 

also to her surprise, he turned out to be an almyran prince whose elder brother ascended the throne recently enough. king hasan amir shirazi was gracious, having heard an account of helena’s story from his brother, and offered her a place to stay in the castle. sparks flew between the king and the runaway, despite unease in the castle about a woman from fodlan being there, and soon bloomed into a passionate love... that would one day produce crown prince kian claude shirazi. 

helena is still alive today, and judith is the sole person who knows where she escaped off to. the two exchange letters where possible, and it is because of judith that helena learned of godfrey’s death in gloucester territory. she did not want to bring her son with her back to the alliance when she returned long enough to pay respects at her brother’s grave, but claude insisted. he wanted to come and see his mother’s homeland for herself... and elected to stay behind in order to learn more about the crest system, how it worked, and his mother’s people. helena returned home to almyra. she is currently there and living with claude’s father today. they are not married, hasan sympathizing with helena’s experiences with the concept of marriage. 

[randomnameless]

I realized something else since you just brought up the feudalism discussion.

Feudalism is defined by distinct classseperation.

However there are two characters who transcend this class system in game

Mercedes, who is to marry a Noble as a Commoner, and nobody bats an eyelash. Okay not to bad. Shes crested So its obviously for the crest

But the other character, Dorothea. She is allowed to shamelessly flirt, possibly even mingle with Nobles and wed them. Without any lashback.

Class system, that Edelgard apparently wants to abandon Where?

Well,

I'd say class separation is a staple, but imo what marks feudalism is the reciprocal obligations between a lord and its vassals. In a way, it's a two way contract.

A lord who doesn't rule/protect his vassals loses support and the right to order said vassals around.

A vassal who doesn't obey to his lord, send taxes, men and whatnot per his oath loses the right to be called a vassal, and the lord's protection, and well, the vassal is deposed.

In Fodlan?

We can have Lonato, a minor Lord of the Kingdom... mount an attack against the Church, and possibly fight - with intent to kill - his own crowned Prince!

If Fodlan was a feudal system, House Gaspard would have immediately be razed to the ground, and Ashe? Wouldn't have been allowed to hang out near Dimitri, he'd most likely be treated as a pariah by the Kingdom, he wasn't part of Lonato's rebellion, but Lonato brought "ruin" to his House, Ashe is part of said House, so Ashe loses.

Sylvain "women only want me for my crest and status :( "'s complains would be... completely worthless, because yes, you don't marry for "tru luf" in a feudal system. Houses and vassals try to be more and more important, so Sylvain would have had to marry someone of the same standing - because he has a crest and can offer the Gautier name - to a prospective bride who can... offer the same, more influence to the Gautier family.

Adding to this, I don't know how Faerghus deals with inheritence (crest first?) but if Sylvain is siring bastards right and left, he can possibly ruin his House if the only Gautier heir with a crest of Gautier was sired on Garreg Mach's local washer, and not on the prospective heiress of a certain family.

In the Empire though...

As you pointed out, the "feudalism :( " take makes even less sense, because Dorothea lives from her trade, without being a noble or a peasant or the daughter of a famous singer (maybe she is??). And as a "diva", she can marry into rich and aristocratic families, when she only brings... her looks and not much else, inheritence wise.

Maybe there are novels about doomed romances between nobles and commoners - but only Lorenz talks about it, when talking about his future brides, and even so, this issue is mostly averted because the war happens and we will never know what happens to Gloucester's county, or duchy, or whatever it is called.

Mercedes is even in a worse situation, if a Crest is apparently highly valuable... then why was her family disbanded, or why Papa Bartels didn't want to marry her to someone who had a higher position (or worse, give her to Ionius to gain status as a concubine's house) to upgrade the reputation and standing of House Bartels ?

Why treating Mercedes and Emile, all crested bearers, like shit when they are the gold nuggets in marriage discussions ? Apparently Emile was supposed to marry Constance?

The discussion about the "class system" is so shallow, when you want to tackle it seriously, that it's not really a discussion, but, imo, just something some people "parrot" because "reforms" - not realising that there is not a single class system in Fodlan because Fodlan is 3 countries (+ a monastery) and "Teh Emperor choses who's on top based on MERIT" is also a "class system" based on who is, per the Emperor, the most qualified at their job.