#dawning maiden micaiah

[diasporacorrin]

Emblem Sigurd: Of the Holy War

Double Banners are placed under a Read More for length

Of the Holy War Sigurd

Once summoned, equip his Ring on a unit to grant them:

Canto (max of 3 spaces)

1 extra movement

Boosts Special damage by spaces moved

Canto (3 spaces)

Can move 5 spaces

Grants max of Spd/Res + 14 and Atk/Def +24

Adds 20% of Def to damage

Halves passive damage reduction

Heals 7 HP after combat

His special:

Area-of-effect: Foes in nearby area take damage before combat

Grants another action after combat

Reduces damage from next attack by 40%

Reduces damage by max of 12

Inflicts Atk/Def - 4

Boosts damage by spaces moved

Decreases Special cooldown

After combat, foe cannot heal

Foes within 2 spaces cannot trigger Miracle (Survive lethal blow with 1 HP)

Thundering Wings Hinoka

Canto (1 space)

Effective against Armored

Grants Atk/Spd +15

Adds 20% of Spd to damage

Green foes cannot counterattack

Her special:

Doubles damage

Neutralizes passive damage reduction

Inflicts Def/Res - 8 and Spd - 5

Can teleport next to allies with low HP

Decreases Special cooldown for allies within 2 spaces

Herself and flying allies within 2 spaces can move 3 spaces

Underground Lord Yuri

Grants + 5 to all stats

Adds 20% of Spd to damage

Reduces damage from first attack by 30%

During combat, inflicts Atk/Def/Res -4 and max of Spd -11

After combat, inflicts Def/Res/Spd -7 on targets within 2 spaces

Can use Assist skill to swap spaces with an ally 3 spaces away

If a magic ally is within 2 spaces, he can deal magic damage to foes with low Res

Grants Atk/Spd +7

Canto (2 spaces)

1 extra movement

Of Beginning Marth

Once summoned, equip his Ring on a unit to grant:

Decreases Special cooldown

Effective against Dragons

Adds 20% of Spd to all stats

Reduces damage from first attack by 40%

Halves passive damage reduction

Guaranteed follow-up if foe’s Spd is less than 20 higher and performs a flurry of follow-ups at min of 40% damage

His special:

Adds 40% of Spd to damage dealt

Foe cannot increase Special cooldown

Converts all follow-ups to 100% damage

Reduces damage from next attack by 40%

Grants Atk/Spd +7

Deals +5 damage

Heals 7 HP after combat

Inflicts Spd/Def -4

Reduces damage taken by 30%

Can teleport next to any ally within 2 spaces

For infantry allies within 2 spaces, foe cannot increase their Special cooldown or decrease own Special cooldown

In Distant Skies Lumera

Grants 25% of foe’s Atk to all stats

Grants +4 to all stats

Reduces damage by 30%

Reduces damage from first attack by additional 40%

Increases foe’s Special cooldown

Can deal physical damage to ranged foes with low defense

Can use Assist skill to grant Def/Res +6 to an ally

If foe initiates combat, grants Atk/Spd +7

If her Res is 6 or more higher, slows foe’s Special immediately before triggering

When her Assist skill is used:

Inflicts Atk/Spd -10

Inflicts number of foe’s allies as penalties to all stats

Impedes foe’s benefits from ally skills that double number of attacks or allow allies to move through foe

Creates rock pillars in 5x5 area, granting Atk/Spd +4 and Def/Res +10 to allies within the stones

Foes cannot increase her Special cooldown

Of Echoes Celica

Once summoned, equip her Ring on a unit to grant:

Adds (Special cooldown x 4) to Special damage

Can teleport across the map

Grants Atk/Spd +6

Grants 20% of initial Spd as bonus to Atk/Spd

Adds 20% of Spd to damage

Decreases Special cooldown

Follows-up before foe counterattacks

Neutralizes foe’s bonuses to Spd/Res

Her special:

Adds 25% of Atk to damage

Can move through foes

Can teleport across the map

Decreases Special cooldown

Grants Atk/Spd +8 at cost of Def/Res -8

Foe cannot convert bonuses to penalties

Loses approximately 5 HP at start of battle, then adds double the total HP lost to damage dealt

Inflicts Spd/Res -4

Reduces the percentage of passive damage reduction by max of 60%

Can teleport next to any ally within 2 spaces

If her Spd is greater, foe cannot guarantee own follow-ups or prevent her follow-ups

Innocent Goddess Heithr

If Assist skill is used, inflicts -4 to all stats and increases Special cooldown for all foes within cardinal directions

Grants +5 to all stats

Adds 15% of Atk to damage

Reduces damage from first attack by 30%, twice

When her Assist skill is used, grants to both her and ally:

Another action

Double the number of turns as bonuses to Atk/Spd

Canto (1 space)

Adds total bonuses to damage dealt

If two units with Dual Strike are deployed, doubles number of attacks

Grants Atk/Spd +7

During combat, inflicts Spd/Res -4

After combat:

For foes within 2 spaces, inflicts -3 to all stats

For foes within 2 spaces, converts bonuses into penalties

For allies in cardinal directions, doubles foe’s penalties

Halves passive damage reduction

Goddess of Hope Seithr

Foes cannot follow-up against allies within 2 spaces

Grants +5 to all stats

Guarantees follow-up

Adds 20% of Res to damage

Her special:

Adds 50% of Res to damage

Grants Atk/Res +7 at cost of Def -5

Inflicts Atk/Res -6 on foes within 2 spaces

If her Res is greater, cancels the closest foe’s turn during Enemy Phase

Dawning Maiden Micaiah

Can be used to inherit skills without disappearing

Effective against Armored and Cavalry

For allies within 2 spaces:

Can teleport within 2 spaces of her

Heals 10 HP on Enemy Phase

Converts stat penalties to bonuses

Neutralizes 2 negative status effects

Inflicts Atk/Res -15

Foes within 2 spaces share highest penalties to Atk/Res

Inflicts 20% of Res as penalties to Atk/Res

Adds number of allies x 5 to damage dealt

Use Assist skill on ally to:

Trade all but 1 of her HP to them

Convert stat penalties to bonuses

Neutralizes all negative status effects

Grants Atk/Res +7

Increases foe’s Special cooldown

Inflicts -7 to foes’ single highest stat

Foes with highest stats take 10 additional damage

Inflicts number of foe’s allies as penalties to all stats

Halves passive damage reduction

Canto (remaining movement)

Adds +3 to damage dealt

Golden Seer Gullveig

Grants +5 to all stats

Adds 15% of initial Spd as bonus to Atk/Spd

Reduces damage from counterattack by 70%

Heals 7 HP after attacking

Every 3 turns, grants another action after combat

Her special:

Adds 45% of Spd to damage

Foe cannot increase her Special cooldown

Even if 2 turn cooldown has not finished, grants another action

Deals 14 damage before combat

Grants Atk/Spd +7

Sets a horizontal line on fire, dealing +14 damage to foes within the flames and decreasing their movement

During combat, inflicts Spd/Res -4

After combat:

Inflicts Def/Res -7 on foes within 2 spaces

Grants Atk +6 to herself and allies within 2 spaces

Allies can move through her to gain 1 extra movement

Adds 20% of foe’s Res to damage

Queen of Bern Guinivere

Effective against Tomes

If foe initiates combat:

Adds 20% of Res to damage dealt

Reduces damage taken by 20% of Res

Increases Special cooldown

Magic foes cannot deal physical damage

Her special:

Adds 50% of Res to damage

Grants Spd/Res +7

Deals +7 damage

Heals 14 HP after combat

Inflicts Atk/Spd -4

Foe cannot prevent counterattacks

Reduces damage from first attack by 30%

For allies within 3 spaces, heals 7 HP after combat

Grants max of +10 to all stats

Decreases Special cooldown

Fell Successor Veyle

Inflicts Atk/Res -15

Inflicts 20% of Res as penalties to foe’s Atk/Res

Decreases her own Special cooldown

If her Res is 10 or more greater, doubles number of attacks

Her special:

Adds 50% of Res to damage

Grants Atk/Res +8 at cost of Def -8

Foe cannot convert her bonuses into penalties

Foe cannot inflict penalties to Atk/Res

Foe cannot increase her Special cooldown or decrease own Special cooldown

Halves passive damage reduction

For allies within 2 spaces:

Reduces damage taken by 30%

Grants Atk/Def/Res +4

If her Res is 5 or more higher, slows foe’s Special immediately before triggering

Additionally increases ranged foes’ Special cooldown by 1

[vellatra]

Last-minute FE ArtScuffle attack on @reneethegreatandpowerful ! Toldja I'd getcha! ;) Love you!

[aptericia]

when I was drawing Ophilia the other day I kept thinking about how much her outfit reminded me of Micaiah’s (somehow I hadn’t drawn Phili since before I played Radiant Dawn…), so I decided to draw the Maiden of Dawn herself wearing it!

[feh-alt-battle]

Request Poll - Micaiah

Please do not criticize any art you may not like or compare one art to another in terms of quality, it's unkind and downplays the amount of work that the feh artists put into them. Please treat the feh artists how you would as any other artist - with kindness and with love.

Artists in order: Chiko, sachie, Chiko, Kita Senri, teffish, HACCAN, ichikawa Halu

[theia-eos]

Hello!

small question about "shadows of the crimean liberation"

in chapter 11 how come Janaff and Ulki didn't recognize Soren as a black dragon branded? I understand for story reasons but you mention specifically that they don't know even after meeting Deghinsea and Kurthnaga in Goldoa so I was wondering if there was another reason too?

Ah, thank you for asking! I do plan to go into it more in other stories, but since it would be from the point of view of characters who don't have the whole picture, I'm happy to provide a top down view.

There a few components to consider.

The first being that Micaiah and Soren recognize that there is something powerful and ancient within each other respectively during Radiant Dawn.

Soren: The Maiden of Dawn… What are you? One of the Branded, that’s for sure. But there is something else about you… Power. Yes, I can feel it in you. You possess great power. Micaiah: Yes, and you would know. There’s something very different about you, too. Your energy feels so…ancient. You and I seem to have so much in common. Radiant Dawn, "Blood Contract," Chapter 3-13

So there is some ancient energy within Soren, this is clear foreshadowing to Soren being descended from the Ancient Black Dragon King himself. Micaiah having some unique great power is a likely reference to her being the apostle and having inherited Lehran's ability to hear the Voice of the Goddess and awaken the goddesses.

The other, and most important, component is that Tibarn, Naesala, Reyson, and Caineghis all go to the meeting with Deghinsea and Kurthnaga, and presumably Ranulf, Janaff, Ulki, and Nealuchi all accompany their kings. Many of them speak to, with, and are around Soren, and none of them notice in the game. This despite Tibarn saying later on in Radiant Dawn that:

Tibarn: That Almedha is a formidable woman. At first I doubted her claim that she was the daughter of that useless old lizard. But even I had trouble holding her down. Me! She’s no ordinary beorc woman, that’s for sure. Elincia: I agree. Lady Almedha and Prince Kurthnaga share a striking resemblance, as well. Not just their faces, but their mannerisms, too. Tibarn: Is that how beorc spot blood relations? We laguz use scent, mainly. Speaking of which, something has been bothering me about Almedha. She has no distinct scent. It’s as if she is neither beorc nor laguz. Elincia: She actually told me something that I wanted to ask you about. She said that she lost her power when she became pregnant with King Pelleas. Radiant Dawn, "Unforgivable Sin," Chapter 4-5

The Extended Scripts expand on it a bit more

[ティバーン] そうか…ベオクは そうやって判断するのか。▼ [エリンシア] ラグズは、どうなさるんですか？▼ [ティバーン] 主に匂いだな。▼ ラグズとベオクは大きく違うし、 ラグズの中でも種に応じて違う。 …俺たちはそうやって個体を見分ける。▼ が、あのアムリタという女は…… どこかおかしい。▼ Radiant Dawn, "Unforgivable Sin," Chapter 4-5

The basic gist being that each type of laguz has its own unique type of scent in addition to the major difference in scent between laguz and beorc. You can read a fan translation by the always lovely amielleon here.

Tibarn also remarks a few sentences later (fan translation, again, provided by amielleon) that "Parentless" have a scent closer to a beorc.

[ティバーン] 黒竜王がベオクと交わったとでも？ それは、天地がひっくりかえっても ありえねえ話だろうぜ。▼ ”親無し”は、むしろ ベオクに近い匂いがするって話だ。 それでもないから…分からん。▼ Radiant Dawn, "Unforgivable Sin," Chapter 4-5

But that clearly means they have elements of both laguz and beorc in their scent, just more beorc than laguz. (This makes it clear why laguz who aren't in the know, like Skrimir or Vika, could mistake a Branded for a beorc, but Tibarn is clearly in the know and can pick up on however small that differentiation is).

And yet no one, not even he-who-spoils-the-Black-Knight-reveal-almost-certainly-based-on-scent-alone Ranulf, notices that Soren is dragon branded, let alone related to Dheginsea or Kurthnaga. Or if they do, they are weirdly and uncharacteristically quiet about it. Which some of them would be quiet (Ranulf is more of a quiet investigator, but even he has moments of cheek "I know what your secret is" [though maybe he's just trying not to upset Soren by keeping quiet]), and others (especially Tibarn) would never be quiet about that tidbit of information ("You'd let your own grandson die by sending us back to the Kauku Caves?" [I love Tibarn, but if he knew, he'd say something for certain when they're in Goldoa in Radiant Dawn, despite the fact that the revelation would kill Soren on the spot(of mortification)]).

So, why does Pelleas have to figure it out? Kurthnaga travels with the Greil Mercenaries in Part 4 and can fight alongside Soren in the Tower, and yet, nothing??? His own nephew is right there, and nothing???

I have nothing, no really good info from the games, so I have to come up with my own answers based on what little we do get.

So back to why can't anyone recognize what Soren's scent is. If the games don't give me the info I want, then I'll make it up.

Well. as Tibarn says, Almedha has no scent that is distinctive of either beorc or laguz. Beorc and laguz have different scents, and the different tribes have their own unique notes as well.

I've decided that the "beorc scent" is of different varities of metals (copper, gold, silver, tin, etc.) and the "laguz scent" is more earthy. Beast tribes being herbal (I reference lions having a basil note later on in that story), bird tribes being more air/water (herons smelling of petrichor, ravens like a storm, etc.), and dragons being stony (black dragons having a subtle clay scent, etc.). Soren mostly gains the metallic scent of beorc, as Tibarn describes, and since laguz have difficulty smelling anything beyond metal scents, the more subtle earthen smell is lost, they just know it's not all beorc if they're more aware than the average laguz.

In addition to that, he has an ancient power from his maternal grandfather within him that Micaiah can sense., and Reyson can also sense to a smaller degree. Maybe it alters Soren's scent a little, maybe not. I'm undecided as of right now.

So Soren just sits there, being a little enigma, because you would have to get up close and personal and smell him to get the obscured notes of his dragon scent, and no laguz is doing that. (Would be funny if the dragon laguz scent notes were stronger in his breath since he's a dragon. Like he just sighs very heavily because of someone annoying him and Ranulf or someone else with a sensitve sense of smell sitting next to him is like "!!!").

And that's why no one can tell he's black dragon for the moment.

[calamitaswrath]

Lucia plays Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn: Chapter 6

Uhh, we get an actual view of what civilians are doing! And they're getting suppressed and killed. 's what civilians do, in Fire Emblem I guess.

Ohh, Fiona's cute! And definitely the look of a character who's Not Going To Be Playable, I'm sure. What with her standing up to Jarod and everything.

"Late King Ashnard's orphan surfaces!" "Silver-Haired Maiden at Prince Pelleas's side!" - you just know that in another life, Izuka would have thrived at writing outrageous articles for a newspaper.

Not much else for the pre-battle cutscene, so let's go over the base conversations!

A whopping 1000 gold from a buncha villagers. . . yay. Look, the shop has got way more expensive stuff right around now that I want, so you better step up your fundraising game!

Oh yeah, I wonder why Kurth and Almedha look so similar. Real puzzler, that one. Come to think of it - if I'm half remembering Soren being involved in this whole family tree correctly, and Pelleas really is Almedha's son (having some doubts there since they don't really look that similar) that must be one convoluted family tree.

So, the battle - first stage went pretty well. It is a bit weird to use Jill and not have her stomp everything with the absurd stats she ended up with for me in PoR, but she's still pretty strong.

Second stage, though. . . er, everything did go well until I was rudely shown that the boss does in fact move, and he killed Leonardo. So, that was a reset. Second go went better, and the level-ups I did get still ended up well enough.

Cool gambit from Micaiah though to play into the boss' FE villain strategy of wanting to kill hostages to get Fiona to defect. It's a nice moment for Micaiah's character.

Fiona's the daughter of one of the original four riders? That's cool, nothing I would've thought from just looking at her.

[enbyleighlines]

Misc. thoughts about the Forging Bonds (with the Dawn Brigade):

Leonardo’s conversations are kind of super boring and bland, but I suppose that’s on point for him. He does seem to be a rather boring and bland person.

I did appreciate Prince Alfred randomly showing up to, once again, affirm how gay he is for muscled men.

Also, they made Leonardo seem kind of… stupid? I always figured he was the smart one since he’s portrayed as being more mature than Edward, but he was very clueless. He was absolutely baffled by Alfred saying he was a passerby who appreciated a good physique. “What does that mean?” Leonardo asked. It Means He Gay, Leonardo. Keep up.

I haven’t gotten very far with Edward’s story, so I don’t have much to say about it.

However, Edward apparently likes to draw? Was that in RD anywhere, or did they add that to his character?

The fact that the Dawn Brigade is so reluctant to join the Order of Heroes just because some of the people are from Begnion is… understandable, but at the same time, they didn’t put up that much of a fuss over fighting for Begnion during part 3 of Radiant Dawn. Like, they questioned it a bit, but they also got over it pretty quickly.

Of course Micaiah’s whole story is about her focusing on the fact that the Order of Heroes is super diverse. At that point in the story, she is worried about what Daein would think if they found out their Silver Haired Maiden was part laguz. It was the obvious choice for her forging bonds. Nevertheless, I appreciate that they acknowledge what Micaiah was going through at that time. Micaiah being Branded is more of a sub-plot, and doesn’t get nearly enough focus, in my opinion.

Micaiah asking someone to make her a dress to match Sothe was super cute. I love how Sothe’s reaction was to just stop functioning for a moment. That boy is down bad.

Also, Sothe’s reaction to seeing Micaiah was to shout “Micaiah?!” much in the same way that in Engage Soren shouted “Ike?!” and I gotta give a nice chef’s kiss to the cinematic parallels.

Sothe’s insistence that Micaiah hasn’t aged at all since he met her is… super weird. I know that’s in line with that picture of their first meeting, but it’s just… so weird. And it does not fit with what we know of canon.

At most, Micaiah would be 24 or 25 years old in Radiant Dawn. Yet the game wants me to believe that she hasn’t aged in over 10 years, which is nearly half of her total lifespan? What, did she speedrun her childhood and adolescence in her first 10-15 years and then stop aging completely? That’s… not how Branded aging works??

Also, if heron Branded really did age even slower than Soren, a dragon Branded, then don’t you think someone in Begnion would have noticed that the Apostle just… doesn’t age?

Sothe and Micaiah’s relationship is supposed to be a parallel to Ike and Soren’s. Ike and Soren met as kids, about 10 years prior to PoR. Ike saw Soren and realized that he needed help. At the time, they appeared to be the same age. But later, when they meet up again, Soren looks younger than Ike due to the fact that his aging has begun to slow. But at the same time, Soren really doesn’t look thaaaat much younger.

So how could Micaiah be the exact same after a decade has passed? It doesn’t make sense! Make it make sense!

Overall, I will continue to take the Christian approach to feh, wherein I decide what it is or isn’t canon according to my own personal preferences.

And besides all my nitpicks, I am enjoying the Forging Bonds. It’s nice to see Edward and Leonardo given some time and space to exist as actual characters, and not just units meant to help the player progress from one chapter to the next.

[missiletainnyt]

Someone really tried to tell me Micaiah was a "Sun" themed character.

the Silver-Haired Maiden,

Silver, the colour associated with the moon,

the moon is the symbol for Silver in alchemy,

the character with Dark Support affinity. with a dark colourscheme.

Thani's JP pronunciation potentially can translate to Second Celestial, or second star The second Celestial object in most mythologies being the moon.

The fact that she is a mirror to Sanaki, one of the most Sun coded characters in existance. All because they thought "Dawn feels more sun to me"

[generalzelgius]

❝  did you want to be alone?  ❞ (from micaiah ^^)

           No one truly wanted to be alone. Beorc, Laguz, and Branded alike were all social creatures and thrived in communities, not on their lonesome. Great cities were not build in a single day, by a single person, after all. Though Zelgius had been forced into a life of solitude due to his brand, now that everything was over, and his ex-master's plans were thwarted, he was free. Free to be himself - well as much as a fugitive could be, anyway. Though Sephiran was allowed to live and work on redemption, Zelgius had not been given that chance and if Ike or anyone close to him knew that Zelgius still drew breath, it would be over.

           But he had always found an ally in Micaiah and was grateful that despite all the chaos he had caused, she had welcomed him into Daein's castle with open arms; she had been so pleased to see that he had survived, since she had seen his apparent dead body in the tower. Daein's castle was much nicer these days, since Micaiah was now queen, and he was grateful to be back home, although this place brought back a lot of memories, mostly negative.

           ❛ No, my maiden, ❜ Calling her that was an old habit he had yet to break, though Micaiah had never complained about it. ❛ It is always a pleasure to have your company. I know you have been quite busy as of late, rebuilding Daein to its former glory. Is there anything I can do for you ? ❜

           It was just like Zelgius to assume that the only reason why anyone came to him was because they needed something from him. Yes, old habits were indeed hard to break.

horizon zero dawn starters | accepting | for @starsdeath

[sereneshymn]

[ Embrace ]

She could never mistake him for another; on a night when laguz and beorc dance alike under a foreign sky it is a miracle to see Rafiel among them, but only one of many he has performed for her.

Seeing him here is as much a balm to her soul as finding his song in the desert.

“Rafiel,” she says, gently taking his arm in her own, “it is you! You’ve traveled so far - are you sure you’re alright? Come please,” she says wrapping both of her own arms around his larger one but careful as ever with her movements (her friends are stronger than any steel, but so too the most fragile, precious things)

“— tell me everything!”

Though Rafiel dearly loves and cherishes all of his friends and companions, there are nevertheless certain stars in his sky that shine especially bright. The Maiden of Dawn who always stuck by him and by whom he stuck as well is, of course, one of them.

"Micaiah - how lovely it is to see you again!" It has been quite a while indeed, but he finds now that, though separation hurts, it makes the reunion that follows all the sweeter. His arms wrap around her in a hug of greeting; he cannot help but reminisce about that fateful day at the gates of Nox Castle, where his presence and embrace was able to bring her some relief.

Though of course, he must say that he vastly prefers an embrace of joy over one of desperation, and for that, too, he is thankful today.

"I am well, thank you. The journey was long, but I believe that the thought of reuniting with my siblings and friends gave me extra strength - and continues to do so still," he says with a soft laugh.

"Everything, you say? Of course, I will speak of anything you want - but I wish to hear how you've been, as well! All this time, I've had you in my thoughts... I am most eager to learn of your experiences."

As though remembering something, he pauses for a moment, before chuckling. He retrieves the small bell he had been given upon entrance and holds it out towards Micaiah.

"Perhaps we may start with a small gift exchange, as I've heard is customary tonight?"

[emblemxeno]

Thoughts on Emblem Paralogues #2

Corrin, The Crux of Fate:  🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 Fates nostalgia at an all time high. All the royal sibling standins with appropriate classes, AND also dropping money if you beat them? Hell yeah. Love Corrin’s use of a dragon vein, too. Burning up the river was a great reference. Very solid.

Eirika, The Azure Twin: Not a favorite, but fine enough. I liked FE8′s Endgame, but starting it in the northern position instead of the southern was kinda meh, so I couldn’t get the best grasp of it. Aesthetically it’s beautiful though, love what they did with it in Engage’s engine. Though, it also kind of really drives home how Ephraim is basically little more than a cameo cuz wtf, how can we have mention of Lyon but no commentary from Ephraim? Really wish the twins were done better, but oh well.

Micaiah, The Dawn Maiden: I like that there’s a defense side objective like the original! Of course, since you’re not as uh... outmatched as the Dawn Brigade was in FE10, the map is extremely easy. At first the map also felt extremely empty, so I looked back at the OG version and saw that there was a fuckton of allied units (shoutout to 3-13 archer, I would’ve loved to see a reference to the GOAT here) so I wasn’t going crazy. Still fun though, and the Dawn Brigade stand-ins near the end were cool.

Leif, The Sage Lord: PEAK! PEAK! PEAK! Probably my overall favorite of the paralogues so far, it was the perfect amount of challenge and really have my brain a workout. Didn’t get the drops from the soldiers, which sucks, but I like how there was an incentive to go fast. Thinking around the super-powered ballistas was cool, and it really made me use all the tools I had at my disposal. Never played Thracia myself (but I know the story), but if this map is any indication, I’d probably like it. I might emulate it in the future or something.

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

I believe the country's name comes from the Italian for what English speakers call Florence; Firenze. Firene is a country that prizes aesthetic beauty. Florence is famous for the Statue of David which is said to be an example of manly beauty. 

Florence is borrowed from French and it is a derivative of the participle; florens, which means blossoming. Firene's name basically means blossoming.

At the start of the game, Queen Ève rules the kingdom. As Queen she has negotiated non-aggression pacts with Brodia and Solm. According to Alfred, the reason there is no pact with Elusia is because they are far away. 

The country values peace above all else. Celine mentions that she will do anything so that the people continue to enjoy the peace they are accustomed to. Tolerance is also a prized value.

The philanthropic country which deeply cares for the long term wellbeing of its people. The kingdom is also described as deeply religious and is devoted to the Divine Dragon. 

Alfred introduces his kingdom to Alear as a 'land of plenty' making them able to provide all their citizens' needs without trade. 

Both the Ring of the Caring Prince and the Dawn Maiden were entrusted to Firene. The Ring of the Dawn Maiden was given in secret and hidden in a shrine near the Brodian border. Celica's and Micaiah's ring represent the peaceful and philanthropic nature of the kingdom. 

Firene seems to be inspired by France. Firene's emblem is akin to how the fleur-de-lis, (in French, fleur and lis mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively), was the  heraldry of monarchical France. The 5 petal flowers are the Lily which symbolises purity and fertility. There are three flowers which symbolise The holy trinity. The father, son and The holy spirit becomes The Divine Dragon, The Dragon Child and The holy spirit. The emblem of Firene symbolises baptismal lilies used in crowning of kings in France and stood as a monarch's divine and holy right to rule.

The French themes continue with the references to French fashion designers in character names, the dishes in Care Terrance's, Flora Mill town is based on Moulin de Moidrey, Firene castle is based on Mont-Saint -Michel and Field tea island is based on the Channel islands (likely Jersey because of the tea connection,) and the fashion is based on French rococo. 

[frauleindermorgen]

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

(what emotions does your muse have trouble dealing with?)

-emoji asks

As an empath Micaiah should be good with emotions. Like in theory. And I think for the most part she is? But when it comes to negative emotions, it's complicated; at least she's not at Rhea levels of compartmentalizing to cope (tm).

I think Micaiah is above all a practical person, so she doesn't want worrying thoughts to linger but for the same reason if Micaiah can't immediately solve whatever negativity is hanging over her she does think it best to put it away at the time.

For instance, it seems she became a vigilante for Daein simply because she couldn't stand not doing anything with plans falling into place from there. If something bothers Micaiah she is going to do something about it.

So what is there to do about the fact everyone she knows and loves is bound to die before her?

It's telling that Micaiah doesn't worry about this sooner sans the one time she tries to deal with it by ditching Sothe when he was like thirteen oof.

She actually picks up her patriotic streak when they are apart and the war begins - according to one of their base conversations, the way regular people rallied together during the war effort finally made her realize how important community was to her.

Which means she really didn't feel she had anyone to lose for the first twenty years of her life aaaah...

Sothe: You've always led such a secluded life... Ever since you were thrust into this position, I worried that the pressure might get to you. [...] Micaiah: I've been secluded so long, I had no idea people were so strong... and kind. No one knew who I was, but they helped me because I was from Daein. They were so... loving. They were my friends. -Chapter 1-8, base conversation

The word "secluded" is interesting to me here, and really makes me wish we had like one (1) more crumb of Micaiah content to put it all together bc imo fortune telling isn't a particularly isolated job (even if Micaiah did seem to work in slums and hide her identity when doing it).

But it helps contextualize why Micaiah is so devoted to Daein and its king, even during its darkest of times. She has been given the title of their priestess and divine maiden and she cannot fail them, or she risks losing that love.

So to get back on topic I think Micaiah really struggles with concepts of usefulness and belonging - the idea of will she continue to have a place, as a person, even after she can no longer provide in supernatural ways.

The culmination of this arc comes with another base conversation, in 4-3, this time with her and Ike. It think it's very telling that until just this moment Micaiah was still considering just leaving everything behind once the fight with Ashera was over.

Thank you Ike. I've made up my mind.  I thought I might travel to a far-off place after all of this was over. But I won't. I'll go back to Daein. No matter what happens, I'll have Sothe by my side. I have nothing to fear as long as he's with me. Micaiah to Ike, chapter 4-3

(Worth noting its possible to not see this scene if you break Sothe and Micaiah's automatic A rank bond. Considering how important it is to Micaiah and part 4 in general though I just kinda shrug emoji at that.)

For Micaiah other people, even Sothe who's sworn his service to her as a person rather than a figurehead, have a place seperate from her. The Dawn Brigade can exist without Micaiah but Micaiah cannot exist without the Brigade.

And also bc this is already long and meandering: i like that her heroes alts follow this evolution.

Micaiah: Priestess of Dawn seems to come from the three year period between POR and RD where she waited for Sothe to return. She refuses to admit she's Branded to the Summoner. Saying maybe she will trust him one day enough to share her secret.

Micaiah: Queen of Dawn explains she only took up the mantle of queen because the people of Daein asked her to, and seems unsure of her ability to lead them all.

Micaiah: Radiant Queen is more mature, confident in her role as Daien's leader and most importantly tells the Summoner in her lv 40 bond conversation that she has a family there. A family that loves her enough she finds them just as important as her one biological relation.

[aptericia]

1, 4, and 5 for Jarod & Micaiah? [You probably have more thoughts about her than him, I'm guessing. ;)]

yes!! I can always trust you to let me ramble about Tellius!!

How I feel about this character

Jarod: I was surprised by how much I ended up liking him! He's not my favorite by any means, but he's one of the best examples of a stereotypical first-arc villain who does his job at being utterly hateable while also having some depth and tying into the main story.

Micaiah: I think she's awesome. She's kind and empathic but also capable of utter ruthlessness. She hates violence but is a terrifying general. She's an apostle of the gods but is fully grounded in reality and the hard choices she has to make. What's not to love?

My unpopular opinion about this character

hahah I think for both, just liking them might qualify as an unpopular opinion...

In particular, it's because they are kind of cliché. Jarod is a violent, rude, and bigoted villain who murders for no reason. Micaiah is a fragile young maiden who wants peace and cares for her friends and country above all else. I can see why people are tired of those tropes, but Radiant Dawn does them well and puts interesting twists on them, which I love to see!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Honestly I really like how everything with Jarod went down, there's nothing else I think his story needed.

For Micaiah, I kinda wish she'd taken a more active role in Part 4, as opposed to Yune just doing everything. It would have been fun to see her and Ike figure out their strategy and actually have to work together.

[freedomarrow]

Thankfully (?) the band area and the place for concessions were close enough together that, so long as Leonardo didn't mind being closer to the dance floor most of the more of the insectoid staff kept to the other side.

(Micaiah was becoming used to the mice going back and forth. Maybe. It was a bit hard to look directly at their faces but one has to be polite!)

Venturing back with two plates in her hand she offers one to her friend.

"I was not quite sure what you wanted to I took a bit of everything. We do have to keep our strength up here!"

She squeezes his shoulder once he takes the proffered plate. "I'm glad you are here with me, Leonardo. We will see this through."

It takes a bit of time before Leonardo manages to shift his focus towards the events of the dance floor and away from the insects supplying participants with music. At the very least, staying here allows him to keep his distance. He strangles a sigh; it feels a little rude, really, but he cannot help the discomfort he feels. Bugs are bad enough when tiny, and now these are his size. (Or rather, he is theirs.)

Only problem is, it takes some courage building to go grab something to eat, and he is starting to feel a little hungry - but, as though to read his thoughts, salvation appears once more in the form of the famed Maiden of Dawn - or, as he would be more keen on knowing her, his cherished friend, Micaiah.

The blond smiles as he accepts the plate from her hands. "Oh, thank you. That's lovely of you." At her friendly gesture, his expression brightens further. "Right back at you. If you and Edward weren't here, I might have just gone insane here... I still don't really understand what's happening, and I don't like that. But for now we just have to hang in there."

It still bothers him a little that no one seems to so much as try to figure a way out of here, too absorbed by the ball's entertainment. How much he can achieve alone in this aspect, he does not know, especially with the eyes of the Elementals looming above his head. He supposes it remains a question for later. Best he can do for now is just stay on guard.

"We will see it through, yes. I'm sure of it," he says, as though to reinforce both her and his own belief. "To that end... you're right," the blond adds as he takes a bite from the plate Micaiah had brought to him. "... I will admit that I did not expect food prepared by mice to be this good."

[davontewagner]

Micaiah: Dawning Maiden