#[ duessel...... my good friend duessel.................!! ]

[fluxrspar]

[ 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 ] : sender is telling receiver they "deserve better than whatever this is".

His eyes aren't cold. He looks upon Selena with love, affection, understanding -- but never anger or hatred. No, the general would never feel that way about her no matter what sides of the battlefield they found themselves on.

And still: he raises his lance, because she is now his enemy. He hates that. He hates this. But he will never hate her.

"You deserve better than to fight for the shadow of our king," he says. "You deserve better than whatever this is."

for you i would (still accepting)

Her eyes are steel.

To another, it may be seen as betrayal, that her gaze could be so harsh knowing all the years that had passed—serving side by side, growing as friends and allies. A glance would say that all was forgotten in the face of what the Fluorspar must do.

But Duessel would know—that is merely a matter of course. To do what is difficult (what is necessary) despite the weight of the world: Fluorspar grows cold, sharp, becoming the emperor’s will. It is easier to do so withdrawn than to live fully and completely in the moment—and chance succumbing to her own grief.

“…Perhaps.” (She says it as a ‘maybe,’ but Duessel is never wrong.) It was entirely likely that she was making the wrong choice—that, in lacking his wisdom, she could not see what else could possibly await her.

All the same, there is lightning.

“Perhaps.”

It sparks at her fingertips, wild and untamed and mourning. (Whatever remained of them, there could only be another grave.)

It is not a matter of deserving. (Selena did not do this for herself.) Oaths are binding, lasting forever and beyond death—such was knighthood. Even if she desired to cast it away (just as Duessel had managed to do), it was not her own will that was to be exacted; she was here by the emperor’s orders.

Steel becomes less harsh, weathered away, if just slightly.

“But all the same, the path before me is clear.”

All the same, it conducts lightning.

[egittae]

let's hope anodyne isn't behind this | lambert & duessel (axe +1)

@obsidiendo

It was straightforward, very much so.

This one house of Leicester, who Lambert managed to somehow remember the name of- Riegan, the same same from that house leader kid of the Golden Deer, had been boasting about its latest findings: a mine that somehow hadn’t been spotted until now, apparently rich with minerals and that could definitely offer a powerful boost to the territory’s commerce. It seemed almost too good to be true in Lambert’s eyes- he may have weak memory, but he does have enough knowledge to be aware that mines don’t just show up like that- but anyway. Good for them, right?

Until Lambert was given the information that for whatever reason, that mine seemed rather dangerous. There was no explanation on why exactly, with everything being fairly vague. And now he, alongside another teacher, had been given the task to approach the area for some recon- both to check if the reports about the mine were indeed real, and also have a better idea of why it was considered so dangerous.

“I can only hope that there are no monsters inside that thing. Mostly because fighting a monster inside a cramped, dark cave sounds like the recipe for disaster.” Lambert spoke out loud, standing just before the perimeter tape set by Riegan authorities to keep onlookers from getting too close. He couldn’t see much of the mine from there- just forest and rocks, but he could identify a path that would most definitely lead to its entrance.

It felt strange, how natural that felt to him. Faerghus has many mines too, doesn’t it?

Why was he so familiar with those aspects? Wasn’t he just a soldier?

Breaking into a sigh, he rested one hand on his hip- covered in armor, before facing his companion. A big, strong guy a little older than him who seemed like quite the battle veteran. He was a teacher of the Golden Deer, and Lambert needed him to tag along because as an Ashen Wolves teacher he didn’t have clearance to come by himself. He wouldn’t protest, though! A partner is always welcome for recons. “Did you get anything from those guards, Duessel? Any information on what is in there or is it a true case of look around and find out?”

Not that Lambert was against it, no. Even more if it meant ensuring the miners’ safety- which was his priority at this point. Resources were cool and all, but Lambert didn’t quite agree with the idea of them coming at the price of the miners’ safety.

“What could be in there to even justify all of this…I expect to see literal walls of gold and silver at this point.” He frowned. He couldn’t help but wonder if the authorities were hiding something from the public.

[serenegaldr]

He's met another like her before. He'd seen a younger man with bright white wings, elegantly swimming in the water before him. He'd foolishly offered him berries, as if he were some sort of bird -- which, to be entirely fair to Duessel, he had taken the form of when they first met.

He does not wish to make a fool of himself again. He comes up to her and bows for a greeting. "Good evening, milady. I don't believe we have met, but I know another with wings as lovely as yours who you might know. Are you acquainted with Reyson of Serenes?"

The man greets her so politely, and Leanne giggles as she returns a curtsy the way she'd seen beorc ladies do, before nodding at the mention of Reyson.

"Yes, Reyson is my..." Oh, how did beorc put it... "Elder brother!" While she isn't quite sure about their history — it being a topic Father is, understandably, not yet ready to discuss in depth — she is fairly certain that she and her immediate family are the last of the white-winged herons remaining, after the fire. With her and her siblings all in Fódlan, these foreign beorc are getting to see a rare sight!

"You are... Reyson's friend, yes?" It's heartening to know that her brother has been able to make many beorc friends even after the wars, and with that thought, Leanne takes the black feather from her brooch, offering it to the man for the swap with a bright smile. "I hope... we will be friends, as well!"

[soulcluster]

Good sisters wingman. Kind of. Well, Tana was asking for herself, too, but that didn't matter! She'd be happy regardless of the outcome. "Ephraim, I have a very important question for you? Is there anyone that you like?" She was practically bursting with excitement.

Ephraim gave Tana his full attention as she came up to him. She was Eirika's dear friend, and he thought well of her too, so he'd hate to estrange her in some manner.

However, her question perplexed him — why would she ask that? — but he answered readily enough. "Well, of course." A pause, because he half expected her to know this already. "I like you, and I like Eirika, and I like Forde, Kyle, Seth, even Innes I suppose, when he's not breathing down my neck." Innes made for a good rival and training partner but the man was intense, and that was saying something from Ephraim. "Oh, Duessel, of course. He's my mentor."

Still, he felt he had somehow missed something. "Ah, why do you ask?"

[sacred-stanning]

Chapter 11 Part 7: They don't want you to know...L'Arachel's true identity revealed...not clickbait

Last post, Tana was the only one left in enemy range, and, as predicted, the boss comes in and attacks her, but can't double her. She does pretty well since she manages to dodge again, and still gets her hit in.

I mentioned last post that the boss had only 1 res and only 7 attack speed. Well,

it's Luting time!

(She did well attacking, so we'll overlook the level up.)

Aside from the other gargoyle, we also have a couple of random eyeballs to take out.

I check out the range on the far one, and I see that Neimi can kill the close one and still be safe even if she gets hit on the counter. (My assumption is that I'll definitely take care of the gargoyle, but possibly not the far eyeball.)

*Sigh* Then Neimi misses one of her shots.

At any rate, Duessel takes care of the gargoyle, Cormag cleans up Neimi's mess, and Franz actually can easily reach the other eyeball, so things are looking good!

I move L'Arachel up to heal Moulder, who's been about half dead for a couple turns now.

Then I end turn and, before I know it, some random enemy suicides into one of my guys and the map ends!

Because it's a fog map with the rout enemy win condition, they don't actually show you how many enemies are left in the counter on screen, so it's not uncommon for this map to end like this.

Seth reports to Ephraim that the ship is cleared of enemies and that the ship itself appears to be undamaged.

L'Arachel is happy that we protected righteousness. :)

At this point, Ephraim finally finds out who this random woman is.

"I am called L'Arachel. I fight monsters for the sake of righteousness and order!"

She also reveals that she is actually the crown princess of Rausten, which is one of the other countries with a sacred stone.

And she mentions to Ephraim that she met a young woman who looked a lot like him. Ephraim realizes that she must have met his sister.

L'Arachel announces to Dozla that they are joining Ephraim's efforts to fight Grado. Dozla responds that, for Lady L'Arachel's sake, he will jump into a group of monsters, or into the sea...etc.

To which L'Arachel responds that "But of course my retainer would have such wonderful energy!"

I'm actually having a little trouble thinking of how to translate that sentence so that it sounds more like natural English.

She starts with the word "sasuga", which, like "yahari / yappari" which I mentioned before, is another cool word that does a lot of work all on its own.

It's often used when praising someone when you think the person has lived up to the expectations of them, and you want to express your appreciation of that. (Though it's not an inherently positive word, and it could be used to express that a negative result was as expected too.)

"Sasuga, Lute used her incredible magic proficiency to blast that gargoyle out of the sky in one shot!"

So it's a little like "Leave it to [name] to..." maybe. Or "Figures [name] would..."

It's generally written in hiragana, but it can be written 流石, "flowing rock" too.

Interestingly enough, the source of the "flowing rock" kanji probably has no direct relation to the meaning of this word.

The other word that feels awkward to translate is "kiai", which I made into "energy" above. But I feel like the word conveys a mix of energy and also attitude, especially when you are talking about someone who is working really hard, or putting a big effort into something.

Situations like this are where you really get to see the skills of translators, because translating very directly, and trying to capture every little nuance in the original might result in a very awkward-sounding sentence in the target language.

Sometimes the best way is to just totally reword things, but in a way that still captures the feel of the original.

But that's it for chapter 11!

Next up: Chapter 12, and more new friends!

[lunatenais]

I’m realizing as I’m writing I don’t know my own interests! Wahoo! Anyway I’ve had such a wonderful 2 years in TOA, and I’m so excited to be here for many more years to come!!

Tagging: You. [grabs you]

Name: Eleven/Emil

Pronouns: He/they

Birthday (no year): June 19th

Where are you from? What is your time zone? AST :) I’m in Atlantic Canada

Roleplay experience: I think it’s been like 10-11 years? My first RP was for like Sonic OCs but I mainly did DR OC :]

---

Got any pets? Yes! I have a cat named Jerrie! I also live with 3 cats who belong to my roommate.

Favorite time of year: Autumn

Some interests and things you like: Flowers/gardening, magical girls, classic literature, pink things tm, stuffed animals, idols

Some fun facts & trivia about you: I have no idea

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Dangan Ronpa, Granblue Fantasy, Love Live, Ensemble Stars, Genshin Impact, League of Legends, been on a visual novel kick recently also EDIT I FORGOT PERSONA AND HARVEST MOON

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Fairy type & my fav pokemon is Lilligant!

---

How did you get into Fire Emblem? I bought Awakening because a friend of mine (N) liked it so much, and then I didn’t play it for almost a whole year after that! But I decided to try it out while I was on a road trip and quickly became obsessed.

What Fire Emblem games have you played? (In order): Awakening, Sacred Stones, Fates, like 1/4th of Gaiden, SoV, Three Houses, Genealogy, like half of Shadow Dragon, Binding Blaze, Blazing Blade.

First Fire Emblem game: Awakening!

Favorite Fire Emblem game: Sacred Stones :)

Any Fire Emblem crushes? a Frederick, Niles, Leon, Seth, Linhardt, Henry, Ced, Donnel, Duessel, JOSHUA

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? - Awakening: Frederick, Fates: Niles, Three Houses: Linhardt, Engage: ?

Favorite Fire Emblem class: Mage :)

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? Probably Cleric or Pegasus Knight

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Golden Deer

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? EIRIKAAAA

---

How did you find TOA? My good pal N was talking about it and I was interested in it! I often follow him to different rp groups like a dog.

Current TOA muses: Eirika, Lugh and (hopefully soon) Tharja!

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? Knoll! I have highly entertained the thought of bringing him back, though I worry about the interest in him a lot!

Have you had any other TOA muses? a Knoll, Julia, Patty, Olwen, Peri, Ingrid, Nanna, Lute, Leon, Hisame, Florina, Panette (am I forgetting someone??)

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? I love thieves, though it doesn’t show from my list since Patty stuck around so long— I also love quieter, mysterious characters a lot or characters with some sort of image issue tm especially in the vein of growing up too soon

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? I love anything I can put some fucking angst on happy characters going through something tm is my fav ever.

Favorite TOA-related memory: Uh yeah that bitch explodes

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day in TOA that you’d like to share? Nótt, Clarine, Ced, Tethys, Virion, Nina, Seadall, Marni, Maribelle

[pryings]

"Knoll."

His voice echoes in the hall. It's a fair bit colder in here than he had originally thought it would be -- considering the library is very much indoors, it's unsettling that there's such a draft. He hopes that his friend is keeping warm here.

He sees Knoll at his desk and waits for him to turn, to look away from his work and see Duessel standing there with a small little box in his hands. There's a slight smile upon his lips as he extends the plain looking box to him.

He waits for him to open it. Inside, there is a long chain ( easily hidden under robes ) with a large, uncut amethyst affixed to a silver clasp, matching its chain. It's not overly heavy, but it looks as if it were plucked from the earth and make into art.

"It's from Grado, I hope you like it. Happy birthday, my friend."

knoll does not notice the chill.

his robes keep out any wind that creeps through the cracks in between window and sill. he does look up upon hearing duessel's approach, however, and there is a genuine smile upon his lips.

"general duessel. there was no need for you to get anything for me," he says, looking surprised. his birthday is often a day that passes unremarked upon, and he cannot say he would prefer otherwise. hands clasp the box for a long moment before he finally opens it.

the gift is...

well, to say it is perfect would be an understatement. a gift from home. a piece of jewelry, which he holds a secret love for, but nothing flashy. something that can be shown off or hidden as desired.

his expression is momentarily very vulnerable. general duessel is good at noticing the things that he does not show intentionally.

"thank you. i shall wear it always, and use it as a talisman against the longing when i miss home."

[etrefleurbleues]

ankle is snared, and louis dangles mid-air. it is uncomfortable, to say the least, to feel the blood rush from his body directly into his head. beneath him remains a pit, and above him, the comfort of the branch holding him aloft.

whilst he could cut himself down, it would risk a spinal injury at worst and a broken arm at best - louis nonetheless holds to his lance. "oh dear," he hums. "i've been trapped. well, that certainly is no good."

in a futile attempt does he attempt to lift himself to his ankles by the means of crunching his abs, but the armor weighing him down immediately cuts that dream short. the branch creaks, and sways, and louis can envision princess celine in the infirmary trying to piece him back together again. "...hm."

slowly, he hears a horse neigh, and he smiles. it appears he was caught. "professor duessel ! why, i positively love this exercise," he has been sprinting, as fast as he can, for 30 minutes. such was the reality of going against someone on horseback. "but i do not desire a broken neck. would you kindly help me before we engage in our game of cat and mouse again ?"

"unless you intend to spar with me," arm sways lance back and forth, as if to draw further attention to himself. "then, that too is fine. as lucky as i am for your instruction, i cannot do my tasks if i fall victim to my venomously-inclined-friends in the pit below."

duessel blog oh god i forgot the name +1 sword I WILL FIX THIS.

i hit the juckport 1 trillion$

[fluxrspar]

He bows to his fellow general.

She still is that to him, a general; someone he admires and cares for -- no matter what the past is, there is a chance to look to the future. Duessel lives in the past all too often, sinks deep into it and feels it press on all sides. Suffocating, sometimes. Comforting, other times.

But for General Fluorspar, for his friend, he will look forward. Tonight, he will celebrate her life.

"You look beautiful," he says, and offers his arm. "I would like to spend some of this evening together, if you would like. I haven't seen you much lately. How are you faring?"

It is only a matter of time before she finds him—or perhaps, it is better said that he finds her. Old friends from older times, a past that may one day be nothing more than sand on the shore; they cross paths time and again, and they share once more the same side of history. Just as sorrow is remembered, so too is the joy that precedes it. Selena is glad to call Duessel her friend.

“Thank you,” the general replies, accepting his arm. “You look excellent as well.” A moment passes before she continues: “It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

(It is quite easy for the days to pass, speaking little and primarily in briefs.) A part of Selena thinks she ought to spare herself more free time, time to allow herself to spend in the company of her friends. (Another part thinks that if she works hard enough, that time will come as a byproduct naturally.)

“I’ve been doing well,” she answers, musing over the time spent. Much of it was at the monastery teaching—“It was a bit of a new experience, becoming a full-time teacher, but despite the workload, it feels… quite fulfilling.” (It is a feeling she had forgotten, then picked up bit by bit; it was not fully restored until after the mock battle, however.)

“And how are you, General Duessel? Has life been treating you well?”

[randomnameless]

Answering all those asks about Magvel made me realise :

In this game, with around (counting the two routes) 30ish maps, IS managed to tell two stories that nicely could fit in one with interesting themes :

Eirika’s route is all about good intentions does not matter when your path sucks - Carlyle really really really loved Ismaire, but brought ruin to her, and to her Kingdom. Lyon really really really wanted to save Grado and its people... by playing with the fate of the continent. Joshua really really really wanted to become a good King by learning everything he could by travelling as a commoner... but he wasn’t here when Jehanna needed him the most. Orson really really really loved his wife... and wanted her back, no matter the cost. Were they selfish? Maybe. Maybe not, but when everything goes wrong, they cannot repair what was done.

Ephraim’s route... is a complete deconstruction of the “ultimate chad” Lord, it doesn’t matter how much of a chad you are, if you never bother to understand the feelings of everyone around you. If Ephraim had been a better friend, if he knew him better, maybe the tragedy would have been avoided (maybe not). If Selena and Duessel realised Vigarde was not Vigarde anymore (dude was green guys!) they might not have continued to fight for a zombie, but instead for Grado and its people (Duessel realises it, Selena... doesn’t). Ephraim never understood Orson’s grief, and cannot, until he sees Monica.

Ephraim recevies the wake-up slap from Seth : he has to understand what his people want and expect of him, they are not cheering for the “chad” who managed to defeat zombie!Vigarde and, apparently, stop the war, they are cheering for the force that kicked Orson out.

And to think this game is 18 years old (damn i’m old), was released on a console with limited storage, limited supports, no voice acting...

FE8 is a gem, really. Yes it is “easier” than FE7 (and lol FE6), and maybe it has this status because it is the only game in its verse, but it’s a story with a beginning, and an end. There are no glaring WTF moments, the game is centered on characters and not so much on its world, and yet it does the job.

I think it’s nostalgia bias talking, especially comparing it to the latest game in the franchise - but 15 years later, even if the game is centered on the “can you kill that person you came to care about”, I am sadder to fight Lyon, with all of his weirdness (slightly lampshading in his FBs how he was willing to do anything to be worthy of the twins, or the necromancy lite) than Edel.

Should FE16 have added more flashbacks (or events with Mila’s turnwheel - renamed Sothis’s turnwheel or something), especially in AM, to make the player feel as bad as they did in FE8 when it was time to kill Lyon? Should the story have been tweaked here and there, with the Mole People assuming the role of Fomortiis?

I don’t know.

I only know I don’t talk a lot about FE8, and Jugdral is Jugdral, but it might be my second favourite game in the franchise.

[blaiddllodi]

Corralled into this hut along with others bearing the red bandana of the snakes, Dimitri almost felt as though they were merely back at the monastery, filing into their dormitory assignments, awaiting the first day of classes. It was absurd, of course, granted the amount of time they had already spent in the sweltering heat of these islands, performing the labors at the whims of the owners – and, of course, the series of strange characters that greeted them, and the stranger circumstances of this... 

He hesitated to call it a game, but in the end he supposed it was as good a word as any. Not martial training, nor anything so dire as some of the missions they completed for the monastery, Dimitri could only assume that it was all in good fun. 

"Hm?" Ducking into the room, he met more and more familiar faces, and he broke into a grin. "Ah, hello! I suppose we are to be rooming together for the duration of our stay?" 

His pack hit the mattress of the available cot with a gentle bounce, and he strode about, shaking the hands of his new comrades eagerly. He had seen most of them about the Blue Lions classroom for some time, and the remaining figure seemed at least passing familiar to one. 

"Prince Alfred – oh, I suppose it's Professor, now, isn't it? I look forward to your company and good cheer. I can only hope that we can all follow the example of your enthusiasm during the duration of our stay." He grinned. He hadn't known Alfred closely, but it was impossible not to know of him, if one was a Blue Lion. A prominent face, his energy was infectious and friendly. 

"And...you must be Ephraim. I have heard Sir Duessel speak of you. I am surprised that this is the first time we've met in person, but I look forward to competing at your side." The remarks were lighthearted, but there was some curiosity there as well – the shared companionship of the general, the shared tutelage. If he wasn't mistaken, it was not the only thing they shared, and Dimitri was eager to become more famliar with what Sir Duessel saw in the other, if only to see those things in himself. 

"And...I beg your pardon, we have not met. I...don't think that I know your name. I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, I am the House Leader of the Blue Lions, and crown prince of the Kingdom of Faerghus. Well met, my friend." 

@floreix @solarsbrace @sacretic

So Do We Arm Wrestle For Top Bunk Or?

[faireth-reed]

Adding my FEH bingo! I haven't played enough games so did 15 characters instead of 25.

-Oswin, Marcus and Forde: they are quite relevant, considering how close they are to some of the best main lords in the series, but other characters from their games have been added first. I'd say Marcus has more chances of appearing in his FE6 version, but I'd like to see him like in FE7.

-Gregor, Vaike and Nyna. They must be added. Like two of the most popular Awakening characters when the cast is almost full, and one of the most important Archanea characters. If Rinea got in the game, Nyna must be there too. Stromg potential for Forging Bonds.

-Cecille, Warren and Cord. Literally any New Mystery character would be welcome in the game, but these are my personal faves. I specially felt the frienship with Cecille during the chapter where she gives us her hairstyle (my avatar wore it). And her reaction towards Katarina's actions and asking us for advice felt very real.

-Aimee and Heather: I just like their design, but don't know much about them. People seem to like Heather, and Aimee would make sense in a Merchant Emblem team, plus adding IkeSoren material.

-Elbert: if you liked Jeralt, you'd probably love Elbert as I did, he's the most interesting FE-parent in my opinion (not counting playable parents). He deserves to be in a Love Abounds banner (and Uther too), though it's very unlikely because Eliwood and Hector have already been in one.

-Hellene: she won't ever be in the game, but her role in FE7 was very interesting. We thought at first that she was a bad mother towards Zephiel, but she ends up showing that she loves him too, so it's very complicated. It's a result of how badly her forced marriage affected her. She'd also have good supports with adult Zephiel and Guinivere, and perhaps Louise because they're related. If Leila got into the game, she could be there too, but it's not likely at all.

-Lorenz (the good one) and Uhai: both of them had Mustafa-like situations in their games. Lorenz has already been in Lost Lore, and he could have supports with Caeda, Ogma and Marth. I expected Duessel to have a tragic fate because of him, but fortunately it was not the case. Uhai doesn't have such a big interaction with the main characters though he already showed promise in his chapter. His lore would be more related to the Black Fang and Sacae, plus he's a cav archer, so he could bring a lot to the game.

But the thing is... We cannot even vote for Uhai in CYL. Which I already try to ask in FEH feedback every year. While gatekeeper fucking won. With bots but he won. Guess most of my votes will go to Oswin this year too.

Also, really glad that this Azura's alt goes with Leanne. We were going to have an alt for sure after all this time, but the interactions can be really cool. Leanne is very eager to learn "our" language and make friends, and Azura implies that she's had trouble making them, so both finding each other is really cute. Singer/dancer harmonics can be very generic (and most of us expected Azura-Olivia), but this one makes a lot more sense.

[four-loose-screws]

FE8 Novelization Translation - Chapter 18, Section 2

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!

———————————

I call this a “section” because it is not a separate part of the chapter in the book, but divided from the rest of the chapter by a scene break.

———————————

Chapter 18 - Encroaching Trap (con’t)

On the night before the day that they would arrive in Rausten, a man appeared from one of the tents scattered across Eirika’s army’s campsite.

It was General Duessel. He looked up at the moon and breathed in a breath of fresh air.

Ever since the events at Neleras, the entire army had sunken into a heavy mood. Princess Eirika was utterly exhausted, and hardly touched her food. Even Ephraim lost his usual energy to his worry for his little sister. And without their smiles, everyone’s morale was low.

“It is a beautiful night tonight, Lord Duessel.”

Duessel turned around towards the source of the sudden voice.

He saw a young man whose face was covered by a hood. It was none other than Knoll. He appeared to be doing the same as Deussel, and taking a walk.

When he saw Duessel’s shocked expression, Knoll lowered his head. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to bother you, but the moon looks so beautiful… I spoke before I realized what I was doing.”

"No, you're not a bother at all. Actually… there's something I wanted to speak with you about. Do you mind, Knoll?"

Knoll had a curious look on his face, but he shook his head.

"No, of course I don't mind. I'm not very good at talking with others, so I don't think I can make very interesting conversation for you, but…"

"It is something that I cannot ask anyone else. It is about Lord Lyon." Duessel lowered his voice.

Knoll calmly took one look around them, confirming that no one else was listening.

"Eirika was deceived by the Demon King at Neleras, and the Sacred Stone was destroyed. As we understand it, the Demon King mimicked Lord Lyon's manner of speaking and said that if he had the Sacred Stone, he could save himself."

"Yes. He took advantage of the Princess' kindness."

"I thought so as well. But as I considered it, I began to have doubts. Would someone as intelligent as Lady Eirika be so easily deceived by one of the Demon King's schemes? Lady Eirika and Lord Lyon were such close friends that just seeing each other made them happy. Would Lady Eirika ever mistake the Demon King for Lord Lyon?"

“What are you getting at, Lord Duessel?”

“I have wondered… was it really the Demon King that stole the Sacred Stone from Lady Eirika and destroyed it? It is possible that it was not the Demon King who pretended to be Lord Lyon… but the other way around. That Lord Lyon faked the Demon King possessing his body, and obtained the stone… If that is what happened, then it is conceivable to think that Lady Eirika could be fooled…” Duessel said all without a single pause, then slumped his shoulders.  

“...I apologize. You knew Lord Lyon very well, so I did not originally intend to talk to you about this. I’d prefer it if you did not tell anyone else about it.”

“I won’t…”

“Of course, I do not think that Lord Lyon is the type of person to plot such a wicked scheme. But his heart might have been tainted by evil when he obtained the Dark Stone. The Demon King could be an illusion that Lord Lyon’s heart created…”

“Lord Duessel.” Knoll slowly shook his head. "The Demon King is no illusion. If he was, I do not know how much better that would be, but… the Demon King of old that fought the ancient heroes and was sealed away undoubtedly exists. And he has now been resurrected and is threatening the entire world. He is no such thing as an illusion."

"...You're right." Duessel put a hand on his forehead. "I don't know what's wrong with me that I would think up something so outlandish... I am probably just tired."

"Lord Duessel, there is something I wish to speak with you about as well. May I?"

It was rare of Knoll, who considered himself terrible at conversation, to bring something up like this.

Duessel lent him an ear.

"It is about something that happened when His Majesty was still alive. When us mages and Lord Lyon were conducting our research. We researched a lost ancient magic… fortune telling."

"Fortune telling? You mean reading into the future? There is no such thing…"

"It may be impossible to believe, but… Our experiment was a success."

Duessel stared at Knoll.

Knoll looked down so as to hide in the shadow of his hood. "What we saw was a horrifying future. Not too long from now, Grado will suffer a large disaster…"

"You're referring to the Demon King's revival, correct? Did you learn about it beforehand…?"

"No, this is something else. What we saw was an enormous earthquake that would shake all of Grado. It will be a disaster unlike any before it. The land will be split apart, the rivers will overflow, and many people will die…"

"What? That's it? An earthquake…?" Duessel stifled a laugh. "The people of Grado became used to them a long time ago. A few houses coming down and the rivers overflowing is nothing…"

"No. This will be much different in scale than anything before it that we know. The land will quite literally be split apart, and lava will gush forth from the volcanoes. A portion of the continent will sink under the sea. Grado… will lose over half of it's people in an instant. And those who manage to survive will suffer from starvation and die slow deaths. It will cause Grado's destruction."

"No… that cannot be…" Duessel nearly shouted, but was just barely able to suppress the urge.

"Can't we prevent it? If we are able to predict it, and if we order all of Grado to evacuate, then…"

"Where would we run to? Grado will be destroyed. A select few of the nobles might be able to flee to other nations. But there is no country that would take in all of Grado's citizens."

Duessel's feet began to shake. Though he was a general known for being dauntless, he now wobbled as if he were drunk.

Knoll continued on in an indifferent tone, "We of course told His Majesty of the results of our fortune telling. It hurt his heart, but he had already realized that he was on death's doorstep. And so, his dying wish for Lord Lyon was to save Grado from this crisis. To save as many of the citizens as he could, though he would be alone. Lord Lyon suffered a massive breakdown, and said he was terrified. It was far from an unreasonable reaction. Suddenly losing his great and honorable father and having to take the throne as the new emperor… just that alone would be difficult. But now, he also had to prepare for a great disaster that would happen within the next few years."

"And this… is why Lord Lyon devoted himself to studying the Sacred Stones?"

“Yes. He said that he needed the power of the Stone to save the people from this disaster… And decided to open the seal on it.”

“So that was why he did that… And is it also the reason why he suddenly invaded Renais? To try and secure a safe country, and save the people…?”

“Perhaps. I do not know that much.” Knoll shook his head.

Duessel snapped at him, “Have you told Lord Ephraim about this?”

“No, I have not.”

“Why not?! This is not just Grado’s problem! We must request aid from Renais and Frelia...!”

“His Majesty said before he passed that Renais’ responsibility was to protect Renais. That they probably wouldn’t accept a large number of refugees from Grado. I think so, too. I like Prince Ephraim, but he will become Renais’ king… is it really wise to be rash and tell him to reduce Grado’s impending risk of being destroyed within the next few years?”

Duessel pursed his lips. Knoll’s conclusion was the right one.

“I chose to speak with you about this, General Duessel, because… I wanted you to know Lord Lyon's fears."

"His… fears?"

"Yes. He was overwhelmed by his fears, and so passionately wanted to save the people that he broke a forbidden seal. He did not succumb to greed. But… even if his reasons were just, his sin of breaking the seal on the Sacred Stone is grave. Lord Lyon is currently paying the price for it… that is what I believe.”

"Then you mean…"

"I do not think that Lord Lyon's heart is gone. Just as you have conjectured, he may sometimes act as the Demon King, and other times, he switches back to being the original Lord Lyon, and I think he is struggling as hard as he can to try and obtain the power he needs to save the people. But you could also say that the Demon King is the one trying to obtain more power. Perhaps Lord Lyon and the Demon King's hearts are already intertwined in a way that we cannot distinguish between the two. I am only sure of one thing. Lord Lyon is suffering under the weight of his own sins."

"...Hm."

"And of course, Lady Eirika is suffering, too. What we can do is… fight together with Lady Eirika and Lord Ephraim. We can fight and become their sword and shield."

"That is correct." Duessel looked down at Knoll. “Thank you for confiding such a major secret in me.”

“There is no need to thank me… As I said, I simply wanted you to know Lord Lyon’s fears. The people of Renais and Frelia will probably curse and hate him, but as retainers of the Grado Empire, we should know…”

Duessel nodded. He had served the Grado Empire for many long years. Even after he’d decided to fight with Ephraim and Eirika’s armies, his love for his country had not changed a bit.

He’d known Prince Lyon since the day the boy was born. Some commented behind Prince Lyon’s back that the prince was far too kind and introverted to be entrusted as the successor to a throne, but Duessel had always held the prince’s character in high regard.

There was no question that he did not have any combat skills, but he made up for it with great intelligence and kindness. He, just like Prince Ephraim, would become a good ruler, and after they ascended to the throne in their respective countries, would bring the continent one step closer to peace and prosperity. That was what Duessel believed.

Would things have turned out better if Prince Lyon hadn't gained the ability to see into the future? If that had been so, would he have walked down a righteous path?

There was no use in thinking about it now. Duessel looked up at the white moon. He could not help but pray that the moonlight was protecting the prince as he slept...

[soliegis]

oak :   who would your muse consider the strongest person they know

  ☀   //    botanical headcanons.  /  @sennokao

prior to the latter half of fe8, the answer would’ve been instantaneous: his father, or — runner-up barring that — general duessel of grado. both people whose strength he looked up to and whose reputation as authoritative and peerless warriors he wanted to emulate.

after that, the answer becomes much more muddied, and today’s ephraim would think a good several seconds before probably asking back what manner of strength you’re asking about.

physically, his answer probably wouldn’t have changed much, though his perspective on his father has now shifted fairly substantially to include respect for much more than his legacy as king and warrior. he’s started to think a lot more deeply about other kinds of strength, though, after his version of it cost him just about everything he claimed to want to be stronger for. like the kind it takes to understand and touch the hearts of others, the kind it takes to heal, and the kind it takes to know what matters, and who, and when.

in c17, fomortiis!lyon accuses ephraim of having always thought of lyon as kind, gentle, and weak, which ephraim denies ( sort of; he doesn’t really, directly ), but which is probably true and just something he doesn’t want to admit, especially in front of eirika *. the kind of strength lyon had, which ephraim had always had a subconscious appreciation for — that much is not a lie when he says it — but which had also always been overshadowed in his estimation by his own visions of what it meant to be strong, is something he’s tried hard to understand in the time since, too.

i think a large part of his reason for wanting to personally be the one to go to grado and help in the aftermath of the grado quake — alongside wanting to do so to honor lyon’s wishes — was to search for and understand that kind of strength lyon had: the kind that would push a prince out of such love for country and people to be willing to sacrifice anything for them, which is something ephraim isn’t sure he can even imagine himself doing **. not that he wants to do what lyon did, but there’s something profound in the spirit of it, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with the execution.

this is getting long-winded and it’s because strength for ephraim is inextricably tied into his understanding of leadership and kingship, which is Only His Entire Character Arc ( imo ). and in broadening his horizons of what that looks like during the war of stones through witnessing lyon, eirika, innes, l’arachel, seth, duessel, gerik, syrene, so many others, he no longer has as clear-cut an answer for this question as he did when he was younger.

so... his answer now would probably be that he thinks each person has their own kind of strength, some that are more obvious than others, but all that can be learned from. and he’d probably add that he hopes one day he can come into the kind of strength he hopes for himself too, something that embodies all of those qualities in equal measure.

-----

* though ephraim denies it in this moment, i think this is a big underlying factor in his subconscious that leads up to the final confrontation where he asks lyon if it’s his fault that lyon has changed so much, and the continuation of that guilt post-fe8 even after lyon reassures him that’s not the case. i don’t usually pull from feh lines all that much because, since i don’t play, i miss out on a lot there LOL but ephraim there pointing to his lack of empathy as the key factor for what cost him his friend in the end is i think an indication that the demon king’s words got to him more than he’d like to admit.

**  i know this is a generous interpretation of lyon’s motivations, but it’s how i characterize ephraim as interpreting them, or wanting to interpret them. ( also bren slap me if i’ve got my head real far up my own ass here )

[obsidiendo]

With an uneasy peace settling back over Fódlan, many soldiers that had been conscripted by paranoid nobles are now being sent home. However, some had seen this as their big chance to become knights and to make something more of themselves. They’re unwilling to let go of their training, and reports of these ex-soldiers convening together late at night reaches you and your party. Upon investigation, the ex-soldiers ask you to join them in these sessions, hoping either to learn from you, to practice with you, or to simply get a good word in with the Knights of Seiros. They ask for a future, having been robbed of one already, but do you really have any place to give them one? [Grants Any Skill +1]

There was no reason to deny them, he thought. They were trained properly, had their futures promised to them... and then those very dreams were dashed.

He wanted to help. The wide-eyed youth that stood before him were ones that he could almost see himself in -- their determination, their resolve, their desperation, were these not things that Duessel had seen for himself? Seen in himself?

"Ewan," he said, and looked down at the young mage. He nodded, serious, and the men in front of him shifted uneasily on their feet.

"Swordwork is not the only important skill," he began, voice loud enough to be heard over the small crowd. "My friend Ewan has skills with magic. He will be an excellent teacher. Let us see which of you has the aptitude for the tome."

@optimismxmagicism

𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕗𝕦𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤.

[RECOVERY] - Any+1 w/Ewan

[youmies-feblog]

So I recently read that one fe8 AU Battle On The Homefront which takes place at the time of ww1. and. what can I say I’m a sucker for history!!!111 These doodles are inspired by it I actually did a lot of research on the clothing and 1900′s england in general *nervous laughter*

ok so I took that fanfiction as a reference cuz...there are a few things that bothered me so I kinda...made my own AU(?). I tried to include all the royals but eh it’s just the good old twins&nerd trio again. Not entirely sure if I actually start writing or just continue doodling what I have in mind either way it’s incredible embarrassing for me so I guess....have some thoughts about the story(??)

First of all Grado and Renais are fictional counties in England which makes Vigarde the Earl of Grado and Fado the Earl of Renais

Ephraim, Eirika and Lyon are childhood friends as usual and they visit each other frequently

Lyon and Ephraim went to university. And they both graduated. Yes Eph too he isn’t that stupid (although I love mocking him for that). The last time I played sacred stones I noticed he has actually pretty amazing tactical skills the problem is that he doesn’t do well when it comes to theory. But he’s got Lyon with him who helps him with that. I’ve spent a long time thinking about what Eph could be able to study and I decided it most likely would be history and/or political science. Lyon on the other hand could basically study ANYTHING and pass easily. But I think philosophy and history/mathematics would fit the best for him

Philosophy especially! Imagine a scene where Eph says something like ‘I’m dumb as hell’ and Lyon is like ‘you said you know that you know nothing but does this mean you really know nothing at all?’ and Eph’s like ‘don’t bring that socrates shit in here’ RIGHT @ephraimswife???!!!!

They both decided to go to university because they wanted to and make their fathers proud. Although for Eph it was probably more like: ‘Son, why do you want to apply for university you can’t even read’’WATCH ME OLD MAN’’Brother, don’t you even dare to distract Lyon from his studies with your stupidity’‘EIRIKA I SWEAR’

and they were roommates...I GUESS???

Well that’s all for the happy part now for the sad part

On August 4th,1914 the United Kingdom declared war but there wasn’t  compulsory military service until 1916 the system relied on voluntary recruits alone

I know most of Europe was war-hungry but apparently that wasn’t the case in England? On the contrary many rejected the military service and men who objected to fighting on moral grounds weren’t unusual

I think Ephraim enlisted not instantly (due to his studying in political sciences) but I like to think that by the time these famous promotion posters with ‘Your Country Needs You’ came up he decided to enlist in 1915 despite Eirika’s and Lyon’s pleas not to please ignore the whole ‘They said the war will be over before christmas’ on the first picture that were my first thoughts for Ephraim joining the war in 1914

Lyon is a pacifist yet the thought of loosing Ephraim was too much and he tried to enlist for an active service as well but got rejected for being too sickly. Instead he was offered a civilian job which I haven’t thought about yet

Eirika gets anxious with every day she hasn’t heard of her brother. Fado does his best to calm her but she is just so mad she can’t do anything to help

In 1916 Vigarde was falling ill and Lyon stayed at home to care for his father. In this time he cursed himself for not having studied medicine instead of philosophy so he could be of use ;-;

When more and more wounded soldiers came back home it became obvious that they suffered emotional trauma from the war and needed therapy

Eirika talked with Lyon about that issue and she decides to found a charity for helping ex-soldiers who suffered emotional trauma while Lyon decides to make further training in dealing with mental well-being and injuries in general 

And then Eph comes back - traumatized by the war and injured where exactly? I haven’t thought so far

By that time Vigarde’s feeling slightly better and Lyon decides with a heavy heart to entrust Selena, Glen and Duessel (their most trusted servants) as well as Knoll (the doctor) with him and offeres his services for helping Ephraim getting better to Fado and after his agreement he takes residence in their house

yeah and that’s all I have thought of so far. If you like you can make a few suggestions

 I......actually want to include more(?) ephlyon but???? And errrrrrrrrrrr I have some things in mind but I’m way too embarrassed to write them down I’m afraid the whole thing becomes too much centered on Lyon and Ephraim if I do this and I want that magvel trio dynamic!!! Although it would be interesting to see how Eirika reacts once she finds out Lyon and Ephraim are in a romantic relationship since university - In the early 20th century! Would be very dramatic wow okay that’s enough