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gloamvonhrym · 3 months

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I’ve noticed multiple fic writers remark that they find reyson’s voice a little difficult to get a handle on, and I have written So Much reyson content. so I wanted to vomit my thoughts on what stands out in my mind when writing reyson :3 (this isn’t intended as a “how to” or whatever, just my personal perspective. enjoy a long thing)

PATH OF RADIANCE

reyson is a very temperamental character, but he is also quite proud and well-spoken. even at his worst, experiencing some very extreme emotional states, he is almost never incoherent with rage or grief. the closest he gets, that I can remember, is in PoR ch 15, when naesala shows him the still-desolate serenes forest, he comes out with a few trailing fragments (after which he regains some composure):

“The voice of the forest is still. Why... How did this...”

he also doesn’t threaten very much, compared to most other characters. he’s fiery, and he might sometimes say that people (humankind, eg, or izuka) will “pay” for their past actions, but he’s probably conscious of the fact that he can’t really back up physical threats. instead, when enraged, he tends to curse eloquently:

“...Unforgivable. How...how can they do things like this. Cursed humans ... What did this forest do? What did my clan do...” - PoR, ch 15 “Naesala, you wretch... Curse your eyes! How dare you do this to me...” - PoR, ch 16

he does, however, often falter. I know ellipses are basically their own character in the tellius games, but reyson’s PoR dialogue often suggests to me that he is muttering passionately to himself, or else forcing words out with some labor.

he also lapses into Ancient, seemingly at moments of great shock or disorientation (when he reunites with leanne, eg, or the same scene as above, when he sees serenes). re: this and the above, it’s worth remembering that the Modern Tongue is his second language. I like to think that his frequent hesitations may be an aspect of this.

his pride has some notable and obvious weak points. in PoR, he objects heartily to tibarn sending janaff & ulki along to protect him. after that, ike mentions to ulki that reyson “kept apologizing”. indeed, reyson seems like a bit of an over-apologizer - when it comes to tibarn and the hawks specifically, although he also humbles himself before naesala in ch 15 (whoops). in some cases, his apologies seem proud enough - it’s a noble thing, after all, to be able to apologize when necessary, as well as to have a strong sense of obligation (to the hawks, also to naesala, also to ike). but that he “kept apologizing”, over something that wasn’t even his decision, suggests something a bit more pathological. reyson presents as a proud creature, but his survivor’s guilt, and his sense of being a defenseless burden, are made obvious. and he displays particular deference to tibarn, whom he seems to regard as an authority figure - although not so much of an authority figure that he can’t be argued with or gainsaid. (see below.)

ymmv on this, but related: I interpret reyson as something of a people-pleaser, especially as of PoR. in addition to the apologizing vis a vis the hawks, it’s almost heartbreakingly easy for naesala to manipulate him throughout their whole arc. anytime reyson criticizes him or expresses doubt, all naesala has to do is invoke their old friendship, and reyson seems to fold more or less instantly. (reminder: reyson is a heart-reader. naesala engages him in all this nonsense with the intent of tricking him and selling him to a slaveowner. reyson is 100% correct to have doubts, and should know this. naesala is gaslighting him. but he wants desperately to believe that naesala is his friend.)

Reyson: Naesala! Naesala: Yes? Reyson: Thank you. For everything you've done. I... I appreciate it. Naesala: Don't be ridiculous. We're old friends, are we not? Reyson: Right you are! Old friend.

abandonment issues are a real bitch, huh

after leanne is kidnapped by the black knight, tibarn approaches reyson, and verbally takes responsibility for the incident. reyson attempts to tell him that it’s fine, but tibarn brushes him off, perhaps out of shame and guilt. this follows:

Reyson: Tibarn, may the fortunes of war be with you. Tibarn: And you as well. Don't try anything too dangerous. (Exit Tibarn) Reyson: ... Ike: ...Reyson? Reyson: My apologies, Ike. Though I knew this was coming... It's still... difficult. Ike: Don't apologize. You've nothing left to prove to me. Reyson: ...Ah... ... Ike: ...

this little moment is somewhat opaque to me. when reyson says “I knew this was coming”, it’s kind of unclear what he means. but he’s very affected: I think this is the most lost-for-words we ever see him. it seems like he’s referring to tibarn’s rather brusque departure, but he and tibarn have already been separated prior to this. it might be that he finds it exceptionally difficult to be on the receiving end of tibarn’s guilt and accept his apologies (“wait a minute I’M the one who apologizes to YOU”), and is upset that they’ve parted on such unsettled terms. (he also apologizes to ike here, for no overly apparent reason - for being lost in thought, I guess)

reyson is also: very stubborn. despite his moments of overapologizing or lowkey fawning, once he gets an idea in his head, it is difficult to argue him out of it. eg: when he learns that naesala is on the battlefield, he refuses to speak a word to him. eg: tibarn, upon delivering reyson to ike as a party member, drily remarks that reyson insisted upon this “quite unreasonably”. see also:

reyson & tibarn’s reunion in serenes forest, in PoR ch 17 pt 4, I think makes for a good reytib case study re: pre-canon and mid-PoR rey:

Tibarn: Reyson! Are you well? Reyson: Tibarn! How did you-- Tibarn: Nealuchi told us everything. Reyson: Oh... Allow me to apologize. I left on my own without a word to you, and this is what happened. Tibarn: As long as you're unharmed, all is well. Let's go home.

(despite having been the one victimized, reyson’s first reaction - after establishing how tibarn found him - is to apologize to tibarn, sort of stiffly; implicitly for the recklessness of acting without leave, and/or the inconvenience of needing rescue. tibarn reassures him.) (one must wonder if they’ve had similar conversations before.) (they have definitely had similar conversations before.)

Reyson: Please, give me a little time. I cannot allow these humans to remain in the forest. Tibarn: I understand how you feel, but we're completely outnumbered. Let us wait for another day-- Reyson: Once I stand at the altar, I can take care of them. Every one of them. Tibarn: You can't mean... Are you thinking of using the forbidden magic? Reyson: ...Yes. I will sing those monsters the dirge of ruin.

(chilling calm, on reyson’s part - he outlines his plan with self-assured clarity, as if reassuring tibarn in turn: “no, see, it’s okay, I can simply commit an affront to nature and destroy them all, every single one, and also myself, and then things will be fine” babygirl things will not be fine)

Tibarn: Are you mad?! You mustn't! I can't allow it! Reyson: With permission or without, I do what I must! It is retribution for genocide! Retribution for this forest!

(tibarn reacts with outrage, and attempts to assert authority. perhaps this isn’t the response reyson wanted or expected - despite his apologetic demeanor just moments ago, he is provoked to righteous anger. he counters tibarn passionately, and directly states his intent to disobey. stubborn lad fronts like he defers to tibarn, but doesn’t, really. (see also, again, reyson making tibarn bring him back to ike)

Tibarn: Reyson! You must not let yourself be ruled by despair! Each member of the heron tribe is an embodiment of balance! Do this, and you warp your very existence! Reyson: That's what they all said... My family. My tribe. And then...they died. The humans were drunk with joy. They laughed! They sang! ...And then they slaughtered us like livestock. My mother, my brother, my elder sisters... Even my infant sister, Leanne! All killed in a single night. Tibarn: Reyson... Reyson: I know. This thing I intend to do brings dishonor to my house. And yet ... I cannot forgive. And their past actions weren't enough; now, they violate the sanctity of the forest without a trace of regret! Accursed humans... I will never forgive them!

(tibarn invokes the Heron Ideal, what herons are “supposed” to be like - creatures who don’t defend themselves. this most of all seems to trigger reyson, who now describes the most traumatic event of his life in a succinct rhetorical monologue, in order to explain why he must act. the fact that he knows what tibarn is going to say before he says it suggests, again, that they have had similar conversations before. tibarn was going to make an appeal to honor, which hawks value; reyson brushes this off, so implicitly he 1) values revenge over the ideals of his people, and/or 2) thinks himself an unfit representative of heronkind anyway. self-destruction and disregard for his own safety is a major theme in his character arc & history - see also his supports with ike - but it seems he habitually goes about it in considered, methodical ways: even acts that might seem impulsive still have logic and thought behind them, albeit very skewed logic. he is not being portrayed as a lunatic here. even in the throes of self-destructive fury, he elucidates himself eloquently. like a prince, one might say.)

Tibarn: Don't you think we understand that? Reyson: ... Janaff: That's right! Prince Reyson, there's no need for you to reject your honor based on the likes of them! Ulki: The tragedy of the herons... The horror and pain of that night...lives on in all of us.

(tibarn coming in with the counterargument of all time: “yeah dude I know.” also I like to imagine tibarn just elbowed hitherto-silent janaff & ulki in the ribs to get them to chime in. to this, reyson says… nothing. ymmv on why, but to me this indicates some self-absorption: it’s difficult for him to see beyond his own pain. the suggestion that the hawks, too, grieve the serenes massacre - that he is NOT in fact alone in his suffering, that retribution doesn’t rest solely on his shoulders - is disruptive to him, and perhaps causes him to shut down a little.)

Tibarn: Let's return to Phoenicis, and think of a plan. You are right. This will not stand. The full power of the hawk nation is behind you. The humans will pay. Reyson: ...As you wish...

(from here tibarn is able to get reyson in hand - by offering empathy for his pain, promising to appease his desire for revenge, and suggesting that this is only a delay; in short, by further establishing that reyson isn’t alone. it seems only semi-successful, though. reyson capitulates, but only reluctantly - he may or may not believe that what the hawks promise will be adequate.)

RADIANT DAWN

in RD, we get less of reyson (boo scrapped supports booo) but the reyson we do get has undergone some visible growth while still retaining key aspects of his initial character. overall, he seems a more self-assured, confident, stable person. his purpose is in family (both hawks & herons) and friends, rather than the grimdark stuff. he still displays plenty of his signature stubbornness, and pride, and a bit of temper. he’s also at his best and most physically/magically powerful throughout a lot of RD, thanks to ashera’s judgment. some notes:

his chief attribute seems to be stubbornness: when he goes to check on tibarn following the phoenicis massacre, he comes in dashing ahead of janaff and ulki, who are begging him to wait and leave tibarn alone for a while. his concern for tibarn overrides all other considerations, including, seemingly, tibarn’s own will (also results in the infamous had-to-tie-him-to-the-bed joke).

he is still well-spoken; he exhibits more focus and restraint when he curses people, although he does certainly still curse people (naesala)

instead of apologizing to the hawks for being a burden, he seems to have developed a more conscientious sense of loyalty (a hawkish sort of honor, one might say). his empathy for the phoenicis massacre, as a survivor of genocide himself, isn’t really explicitly unpacked, but afterwards he refuses to be escorted to safety in gallia:

Reyson: I've lived with the hawk tribe for twenty years. They are my family. I'll... I'll stay here and fight.

tibarn no longer openly orders janaff & ulki to guard reyson. instead, the two beg ike not to let reyson know their purpose, and to just play it off like they’re joining the mercenaries. it seems that reyson, despite no longer being self-destructive, still doesn’t like being babysat. if he knew, would he be apologetic about it again? or would he get annoyed, which the hawks don’t want because they’re all heron-whipped by now? I’m inclined to think it’s the latter these days. (worth noting that tibarn is knowingly going against reyson’s wishes here. worrywart)

before singlehandedly reviving duke renning - an unprecedented act- reyson reassures tibarn, saying not to worry for him because he’s “grown a lot”. contains multitudes

something more often neglected: reyson in PoR displays some kind of sad naïveté, especially where naesala is concerned; conversely, in RD, he has moments that are almost childlike, with a much happier affect. this exchange between him and tibarn often gets eclipsed by how fuckoff gay they are, but I like the implication that herons are a little bit incomprehensible to normal people, and this can manifest in a bit of cloud cuckoolander behavior (I wonder how else it might have manifested in all those years he was less stable):

Tibarn Reyson! Where are you!? Reyson: Over here, Tibarn. Tibarn: What are you doing so early in the morning? Reyson: I'm hunting for treasure! Tibarn: Could you repeat that?

last thing: reyson is interesting in dialogue with ashnard as well as micaiah. he doesn’t exactly argue with them, nor do much raging. if given the opportunity, he questions them almost socratically - he asks ashnard what he believes and why; he does the same thing with micaiah when they’re at odds, and then presents his own thesis (more gently and sympathetically with micaiah than with ashnard, obviously):

Reyson: I am Reyson. My brother told me about you. That is why I'm here. Please pull back your troops. Our enemy is not Daein. This is not your fight. Am I not correct? Micaiah: I know how you feel... (…) But I must keep fighting. Reyson: Why is that? Micaiah: This fight is my king's will. (…). I believe that our king will lead the people of Daein to happiness. Reyson: ...I see. I understand your position. Please accept my apology for asking the impossible. Micaiah: What? What do you mean? Reyson: You are fighting to protect your beliefs. I understand that now. But remember that we also cannot, and will not, pull back. We both carry a heavy burden. That's why we're here.

I just think it’s fun, the difference between mid-PoR “blinded by hatred nobody-could-possibly-understand-my-pain” Reyson, and end-PoR/RD “let me make sure I have my enemy’s rationale down correctly so I can respond with devastating precision” Reyson. (notably, in PoR, he extends this courtesy to naesala after the summit.)

anyway that’s a big mess of a post but maybe someone will find it a little inspirational or something if they feel like writing reyson. & pls do write about reyson, whether you take my analysis into account or not. pls. inflict situations on my most precious boy. 🕊️

#long post #reyson #path of radiance #radiant dawn #tellius #fe9 #fe10 #fe reyson #reybarn #meta

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nonbinaryspy · 1 year

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Meta: Timerra and Tellius

Timerra’s (belated) birthday gives me an excuse to talk about one of my favorite Engage topics: the parallels between her and various Tellius characters.

(Spoilers for FE9/10 and FE17.)

The obvious place to start is Ike. As Timerra’s personal Emblem, his build and paralogue in Engage focus on turning defense into offense to endure and protect others. This synergizes with Timerra’s Sandstorm ability as well as her priorities as Solm’s future queen.

Compared to other Emblem summonings in the game, the scene where Ike is summoned is quick and to-the-point. The Solm royals are highly competent, with a wide spy network, and already had a plan in place for when Alear shows up. They have a healthy wariness they don’t immediately display, as they welcome Alear with open arms while secretly testing if they are the true Divine Dragon. By the time Timerra meets Alear, their identity has been confirmed and bandits are already attacking, so she jumps straight into action to get Ike’s help and protect the village.

I’m sure Ike would approve of her no-nonsense approach and her focus on keeping people safe, especially after all of his own bandit fights. He has no patience for bureaucracy or noble trappings, but he understands the need for discretion when danger and politics are involved (see: his own ‘sometimes you have to fool your allies’ maneuver in RD part 2), so I think he would appreciate how the Solm royals handle this.

But you don’t have to take my word for that. Between Timerra and Seforia saying they always wanted to meet him, Timerra calling him family, Ike telling Fogado that Solm castle reminded him of being with the mercenaries, and his first Somniel dialogue saying that he already misses Solm, I think it’s safe to say there’s a lot of natural fondness between Ike and the Solm royals. Is there any wonder, when one of Solm’s main norms is accepting people regardless of their origins, possibly Ike’s defining ideal?

My favorite example of this is when Alear’s origins are revealed, and Timerra and Fogado have some of the most affirming reactions:

[ID: Four screencaps with the following dialogue toward Alear: Timerra: What matters to me isn’t how you were born. It’s what you do with the life you’re given. Timerra: If you choose to live as a Divine Dragon, then that’s what you are! Timerra: Nothing’s changed as far as I’m concerned. The you that’s in front of me—that’s all I need. Fogado: The people of Solm don’t care about origins. We care about the you NOW. And you are amazing.]

This aspect of Timerra shines throughout her supports, most notably in her relationships with Merrin and Panette. Their love and loyalty toward her stems from a time before they even knew she was a princess. They both see her as a beacon in their lives, as they wished to escape the confines of their pasts and find new futures for themselves. Timerra saw them for their ideal versions of themselves—Merrin as a chivalrous knight, Panette as someone who isn’t caught in a destructive cycle—rather than the situations they came from. Her acceptance helped them create those realities for themselves.

Anyway, unrelated to the above, just a completely random pair of images that don’t make me cry at all:

[ID: In a screencap from Engage, Timerra is saying, “No matter what’s happened, you’re still you. Let’s go save the world, Ike!” In a screencap from Path of Radiance, Ike is telling Soren, “No. It doesn’t change anything. You’re still you, Soren!”]

Another example is Timerra’s attitude toward Veyle. In the main plot, she’s one of the few main characters to express distrust toward Veyle even after the truth is revealed. However, once Veyle has proven herself as an ally, Timerra is extremely friendly toward her in their supports, with Veyle appreciating how Timerra treats her like any other friend rather than a Fell Dragon’s daughter. Again, this is reminiscent of Ike’s blend of skepticism and treating everyone the same.

I think it’s also interesting that Timerra struggles with conflicting desires for freedom vs. connection, as shown in her S support. Despite Ike’s love for people, he doesn’t always deal well with the responsibilities and expectations that get placed on him, and his ending shows he shares some of her wanderlust.

Timerra: When we connect with people─you know, really bond with them─those bonds make us stronger. Timerra: I mean, our closest allies help us do things we could never do all by ourselves. Timerra: That’s powerful stuff. But those bonds─those friendships─can feel like obligations too.

Finally, one of my favorite parallels between Ike and Timerra is a shared charm point: the fact that they live as they please, regardless of what others think, while also acting like everything they do is super obvious. An extremely ‘have your cake and eat it too’ mentality that I can only respect.

Alear: Still, you never cease to amaze. You take it upon yourself to help root out bandits… Timerra: What, is that not normal? Timerra: I’m just protecting my people. I thought that’s what royalty was supposed to do. Alear: You say something completely radical like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Timerra: Hahaha! That’s my charm!

Ranulf: Well…a little crazy, yeah! I’ve never worked for a leader who’s as blunt and straightforward as you. It’s pretty shocking to have a commander who doesn’t care what anyone thinks, no matter how powerful they are. Ike: Well, that’s just my style. I don’t have to be like someone else, do I? Ranulf: Why are you so confident? I don’t get it. Normal beorc just do what people tell them and try not to make a fuss. But not you. I heard you even yelled at the apostle! Ike: Yeah, that wasn’t my brightest moment. Ranulf: Then again, worrying about a beorc like this is definitely not normal laguz behavior. I guess I’m a fish out of water myself… Wait, did I just call myself a fish? Ike: Wha–? Ha ha! You’re a cat, remember!? I thought you ate fish. Ha ha ha!

Okay, that last bit isn’t relevant, but I just want to highlight that while Timerra and Fogado talk about how serious Ike is compared to them, they would definitely enjoy his secret love of bad puns. Here’s a bit of Timerra’s own sardonic humor that brings Ike to mind:

Alear: What?! How do you eat that much?! Timerra: Oh, you know. Open my mouth, bite, chew. I won’t bore you with all the details.

Of course I have to mention their love of meat, even if I don’t find that to be an important part of Ike’s character. What I will say is that Ike is shown in his supports with Oscar to have a genuine appreciation for artful cooking, so I think it’s neat that Timerra is one of the best cooks in the army. It’s also endearing that she feels bad for cooking around Ike when he can’t eat, though he tells Fogado the smell is enough.

Next, I want to talk about a couple of characters who aren’t in Engage: Mist and Elincia. I adore that the focus on Timerra protecting Ike flips his dynamic with both of these ladies on its head. Speaking of protection…I believe that Mist and Ike’s relationship mirrors Timerra and Fogado’s, with their fond, casual banter. It makes sense, since both duos are close in age.

Interestingly, despite Timerra being Fogado’s older sister, he is as protective of her as Ike is toward Mist. In Fogado’s case, he seems to almost see himself as Timerra’s retainer, given that he will one day be her advisor. He travels around to prepare himself for this role. Timerra, however, doesn’t always like this, as she wishes they could hang out more and that he would be more candid with her. While they’re clearly close, the distance still leaves her lonely.

Though it’s a different situation, Greil’s death puts Ike in the role of Mist’s protector at the same time that he gains dangerous responsibilities. He also takes it upon himself to get revenge on their father’s killer. She stresses that she does not want him to do these things if it means she’ll lose him, too, and as the game goes on, they lose some of the lighthearted dynamic they had at the game’s start. Having already lost her parents, it’s easy to assume Mist feels lonely in this circumstance. She even has her own protective streak toward Ike, such as in her battle conversations with the Black Knight and Ashnard. Like Timerra, Mist wants to stay close to her loved ones and protect them, and she joins the fighting to that end, even learning swordplay despite being a healer.

Despite their troubles, Mist and Timerra share a bubbly personality. They tend toward optimism and try to hide their cares them. Their sunniness gets them and others through tough situations. However, those around them still want to be able to support them even when struggle with being vulnerable.

In my opinion, some of Mist’s designs evoke Timerra’s, such as in the colors and flowing accessories. While the clothes aren’t super similar, I think the two of them would definitely enjoy going clothes shopping together. I also think they’d like to sing together. Timerra’s silly songs may be a far cry from the galdr that Mist and Elena safeguard, but that would suit Mist just fine.

Possibly my favorite character to compare Timerra to, though, is Elincia. Timerra’s bangs and the fact that her hair is tied up even follow in the character design traditions of Elincia and other characters in her archetype, such as Nyna and Guinevere. Granted, Timerra’s ponytail is a lot looser than those other characters, which is an excellent design choice as she has a much more free-spirited personality.

Still, Elincia once upon a time was not so different. She grew up in secret, frolicking in the countryside with no expectation of becoming queen. As a result, she did many things most princesses didn’t do, such as chores, horseback riding, and sword fighting. It’s commented many times that due to cultural differences as well as Timerra’s own personality, her lifestyle and activities are often at odds with what others expect from a princess. While their allies might find both princesses strange at times, they end up trusting and supporting them due to their approachable natures.

Elincia is shown to have a playful streak in PoR when she is reunited with her retainers, around whom she feels comfortable enough to drop her more stately personality. On the flip side, while Timerra is more frequently playful, she never forgets her role. Even her more casual supports show this, such as when she susses out Ivy’s weakness during a camping trip, or interrupts a training session with Diamant to ask if he believes peace is possible. Many of her exploration quotes show this as well, with her referencing the other nations’ politics and even in her response if her allies die.

“My brother, my stewards…gone. It’s so cruel. But as the future queen, I will not crumble!”

Elincia and Timerra’s upbringings contrast with each other, since Timerra has always known she would be queen. Her free-spirited nature stems from Solm’s ideals and the role of its government. After Daein invades, Elincia has to travel incognito, giving her a chance to learn about the world. She develops a strong desire to protect her people. The endpoint of her character development in PoR is where Timerra is already at when we are introduced to her—Timerra has been training and traveling incognito and is ready to defend her country. Regardless of where they start, Elincia’s compassion and resolve are reflected in Timerra, who only wants to make her people happy and believes the best way to do that is to get to know them, so she can better understand and protect them.

The games’ plots present challenges that test both characters’ resolve. While Elincia has to make a variety of decisions, the one I want to highlight comes at the end of RD part 2, when Lucia is taken hostage. Elincia is told that Lucia will die unless she gives up the throne to a usurper. However, she refuses. Despite the sacrifice of someone dear to her, she will never give up on protecting Crimea. In the end, both Lucia and Crimea are safe, but it has nonetheless been demonstrated what Elincia would do under that pressure.

I thought of this when I got to one of my favorite moments in Engage, when Timerra and co. have to take back the palace from the Elusians. Hortensia holds her mother hostage, assuming Timerra will bend and hand over the Emblem rings. However, doing so would doom Solm along with the rest of the world. Timerra refuses to back down, and she saves her family along with her country.

[ID: Five screencaps alternating between RD and Engage. Elincia and Timerra look resolved, while Lucia and Seforia as hostages look on proudly. Elincia: But I will see Crimea through this trial. I will give my people the future they deserve, no matter the cost. Timerra: So threaten us all you want. Take my whole family hostage, if it makes you happy. Timerra: But I stand for Solm, and I always will. Lucia: People of Crimea... Behold a true queen! YOUR queen! Long live Queen Elincia! Seforia: There she is, the future queen of Solm. And her ally, the Divine Dragon.]

Back to characters who are in Engage: the other Tellius Emblems. As with Elincia, Micaiah is presented with a series of trolley problems throughout RD. There’s a big focus in the Tellius games on making decisions for personal vs. political reasons, and whether to prioritize a loved one/a situation that is right in front of you over the bigger picture, and I think this is most complex with Micaiah’s story. This is highlighted when Sothe is held hostage and she is told to stand down to save him. This recalls the situation I already discussed with Timerra.

Like Timerra, Micaiah is a tactical thinker who has to foresee long-term plans as well as use strategic approaches in situations where she’s outnumbered. Micaiah ends RD as Daein’s queen, despite not being brought up for that role and having traveled in disguise, getting to know and love Daein’s people. Again, this fits with Timerra traveling around incognito and being passionate about protecting Solm.

Timerra expresses that Solm didn’t reach out for help when Sombron returned because they’d have to return other nations’ support when it was taking all of their efforts just to keep Solm safe. This brings to mind Micaiah’s conflicts, as she has to make difficult decisions to protect Daein from Begnion’s occupation and the blood pact, which sometimes involves rejecting outside help when a situation is too complicated, such as in her 3-13 battle talk with Ike.

Unfortunately, Emblem bond supports don’t have the scope for these sorts of complexities. However, I was tickled by the fact that Timerra invites Micaiah to sing with her, as a reference again to the Galdrs.

Speaking of bond supports…I don’t have anything deep to say about Timerra and Soren, but just look at how precious they are:

[ID: Two Emblem Bond screencaps. Soren is bowing with his hand over his heart, and he and Timerra are smiling at each other. Soren: You’re the princess of Solm, is that right? I thank you for protecting Ike. Timerra: He’s told me so much about you. I expect big things from you, talented advisor!]

Her careful approach to protecting Ike’s ring won the trust of someone with deep trust issues and a protective streak toward Ike, aww. They’re friends in my files every time. It’s also sweet that she wants to understand him and Ike better by learning about the mercenaries. I know she loves her moodier Emblem pals, but I’m sure she’d feel right at home with the whole rambunctious crew, like how Ike felt at home in Solm.

While this post is long enough without going into depth on Yunaka, as Micaiah’s guardian she also has a combination of Tellius influences, between her obvious parallels to Yune and Sothe as well as some of the themes of Micaiah’s character. Micaiah’s introduction, with her calling out to Yunaka, even mirrors Micaiah hearing Yune’s voice. For these reasons, I really wish she and Timerra had talked. I think Timerra’s simultaneous hidden wariness and acceptance of people regardless of their backgrounds would definitely play well with Yunaka’s arc. Fogado, as someone who shares Timerra’s ideals, certainly had a positive influence on Yunaka in their supports with his compassion. Plus, can you imagine the silly phrases Timerra and Yunaka would invent together?

I’ll end this before it strays too far from the main point, but I hope someone else enjoys these observations! Timerra is my favorite Engage character, and since Tellius is so dear to me, noticing these connections definitely made her character even more special.

#fire emblem #fe17 #fe: engage #tellius #path of radiance #radiant dawn #timerra #timerra fire emblem #ike fire emblem #elincia ridell crimea #mist fire emblem #micaiah #soren fire emblem #yunaka #fogado #fe9 #fe10 #fire emblem engage

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real-fire-emblem-takes · 6 months

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Engage haters claiming that people who like Engage only like it cause they "handwave all of the bad writing" while handwaving all of the stupid nonsensical plot points and plot holes in tellius and calling it "super great writing".

#fe #fire emblem #fire emblem engage #fe17 #fandom takes #fe9/10 #fire emblem tellius #tellius #story takes

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justices-blade · 1 year

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you're gonna have a boat time // team valentia open

He's not seasick. He is not seasick. He is absolutely. Not. Seasick.

The boat rocks. There's water everywhere. Edward lurches with the boat, groaning from where he's sitting in the middle of the deck with a killer headache. Oh Yune, he's definitely seasick.

This just isn't fair, man! He'd thought that maybe, maybe after the boat trip from Tellius and all the water nonsense from the arena bouts he'd be better at not being a dead fish on deck, but, ha, of course he isn't.

This is stupid. All this just because of a bit of water (it's a lot) and a wobbly boat? The, uh, noticeably shakier breathing and the fact that of course the best cure to seasickness is looking at the dang sea really, really, really isn't helping!!!

Still, it's somehow more miserable trying to sleep it off belowdeck, and the fresh air is doing him good, but he's not sure how much longer he can pointedly avoid looking at the ocean and opt for the blue, blue sky above instead. Actually — Maybe he should pester someone into some cloudgazing...

The ship lurches again. Edward groans and squeezes his eyes shut queasy for like three different reasons right now. Ough goddesses, halp.

#toa open #;e. sabbam vitatham #toasabbamvitatham2023 #;t. you're gonna have a boat time #i realised i didnt do the title post thing but honestly this is a mini idc if the title gets nuked

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tellius · 2 years

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*emerges from the depths after four years*

I can’t promise anything, but I’ve been thinking about Tellius a lot so I just spent a lot of time trying to remember how to log in here.

To everyone who hates me for hogging this URL, I’m sorry; I do still exist.

am I crawling back because I’m playing Engage and actually like it and it makes me want to sink back into my old Tellius nonsense? Maybe.

#omg why do I have 1000 drafts here

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randomnameless · 6 months

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Reading Miccy's Fandom wiki page :

"Miccy uses magic without weapons, and the first who uses light magic!"

"What about EdElGaRd?!"

we said light magic

"she has a boon in Reason magic, aka Black magic!"

we said light magic

"they're totes similar!"

Oh well.

#fandom woes #the fandom wiki sucks #usually I'd just use it to find sources or common knowledge #but the trivia section has become... something #remember when the slug emperor was inserted in Gharnef's page? lol #'the series can be rattached to Supreme Leader'#watch as some devoted fan will add a trivia under Nephenie's page saying that much like Supreme Leader Nephenie has two legs #Tellius nonsense #Fodlan nonsense

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queenlua · 2 months

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what would you recommend as a first Fire Emblem game to play? do i just pick up the latest one, or does an older one capture the True Fire Emblem Experience(tm) better? sorta like Super Metroid still being my absolute favorite of that series…

iiiiiinteresting question, huh! it probably depends somewhat on what you think you'll like / care about the most in a Fire Emblem game?

my personal first FE game was Sacred Stones & i think that's still a really good place to start. the spritework is *gorgeous*; i personally think it's the visual peak of the series. it's got the core "old-school" FE gameplay but with lots of nice quality-of-life improvements (as compared to e.g. something like FE4 or FE7), and the story is my second-favorite in the series after the Tellius games—just a good core emotional core with really well-drawn characters and support conversations.

the drawback is that it's on GBA, so if you don't have one of those lying around (or some other handheld to play it on), you're stuck playing it on an emulator on a computer, which i think hampers the enjoyment somewhat—like, i played a lot of that game in "in-between" moments, while on the bus, etc, and it was really excellent for that. also: it's on the easier side! which i didn't mind; i find the FE game loop enjoyable both when i'm just cruising through baddies AND when i'm having to tightly & rigorously strategize every move. but i know a couple people who stopped playing because they found it too easy & got bored

i do think the Gamecube/Wii FEs (Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, aka the Tellius games) hold up really well. obviously i am a little insane about them *stares at fanfiction output* and thus clearly biased, but the character writing is shockingly good & rich (sometimes despite itself, lol), and the gameplay's real fun! reasonably challenging while not making you want to throw your controller across the room (unless you opt into lunatic you mad lad!). i do think they're a little ugly though lol. rip. also, if you like PoR enough to play RD, you'll find RD... uneven. it's uneven in ways that mostly delight me, but like, yeah it's suffering a little from "we're telling like four different storylines with a HUGE cast & jerking you around between them a bit" so it interrupts the usual "smooth progression of your carefully-curated army" gameflow for something more like "wow, hope you're looking forward to saying BYE FELICIA to all your old dudes & putting down a random rebellion in Crimea for exactly five chapters & then doing something else entirely."

those games are my personal faves though and. i will always tell people to start with them. in principle. but you should decide if you trust me lol

a WHOLE lot lot of people got started with Awakening, and the core gameplay in that one is VERY fun. about halfway through, if you're sufficiently clever at assigning abilities, the game becomes a little too easy to "break," but it's an enjoyable ride the whole time. it also introduced a LOT of the quality-of-life improvements people now take for granted in modern FEs (you can choose to disable permadeath; UX is much nicer; etc). so if dealing with some old-school cruft is unpalatable to you, you'll definitely want Awakening or newer.

unfortunately the writing in Awakening is, uh, not great, lol. there's two generations of characters you're playing as, and the first generation is just... not very interesting! very one-note and tropey! storyline is nonsense! the second-generation characters are a little more fun but overall i found the main plot's incoherence + the plethora of dull characters meant that i found the story very forgettable.

i think the writing in Conquest/Birthright is similarly weak but i do have to say, if you want to powergame and optimize stats and get REALLY SWEATY GAMEPLAY NERD about it, Conquest can't be beat. best map design in the series, extremely challenging, etc

and then there's the massive fandom juggernaut known as Three Houses lol. of the "modern" FEs, this game contains the most Stuff I Like About Fire Emblem. the storyline's a lil jankier than e.g. the Tellius storyline, but still has plenty of fun stuff to chew on, and even if you don't some of the 3-4 storylines offered, there's a pretty strong chance you'll resonate with at least one of them. and the gameplay is *fun*, lots of QoL improvements, reasonably snappy...

...but it does have a somewhat bloated, "AAA-gamification" feel. visiting the monastery between EVERY SINGLE FUCKING CHAPTER to do "home base"-y stuff gets old fast. and also, the gameplay starts to drag some as you go along... a campaign takes like 40-50hrs iirc, and near the end, i usually find myself going like "jfc i don't WANT to do these three skirmish battles before i go onto the next one... but i need to because it's the Objectively Optimal Thing To Do... why is this game making playing it so annoying," lol. also, the writing, while reasonably solid... could've been reduced by like 50% and probably been *stronger*? most "old-school" FE games only had 3-5 support conversations per unit, and that was generally enough to give a good sense of the character without Overwhelming With Pointless Chatter. but so many characters in Three Houses have *so much more* text than that and it just starts feeling like.. a chore... to go through... especially when in practice i won't even like all those conversations... so yeah idk

tl;dr if you have slightly old-school sensibilities, get Sacred Stones; if you want a "modern" feel, get Awakening or Three Houses; if you want to make Lua Internetperson happy, personally, you should grab Path of Radiance :P

#sorry for the wall of text lol #not enough time to write a shorter one etc

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