FE8 Meta

A blog dedicated to dissecting and analyzing Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

[fe8meta]

What are you looking forward the most with the new fe8 characters coming into feh?

I haven't looked in FEH's direction in years (I quit after Book 3, I think? The one with Hel). Generally speaking, FEH doesn't bring much to table where legacy characters' lore is concerned.

[fe8meta]

Innes' Paired Endings: Marriage, or the Lack Thereof

For reference: FE8 Paired Endings, English vs. Japanese

Innes has three paired endings: Eirika, L'Arachel, and Vanessa. As I originally noted in the linked post, the Japanese version explicitly calls Vanessa Innes' mistress (愛人), and that their child was accepted by all (despite being, presumably, an illegitimate child).

What I didn't notice back then is that out of his three possible love interests, Eirika is actually the only one who explicitly marries him; L'Arachel's says that the two had a romantic relationship (恋仲), but says nothing about marriage.

In L'Arachel's paired ending with Ephraim, her marriage out of Rausten and into Renais throws Rausten into chaos, with the implication that L'Arachel is Mansel's only successor. Her paired ending with Innes, however, highlights the gradual strengthening of their nations' ties due to their constant one-upmanship, and there is no indication that Rausten had to contend with a power vacuum like in Ephraim/L'Arachel.

Of course, it's possible that Innes and L'Arachel got married and settled Rausten's succession issue beforehand, but I'm inclined to think that Innes and L'Arachel found it more beneficial to stay separate.

(By the way, every royal in this game has at least one non-marriage paired ending, whether platonic or romantic: Ephraim has Eirika and Myrrh; Eirika also has Tana, Forde, and Saleh [in JP, she moves in with Saleh but isn't explicitly married to him]; Innes has Vanessa and L'Arachel; Tana also has Cormag; L'Arachel also has Dozla; and Joshua has Gerik and Marisa.)

Rough translations for Innes' paired endings under the cut.

Innes & Eirika

Official English version:

After the reconstruction of Renais, Innes challenged Ephraim to a duel. The match ended in a tie. After the fight, Eirika acknowledged her love for Innes, and the two were wed with Ephraim's blessings.

Original Japanese text:

戦いの後、しばらく大陸と自国の復興のためにそれぞれの立場で多忙な日々を過ごした２人。やがてそれが落ち着き始めた頃、ヒーニアスはエフラムに勝負を挑む。結果は引き分けとなったが、その姿に胸を打たれたエイリークはは、ヒーニアスと結婚。両国の友好はは永く続いたという。

Rough translation:

After the war, the two were busy with their respective roles as they worked to rebuild the continent and their own nations. Once things calmed down, Innes challenged Ephraim to a duel. Witnessing it end in a draw touched Eirika's heart, and she married Innes. It is said that the two countries' friendship endured for a long time afterwards.

Innes & L'Arachel

Official English version:

Stories tell of the sparks that flew between L'Arachel and Innes when they first met. As the love between them flourished, so too did the bond that united their two nations.

Original Japanese text:

戦時中より互いを気にかけあっていたヒーニアスとラーチェル。自国の自慢話をする為に相手を招待、来国をくり返すうち、フレリア王国とロストン聖教国の深交も深まり、海路を中心とした交易が栄えた。また２人も互いに少しずつ好意を抱いてゆき、ついには恋仲となったという。

Rough translation:

Sparks flew between Innes and L'Arachel ever since the war.* They each invited the other to visit as they bragged about their respective countries, and these visits continued for some time, deepening Frelia and Rausten's relationship and causing their sea trade to flourish. The two gradually felt more affection for each other and eventually fell in love.

* Technically, it says that they "cared about each other," but I retained the English localization's use of "sparks flying" since it feels closer to their actual dynamic in their Supports and makes more sense with the latter part of their ending.

Innes & Vanessa

Official English version:

At Innes' request, Vanessa moved into Castle Frelia where she continued her duties as a knight of the realm. Thereafter, they had a child and lived happily with the blessings of all around them.

Original Japanese text:

ヒーニアスの希望により、ヴァネッサは彼の愛人として王宮に迎え入れられた。その傍ら、変わらぬ中世で騎士としての任務もこなしたヴァネッサは、生涯幸せであったという。また、ヒーニアスと彼女の間には１人の子供が生まれたが、誰にもうとまれることなく、皆に祝福された。

Rough translation:

In accordance with Innes' wishes, Vanessa was received into the royal palace as his mistress. Vanessa also continued her knightly duties, and it is said that she lived a happy life. Later on, the child that was born between her and Innes was blessed by everyone rather than ostracized.

[fe8meta]

Idk if I've asked this already, but have you read the fe8 light novel translation yet? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Do you have anything to say on all the new feh alts that's came out either?

Btw I love your blog and thank you for writing all the things you have!!!

I just read it in the past week (note, this ask was sent over 2 years ago). In a fit of writer's block for another fandom, I reread my Glen Lives AU (AO3: I'll Go With You) and got a kick out of it, so my interest in FE8 content was rekindled (again).

(For those who haven't seen the novelization, four-loose-screws translated it, along with several other FE novels, here.)

My only experience with video game novelizations before this one was the spoilers for the FE Gaiden (FE2) novel. Since the game had fairly barebones story and dialogue, the author (Katsuyuki Ozaki) got to introduce a bunch of original concepts. (Silque got a huge story role upgrade and had her story intertwined with both Kliff and Alm, several playable characters are killed off or leave prematurely, the story ends with Alm leaving Valentia with Silque after his wedding ceremony with Celica... Stuff like that.)

The FE8 novel, by comparison, was written by Takase Mie and is a fairly straightforward adaptation of Eirika's route, with a few scenes taken from Ephraim's route. There are a few notable scene expansions (ex. Glen POV as he's dying, Duessel and Knoll conversing after Renais' Sacred Stone is lost, L'Arachel comforting Eirika at Rausten Castle) and additional worldbuilding details, but nothing as huge as the FE Gaiden novels'.

To be honest, I find Takase's writing to be rather dry from a literary perspective; just compare four-loose-screws' translations of the FE2 novel and the FE8 novel, and you'll see what I mean. Katsuyuki took the plot and core storyline of FE2 and integrated his own themes and original character dynamics; Takase is basically reused FE8's dialogue and narration, then added some expansions.

I haven't kept up with FEH at all after I dropped the game years ago, but I was never particularly intrigued by their use of legacy characters.

[fe8meta]

"I watched Eirika run her blade right through his chest and then flee": EN vs. JP

Eirika Mode Chapter 13, Hamill Canyon, begins with Valter delivering Glen's mangled corpse to Cormag.

Valter: Glen's last orders were to find and subdue Eirika. 'Tis a pity I was delayed. I arrived to witness the final blow myself. I watched Eirika run her blade right through his chest and then flee.

As it turns out, the English script changed Valter's line. Perhaps because they thought the Japanese script made a mistake, or because the line seemed a little too unbelievable to the audience, because what the original text said was...

グレンは陛下の命を受けエイリーク一行の討伐に向かった。(At His Majesty's command, Glen went to subjugate Eirika and her forces.) 俺が追いついた時には決着はついていた。(It was over by the time I caught up.) エイリークは槍でグレンの胸を貫きその場から逃げ去った。(Eirika ran her spear through Glen's chest and then fled.)

In the official FE8 Novelization (specifically, Chapter 12), this discrepancy in Eirika's weapon of choice is one of the clues which convinces Cormag that Eirika isn't lying to him, and that Valter was the one who did the deed.

While looking through some Japanese FE8 guides/resources, I found that for several reasons -- this scene among them -- Valter is considered a joke character (dare I say, "a fraud"?) among JP players, since he actively works in ways which sabotage Grado's cause and then is a chump of a boss on top of that.

(EN Valter is buffed from his JP version. Along with increases in HP, Speed, and DEF, EN added a fort underneath him and Caellach to improve their evasion and provide them healing. Despite wielding a Killer Lance when killing Glen earlier in the story, JP Valter had a Silver Lance as a boss. EN subbed it for a Killer Lance.)

[hmrg]

any fe lore enjoyers want to weigh in/help me out on some Trivial Detail?

in fe8:

This item is given basically the same name in all versions:

An amulet bestowing protection for fliers. Attributed to a god/entity named Fili. Enemy boss Valter drops this item in Chapter 15; otherwise, no mention of it in the game text.

In Syrene's support with Vanessa, she gives her younger sister a gift from their parents:

(Both are flying knights, and each received this item of protection)

in heroes, it shows up as an accessory:

(wearable trinket only. in feh, 'Iote's Shield' is the functional skill equivalent to the Fili Shield held item. same thing many different flavors. the Japanese characters are distinct between names, as well-- 'firi' vs. 'fare' respectively)

basically the question is......

are Fili and Fale the same god/guy/entity?

are these names different from slight translation differences? (like did the name 'Fili' come from one source in the item list data, then 'Fale' was in support text, and only dialogue text like that got lifted and used in feh).

or are they entirely unrelated somehow?

also,,, if they are the same/interchangeable, which do you prefer?

[fe8meta]

For those interested in Fili (Shield) vs. (war god) Fale, they are still different in Japanese; Fili is フィーリ, while Fale is ファレス.

Like many other earlier Fire Emblem works, the name Fili comes from Norse mythology. In this case, it is the name of a dwarf mentioned in the Völuspá which was later used in Tolkien's The Hobbit. As far as I know, Fili is only mentioned in the item name.

As for Fale, I haven't found anything of relevance even after years of trying to find a clue. It's either so niche that it's almost impossible to find its origins, or the writer just made it up.

[four-loose-screws]

FE8 Novelization Translation: Book 1 - Front Cover & Other Introductory Pages

Happy 2021, ya’ll! We made it! Who knows what this year will bring? At the very least, we can get excited about another FE novel translation!

The title this time around is…. the Sacred Stones! This was the most requested title outside of Jugdral.

This novel, unsurprisingly, follow’s Eirika’s journey, as her route has more details essential to understanding the overall plot, and is in the third person, but primarily told from her perspective.

Also, for the names of the writer and illustrator, note that I usually tend to write Japanese names in “given name -> family name” order, as I personally find that that’s the most simple for Westerners to understand. Plus, that’s what the previous novels have done as well. But this book takes the “retain the ‘original’ order and write the family name in capital letters” approach, so I decided to stick with that and stay consistent with what’s printed on the book.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Book 1

Written by TAKASE Mie

Illustrated by SUZUKI Rika

Published by Square Enix

(inside flap)

Author

TAKASE Mie

TAKASE Mie was born on July 31st in Tokyo. She graduated from Waseda University. Her recent hobby is the cello, which she was inspired to start learning after watching a certain sailing movie. Though she has dreams of one day being able to play Bach’s cello suites, she still has a hard time with even basic scales.

Cover and Obi Design: atelier THiRD

Keep reading

[fe8meta]

While looking through screenshots of a recent FE8 stream of Ephraim’s route, I noticed something about Knoll. In Father and Son, he claims he’ll tell Ephraim everything, but he omits the vision of the earthquake from his retelling, a very important thing. That would mean he lied by omission. I initially thought that it could have been because of limitations, but then I noticed that he repeats it in his Support with Natasha. 1/2

She points out that she’s not sure he really told her everything before he spills the beans, and even then, he seems reluctant. In his support with Duessel, he says that it’s something Ephraim doesn’t know (excluding the typo). The question is why? It seems pretty ironic of him to speak about truth and honouring Lyon’s ideals, only to lie about the impending earthquake, and it seems like Ephraim didn’t know about it until Seth tells him in his route’s epilogue after it happens. (2/2)

I'm not sure if you read my Knoll-centric post Knowledge, Faith, and Lyon, but I pointed out Knoll's hypocrisy as well, albeit in his interactions with Natasha and Duessel. To quote myself:

He points out the lack of a hard truth earlier in the C support… which creates a rather curious contrast with his rather self-assured idea of what Natasha’s mentor (implied to be Father MacGregor) was like.

For all of Knoll’s verbal self-flagellation during his recruitment in Chapter 14B and in his supports with Natasha and Duessel, it is Knoll himself who is trying to run from the truth of what has occurred. He talks in riddles and diverts the question whenever he is questioned on the events that occurred.

I think Knoll's contradictions are basically a form of denial. Denial that another way to handle the earthquake exists, which would confirm that his and Lyon's actions leading up to it were well and truly pointless.

Knoll is so afraid of the idea that he and Lyon were well and truly wrong, he's practically bending backwards to give himself any reason to believe they had a justification, even when his conversation partners aren't faulting them for the situation. He vilifies Natasha's mentor for basically no reason, dodges Duessel's questions, and omits information when he promised to tell Ephraim the whole story.

That said, I think Knoll's contradictory nature is meant to be part of his mystique, leaving readers to guess at what lies underneath his self-deprecating exterior, unspoken and undiscovered even to the end of the game. He and Lyon are ultimately meant to be an enigma left for people, both in-universe and out, to debate.

[fe8meta]

Okay, this is the longest of long shots, I know you're long since out of the fandom but I think only you will understand my pain and maybe you can help me. In Vanessa and Syrene's C support "the war god Fale" is mentioned. Once. Never again. Do you know what the actual Japanese used there is?

Sorry for the latest of late replies! The Japanese version can be seen in an old post of mine (on mobile so I can't select the text directly and copy paste it): https://fe8meta.tumblr.com/post/176459859678/religion-in-magvel

It's more or less the same as the English version, from what I can tell. I believe I tried looking it up in the past but couldn't find anything notable about it.

[fe8meta]

My frequent, shifting interests means that I’ve been out of the Fire Emblem fandom in general for a long time (if my inactivity hasn’t been proof enough).

But.

Hot damn FEH’s new Magvel batch.

(I’ve long quit FEH, but maybe I’ll look up their lines and see if they have any interesting tidbits in there.)

[fe8meta]

I’ve changed my mind, I definitely need to finish Part 1 (Eirika’s route) of my Fomortiis meta post before anything else. After saying “This is expanded on in my Fomortiis meta, I swear” multiple times, I think I should just... y’know... get around to showing it off to the world.

[fe8meta]

Since I mentioned working on some old drafts and then kinda up and disappeared:

Been working on an attempt to see whether Eirika and Ephraim routes’ versions of Lyon can be reconciled despite their apparently-huge divergence in their depictions of him.

(It’s, uh… not really working out, but I’m not FE8Meta for nothing!)

[fe8meta]

I have not forgotten about this, I just rotate out my series of interest quite often and when that happens, I can't focus on anything else.

In any case, I hit a snag trying to read Eirika's version of Lyon like Ephraim's, so I switched gears into completely reinterpreting the last third of FE8 from a merged storyline perspective. (Seriously, the lack of Eirika in Ephraim route is a real shame. There are a lot of interesting ways she could've been written.)

[fe8meta]

Since I mentioned working on some old drafts and then kinda up and disappeared:

Been working on an attempt to see whether Eirika and Ephraim routes’ versions of Lyon can be reconciled despite their apparently-huge divergence in their depictions of him.

(It’s, uh... not really working out, but I’m not FE8Meta for nothing!)

[fe8meta]

I’ve spent most of my evening on this blog, and I wanted to say thank you. I love how interesting and well thought out all of your takes are, it gives a game I adore so much that much more depth. Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy your day/evening!

I’m glad my ramblings (and the ramblings of fellow FE8 fans) provided some food for thought! Lately I haven’t been very active on tumblr in general, plus my braincells are currently occupied by other fandoms, but I hope to finish up and push out some old drafts I have soon!

[fe8meta]

You said in a previous post that you're not sure where Innes' Japanese name (Heanius) comes from. Is it possible that this is a corruption of Aeneas, one of the heroes of the Trojan War? There's precedent for this, seeing as Aias is a corruption of Ajax.

While I can’t discount your theory, Aias is a legitimate name (Aias is from Ancient Greek, Ajax is the Roman version of it), as opposed to Heanius which came out of IntSys’ ass (as far as we’re aware). Aias’ name in Japanese (アイアス) is spelled the same way it’s translated as in Japanese translations of the Iliad.

A few Japanese translations for Aeneas already exist, but they’re all roughly around the lines of アイネアス (Aineasu) as opposed to Innes’ ヒーニアス (Hīniasu).

[fe8meta]

@arikaito

This is a fascinating topic and conversation. Unfortunately, I do think that the nuances of the war will be lost to history. No one will know Lyon as the kind boy but the aggressor of the war in my opinion. Grado was absorbed into Renais and then the earthquake happened so soon after, I can’t help but feel that the war will just be a blip in history. A large country invaded a smaller country and lost and then was ravaged by a horrific earthquake.

No one will know of how Lyon studied to stop the earthquake or that even Vigarde passed away before the beginning of the war. I suppose it all depends on how Eirika and Ephraim lets it get written in the history books, I suppose.

I think Lyon as a person may get swept under the rug due to the consequences his actions had, though I’m sure Ephraim and Eirika would try and emphasize what kind of person Lyon really was in things like memoirs, letters, etc. to try and preserve his legacy.

That said, the War would definitely be a major topic in future Magvel history books. It’s not just one country Grado invaded -- they launched a simultaneous offensive on three countries at once. They successfully conquered Renais, destabilized Jehanna, coerced factions in Carcino into siding with them, and destroyed Frelia’s Sacred Stone even if they never took their capital. (In a way, having their Sacred Stone kept away from their capital unlike every other country may have saved Frelia as a nation.)

I highly doubt something of this scale, which also undoubtedly shook up the continent’s power dynamics, would easily become a blip in history. Frelia and Rausten probably got the best of the deal as they were least affected.

And for what it’s worth, based on character endings, Grado got restored to its former glory within the characters’ lifetimes. Any kind of sovereignty Renais had over Grado immediately after the war was likely only a temporary measure, and either a new monarch or a new form of government was instated. Though I would imagine that much of Grado’s population will be consolidated into a few major cities/regions for some time.

[fe8meta]

@the-blue-double (in the tags for The War’s Legacy)

#this is fascinating  #but i would make one addition  #i think cormag makes the list  #the younger brother of the general who valter killed who joins renais for revenge?  #there's no way that doesn't sell

Fair point, I probably should have thought of that one since he is also a Gradoan knight and therefore higher on the chain of command. Not to mention that his only paired ending has him enter knighthood in Frelia, which some may see as a second betrayal towards Grado.

I imagine Cormag would be a rather controversial figure in Grado for a while because of it, although his popularity in non-Grado countries would be quite high, for exactly the same reasons FE8 players love him.

As an additional note, his solo JP ending is interesting in that the last sentence starts with “It is said that,” implying that future historians aren’t totally sure what Cormag did after his return. (Meanwhile, his ending with Tana leaves no room for doubt that he became her trusted aide.)

It’s really just a slight degree off from Knoll’s only ending in which he disappears from public view to herd goats. Both of them lost the people they admired and followed, and subsequently lost sight of their paths. Despite Cormag’s overall positive supports, the only one that changes his ending is Tana’s, in which she also takes the initiative to search him out. Meanwhile, there is no such person for Knoll and he spends most of the War being reclusive, likely out of guilt over his role in Grado’s downfall and perhaps even fear of how people will treat him when they find out.

[fe8meta]

The War’s Legacy

As a volunteer archivist at a local historical site, I’ve worked closely with books and documents largely between 150~250 years old. (If you’re curious, mostly regarding the period between the American Revolution to the Civil War, plus the anti-slavery movement. There’s also more “domestic” stuff like agriculture, science, mathematics, and religion.)

It got me thinking: In Magvel, how will the war, and the people who participated in it, be remembered? Most characters have a good portion of their lives left to live after the war too, but for those who are remembered down the line, their participation in the war will probably be their biggest accomplishment.

To start things off: more likely than not, anyone who wasn’t royalty or an important military figure is probably going to get forgotten, especially if fighting in the war was their only achievement.

(From my experience as an archivist, I’ve noticed that a great deal of people who were seen as the big movers and thinkers during their time have been lowered to one-note and forgettable in some 150-ish years of history. That’s not a lot of time!)

I think the list of characters who are remembered decades after their deaths on a continental scale (some characters may remain important figures in their own communities) would be the royals, the generals (Seth plus the Imperial Generals), and the Demon King (plus his cult).

The Royals

Ephraim: Regarding the war, Ephraim will probably get his war strategies and accomplishments written about. I expect a great deal of historians (particularly Renaian ones) debating his decision to abandon his homeland and bring the fight into Grado, though his later decisions will probably receive praise.

Eirika: Honestly? I think she’ll largely receive praise from future historians. Despite getting tricked at Renvall and the blunder of losing the Sacred Stone (on her route), I think historians would agree that her calculations were solid based on the information she knew at the time. Even if she had Seth advising her, she had no formal training in tactics or the art of war, making her achievements even more impressive.

~ / ~ / ~

Innes: Like Eirika, I think he’d be validated by historians, particularly for being the only one to actually predict and prepare for a wartime scenario. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but based on what we know of him story-wise, he probably would go down as one of the best leaders of his time.

Tana: She’s gutsy and I think she’ll at least become a popular figure for young women. Some historians may lambast her earlier captures attributable to her inexperience, but hey, if she got out alive than it’s not too bad. I think later in life, being largely free to do whatever she wants (within reason), she’d continue onto a path of public service, which she can probably gather great acclaim for.

~ / ~ / ~

L’Arachel: I think a lot of attention will go towards her theatrics. If you go with the idea that L’Arachel doesn’t actually lead her country (see the Solo Endings JP vs. EN post for details), I think her relationship with the other royals and how she’s involved in continental politics will be the primary focus in biographies. (She also, perhaps not coincidentally, has supports with all the other ruling royals, discounting Tana as she canonically never lands in a leadership position.)

Joshua: Joshua’s reputation will be very, very mixed down the line. He’s still has wanderlust and a gambling addiction, and regardless of his accomplishments as a king and Jehanna’s glorious revival, neither of those traits are a particularly good look. Not to mention that he abandoned his duty as prince for a solid 10 years, and then left Jehanna to its own devices again while going to stop the Demon King.

Even in Joshua’s dialogue after the final battle, he talks about returning to Jehanna in an almost resigned manner; no doubt he knows full well that he might not be received with open arms.

~ / ~ / ~

Lyon: Oh boy, what to say about Lyon. There are a lot of different ways this can go, branching from 3 options: Lyon’s involvement in the war is revealed in full, Lyon’s involvement is revealed but doctored to paint him in a more sympathetic light, or it gets entirely covered up/omitted and he goes down in history as an unfortunate casualty of the war.

No matter how you slice the first two options, Lyon’s legacy would definitely be extremely mixed, leaning towards the negative side. Not only is he on the wrong side of history, he’s also forced basically half the continent into the wrong side of history and ruined their military and did some very amoral things (reviving his father to use as a puppet, and by extension lying to the public, etc). Even the best doctoring can probably only redeem Lyon’s reputation from “the deepest depths of the sewers” to “neck-deep in the sewers.”

In the case where Lyon’s involvement in the war is covered up, it’s still only a matter of time before someone figures out the truth. With enough time, it can be relegated to a highly plausible and hotly-debated theory, but even so, it’s simply a matter of time. For an additional dose of irony, in this scenario, perhaps Grado nationalists down the line twist Lyon’s war into something “assertive” and depict it as the “correct” thing to do, when it was really anything but.

Vigarde: He’s in the same boat as Lyon. It really hinges on how the royals choose to depict Lyon’s situation to the public, because that will directly affect how Vigarde is seen. There’s little doubt that puppet!Vigarde’s actions probably destroyed popular opinion of him during the War. Whether he is redeemed on account of his situation or not is up for debate.

(Because the game doesn’t delve into Fado, Hayden, or Mansel much, I don’t have enough input to say how they’ll be seen by future historians.)

The Generals

Seth: He’s going to go down in history as a badass, let’s be real here. Took an attack from Valter himself to protect Eirika, didn’t let the injury debilitate him from fighting on the frontlines, mentored Eirika in the art of war during life-or-death battles, guided the twins on their journey, and continued helping them after the war’s end. Guy got things done, regardless of his personal sentiment about failing to protect King Fado.

Syrene: Technically a commander and not a general, but close enough that I’ll consider her. She... honestly doesn’t do that much on-screen. Doubtlessly she’ll be best remembered (on the battlefield) for being overpowered by the remnant of Grado’s forces, but at least she lived and (by the player’s discretion) kept all the villagers safe, so that’s something. At the very least, a coward she is not.

Carlyle: He’s going down in infamy. Like, his story can be crudely summed up as “I was loyal to Queen Ismaire partially because I wanted to bang her.” Yeah, that is not a good look. There isn’t even any interesting speculation or interpretations to make of his situation. He probably ruined the reputation of the Jehannan Army while he was at it.

Honestly, the only thing that would salvage his reputation is the fact that everyone who heard his confession is dead by the end of that battle. (Technically the map was a Seize Throne and not a Rout, but let’s be real -- we killed those guards.)

~ / ~ / ~

Duessel: The only Grado general to make it out alive. He’ll probably get a mixed reaction; those who praise him argue that he made the morally correct choice and had the nation’s best interests at heart. Some may criticize him for not acting sooner, while others may very well despise him as a traitor to the nation.

Selena: Another set of mixed reactions, though inverse from Duessel’s. She remained loyal to Vigarde to the very end, but people will debate where a knight’s loyalty should lie. It would also invite much debate over the ethics of Vigarde’s recruitment methods and whether it was a thinly-veiled manipulation tactic that citizens from poorer areas will fall for because it’s the only way to improve their livelihoods.

Glen: He’s like Syrene, except he died without doing much. If someone is interested in finding out more about him before his death, at least they have Cormag to interview. Depending on whether his two adjutants survived against Valter’s goons, if someone tracked them down, they might get a story out of them as well. That said, his history with Valter would probably be of great interest to Valter’s biographers.

~ / ~ / ~ 

Valter: Historians, psychologists, and scholars will have a field day with him and his circumstances. From his upbringing to his descent into madness and subsequent exile, to his reinstatement and brutality during the war before his ultimate death, there is a lot to unpack with him. People tend to have morbid curiosities and oh, will Valter sate that appetite.

Caellach: Caellach will probably be praised for being good at what he did even if he was ultimately on the wrong side of history. Since he started off as a mercenary, I feel like people won’t judge him too harshly. His potential betrayal and murder of Aias will be an interesting chapter to write about, though, since historians may have access to more knowledge on their pre-war relationship that we players don’t have.

Riev: He’s ugly, a Demon King cultist, and directly responsible for Lyon’s (and by extension, Grado’s) downfall. He’s going to be reviled for sure, though he will spark some interesting discussion relating to his history with the Rausten Church. A lot of speculation on how he came to became an adherent of the Demon King... or not, depending how whether that kind of talk is suppressed.

After all, if a former bishop converted, it not only challenges the legitimacy of the Rausten Church, it would also pique the interest of those who want to see what made Riev change his mind. And should someone also adopt his ideology, the continent can’t take another Demon King revival attempt.

Which leads me to...

The Demon King

Now, this will be a little game called “How many generations will it take before the Demon King gets relegated to a legend that no one believes in again.”

It’s also pretty important that the Demon King is not completely destroyed; he just no longer has his huge menacing body to use and will have to make do with those fragile human flesh sacks. But his soul is still intact, and if nothing is done to get rid of it for good, it’s setting up for a Part 3.

Like with Lyon, how information about the Demon King is handled by the characters after the world will probably have a huge impact. Not to mention the many implications the circumstances around his possession of Lyon has. Dark/ancient magic will most certainly face a resurgent wave of discrimination, far more than seen before. (Magvel was, from what we could see, largely apathetic about dark magic before Lyon’s attempts to redeem its name. Ironically, his actions will rekindle hatred towards it.)

As aforementioned, educating people on the Demon King and how dangerous he is may help ensure that nobody tries to mess with him again. On the other hand, it may inspire copycats who for whatever reason want the Demon King to be revived. (The game also never followed up on the implication that there’s a cult that worships the Demon King; we killed Riev and Novala, and destroyed Fomortiis’ body, but there may still be more members lurking in the dark.)

Meanwhile, trying to bury information about Fomortiis can also backfire down the line, especially if people don’t learn what the Sacred Stone is for and one day crack the seal open for one reason or another. (And we saw how well keeping the true Stone hidden behind trinkets while keeping its wearer in the dark of its true purpose went.)

This is making me imagine Demon King apologists down the line that provide an “alternative history” about the war and how it’s all some ancient conspiracy to lock him away and he “isn’t actually bad, just misunderstood”...

Oh hey, isn’t that the direction Dragalia Lost’s main story is going in?