#grieth

[reallypheelingit]

drawing of Grieth the obelisk for @naphiatra !!

[fefuckability]

Qualifier 1: Shadows of Valentia

Feel free to rb and comment with your reasons!

[mocacci]

I'm doing the six characters challenge!

I started the challenge on instagram so most of the slots are taken, but there's one left!

First person to comment gets to decide the last character I draw.

The speedpaint and preview of the next character is below.

*Dramatic pause*🌼

[fe-smashorpass]

[fore-seer]

i believe with all my heart that chrom and celica would be friends

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Chapter 6 Part 1

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 6 - The Newly Reborn Kingdom of Zofia

Part 1 - His Name is Zeke

Princess Anthiese, the only successor of the Zofian royal family, was alive. That news reached the entire continent, spreading throughout not only Zofia, but also north to Rigel. The people sensed that it would have a large effect on both governments.

But though they knew Princess Anthiese was alive, that did not necessarily mean that the info passed onto them was correct. Grieth's brigand kingdom had now changed and become a mercenary kingdom led by the young mercenary Jesse. 

The information came from the easternmost village in Zofia - Atlas's village, which had become the go-between for Jesse's nation and Zofia. As it traveled from the villagers to peddlers to travelers, the details became distorted from the truth. According to the version most people believed, Grieth had been plotting to take over Zofia, imprisoning the princess and her gold circlet in his desert castle. Then, a group of holy fighters came from Novis Island, and worked with young mercenary king Jesse and his soldiers to free her.

The fact spread quickly that the holy fighters were known as Mila's Restoration Army and were led by Celica, but that fact that she was also Princess Anthiese was so far beyond what anyone could reasonably believe, that it was left out. It was proof of just how ingenious Mycen's plan had been from the very start, when he had taken her with him as a baby from the castle to safety.

And there was possibly a very specific reason why the princess's rescue was passed along as an epic hero's tale of Jesse's rather than giving Mila's Restoration Army the credit - it was all because of Jesse's spin on the story as a top-notch strategist.

But regardless of the exact details, Princess Anthiese was alive. That truth of course made Desaix tremble in fear. With this, the remaining members of the Knight of Zofia were fulou revitalized as the Deliverance. Now that Desaix had lost the castle, so long as he still had the western stronghold, the army that was once not even the smallest of threats to him was no longer just a thorn in his side, but a tumor that could prove fatal. And now that the people knew an heir to the throne was alive, they all passionately supported the Deliverance, multiplying those tumors to become countless in number.

And if Desaix was quaking in fear, then it was no exaggeration to imagine there were other people who felt that they were in danger as well - and those people were none other than those of the Rigel Empire, supporting Desaix from behind the scenes. If Desaix fell, the momentum would cause Rigel's entire plot to invade Zofia to unravel. The group that reacted the strongest to that danger was Rigel's border army, because they were the group at the greatest immediate risk.

-

A deep ravine filled with water separated the north and south of Valentia, forming the border between Zofia and Rigel. A single sturdy stone bridge was the only path that connected the two countries. At the northern end of the bridge was Rigel's border defense base, where a light shined bright in the strategy room. While their soldiers were fast asleep, two generals were still up, continuing their strategy meeting.

"The princess's survival has sharply increased the rebel army's morale. Desaix must be careful.” Said Jerome, a Gold Knight and the general of the border guard. He’d cut off a chunk of his own earlobe so that his helmet would fit on his head, creating his ghastly appearance and proving just how far he would go to climb the ranks of Rigel's army. His desire for a promotion was also why he volunteered to serve in the border guard.

Zeke, the second general in command of the border guard, having discussed most everything he had to talk about, was now sitting across from Jerome. He looked down at his glass. He had his hands around it, but had not drank even a single sip, staring at the corner of the room until this moment, appearing to be deep in thought.

Jerome hated Zeke. He hated that Emperor Rudolf favored this man so, and he hated that the emperor thought so little of him he went out of his way to appoint a second in command, even when Jerome said that he would be fine on his own.

And most of all, he hated that Zeke was a Gold Knight, yet of an utterly different beauty than him. Zeke had luscious, wavy blond hair that earned him the nickname "the Golden General," smooth cheeks that showed not a scar even after countless battles, and a mysterious air that hung around him like a thick dark forest and drew others in. But what was most alluring of all were his eyes that would look like that of a goddess', even though he was of the opposite sex.

Jerome hated all of it.

'If he was a girl, he'd be cute.' Jerome cursed in his head before saying, "What's the matter, Zeke? Something seems to be troubling you."

Zeke raised his head, finally snapping out of his dreamlike trance and taking a sip of his drink. He did not look at Jerome, but did speak. "I cannot help but feel that this battle is futile. Even more so now that we know the princess is alive."

Zeke had been skeptical about the invasion of Zofia from the first step of Emperor Rudolf's plot. Though he would never say it aloud, he felt that this invasion would not unify Valentia, but lead it towards utter destruction. 'If the princess is alive, shouldn't that change our plans?' He thought. 'Right now, couldn't we still successfully start over, and lay the foundation for friendly relations between our two nations? After all, isn't that what the people wish for? Not unification, but true coexistence?'

"Jerome, I think we should write a report to Emperor Rudolf and request he order Desaix to fall back within Rigel territory, so that he may join the border guard with us.” Zeke proposed.

Jerome twisted his battle-scarred lips into a smile. "What, have you lost your nerves? Are you afraid of Alm and his gang? Sugar-coating things won't help you now." Jerome said. "Perhaps you have forgotten what Emperor Rudolf said. He told us one thing, and one thing only. Crush Zofia. Nothing more, nothing less than those two exhilarating words."

Zeke had not forgotten that, of course. When Desaix decided to switch sides and was summoned to Rigel Castle, Emperor Rudolf showed his appreciation for Desaix's willingness to go this far for him by ordering him the honor of slaughtering every single member of the royal family. He did not even hesitate when he spoke the word to cut off all their heads, including the infants. Zeke remembered the moment in his head as if it had just happened yesterday, down to the cruel smile on Emperor Rudolf's face.

'But is that truly his will?' That question was the cause of all Zeke's doubts.

Zeke was not a unit originally from Rigel, nor Zofia. He mysteriously woke up one day in Rigel territory, injured and lying on the ground. He had no memory of anything before that moment.

With his head now slightly dizzy from the alcohol, he thought, '...The emperor is so kind, yet so cruel… It does not add up to me. I have memory loss so severe that I have no memories of Rigel, or even where I came from. Yet Emperor Rudolf believed in my abilities, and even trained me to become one of his generals. It does not add up to me that he could be so kind, yet so cruel. So much so that I cannot simply hate Zofia like Jerome does.

Still…' Zeke cleared his head and finished the rest of his drink in one fluid motion. 'When I swore my loyalty to him and all of his kindness, I also swore my loyalty to his cruelty…'

"It means nothing for my resolve to waver now. We will march tomorrow morning when the first thrush starts chirping." Zeke said and put down his glass, then looked back at the model of Valentia in the middle of the room, specifically the section that depicted a battle in Zofian territory. 

The border guard was to wait until dawn, invade the Zofian border, then immediately run to Desaix to serve as his reinforcements. He and Jerome received the message just before sunset ordering them to start an all out war. The word came suddenly, but they had already suspected that they would have to be ready for war, preparing their troops and devising a strategy to do so. They were in position to be able to rush into battle at any time.

"This is it." Zeke said, and stood in front of the model of the battlefield. "If the worst case scenario does occur and Desaix's stronghold falls, our Cavalier units will work together to guard all of the locks."

Jerome looked at Zeke's wide back. He decided to get up from his chair to go up to the model, and finalize the strategy together with Zeke.

But that was not what he actually ended up doing. He simply stood up to take the liquor bottle, refilled his glass, then sat back down and said, "You have no reason to worry about me. My knights will not go to Zofia. Only your knights will."

Zeke doubted his ears for a moment. The entire border army was supposed to move together, and provide reinforcements for Desaix. That was exactly what the emperor's message said. And wasn't the strategy they'd been preparing until now based entirely around the assumption that both their armies would support Desaix's army?

"What do you mean?" Zeke asked, though he did not turn around. He already felt Jerome's loathing of him, even from behind. If he did turn around, he knew he would see Jerome's ugly smile, and he'd rather avoid that.

"There's really nothing else we can do." Jerome said. "Desaix is already likely a lost cause. Even if we do go to him. I will not send my knights into a losing battle, so only you should go. Only you should make this mistake, and at best, die an honorable death."

Desaix's fall would mean nothing to Jerome. He had no interest in such minor details, like the foundation of their invasion of Zofia crumbling. All he wished for right now was for Zeke to fall.

'If the emperor learns that Desaix fell because Zeke wasn't strong enough, then he will leave the border entirely to me. I haven't needed Zeke here once since the beginning. If my cavaliers win the battle without Zeke, no matter how hard a fight it becomes, then everyone will know I defended the border valiantly on my own, and the glory my Cavaliers earn will finally earn me a position in the government.' That was how Jerome felt, and came to plot his evil plan.

And if Zeke died, no other result could be better than that.

"Are you turning your back on the emperor's orders?" Zeke asked.

Jerome laughed out loud. "Not if you keep your mouth shut."

"Are you making fun of me?!" Zeke shouted and got right up in his face, but Jerome simply took another swig of his drink, his face not even flinching. 

Jerome looked back at him out of the corner of his eyes, with his true feelings for Zeke on full display.

In that moment, Zeke realized just how evil Jerome's plan was.

"Where do you think your cute little Tatiana is right now?" Jerome's words were far more threatening than they implied. 

Zeke understood exactly what they meant. Jerome had laid a hand on his beloved Tatiana, taking her hostage from the small village on the Rigelian plains she lived a modest life in, where she was waiting patiently for his return. And with that, Jerome had also taken his freedom.

Tatiana, a Saint unit, was the person Zeke owed his life to. When he was injured, near death, and unable to remember anything about himself, she stayed up all night to heal him. What her magic could not do, she made up for with her tender kindness, even taking off her robe to cover him when he was losing body heat, and continuing to care for him naked. That was simply the kind of person she was. As she spent many days and months nursing him back to health, she fell in love with him, and Zeke reciprocated not just because he was gracious for all she had done, but also because he genuinely loved her in return.

Zeke was so angry that sweat dripped from his clenched fists down to the stone floor. But he did not have the luxury of making his own choice. He even had to suppress his desire to punch Jerome and send the man flying as his imagination flashed an image of her, captured and suffering, before his eyes.

"Remember that I am not going because of your despicable plot." Zeke bit his beautiful rose-colored lips and said. "I am going only because of my undying loyalty to Emperor Rudolf!" He shouted. As he exited the room, he remembered how much he had loathed sharing a bottle of liquor with the vile man behind him, picked up his glass, and smashed it against the floor.

[crabknight]

HI CRAB YOU HAVE REQUESTED THAT I LIVEBLOG MY SACRED ECHOES PLAYTHROUGH TO YOU FROM NOW ON SO HERE I AM. (dont forget to tag these as vinny dni!) UH.

IT APPEARS YOU HAVE CAUGHT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF PREPARING TO KICK GRIETH'S SHIT IN (mae's just chillin in the corner dont worry about her)

btw did i mention i really like grieth? i really like grieth. he talks in caps a lot and thats very funny to me. perpetually loud man. he says a few words to celica at the start of the map so im just imagining him screaming that from the throne room and they can just Hear Him From Outside. fear him

HE ALSO DOES DOUBLE FUCKING BACKFLIPS IN HIS ATTACK ANIMATION WHICH I LOVE. SHOWOFF

good effort celica.

honestly kinda suprised he doesn't have a ranged weapon. we ARE pretty late in the game. hm.

(atlas had some unique dialogue with him but its a LOT of textboxes so i will be transcribing for brevity)

Atlas: So you're the knucklehead that locked up my brothers, huh? Well, I've got a good place for my knuckles to be going -- right into your face!

well ya know what he did his best and thats what matters at the end of the day

anyways enough fooling around.

ITS TIME TO BRING IN THE BIG GUNS (valbar)

and now i sit here until grieth dies :] which will uh. take a while both because that is relatively low hit and also because i need to engage in splatfest with ginger and vinny so i will get back to you when grieth bites the big one

Oooohhhh I see, so this is how far you are

Greith is very fun, I can see why you like him

But I'm very confused that he doesn't move, he usually does in normal echoes gameplay, and it seems like it just makes him easier when he doesn't move

I see that you're using the pegasus sisters, and you're about to meet my favorite of them after this chapter

Anyway, go get him valbar!

(Oh btw, can you ping me on discord when you aren't doing splat anymore so that we can do blorbs? )

[naphiatra]

Despite Val's best efforts, Triamilia managed to free three of his brethren from the portal dimension. They each took the form of the first dragon they saw after escaping.

Grieth is Triamilia’s second in command, taking the form of Caspar, the guard dog Obelisk.

Feeder is the tactician of group, they took a more menacing form of a Snapper after seeing Meridian, a froglike familiar.

Tintalle is the last of the four who made it out so far, and is falling apart. They use flowers to help slow the symptoms of rot. This Guardian lookalike took the form of Heartspell, who was desperately trying to reinforce the seals on Val's wings. Their role is to be the muscle of the group and provide backup.

First | Prev

[airlock]

CYL8 Nerding - Internal Bottom 10

y'know, last year, the least voted character in CYL had just 2 votes to his name, so I thought this might be the first year we ever see a character get 0 votes!

this did not happen -- our least voted character this year has 1 vote. fucking incredible. anyway, shall we go all-in on this year's biggest losers?

AKANEIA #1: Dice, also Roberto (3 votes) #3: Reiden (6 votes) #4: we all still think of Luke as a small fry (11 votes) #5: Frost (13 votes) #6: Malledus (16 votes) #7: Boah (17 votes) #8: Roderick, also Belf, also Ymir (18 votes)

VALENTIA #1: Tatarrah, also Garth (3 votes) #3: Dolth (4 votes) #4: Barth, also Jerome (6 votes) #6: Grieth (7 votes) #7: Halcyon (11 votes) #8: Slayde, also Blake (15 votes) #10: Marla (16 votes)

JUGDRAL #1: Danann (3 votes) #2: Scipio (4 votes) #3: Hilda, also Halvan (8 votes) #5: Sandima, also Alva, also Perne (10 votes) #8: Munnir (11 votes) #9: Tristan, also Deimne, also Safy (12 votes)

ELIBE #1: Lundgren (6 votes) #2: Zelot, also FE7!Murdock (8 votes) #4: FE6!Merlinus (10 votes) #5: Desmond, also FE6!Murdock (11 votes) #6: Hellene (14 votes) #7: Barthe (18 votes) #8: Saul (19 votes) #9: Fargus, also Durban (20 votes)

MAGVEL #1: Riev (8 votes) #2: Hayden (11 votes) #3: Rennac, also Vigarde (13 votes) #5: Dozla (26 votes) #6: Fado (28 votes) #7: Caellach (33 votes) #8: Orson (41 votes) #9: Natasha (42 votes) #10: Tethys (43 votes)

TELLIUS #1: Muston (1 vote) #2: Bertram (3 votes) #3: Daniel and Jorge twinning it the FUCK up (4 votes) #5: Hetzel (6 votes) #6: Kasatai (8 votes) #7: Bastian (10 votes) (I'M ONE OF THEM. YOU ABSOLUTE DASTARDS--) #8: Ludveck (12 votes) #9: Izuka (13 votes) #10: Numida (14 votes)

YLISSE #1: Cervantes (14 mustache hairs) #2: Validar (16 votes) #3: Phila (17 votes) #4: Kjelle (24 votes) #5: Flavia and Basilio sitting under a tree, F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G (25 votes) #7: Mustafa, also Excellus (31 votes) #9: Brady (33 votes) #10: Yen'fay (37 votes)

TMS#FE #1: Teru & Garrick (8 votes) #2: Kuen & Excellus (11 votes) #3: Chikaomi & Lon'qu (12 votes) #4: Chouten & Pheros (13 votes) #5: Nobu & Gangrel (19 votes)

HOSHIDO/NOHR #1: Tarba (7 votes) #2: Zhara, also Lloyd (8 votes) #4: Fuga (9 votes) #5: Llewelyn (11 votes) #6: Funke (12 votes) #7: Senno (15 votes) #8: Hans (17 votes) #9: Daichi (24 votes) #10: Arete, also Kumagera (30 votes)

FÓDLAN #1: Tomas, also Gwendal (4 votes) #3: Lonato (5 votes) #4: Pallardó (6 votes) #5: Aelfric (8 votes) #6: Ludwig aka Duke Aegir (9 votes) #7: Solon (11 votes) #8: Kostas (12 votes) #9: Volkhard aka Lord Arundel (13 votes) #10: Grégoire aka Count Varley (16 votes)

ELYOS #1: Hyacinth (38 votes) #2: Seforia (68 votes) (god dammit I knew I should have voted for her--) #3: Saphir (74 votes) (I DID VOTE FOR HER THOUGH YOU ABSOLUTE--) #4: Lindon (97 votes) #5: Morion (142 votes) #6: Bunet, also Zephia (158 votes) #8: Marni (187 votes) #9: not Marni (201 votes) (ie Madeline btw) #10: Vander (215 votes)

ZENITH #1: Ganglöt (50 votes) #2: Hel (69 votes) (nice) #3: Ótr (77 votes) #4: Nótt (88 votes) #5: Freyr (91 votes) #6: Ylgr (94 votes) #7: Múspell (116 votes) #8: Reginn (121 votes) #9: Letizia (122 votes) #10: Gustav (148 votes)

[emblemxeno]

Thoughts on Emblem Paralogues #3

Roy, The Young Lion: FUN! Same things I liked about Leif’s paralogue, it hit the same sweetspot of difficulty for me. I liked the callback to FE6′s wyvern spam, that’s cool. And I feel like this is a suitable map storywise for Roy to have.

Celica, The Caring Princess: This one’s alright, but extremely easy cuz Celica just hands herself to you. Don’t exactly know why this was the choice for Celica cuz storywise it doesn’t really do much for her beyond detail how she risks danger for other people. I feel like Mila’s temple, Grieth’s citadel, or maybe even a Duma’s tower map might’ve fit more. But oh well. The canter stand ins were thankfully not as annoying.

Marth, The Hero-King: A classic, I loved this one. The treasure side objectives and the FE3 references to the enemy layout are really neat, if a bit annoying to deal with all the heroes. I think it’s a perfect map for Marth to have in terms of character, Altea will always bring back fond memories for me as a location.

Alear, The Connector: Not much to say other than I don’t like objectives changing mid map, it’s a pet peeve (same with what happened in chapter 22). Luckily once the objective changes, your turn begins again, so you can plan in advance again. As for who’s getting the pact ring, I’ll probably decide once I grind out more supports that I want, which will take a while given how Engage is slow on gaining support levels. Speaking of which, honestly one of my notable marks against the game, but I’m lenient since the game doesn’t encourage using all of the characters therefore it doesn’t encourage getting all the supports in one go. But I’m a masochist, so here I am, doing just that lmao.

[archer3-13]

Been playing fire emblem echoes: shadows of valentia again in the last few days. on ocassion i go back to em and see how my opinion might reevaluate on old fe games, but heres some general thoughts:

-as this is for enjoyment im playing on normal which is basically just 'nes balance' mode since its the most overarchingly similar to the original nes game.

-on a pretty sharp if casual blitz i can manage to get to and beat grieth and desiaxs fortresses quickly enough. of the two of them celicas side of the map definitely has the uphill battle to contend with throwing more enemies, more promoted enemies, and more importantly more fast enemies at you then alms side which favours defensive enemies.

-it makes some general sense as celicas side gives you a lot more mages then alms side to use but a larger pattern of echoes design philosophy is 'fewer enemies, but much tougher enemies'. and i stand by that statement even with acknowledging cantors and other enemy summoners, because the enemies those units summon are intentionally chaff fodder compared to the main map crops.

-in terms of grinding i really cant stress enough how bad an idea it is to grind every tier out to lvl20 unless you have an efficient grinding system in mind. the games systems actively work against ya going in that direction, and i dont mind that meself cause im very much an all or nothing type on that kinda stuff so the game slapping my wrist on that is more my speed. that said, i think a median can work pretty well, grindin out or atleast holding out until units reach atleast lvl10 for promotions

-next run ill pay more attention to the story, but with a fresh head/perspective on things the snippets i have been watchin again this time do make me realize that a lot of what people attribute to a misfired thematic thread of 'the station of your birth dont matter', more so has to do with narrative tensions and themes of alm and celica being reluctant or hesitant to actually grapple with their destinies/responsibilities. most of the flavour text of village npc commentary on the happening of things for instance reads more so in the light of emphasizing that to me anyways on recent reflection, village people complaining about how worthless the zofian royal family is to celicas face before praising her unaware of the irony, and the teasing of alms secret rigelian heritage fits into that framework a lot more snugly. and as i noted, theres a distinct reluctance on alm and celicas parts when it comes to facing their fates, celicas trip to see mila noted as being a possible way to avoid making a claim to the zofian throne that people probably wouldn't be happy to see and that celica doesn't want to make. and conversely on alms part well he takes on the mantle of leadership in war theres not much thought on his part put into what comes after kicking rigels teeth in, almost a reluctance to do so even evident in how he shys away from the indications of his royal heritage and downplays the peoples desires for him to become the new zofian king/ruler.

-thats just my current wild thoughts on the matter though, but i do think its a better throughline that makes more sense, especially given how often its alluded to in dialogue with characters such as grieth rubbing it in celicas face that he managed to get so powerful under the royal families noses because the royal family gave less then a shit about doing anything about it, similarly as to how desaix could be the most fragrantly evil/self interested piece of shit around without any repercussions.

-love grieths voice acting, i think the VA also does the voice of the brewer gundam pilot in ibos english dub and hes a joy to listen to. plus grieths just kinda fun with his weird lil henchman in general, really reminds me of a hokuto no ken villain.

[fefuckability]

ROUND 1: Do you prefer one eye or two?

Feel free to rb/comment with your reasons!

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Book 2 Chapter 1 Part 1

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 1 - The Second War

Part 1 - Mila, Lost Forever

Mae, all alone now, ran as quickly as she could through the dense forest that surrounds the Temple of Mila’s like a baby’s nightgown snuggles around their body. Even though the temple was located in northeast Zofia, a remote region made up of only desert and rocky ground, it was rich with water and greenery. As it was the dwelling of a deity, it was cut off from the rest of the rest of the area by its sacred peace.

Mae’s shoes, standard attire for a female mage, were made from the stomach of a wild goat, sewn shut and then adorned with black thrush feathers. Though she was only kicking up the forest’s soft underbrush, her frantic pace tore open her shoes, and her toes were covered in blood.

But she had to tell Celica as quickly as possible about the tragedy that had happened at the temple. All Mae could think about right now was her duty. The intensity of the anxiety in her heart made her forget all about the pain in her feet. But sometimes her body acted on its own. To prevent her from further wounding herself, her instincts would cause her to trip over her own feet. The undergrowth’s softness cradled her entire body as she fell.

Through a patch of small four-leaf clovers, Mae saw something white move. She thought it was the wings of a falcon.

“Palla!” She called out the Falcon Knight’s name. 

Palla was another member of Mila’s Restoration Army, who should be escorting their leader, Celica, back to the temple right now.

However, the shadow in the shade of a tree was nothing more than that of a giant white baboon climbing across a branch, searching for berries to eat for its lunch.

…………

If the Temple of Mila on the northernmost tip of Zofia was the Mila Faithful's mecca; then Novis, the island off the southern tip of Zofia located as far south as one could go from the Temple, was the central location for their clergy units to train and study. Celica was raised there at Novis Priory. The day that she decided to set out on her journey to restore Mila to her rightful place was also the night she transcended to Priestess at an exceptionally young age. Priestess was the highest class of all clergy Units, proficient in both the sword and magic. 

Alongside Celica was Boey, a mage who specialized in combat magic and trained at the priory alongside her; Mae, another mage, who was currently separated from their army due to an unavoidable circumstance; and Genny, a Cleric skilled in healing magic. The four became the founding members of Mila’s Restoration Army, who were now currently marching towards the Temple of Mila.

…Many days had already passed since Mila’s Restoration Army left their home of Novis Island. Mila’s revival was not a task that could be completed within a day or two. From the beginning, they knew that their goal was far off. Because it was an undertaking so great it would carve their names into Valentia’s history, they no longer knew just how many days had passed. All they could do was trudge forward as quickly as possible.

Thanks to the efforts of the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia, led by General Alm, Zofia was enjoying a period of temporary peace. However, when Celica first embarked on her journey, the violence of Desaix’s coup-d'etat was suffocating. And to make the situation even more dire, followers of Brigand King Grieth were freely running around pillaging and slaughtering innocent people. They even once crossed paths with a Necrodragon, a guardian beast of Duma himself, in Zofia.

Considering all of those factors, it was due to several strokes of luck that they were able to safely cross through the destruction occurring across the mainland, make it to the northeastern region, and now be just a short distance away from the temple.

Their first stroke of luck occurred as they were traveling from Novis Island to the Zofian mainland by boat, when three powerful Units joined them. One was the swordfighter Saber, who had since transcended from Mercenary to Myrmidon, then from Myrmidon to Dread Fighter. The second was the tactician Valbar, a Baron Unit who fought with a lance in a full suit of armor, now serving as Celica’s main staffing officer and strategist. And the third was the Sniper Leo. The muscles in his dominant arm were twice as thick as those in his non-dominant arm from his experience wielding a crossbow.

Their second stroke of luck was their chance meeting with three Pegasus Knight sisters on the Zofian mainland, and their agreeing to add their endless strength to Mila’s Restoration Army. The sisters were aerial soldiers from neither Rigel nor Zofia, but the faraway land of Archanea. They had wandered from their homeland to Valentia, and were experienced soldiers. Out of appreciation for Celica’s efforts in rescuing their youngest sister Est from Grieth, all three of them vowed to serve as members of Mila’s Restoration Army. The eldest sister Palla and middle sister Catria had transcended from Pegasus Knight to Falcon Knight, Units who fought from the skies atop a one-horned horse.

Units. It is perhaps necessary to explain a little bit about that word.

Those who are already fated to fight from the moment they are born are called Units.　They believe with all of their heart in the path they walk, and continuously fight, not once ever compromising with those who would block their path. It is a pure, genuine way of life, and people honor that purity. That is how those who fight became known as Units, from unity, as they unite people together.

While it holds great meaning, revering them as absolute and perfect human beings, sometimes, that definition is also filled with the sadness of their utter loneliness.

Units are the children of the two gods that founded the continent of Valentia in ancient times, Earth Mother Mila and War Father Duma, polar opposites of each other. Their devotion is the foundation for their strong bodies, combat prowess, and sometimes even their abilities to control sacred beasts. 

Their great power is Mila's will for them, and their lust for battle is Duma's. Each Unit's will becomes one with that of the gods, and they undergo a transformation not unlike a caterpillar's metamorphosis into a butterfly. In a ceremony performed in front of a Mila Statue, through the prayer of a member of the clergy, Units complete the process of “transcendence.” Because the process means instantaneous growth of not only their mind, but also their physical strength, it comes with great physical pain.

That is the basic nature of their transformations into higher beings, which they also interchangeably call “promotion.”

Their desire to transcend is a defining trait of Units. Whether they become enemies or allies, they all hold the same belief in the two gods. And that belief is the basis for their desire to transcend into higher beings, and for the hard work they devote themselves to every day. When taking that in consideration, it may seem as if Mila and Duma should have already unified within the depths of each Unit’s soul. Yet Units still must fight against each other. Whomever you ask the reason why to, they will have only one answer to give. Though they do not understand the phenomenon themselves, history has always divided them into those who kill, and those who are killed.

Celica was a Priestess, a class considered amongst the highest level of all Units due to their combined skills of both clergy units, such as mages and clerics; and sword-wielding units, like Dread Fighter and Baron. Because of her, the bonds within Mila’s Restoration Army were strong, and their journey had been able to make it to the moment just before Mila’s return to her rightful place.

And it is also essential to mention that while Alm, general of the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia, is a Fighter, he is not a Unit. He learned of this when he came before a Mila Statue with the desire to transcend. It told him that he could not, as he was a being above transcendence. In other words, he was a Fighter above and beyond even Units, already freed from faith in Mila and Duma, but it was also certain proof that he would inevitably suffer a tragic fate.

“Alm…”

Celica whispered his name without even realizing it, proof of just how deeply she was lost in her worries. But her whisper did not reach Saber nor Valbar, flanked on her left and right to protect her. Only the Cleric Genny heard her, as she was walking right next to Celica. Though Celica was undoubtedly a Priestess and general of Mila’s Restoration Army, who turned into a fierce warrior the moment she stepped foot on a battlefield, Genny suddenly remembered what her heart was going through right now, and was hit by how difficult it must be for her. She took Celica’s hand and smiled. 

Celica reciprocated Genny’s kind smile, but her heart was in a far off place, still thinking of Alm. ‘We have heard word that Zofia is freed completely from Desaix’s clutches. But right now, I must hurry to the Temple of Mila. It is my duty as a Priestess to confirm that Mila is safe, and save her from Duma’s control. Then when everything is over, that is when I can go straight to Zofia Castle for the first time. Alm has already completed the preparations necessary to restore the Zofian royal family to power, and should be waiting impatiently for its one remaining member to return home, and make the rebirth of the Kingdom of Zofia truly official. And that one remaining member of the Zofian royal family is…’

“Your mother, Lady Liprica, was a kind and beautiful person, Princess Anthiese.” Said the attendant, traveling behind Genny, having noticed that Celica’s walking pace had subconsciously slowed. She was not a Unit, but had once served at Zofia Castle. Brigand King Grieth held her captive alongside Est, the youngest of the Archanean sisters.

Their original reason for overthrowing Grieth was to rescue Est, but they were also able to save the attendant. She was the wife of a priest who currently served at the Temple of Mila. Celica and her army had a deal with the priest that in exchange for rescuing his wife, he would open the innermost room of the temple, Mila’s crypt. The priest was so desperate for his wife to return home safe that he resorted to dirty bargaining tactics, and also took Mae hostage. Mae was to wait at the temple for Celica and the others to return, and that was the reason why the group was hurrying as quickly as they possibly could to return to the temple.

“Please forgive my husband for his sins.” The attendant had apologized multiple times already as they traveled, tears pouring from her eyes. 

Celica hugged her every single time, but it did nothing to console her. 

The attendant had once served the late King Lima IV’s first queen and Celica’s mother, Lipricia, as her closest aid; and had protected the Zofian royal family’s circlet all these years so she could one day return it to the princess. It now glittered atop Celica’s head, and she would serve Celica, whose true name was Princess Athiese, as her closest aid.

“Lady Liprica’s beauty and kindness were like that of a field of flowers. She loved embroidery, and when she asked about how to make embroidery patterns from the countryside, I taught her myself. But because her heart was so gentle, her luxurious life at the castle made her more and more tired each day, and she passed away soon after you were born. Though knowing what I know now, I am happy that she was at least able to avoid falling into Chancellor Desaix’s clutches.”  

To save her from Desaix’s wicked plot to exterminate the entire royal family, soon after Celica was born, Holy Knight Mycen, who also served at Zofia Castle, took her away from the castle, so she did not have even a single memory of her mother. And for the sake of her survival as the one remaining direct descendant of the royal family, Mycen had only surrounded her with people who knew nothing about the secret of her birth, so the attendant’s stories were the first time she’d ever heard about her mother’s personality. Her heart overflowed with happiness.

“You really do look just like your mother, Princess Anthiese. At Grieth’s Castle, I thought I was witnessing a miracle, and Lady Liprica had been reborn.”

The attendant talked and talked but never ran out of things to tell Celica, and Celica never got tired of hearing her. She spoke proudly of her memories of Liprica. 

Sometimes Celica would interrupt her stories to say things such as, “I have not formally ascended to the throne yet. It is still too early to call me Princess Anthiese. Right now, I am the general of Mila’s Restoration Army, so I want you to call me Celica. Just Celica.”

It was certain proof that Celica was determined not to return to Zofia Castle until Mila was restored.

Celica and her army finally finished crossing the desert and rocky wasteland. All they had left to do was enter the deep forest serving as strong protection for the Temple of Mila.

…………

Thinking that if they were torn up, they would only get in her way, Mae took off her shoes, which looked more like tattered cloths now, and tossed them into the underbrush. She assumed having bare feet would make her body lighter, but it only did so temporarily.

Her toenails being ripped off did not cause her much pain. What seemed to be gradually slowing her pace over time was not the injuries her legs sustained as she ran, but the sharp cut that had torn her mage’s robe, and likely the flesh underneath as well. The characteristics of the wounds covering her body irrefutably matched the scars of an attack from a gargoyle’s nails. And such a gargoyle was summoned by the spells of a Cantor.

“Celica cannot step foot anywhere near the temple!” Mae whispered between ragged breaths, but she was no longer running. As she moved, the moment before she would have fallen over, the trunk of a tree supported her every time. This repetitive process had finally taken her vanishing consciousness.

…………

Because there was no way a winged sacred beast could fly through the twisted branches of the forest, the Archanean sisters’ two falcons folded up their wings and began to walk.

The falcons were so white against the green of the deep forest that it hurt one’s eyes to look at them. Palla and Catria rocked rhythmically, sitting with perfect posture atop their mounts, resting regally on the long lances they held to support themselves. The sight was the perfect representation of the nobility of Mila’s Restoration Army, whose members served the princess of a nation.

Est’s pegasus followed along modestly behind the two falcons. However, the way she hung her elegant neck was far too much to simply be modest. But more so than that, it was not like her at all. And it was all because her master was not riding atop her back. Behind her folded wings, Est was nowhere to be seen.

So where exactly was Est? While Celica was in the front of the group, flanked by Saber and Valbar to guard her, Est was bringing up the rear, stumbling over her own feet as she walked. At her sister’s orders, she had been forced to dismount her pegasus and carry everyone’s supplies.

“Do your best, sister!” Palla, the eldest, said to her.

Catria, the middle sister, turned around to look at her in the very back, and said with a bit of mean-spiritedness in her voice that was entirely intentional, “You shouldn’t have been chasing after a man! This is your punishment for wandering off!!”

The man she set her sights on was now the Mercenary King of the desert, so her tastes were arguably not that bad. But Jesse had still been nothing more than a vagabond when they first met, yet she flung herself into his arms, only to be separated from her sisters and held captive in Grieth’s stronghold as a result.

But in actuality, Palla and Catria were merely disappointed that Est was the only one among them who was still a Pegasus Knight. To help her promote to Falcon Knight as quickly as possible, her body needed to become strong enough to withstand transcendence, so they would not allow her to ride her pegasus.

The sight of her master, carrying a mountain of supplies and drenched in sweat like a martial artist training in the mountains, made Est’s pegasus turn her elegant neck back over and over again as she walked. Even the rest of the group, especially because they were each supposed to be carrying their own supplies, felt sorry for just how much Est was struggling. 

The Sniper Leo in particular offered to lend her his arm every chance he got, but every time, Est grit her teeth and said, “My sisters are just jealous! That’s why they pick on me. All it takes is one look at me to know I’m the prettiest!”

Turned off by Palla and Catria’s strong wills, Leo had shifted the recipient of his love to Est, but now that he’d witnessed that her will was even stronger, he started to rethink things, and was coming to the conclusion that it was in his best interest not to pursue any of the sisters.

As they continued on, the forest became thicker, the underbrush grew higher, and they could no longer tell exactly where the path was. Celica decided that speed was more important than Est’s training, and redistributed the supplies back to their rightful owners.

“Let’s take a break.”

The moment Celica uttered those words, Est, now free from everyone’s supplies, sat down where she stood, then began to stretch her stiff shoulders and rub her neck.

Happy for her master to finally return to riding her back, Est’s pegasus nuzzled her face, adorned with her full mane that fell around her like fresh snow, against Est’s cheek, still full and round like a child’s.

As Est let her pegasus’ downy hairs rub against her cheek, she plucked a single pink dianthus flower from near her knee to give to her mount, when just past the mane hairs shaking in the air, she saw someone approaching her.

“Who goes there?!” Est shouted, and stood up. Though she was the youngest of her sisters, she was still an experienced soldier, and readied her lance in a flash. 

Saber unsheathed his sword, and Valbar also raised the sword he still kept at his waist to cut down any thick tree branches in their way.

“Mae!” Boey shouted excitedly, forcing his way past the other three and rushing towards her. 

Her clothes were in tatters and her face was covered in dried blood, but there was no mistaking that it was her.

Seeing her childhood friend’s face here also finally put Mae at ease. Her knees gave out underneath her, and she collapsed, unconscious atop the underbrush. Celica ran up from behind Boey and picked her up.

Genny immediately took Mae’s hand and assessed her current condition. “She’s alright! Her wounds aren’t lethal!” She said. 

Mae once again opened her eyes from within Celica’s arms, and smiled for a brief moment with the knowledge that she had made it in time, before her face froze. “The Temple…” She managed to say before coughing up blood.

Everyone waited with baited breath for her next words.

“The Temple has fallen into Cantor Mikhail’s hands.”

Mae’s words made the attendant, traveling in the very back of the group, begin to wail loudly.

She knew everything. That he was one of Duma’s most powerful priests. That the Temple of Mila was a stronghold of faith, built on the shores that established the border with Duma’s territory to the north, the Rigelian Empire, protecting it from invasion. That Mikhail appearing at the temple when he should not, signaled that an all-out war between the two religions had broken out. And from the sight of Mae’s unusual wounds after running all the way to meet them, she had no doubts about what news would await her upon her return to the temple - that her husband was already gone from this world.

He’d wished so deeply for her safety that he had taken another person hostage. By the way she cried her eyes out, her love for him was just as strong. 

Celica held the attendant against her chest and said, “The least we can do for you is vow that we will avenge him. Please return to the desert, and wait at Jesse’s castle. When the time comes, we will take you to Zofia Castle.”

“Mila will be lost forever.” Celica said to her army, conveying to everyone that they must hurry to the Temple of Mila. Est dismounted her pegasus to let the injured Mae ride her, with Genny following alongside, repeatedly chanting healing spells.

[crabknight]

grieth defeated! yaaaaaaay (also ass 'jay dni' to these asks as well so they arent spoiled)

rescued a lady and it turns out celica is the daugher of one lady liprica! funky. she was a lady in the service until king lima (celica's dad, im assuming) came along and snatched her up into his... 'seraglio'. hold on lemme check something

...ah. hm.

liprica passed away shortly after celica was born. shame

pretty art......

sadness aside celica is informed that liprica left behind a circlet proving her royal standing for her!!! hooray!!!

naturally, this invokes questions we do not get the answers to. sad! we're heading to the temple to find it now

atlas and hyas also found their family! good for them :]

more importantly THE ARCHETYPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i like them a lot :]

so true celica

oh hey sonya. thanks for not trying to kill us after we beat deen

oh hey sick! welcome to the gang

:0 CRYPTIC MASKED PALADIN IS BACK

so she DOES know him... hmm...

he wants to help celica, but to reveal his identity and motives would just put her in more danger... curious

WELL we can worry about that later! let's head over to alm and see what he's up t-

...oh

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD

yay backstory!

ALSO HI EST AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

SHE LOOKS SO DANG PRETTY IN THIS GAME AHHHHHHHHHH

I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!!!!!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!

ALSO HI MASKED KNIGHT I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU, YOU ARE ALSO VERY COOL

actually fun fact, if you had killed sonya instead of deen then you would have recruited deen here

[naphiatra]

Val - Triamilia

Heartspell - Tintalle

Caspar - Grieth

Meridian - Feeder

Val is the Nocturne with portals on his wings and demons clawing their way out that he’s trying to close.

Heartspell is a Marsh Mage and is trying to help Val out by being his mentor.

Caspar is his guard dog, and Meridian is his pet/frog familiar.

Triamilia is the first demon that crawled out of the portals on Val’s wing.

Grieth is Triamilia’s second in command.

Feeder is the tactician of group.

Tintalle is the last of the four who made it out so far, and is falling apart. They use flowers to help alleviate the symptoms. (really wanted plague necromancer, but arcane works too i guess)

accents and skins: Low pH, far and away, Swamphaunt, Arcane Necromancer Chronomancer, Spore Ribs