#fe brodia

[for3stsage]

I drew that some time ago and I’m not really happy with Diamant but I think Ivy turned out good <3

[emblematicemblazer]

Brodian Battle Quotes

Diamant

"Nothing short of victory!"

"This will hurt!"

"Now I'm angry!"

"Are you watching, Father?"

"A proud victory!"

"You put up a good fight."

"Remember this."

"Victory is mine."

"A battle fit for Brodia."

Alcryst

"For Brodia!"

"I hope this is enough!"

"I will protect everyone!"

"I won't miss!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

"I had no choice but to win."

"Whew."

"I'm still alive? Huh."

"I can't belief that I did that."

"I'll apologize later."

If you compare the two royal siblings, they both have a quote about fighting for their country, just like the Firenze royalty do, whereas the Lythos characters refer to the Divine Dragon instead. Diamant's quotes are confident, aggressive and focus on victory. There are no references to interests outside of battle. Alcryst doesn't refer to outside interests either, the difference from Diamant is that he is surprised by his success in battle, sometimes apologetic and rather than the offensive nature of Diamant's quotes, his are focussed on defence and protection.

Citrinne

"I will protect everyone!"

"Care to join me?"

"I have a gift for you!"

"Allow me to dazzle you!"

"Please, forgive me."

"Oh..."

"Hm-hm!"

"I beg your pardon."

"Now this outfit needs a wash."

"Thank you for the dance."

"I claimed this victory."

Lapis 

"I will protect everyone!"

"I won't waste this chance!"

"I'll cut you down to size!"

"You're going down."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't waste my time."

"Made quick work of that."

"Who's next?"

"I won't let this go in my head."

Amber

"Nothing short of victory!"

"I will be a hero!"

"Hope this looks cool!"

"My legend starts now!"

"All right!"

"Prince Diamant, I did it!"

"Just like a hero."

"I won? I won!"

"That settles it."

"Whew."

"Yeah, thats the stuff."

Jade

"Nothing short of victory!"

"My turn!"

"Your story ends here."

"The final blow."

"Not half-bad."

"And so, the knight claimed victory."

"Laughable."

"A satisfying ending."

"I won't forget this."

The retainers each share a line with their lieges. Amber and Jade share “Nothing short of victory!” with Diamant and Citrinne and Jade share “I will protect everyone! “ with Alcryst. Diamant and his retainers have the offensive line while Alcryst and his retainers have the defensive line. The rest of the lines relate to each retainer's personality and interests. Citrinne's lines reference her love of grand balls, her noble etiquette and the generosity her wealth allows her. Lapis's lines reference her modesty and her strength. Amber's lines reference his love of legends, his desire to be a hero and his surprise and delight at winning. Jade's lines reference her humorous writing. 

Yunaka

 "Look what you made me do."

"Dropped your guard."

"You're dead."

"Time to finish the job."

"Glad that's over with!"

"That was a cinch!"

"Another kill for me!"

"Whew."

"Winning!"

"Nailed it."

"Was that too much?"

Yunaka speaks as Larimar for her critical lines and as Yunaka in her victory battle lines. As Larimar she is threatening or criticising her opponent while as Yunaka she is celebrating her victory. Different sides of Yunaka are relevant for different situations, both sides create the whole. 

Saphir

"I'll gut you like a fish!"

"Move!"

"Worm Food."

"Out of my face."

"No other choice."

"The weak die."

"Good workout."

"For King Morion."

"No one's gonna miss you."

Saphir's battle quotes reflect her hobby of fishing and cooking seafood, her loyalty to King Morion and her devotion to might. 

[emblematicemblazer]

What do you think about the contrast between the Firenese nobility and the Brodian one ? While the Brodian one is mainly portrayed as scheming and being the main responsible for the war against Elusia, the Firenese one seems to be more quiet and less scheming

I think there is a clear distinction between greed and charity. Firene is definitely depicted as a virtuous ideal and Brodia as a kingdom that needs to change, even the Crown Prince Diamant sees the reliance on a war economy as damaging. However I think the nobility and royalty of both nations are a little more grey than they appear on the surface. I think all the nations have to take some responsibility for Sombron. Brodia and Elusia the biggest portion but Firene, Solm and Lumera could have done more.

Firene's nobles are defined by charity and the desire for peace. Boucheron is an example of this mindset. In his ending card he devotes himself to helping restore Florra Port, a selfless endeavour. I wouldn't say that the royalty of Firene are not shrewd or self interested. Queen Eve must have ensured Firene's peace and sacrificed Elusia's by not involving them in the pact. To say that Firene does not have much contact with Elusia because of distance ignores the fact that merchants travel there and Elusia trades with their allies. Firene and Solm have to take some responsibility for Sombron's return by not negotiating with Brodia to include them. Elusia's exclusion gives them the reputation of 'otherness' which can be used to justify further isolation from them and dehumanisation. 

A powerful part of Brodia's nobility are definitely self interested, scheming and to quote Hortensia, greedy. They want more land and more resources and will pressure the royal family for their desires to be met. There is greater poverty which could point to less charity and a a minimal safety net for the poor.  Clearly there are charitable nobles in Brodia as shown by Citrinne and Yunaka's conversation. I wouldn't tarnish all with the same brush. A big part of Brodia's problem is the importance of might, it creates an environment of hostility, individualistic meritocracy (you are responsible for your strength and help is weakness), competitiveness and discrimination. It is seen as honourable to be successful as a human weapon, as a killer rather than a feeling human being and this devalues life. There is also a circle of violence. Brodia attacks Elusia - Elusia retaliates - Brodia seeks vengeance and attacks Elusia  and so on. Yes King Morion's warmongering means that Elusia acts by awakening Sombron. Brodia needs to take a large portion of the blame. I still think Sombron would have awakened even without Brodia's attacks. Zephia and Fell Dragon fanatics would have found a way. It would have been less urgent. Elusia also need to take responsibility for their part in awakening Sombron. 

I think Lumera's role needs some consideration regarding Sombron's awakening. She did try and communicate with the Elusian royalty but was turned down. Should she have done more to influence Brodia? The Xenologue Alear managed to ensure peace in Elyso by diplomacy with the nations. Isn't it a Divine Dragon's role to encourage peace? I see a Divine Dragon's role as one of guidance rather than ruling human kingdoms. A Divine Dragon can advise Brodia to seek peaceful solutions but it is not their place to demand it. I don't think Lumera is blameless. She could have used her influence more. 

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

King Morion - father and warmonger

Alear's impression

Alear first learns about King Morion from Alfred's introduction. Alfred describes him as an 'ambitious man' who is always launching attacks on Elusia to expand his own territory. In his introduction he also mentions that Firene is part of a non aggression pact with Brodia and Solm however getting Brodia to sign the pact took some doing. Right from the beginning Alear is given the impression that King Morion is a warmonger. 

When they enter Brodia, the landscape and greeting does little to change that impression. Alear is nearly hit by an arrow fired by the youngest prince and his two retainers look like they want to kill him. Lapis even claims that Brodia is a kingdom of warriors, if Alear cannot dodge an arrow then they are not worthy enough to enter. The rugged landscape also adds to the atmosphere. This builds up the expectation of King Morion being a fearsome warrior, even if Alcryst is self deficating. 

In the battle against Hortensia, she says that her father told her that Brodia is a 'greedy and barbaric country'. This description adds to the impression that King Morion is an inhuman, warmongering monster. 

After Diamant introduces himself, his father shows up unannounced. The father and son role is reversed as King Morion is scolded by Diamant for leaving the castle. Alear mentions to Alfred that they are surprised by his friendliness. King Morion presents himself as informal, friendly and a family guy. His fatherly side is demonstrated by his eagerness to greet Alcryst who has arrived home and praises his son for his good work. The informal side is demonstrated by the way he goes to throw the Emblem ring to Diamant. Finally his friendliness and hospitality is demonstrated by the proposal of a welcoming duel and his sympathy for Firene's plight.  Clearly he is a big personality and Diamant pressed the importance of him staying alive. Alear is shocked when King Morion goes to face King Hyacinth without the aid of an emblem ring. What Alear thinks beyond being shocked is unclear. 

Alear only has a positive experience with King Morion. They witness him as a family man having heartfelt conversations with his sons who clearly show their love. Alear does not see the 'demon ' on the battlefield because they do not face him as an enemy. It is natural that Alear is upset when he is turned into one of the corrupted. 

The blame for the return of Sombron

It is clear that King Morion's military action in Elusia caused the royal family to assist in the freeing of Sombron. In chapter 9, The Clash of Forces, King Hyacinth says;

 'Your invasions of my country come at a very high price and now you will pay it.'

King Morion's policy of basing Brodia upon a war economy is what causes Sombron to be freed at that particular point in time. King Hyacinth was acting to defend his people. If Brodia hadn't been invading there would have been less urgency to free their god.

King Morion should not take the sole blame for Sombron's return. There are other factors such as:

Solm and Firene not pushing for Elusia to be involved in the non aggression pact.

Lumera not using her influence to encourage peaceful solutions

Fanatics of the Fell Dragon and Zephia's involvement. 

I still think that Sombron would have returned even without Brodia's invasion. Zephia is fanatically loyal to Sombron and a powerful and influential mage dragon. Mauvier reckons that she could have been the Fell Dragon if Sombron hadn't existed. With her mind controlling abilities, her ability to lie and manipulate people and her renown, it is likely that she would eventually find a way. Sombron has her obeying him with the possibility of giving her a child when his ambitions are met. The fanatics of the church, an institution that engages in brainwashing, would have done everything possible to free their god. 

Without Brodia's invasions it is likely that Sombron's awakening would have taken longer, potentially giving the surrounding countries an greater opportunity to stop any rituals, or at least to bolster their forces. Sombron would not have had easy access to sovereign blood. Elusia would have no reason to attack Brodia, therefore little opportunity to capture King Morion. In a way King Morion is the architect of his own downfall. 

Why war?

It is impossible to say when Brodia started to attack Elusia and use their worship of the fell Dragon to dehumanise and fearmonger Elusia. Alcryst mentions that Brodia had been in conflict with Elusia for as long as he can remember. My hunch is that King Morion did not start the invasions nor the propaganda against Elusia, he carried on Brodia's single minded approach to war. 

What changed to make Brodia go to war? For a time after the First Dragon War there was a period of peace. Here is my theory; Brodia is not an abundant country in the same way Firene is. The harsh climate makes agriculture difficult as well as the lower quality of soil. Lapis hints at a period of hardship like the potato famine. Brodia is based on Scotland and in 1846, in the Scottish Highlands, potato blight caused the widespread failure of potato crops. I reckon that wide scale crop failure in Brodia caused them to adopt warfare as a way to provide for their people. There could have been several periods of hardship in the 1000 years after the First Dragon War. It wouldn't be the first time the Fire Emblem creators have used infertility as a reason for war. In the two most recent Fire Emblem games before Engage, the Sreng attacked Faerghus to seek fertile land and Nohr, before Garon was possessed, conquered to supplement their resources. It is not unreasonable to believe that they would use a similar scenario again. 

Grey?

King Morion fits nicely into the grey area character category. As a father it is clear that he adores his sons, he encourages them and they idolise him, but at the same time they are able to question his judgements. Diamant and Alcryst are allowed to speak freely. From the way Saphir talks about him it is clear that he looks after his loyal soldiers. He lifts spirits with tournaments, balls and feasts. He can be reasoned with, as proven by the signing of the non aggression pact. 

As King, he is responsible for maintaining a competitive culture where 'the weak serve the strong', criminals can justify their crimes because it is believed that it is fine to take things by force, nobles can push for invasion to increase their wealth and Alcryst has a pessimistic attitude due to constant criticism. He is responsible for failing to adopt peaceful ways to improve Brodia's economy. His warmongering policies forced Elusia to retaliate by freeing Sombron. He also does nothing to change the negative opinions about Elusia, in fact he encourages such attitudes. Alcryst calls Elusia 'unpredictable and dangerous'. This attitude would have been learnt from his parents.

For a npc with a couple of chapters of screen time, he is multilayered and faceted. I think his informal nature contrasts nicely with Diamant. I also believe that Diamant's and Alcryst's ability to love, respect but at the same time criticise their father is a credit to their upbringing. He has many faults and has to take a large portion of the blame for Sombron's return but I like that he is not a one dimensional warmonger. He has warmth and likeability. 

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

Yunaka

Yunaka takes her name from unakite, a green and pink semi precious stone. Unakite is found in the Unaka range of the Appalachian Mountains. The name 'unaka ' comes from the cherokee term 'Unega' which means 'white'. 

Larimar is the trademark of a rare blue stone only found in the Dominican Republic. The myth of how the stone was discovered is as follows. In 1974 a father and his daughter were walking along the beach at the foot of the Bahoruco Mountain Range. The daughter spotted the stone so her father named the stone after his daughter 'Larissa' and the Spanish word for the sea which is 'mar'. 

I believe Yunaka was chosen as her new name because each stone is a unique combination of green and pink and Yunaka has a one of a kind personality. White could be a reference to her wiping the slate clean. Larimar could have been chosen as her real name to represent the changing tides in her life.

She adorns a contorted body suit with slits revealing her flesh. Revealing and tight clothing are symbols of her class and her former criminal career. In medieval times it was the commoner who wore less modest garments. The tightness would be necessary to aid ease of movement. Her body suit is a dark colour to enable her to camouflage with the dark. The black cape could also assist in camouflaging as well as aiding someone who often sleeps rough. Her cape could be used as a blanket and an umbrella. The gold armour on her legs and feet is quite usual and certainly would not assist camouflaging. I assume that due to her interest in weaponry she has treated herself to some flashy armour. 

Her belt bucket is an art deco style butterfly. The butterfly has several symbolic meanings, I will start with The Gaelic symbolism. Dealan-de is the Gaelic word for butterfly and literally means 'fire of god'. Butterflies were believed to be angels that ferry the souls of the dead to heaven. I think that this meaning fits well with Yunaka's character. Her personal ability is trained to kill so she is like an angel of death. The Japanese meaning also fits well. In Japan butterflies are also associated with death,they are believed to be the spirits of the departed. It is not this meaning I am referring to, butterflies are also associated with transformation and metamorphosis. Yunaka is transforming from Larimar to her current identity. The Buddhist concept of the 'butterfly mind' could be considered relevant as well. The butterfly mind is a restless mind that cannot settle or be still. Before Yunaka meets the Divine Dragon age is unsettled as she hints for her place in the world. She is like the butterfly who cannot remain upon the cushion. 

She decorates herself with stars. This could just be an aesthetic choice but there could be hidden meaning. I will start with Scotland and the flag of Sutherland. There is a star upon the flag that represents the position of the sun in the Scottish sky. In Japan there is a charming story behind origami lucky stars. They are symbols of good luck and love. Everytime a lucky star is made, a falling star is saved. 

A little girl called Hoshi was fascinated by the stars in the sky. One night she started to cry because the stars were falling from the sky. She ran inside to fetch paper and a jar. For every star that fell she made a lucky star and put it in the jar. 

There is also the star festival known as 'Tanabata'. In Chinese myth it is believed that the two stars Altair and Vega are only able to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month. It is tradition to write wishes on strips of colourful paper. 

Yunaka's casual wear is a lot less revealing and definitely warmer. . When she is not working she prefers to cover up. There are still practical features such as the elbow sleeve length. No one wants to cut a frilly sleeve when handling weaponry. She has an element of fun with the bright pink buttons. Her palette of dark purple and black could be to represent the night. 

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

The skills of Brodia

Diamant: Fair Fight - If unit initiates combat, grants Hit+15 to unit and foe if foe is able to counterattack.

Alcryst: Get Behind Me! - When an ally within 2 spaces is attacked, grants Str+3 to unit for 1 turn.

The personal skills of the two prince's of Brodia have an attack focus. This could be a reference to Brodia being the ‘Kingdom of Might’, strength is considered an important quality. The nature of the attack based skills references the prince's personality. Alcryst wants to protect everyone because he believes they are more valuable than him, ‘Get Behind Me!’ Reflects his desire. ‘Fair Fight', represents Diamant's bravery and honour as a proud prince of Brodia. The

Citrinne: Generosity - When this unit uses a healing item, adjacent allies also recover the same amount of HP.

Lapis: Share Spoils - If there is an ally within 1 space, grants Hit/Avo+10 at a cost of Crit-10 to unit.

Alcryst’s two retainers; Citrinne and Lapis, have personal abilities which relate to the skills they have which the other retainer lacks. Citrinne has wealth and status and is able to generously share the contents of a purchasable healing item. Lapis does not have status not wealth but she does have something Citrinne lacks; strength, she has so much strength that she is willing to sacrifice her crit rate to increase a units hiy/avo.

Amber: Aspiring Hero - If no other units are within 1 space of unit or foe, grants Hit+20 at a cost of Avo-10 during combat.

Jade: Meditation -  If unit uses Wait without attacking or using items, grants Res+2 for 1 turn.

Diamant's retainers; Amber and Jade, have personal skills that relate to their interests. Amber wants to be seen as a hero and is willing to charge off by himself on adventures or epic quests while Jade's hobby is meditation. 

If you compare the two sets of retainers, Diamant's retainers have skills which are individualistic. The skills help the unit rather than aids others. I believe that this is because Diamant is not dependant on them in a battle. The support They provide him is a form of escapism; comic relief. Alcryst and his retainers need each other both in and outside of battle. Lapis protects by smashing an opinion which improving hit/avo of her allies. Alcryst gets stronger the more units Lapis attacks and then defeats the remainders while Citrinne picks up the straps and heals them.

Diamant (Successeur): Sol - Unit may recover HP=50% damage dealt. Trigger %=Dex.

Alcryst (Tireur d’élite)’ Luna - While making an attack, may ignore half of foe’s Def/Res. Trigger %=Dex.

Diamant's confidence, honour and bravery are the shining sun while Alcryst's introverted and self deprecation are the moon. Just like the skills learnt from the Firenze's royalty's unique classes, they represent opposites. 

Yunaka: Trained to Kill - While unit occupies terrain that provides an Avo bonus, grants Crit+15.

Yunaka's personal skill represents her past shelf. She was an assassin, trained to kill and her eyesight and stealth help her benefit from the terrain. 

Saphir: Will to Win - If unit’s HP is 50% or less at start of combat, grants Hit/Avo+20 during combat.

Saphir's personal skill represents her relentless, determined and brave fighting style and personality. Her bravery and determination meant that she was able to fight her way to Givre Port without assistance. 

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

The Ring of the Young Lion and Brodia

The first reason I believe that Roy is used to represent Brodia is because of the symbol of the lion, along with the unicorn, the lion is a heraldry emblem of Scotland. The lion rampage flag is a symbol of Scottish royalty. The unicorn and the lion feature in the full royal coat of arms of the UK. The unicorn represents Scotland and the Lion represents England. Both creatures are fierce adversaries but at the same time they symbolise complementary counterparts; the extrovert and the introvert, the violent and the tranquil, etc. Diamant is the 'young lion' and Alcryst is his complementary counterpart.

Diamant is also the 'young lion's because he has a lot in common with Roy. They both have to follow in their father's footsteps and both have big shoes to fill. Roy had to take over from his father 'Eliwood' when he became unable to rule because of illness. Eliwood was a polite, well spoken, charismatic and empathetic king with a natural talent for leadership despite his physical vulnerabilities and somewhat naive nature. Diamant has to take over from King Morion when he becomes corrupted. In contrast to Eliwood, King Morion is a warrior known for his might and his casual, brash but friendly demeanour. 

They have similar personality traits. Diamant and Roy want peace, they act confident in front of their armies but often doubt their competency as leaders and soldiers, enjoy reading, formal, polite and he values friends and family. 

Obtaining Leif

The Ring of the Sage Lord is obtained in Brodia. I believe that Leif is collected in Brodia because his parents were killed by King Travant so he shares the same feelings of anger and desire for revenge felt by Diamant and Alcryst at Destinea Cathedral when they see that their father has been corrupted. 

Fell Lucina

I believe that Lucina is used as the fell version emblem because she is a symbol of hope.  Hortensia is literally dangling hope in front of them and at that point, with the Marth by their side, Alear is feeling confident and hopeful. 

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

The music of Brodia 

The music associated with Brodia is in the style of martial music. ‘The warrior prince: Diamant's theme’ is a ruffles and flourishes style song. A ruffling drumbeat and fanfare are played in honour of royalty and high officials. A bugle call starts ‘A warrior's pride'. The bugle call is a means of communication in a military setting because the instrument is especially loud and distinct. From the bugle call, the song starts to form a marching song. The drums start to play to the rhythm of the cadence of the march. ‘Royal confidence’ is in the style of an extended fanfare based around the ‘major triad’ that is often employed in songs of a similar style. 

Rich and poor

If you compare Brodia to their neighbours Firene, the society is made up of a majority of commoners whereas Firene is mainly nobility. There is a greater gap between the rich and the poor, this is demonstrated by Citrinne's vast wealth and her ability to give extravagant gifts without thinking and Lapis's eating weeds and ingenuity with junk. 

Rich and poor are able to read and write so there must be some form of education. 

Social mobility is obtained through battle prowess. Jade, Amber and Lapis are commoners who became retainers through contests. Jade was invited due to their reputation guarding mines. 

Origins

Brodia was founded by nomadic people. It is likely these people came from Firene. If Firene is France and Brodia is Scotland, then nomadic Gaels and Franco-Noman migrants helped to create Scotland. 

Historical Events

First Divine v Fell Dragon War

Potato Famine

War with Elusia

Religion

They are worshippers of the Fell Dragon and the royalty are visitors to the altar in Lythos. 

Some people believe that stones have spiritual powers, similar to crystal healing. Diamant gives Ivy a stone believed to encourage bravery. Stones and jewellery are often gifted by the nobility.

Some people give spiritual significance to their weapon. Diamant believes his sword is a symbol of his might.