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markoftheasphodel · 5 years ago

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The Blue Lions and the Burden of Tradition

Note: spoilers related to multiple Fire Emblem games including FE1/11, FE2/15, FE3/12, FE5, and FE8 follow.

The classic Fire Emblem plot line is the one sketched out by its first installment, Dark Dragons and the Sword of Light, all the way back in ’90. Young Prince Marth loses homeland in surprise betrayal, mopes in exile, gathers allies, retakes homeland, unites continent, defeats dragon, settles down to become virtuous ruler with love interest at his side. Then Fire Emblem Gaiden offered a counterpoint narrative in which a scrappier hero, village boy Alm, unites half a continent through military prowess before he even finds out he’s the prince, whereupon he too can defeat a big bad monster and settle down with his childhood companion/love interest as his consort. Marth restores order to The Way Things Were, But Better. Alm sweeps away a corrupt order entirely and puts something else in its place. One can be viewed as fundamentally conservative, looking back to an idealized past and trying to recreate it without the old mistakes. The other is revolutionary, but the way the revolution plays out the New Boss has an awful lot in common with the Old Boss (kings, nobles, churches). Any way you slice it the best outcome is a Just Ruler with the blessings of heaven and democracy ain’t in the cards. These two basic narratives have shaped every single installment of Fire Emblem to date. Some lean more heavily on the Marth narrative (Binding Blade), some on the Alm narrative (Path of Radiance), and others combine elements of both— Thracia 776, Sacred Stones, and Awakening all take some of Column A and some of Column B and and achieve strikingly difference outcomes.

The Blue Lions route of Three Houses offers the latest iteration of that classic Marth narrative, and it proves the deepest, richest, most nuanced look at that storyline to date even if it’s ultimately constrained by its own tropes.

Its protagonist, Prince Dimitri, is introduced as a polite and courtly young man, the image of a Fire Emblem princeling, and as Part I of Three Houses unfolds the viewer is let into just how much of a Fire Emblem Prince Dimitri is. He’s the last hope of his house and kingdom, an orphan who lost his family under traumatic circumstances, and he’s struggling to maintain his peaceful ideals in the face of his lingering trauma and suppressed rage. As Dimitri receives both character revelation and character development through Part I, he echoes not just Marth but Thracia 776’s Leif and Ephraim from Sacred Stones, and those echoes carry over strongly to Part II of this route.

Likewise, Dimitri’s fellow Blue Lions, initially just another lot of fresh-faced schoolchildren, reveal themselves to be the Three Houses iterations of some classic “archetypes” of Fire Emblem. We have the “steady” traditionalist knight in Ingrid, the more unruly “rowdy” knight in Sylvain, the sullen swordmaster in Felix, the bright-eyed archer in Ashe, the bright-eyed mage in Annette, the demure healer with the convoluted backstory in Mercedes, and the battered old retainer in Gilbert. If you expect your “Christmas Knights” and “Navarre” and “Lena” and whatnot out of a Fire Emblem game, Blue Lions offers the entire set; they’re just a little harder to detect thanks to the open class system and lack of convenient color-coding.

Where the Blue Lions breaks with three-decades-old expectations is in its handling of the resident heavy; Dedue fills a slot on the starting team usually given short shrift (see: Draug, Bors), but in terms of plot and character and— critically— personal value to Dimitri he transcends both the stale Armor Knight niche that his character design nudges him to be and the Devoted Retainer trope that’s gotten a bit weird in recent years. Some recent games presented “devotion” in ways that were kind of twisted yet the games didn’t seem to really acknowledge how off-key it all was; Three Houses takes a full dive into what Dedue’s devotion to Dimitri (and vice-versa!) can encompass, how it’s a double-edged blade that can uplift or utterly destroy. That Dedue manages this while also being saddled with the role of being The Stigmatized Other to the Blue Lions cast is nothing short of remarkable.

Your core Blue Lions party is essentially the conservative wing of the Officers’ Academy. Ingrid may be the most orthodox knight of your house, but ultimately the entire core party is royalist and traditionalist, even when the system they’re holding up has hurt them personally. Annette, Sylvain, and most especially Felix offer some degree of dissent, but ultimately all of them fall in line behind King Dimitri and his unified continent— and in supporting Dimitri, by default they support the Church of Seiros under its new archbishop. This unswerving support of the Church structure on the Blue Lions route is hardly happenstance, as the game is basically waving a flag at the audience to let them know yes, this is indeed the conservative Restorationist faction— un roi une loi une foi. Still, the inner tensions of these loyalists as they play out through supports and in-game chatter— Felix against Ingrid and Dedue and Dimitri, Annette against Gilbert, Sylvain in his asides to Byleth— provide a multifaceted critique of the very concepts of Knighthood and Faith that the franchise has been trying to pull off since at least Thracia 776, whose beats the Lions’ plot structure samples more than once.

The game takes some risks; New Mystery of the Emblem supplied Avatar Kris as a mechanism to keep Marth’s fingerless gloves from getting dirtied by the grunt work of conquering an continent; Three Houses lets Dimitri’s hands get so filthy that his knights and vassals are appalled by it. He regains his moral compass and everyone’s respect after a tragedy that is one of the clearest call-backs to Thracia 776, but in Leif’s case the shock he received was a spur for a naive youth to grow up and look at the larger picture instead of his narrow goals. In Dimitri’s case, he’s got about five years of atrocities to atone for. That said, Thracia 776 arguably had a more realistic resolution to the Lord’s character development, as endgame Leif STILL has some growing-up to do, whereas Dimitri gets markedly better after a couple of conversations despite spending five years in the abyss.

And then we get to the Childhood Friend, one of the moments of the Blue Lions route that strongly evokes Sacred Stones. On this route we learn that Dimitri and antagonist Edelgard shared a fleeting but precious bond in childhood— but whereas antagonist Lyon uses a similar bond to his repeated advantage against the Sacred Stones Lords Eirika and Ephraim, Edelgard doesn’t even make the connection between Dimitri and her own lost childhood friend until he confronts her with the memory. It’s a one-sided bond that fuels Dimitri’s rage and regrets but is essentially irrelevant to Edelgard’s ambitions. The final wordless confrontation between them finally has Edelgard use Dimitri’s nostalgia as a literal weapon against him… and he silently runs her through with his lance for it— far cry from Lyon whispering “C’mon Ephraim, smile like you used to” as he dies in Ephraim’s arms. For a series that has leaned heavily on the trope of “Friendship is Magic” in recent years, it’s interesting to have the idea of the sepia-tinted childhood memory rendered impotent— but then again, the developers were supposedly inspired by Genealogy of the Holy War and the way that events pitted sworn friends and allies against one another.

The grand scope of Genealogy may be more apparent on other routes of Three Houses, but the Blue Lions route is fundamentally more narrow in scope, with this Thracia-like focus on Dimitri’s traumas, Dimitri’s loves and losses, Dimitri’s redemption, Dimitri’s ability to spare enemies and kill former friends. This in turn hobbles the ending of the route, much as Thracia 776 was hobbled by its status as a midquel, a singular if vivid chapter in the overall saga of Jugdral. Alliance and Empire totter, everything falls into Dimitri’s lap, the church is bolstered without any significant onscreen reforms or even onscreen questions on what the hell was going on under Rhea, and everything becomes as it was, but better— one king, one law, one faith (or one major faith with ecumenical tolerance for the rest, per Seteth’s ending), and apparently some reforms for the sake of The People. Dimitri’s going to be fine, and we all just have to have faith in the rest of it.

All in all, it brings to mind that Marth’s most successful game (Mystery of the Emblem), and the GBA game that hewed most strongly to the Marth Narrative (Binding Blade) both had Bad Endings in which the real answers, the true resolution, was never achieved. The Blue Lions route feels at once like a beautiful love letter to the Marth plot-line in all its iterations, in which the elements of its predecessors are revisited to grand effect— and a Bad Ending, a dead-end, an eternity of the curtain abruptly coming down once Marth defeats Hardin or even the hollow “is that all there is” moment of Leif besting Veld. It almost feels like a rebuke to the player for choosing to spend eighty, ninety, one-hundred hours in the company of Dimitri and his traditionalists, for choosing to glory in the multi-layered nostalgia offered by the Blue Lions. Perhaps it’s simply a cue that this is the route to play first, that it’s best to be guided into Fodlan by a familiar set of faces before choosing to open the doors of perception that the Golden Deer or Black Eagles offer. Given how heavily the pre-game marketing hyped the Black Eagles, that seems a bit weird.

I suppose the only way to get answers is to play another 200+ hours of Three Houses….

#fe16 spoilers #fe16 #fodlan meta #blue lions meta #fire emblem meta #jugdral meta #archanea meta #magvel meta

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merryfortune · 3 years ago

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The Fire Spirit Who Gets Her Wish Granted

Written as part of the Rare Femslash Exchange 21 for SurprisePink

Ship: Marisa/Tethys

Fandom: Fire Emblem Sacred Stones

Rating: T

Word Count: 6,757

Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Tags: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tales, Inspired by Aladdin, Interspecies Relationships, Reincarnation, Out of Character

“Here, you can take this piece of junk.” the boss growled as he tossed Marisa what he was holding.

Ever quick on the fly, Marisa had no problem catching it. She reached up and clasped onto it the way some ladies might try to catch a bouquet at a wedding but she was not one of those ladies. Nor was she overly worldly when it came to material things. Thus, as a result, Marisa was all in all rather confused by the worthless gift that the boss of this job had given her. She held it awkwardly in her hands as she tried to decide what the pinky-purple blur was and it was… a bottle of some description. Marisa squinted at it. It was not a bottle of liquor. No, it was too fanciful for that.

Then she realised what it was. It wasn’t a bottle at all, it was an empty lamp. Someone had taken the wick and the like from inside of it rendered it useless. She was mildly annoyed at this empty lamp for being so empty and therefore useless to her in her immediacy as it was still somewhat dark outside.

“Thanks, sir.” Marisa dryly replied to her employer. It really was a piece of junk, she decided alongside him but who knows, maybe she could sell it for a couple of pennies to someone who was an enjoyer of junk.

“No worries, lassie, I’ll be seeing you.” he said and with that, he took himself and his regular crew elsewhere, leaving Marisa in the desert.

She had been recruited from a tavern in the middle of the desert. She was just passing through and they were in need of a sellsword so the opportunity aligned. The job had been pretty easy, even if it wasn’t the most honourable of jobs.

They had billed themselves as being in need of a bodyguard as they explored a certain territory deep in the desert, beyond any oasis or the likes. In truth, they were bandits, Marisa later realised once they arrived. But she supposed a job was a job and looking deep into the cave they needed some extra muscle to hack and slash into, no one who owned the stuff had need of it. Not in at least over a century and so, Marisa helped them. She’d been promised a lot of gold, a lot of treasure and that was already on top of the hiring fee. She was told to think of it as a reward.

Pfft, some reward if this thing that Marisa was holding was the best they could do for her in compensation of her time and skill. The cave in the desert was almost tiger-like, she felt when she had approached. Something about the rocks that hung down off its ceilings felt more like teeth or fangs but this kitty was all yawns and no bites. The insides had been disappointing to say the least with the bandit’s taking the regal share of what little there was amongst two, maybe three, wooden chests mostly filled with rotted away clothes and other unexciting treasures such as that.

Whatever, Marisa only needed the money to keep food on the table and an inn’s roof over her head as she travelled in search of jobs like these. She sighed through her nose as she went the other way to the party that she had come in with. They had sent her packing and Marisa didn’t mind one bit. Good riddance.

Somehow, not surprisingly, Marisa returned to town quicker than she had left it. Without all that dead weight in the form of the bandits who had hired her, she could walk a lot faster, even with the dredges of cooled sand. It was dawn when she made it back to the inn that she had been recruited out of but it wasn’t open. She sat at the doorstop, sword slung across her as a menacing look, as she caught a couple hours of shut eye before the barmaid found her and opened up.

Using some of the gold that Marisa had been given the night before as her hiring fee, she scored a room for two nights. Just long enough for her to recuperate after her night’s journey and to let her body restore its sleep. She ate cheaply from the restaurant downstairs as well and started to scout out what it would take to fix the lamp that she had been given.

The most obvious thing to do was to clean it and make sure it was in good nick to be used at all. So, on the second day of Marisa’s stay at the inn, she sat up and tried to clean her lamp. She laid with her feet up on her bed, back against the wall with a pillow propped up as she rubbed the lamp.

It would have been beautiful straight out of the kiln and Marisa hardly considered herself an aesthete but she could tell a highly skilled artist made this. It was fanciful and swirly, the colour of its glass an unusual hue of pink that was almost purple or possibly the other way around. It was just a shame about all the dents and bumps that she was futilely trying to polish out with a rag.

Even so, despite seeming to be a task done in vain, trying to polish out the flaws of the lamp, Marisa continued and her nose wrinkled. She smelt something awry in her room. At first she thought it was smoke - alarming her, making her jump off the bed - but then she realised it was more than that. It was of fruit and bergamot but the smoke remained on the edge becoming a cloud.

Marisa turned her head for the source of it and realised it was in her hand. It was coming from inside the lamp. A tiny flame had been lit and she watched as a figure blossomed from the plume of light grey smoke that curled and wisped around.

Marisa blinked. She could hardly believe her eyes and she let this sight disarm her, even if her arms were rigid. She was alone in a locked room and now, she was decidedly not alone. A woman appeared before her: tall and slender with flowing red hair, her elegant body donned in gold and red apparel.

“Greetings, my new mistress,” she said with a twirl to seem excitable but there was a cynicism in her eyes that Marisa caught in the periphery, “how may I serve you?” She bowed low, curtseying.

“Who in the world are you?” Marisa asked. “What in the world are you?” Her voice becoming a snarl.

There was something highly and irregularly unnatural about this, she felt herself lock on with a potential threat. The fact that she felt she had seen this woman from somewhere further heightened the instinct of hostility that Marisa had unto her. She felt... She felt as if she needed to do something, to fight but this woman seemed too opalescent to be a truly violent threat.

The woman reared back but kept a hand in front of her, like it was in position for a dance, “I’m your new and humble servant, Tethys, the genie. As you are the current owner of my lamp, that makes you my master - or mistress, if you prefer.”

“I have no preference.” Marisa replied quickly, folding her arms, snapping but more out of uncertainty than malice.

“Understood and to whom do I owe the pleasure of three wishes?” Tethys asked, a sparkle in her eyes as she smiled with a wink.

“My name’s Marisa,” she replied, glaring and sceptical, “and what’s this about three wishes?”

“Well, it's simple.” Tethys shrugged and then spoke through Marisa’s unimpressed guffaw. “I have the power to grant you any heart’s desire you could possibly want, though there are limitations and cosmic consequences but in theory, I could give you all the riches in the world. I could bring back the life of a departed loved one. I could make you a queen. The sky's the limit, so, what shall it be, dearest mistress?”

Marisa continued to stare with a rigid look upon her face at Tethys. She had an unhuman presence about her that was floaty and ethereal, she kept herself up on tip-toes and bore shackles around her wrists. Marisa’s skin crawled, she found everything about Tethys quite disconcerting and though it was an impulse with no base, Marisa trusted her gut on many things and this would be one of them.

“No thank you.” she replied.

Tethys flinched, her enigmatic expression quickly became bewildered “No… thank you?” she echoed.

“No thank you, I’m good.” Marisa shrugged. “I don’t need wishes or luck or anything else like that. I’m good enough as is, I live within my means, and have absolutely no desire to do something as awful as get into politics so ain’t no way I’m going to wish to be a queen or something like that.”

Tethys snickered but smiled. “Well, so be it, but as you are the owner of my lamp, I must insist I keep you company until you either expire all your wishes or give the lamp onto someone else.”

Marisa mulled over Tethys’ words. She wasn’t exactly the most social person and then she mulled over the glass of Tethys’ lamp. It was very pretty, it was also very dingy, those were not mutually exclusive. Not to mention, knowing that such a fantastical being such as wish granting genie resided in it, if Marisa had to pass on the lamp, she wanted to entrust Tethys to someone of an upstanding character. She sighed a throaty sigh.

“Whatever. I leave tomorrow to find more work.” Marisa said.

“Understood.” Tethys replied and she placed her hand over her heart to bow.

Marisa did not like that gesture but she couldn’t complain because Tethys evaporated into smoke upon it. She returned herself to inside the lamp and the flame in its base extinguished upon her return. Marisa felt her lips quirk and wobble, trying to decide up or down about whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. She decided that she could decide at a later date but for now, figured that keeping Tethys’ lamp safe was the least she could do for the genie.

The following morning, Marisa checked out of the inn and took her meagre belongings with her. Tethys’ lamp was safely stowed deep within her swag. She glanced at the map on the wall of the restaurant the inn was founded upon one last time and chose a random direction on it. Opposite to where the cavern had been hidden in the boughs of the desert, there was a moderately sized town. Far bigger than this not quite town but not quite a villager either. Sounded like there ought to be work there, worth the two, maybe three day walk.

Before Marisa could even leave, something caught her eye. She had been passing by one of the more fringe alleys on the not so welcoming side of town when she saw an older woman. She sat on the steps of what was, presumably, her own abode, if not her children’s or her landlord’s. She had a swollen leg and yellow eyepatch; in one hand a mouse, a possibly pet, and the other, a tin can.

“Alms for the old and disabled, alms for the old and disabled.” she murmured to herself.

Marisa wanted to pass her by. She probably could have, she was silent and nimble on her feet, this woman was vastly incapacitated but as a hale and hearty youth, her heart did twinge with mild guilt. She slowed and she greeted the woman.

“Hello.” Marisa said.

The woman’s head moved slightly as she tried to find where Marisa had spoken from. Even though she was just a bit too much to the right facing her, the woman beamed.

“Hello deary, have you stopped to help a poor old woman?” she asked. “I cannot choose between food on the table and aid for my conditions, oh, won’t you please help a poor, old woman out?”

Marisa swallowed. She could feel Tethys’ lamp burn inside of her swag. Marisa turned her head, averted her eyes. There was the possibility of this being a scam. To those who thought her sword was just for show, she must seem an easy mark as a young, socially awkward woman but Marisa didn’t want to believe the possibility. She looked at the reams of dirty laundry that were strung out of the windows of this narrow home the woman belonged to. She so tenderly pet her mouse in her hand as she waited, patiently, for Marisa’s response. The smell of gritty stew wafted. Marisa formed her own judgement: this woman was in earnest of her dire straits.

“I shall.” she replied.

Marisa half dropped her swag and tilted it upright. She shoved her hand into the thick welts of the mattress shoved inside the canvas bag. She pulled out Tethys’ lamp and held onto it. She took a breath - she had three wishes that she didn’t need still - and rubbed the glass.

In a spiral of easygoing, fragrant smoke, like incense, Tethys appeared. She very quietly landed on the tip of her toes and wondered why she had been summoned at all. Marisa cleared her throat.

“If I wished that this woman had enough money to never go hungry again, would that be allowed?” Marisa asked quietly.

“Oh, you bleeding heart…” Tethys playfully, sweetly admonished her.

“Well?” Marisa insisted.

“Yes, Mistress, of course that would be allowed.” Tethys replied. “All you have to do is wish for it using those exact words.”

“Got it.” Marisa said and in a louder voice than before, she made her wish like a writ of challenge: “I wish that this woman will always have enough money to pay for her food and medical treatments.”

Tethys smiled and she snapped her fingers. The click was followed by the noisy clinking of gold piling up in the woman’s tin can. She trembled as she was just piled high with gold - and not just within her tin can. Tethys had made it so that she would find small, reasonable amounts squirreled away in her house whenever she was on the cusp of needing a little extra for groceries. Amounts she would no doubt think to herself, “Oh yes, silly me, I must have put this here for safekeeping.” Nothing extravagant but the good deed would resound wider than she, or even Marisa, would ever know.

“Dearie, my goodness, you are far too kind.” the old woman exclaimed, genuinely harrowed and excited by the good fortune of Marisa’s alms.

Marisa shyly closed in on herself, “You need it more than me, now, if you don’t mind, I best be going.”

She couldn’t escape from the old woman’s reciprocal kindness quick enough. She just couldn’t offer Marisa enough thanks, enough gratitude, and her expressions were more than enough and so, Marisa hurried on with Tethys all but skipping behind her. When they made it to the edge of town, at the sign post for it, they paused, Marisa was panting but Tethys was not.

Marisa glanced up at Tethys again, holding her belly which had a stitch since she hadn’t prepped herself before going full pelt into a run, “Where did that gold come from?” she asked.

“From no one who will miss it.” Tethys replied.

Marisa was somewhat consoled by that answer as she pulled herself back up. She felt the pins and needles sensation in her gut diminish.

“That’s good.” she commented. “Do you want to keep tagging along like this or…? We just don’t have time to waste, is all.”

“I’m quite right.” Tethys replied and she vanished in a waft of smoke.

Marisa rolled her eyes and she stowed Tethys’ lamp back inside the roll of her swag. She hefted it up and carried on like she intended to. She just hoped her first wish would be her only wish. And though Marisa intended that to be her only wish, ever, she was glad she could put it towards someone who needed it more than her. That felt better - right, even - to her than if she had made a wish for only her own behalf.

Holding tight onto the strap of her bag, Marisa trekked onwards. She followed the horse-hoof beaten path and enjoyed the scenery. That’s one thing she loved about her job, it was the solitude and the environment. She didn’t feel at home in tightly clustered towns and cities but she did feel rather at peace whenever she walked past large, pastoral fields. Even if these ones were rather sandy thanks to the proximity to a desert, only the salt bushes and cacti were interesting to Marisa, though. Especially the ones which flowered with those fuchsia blossoms. She admired how hardy they were and yes, how pretty they were, too.

She passed the occasional caravan or fellow sellsword as she meandered along the road, wherever it took her. They didn’t stop for a chat and she didn’t either, there wasn’t much to be exchanged. But by the end of the day, when Marisa decided it was too dark to press on and she deserved a bite to eat from her rations, she did feel a little bit lonely. Lonelier than usual.

Marisa set up a little camp to the wayside, somewhere slightly in the scrub where she could light a fire and have a little bit of concealment or coverage from the main road. She sat up on a log and warmed up some tinned beans. Whilst they cooked, she rang up Tethys again. She rubbed Tethys’ lamp and once more, the fire inside of the jar was lit and smoke plumed out. From it, Tethys danced her dance and became a living being again, of volume and voluptuousness. She smiled eerily before Marisa, her body in the starting position of a dance.

“Thought of a second wish?” she teased. “Perhaps one for yourself this time.”

“No, no,” Marisa shook her head and she patted the spot on the log beside her, “I, er, just wanna chat.”

Tethys giggled, “I didn’t take you for the type to get to know your companions. You seem like the rugged loner character, is all.”

“Yeah, well…” Marisa floundered for an excuse she could use. There was no way she was going to admit she was lonely and jealous of the caravaners who had a partner or two in tow. “It's just not everyday you meet a genie, is all.”

“That is true.” Tethys agreed with a melancholic sigh. “Not every day I meet a human, either.”

Thus, with a flounce of her arms and her plaited hair and even the translucent accessories of her clothes, Tethys sat down next to Marisa. She leaned in perhaps a little bit closer than Marisa would have liked but it forced her to notice just how beautiful Tethys was. She was unearthly. Her eyes were like carnelians and her lips were like rubies, both glinting in the low light of the starry, moonlit night.

“What do you want to know?” Tethys asked, probing, giving Marisa the feeling that more was going to be revealed about her tonight than the other way around.

Marisa swallowed, “Well, erm, how did you get in the lamp?” she asked, feeling flustered. That sounded like a dumb question to her when spoken allowed.

“I wasn’t always a Genie. Before that, I was just a plain old fire spirit, causing havoc and having fun wherever I danced. It was for mine and my younger brother’s capricious nature, we were captured and all but extinguished.” Tethys professed. There was a little bit of drama and romanticism to her voice but it didn’t hide the scathing hate in her eyes which hardened them just like the jewels their hues were reminiscent of. “An evil wizard hunted us down and when he spoke his words, just as I was dancing free as a flame, he stole me away and encased me in that glass lamp.”

“Oh. I’m sorry about that.” Marisa replied. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Nonsense, it's only natural to be curious. But I do miss my brother. Sorely. We were created at the same time, from the same fire and our time together means the world to me, even now. He is still my precious, little brother. I hope to see him again one day but I have no idea where his bottle or lamp would be.” Tethys lamented.

Marisa felt her heart tug, “Can I wish for you two to be reunited?” she asked.

Tethys shook her head sadly. “No, unfortunately, that would not work,” she softly replied, “because you could use that wish in lieu of wishing for more wishes which is not allowed.”

“Oh.” Marisa hummed, disappointed. “I still wish that you two will see each other again, though.”

“Thank you, Marisa.” Tethys said and she placed her hand atop of Marisa’s. “But I promise you my story isn’t all sad. I mean yes, eternal imprisonment and servitude to random, unvetted humans does have its drawbacks but I have met plenty of kind humans, too, no matter how scarcely or sparsely over the centuries I have lived. And…” Her voice cracked. Wobbled. “And there was that one woman and she…” Her voice trailed off.

Marisa’s expression scrunched as she waited for Tethys to continue to speak and when she didn’t, Marisa piped up, “And she did what…?”

Tethys lifted her hand off of Marisa’s and caressed her face, “She tried to free me before I was even captured.” There was a tear welling up in Tethys’ eyes and it made Marisa flinch.

“I apologise, I didn’t mean to-” Tethys tried to speak but Marisa cut her off.

“No, don’t be sorry, I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m just. Not good with other people’s emotions.” Marisa hastily apologised, she felt her cheeks flush, red and hot.

“That’s okay. Thank you for showing interest in me, though, it means a lot. I’ve met more than my share of masters who treat me as nothing more than a means to an end. A tool. You are very… refreshing, Mistress.” Tethys soothed her.

“Marisa.” Marisa piped up.

“Pardon?” Tethys murmured, not quite an exclamation.

“We’re travelling companions. You can call me Marisa. I - I don’t really like formalities.” Marisa said.

“Yes, of course… Marisa.” Tethys replied.

Both were embarrassed by the heartfeltness of the situation, even though they felt near strangers as genie and the one who happened to hold her lamp, and so, Tethys excused herself. She evaporated into a fine smoke and left Marisa alone in the night with only the scent of her remaining. It lingered and Marisa breathed it deeper than she meant to. The mix of smoke and fruit, bergamot and fire, was intoxicating. It certainly turned her off her dinner which was meagre and unappetising now. She ate it anyway and turned in for the night shortly afterwards.

In the morning, Marisa resumed her trek and judging by how the morning sun poured out over the midfield vistas, she was further along than she thought she was. She was making better time than she had initially assumed and kept going at her steady pace. She enjoyed walking along the road, passing clumps of wild daisies and listening to birdsong.

It was still early in the morning but many animals were so active. Aside from hearing birds, Marisa saw them as well. Swooping and ducking through the branches of the scant trees either side of the road; she even caught glimpses of rabbits or hares bounding through the tall grass in search of their warrens after feeding. She almost wished that she could show Tethys all this but the thought of calling upon her so soon after last night made Marisa’s stomach twist. She still felt unusually nervous about that and then her stomach gave a growl on top of its flipping and flopping about in her gut.

Marisa paused. She had some bread that she could nibble on, she remembered and so, she stepped aside off the road. She ventured down the short slope to find somewhere out of the burs to sit and happened upon a little pond that she hadn’t realised was there - or had another person.

A man hailed her with a friendly smile hidden amongst a burly, white beard and Marisa returned it, even if she didn’t really want to. He sat on a little wooden stool and had a tackle box by his side. Marisa sat down, cross-legged, on the ground, it was soft but not muddy. She looked out toward the water, away from the fisherman. The water was calm and still, more a deep green than a deep blue, however, but she saw the skies above, clouded included, reflected upon its meniscus.

“Hello, girlie, I’m surprised to see a wanderer at this hour.” he said with a belly full of laughter.

“What can I say, I’m an early riser.” Marisa murmured.

“Good answer.” the fisherman replied, mirthful.

“What about you…?” Marisa asked, not letting the conversation go further past the cusp of silence she foresaw. “Catching much?”

“Oh, yes, plenty,” the fisherman told her, “mostly flies, breaths of fresh air, and about seventy ones that have gotten away.” He shrugged. “I can’t explain it but I have not landed a single catch yet and I’ve been here since well before dawn. My wife wants to eat her favourite food - catfish - and who am I to disagree but so far,” he sighed, “well, if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all! Or so they say…”

“That’s not good.” Marisa murmured.

A thankfully comfortable silence settled between them, only for two things to happen: Marisa’s stomach growled again - and the fisherman managed to hook another fish. Just as Marisa prickled with her hunger, the fisherman’s rod began to tug and he leapt to his feet. Marisa watched as the fisherman once again tried to reel in the fish that had bitten on his bait.

It had to have been a mighty fish beneath the surface because it was quite a struggle between it and the fisherman. Marisa watched, on her hackles, as she watched him try to reel in that fish. Her eyes were peeled and she saw fins breach the surface as it sped through the waters, circling and circling until… snap!

The fisherman yelped in surprise as his fishing rod snapped clean in half. The top half was taken deep within the pond and it settled with ominous ripples, the snapping noise echoing and Marisa watched the fisherman’s heart break into two pieces all the same as the rod. She watched as he slumped to his knees in disbelief and despair.

“I - It’ll take me a few days, maybe upwards of weeks, to make a new fishing rod…” he murmured. “My apologies, lassie, don’t worry, but it's just… my wife, she’s getting frail now, I wanted to spoil her with her favourite food, cooked and cleaned myself.”

“I’m so sorry.” Marisa got to her knees and she patted the fisherman’s back. She felt herself fight with foibles of if she should use the second of her three wishes but he seemed more worthy of them than her. “I can, uh, fix it, if you want, lickety-split, and it’ll never break again. And you’ll never have to pine for the one that got away either, I can make it so that you’ll never lose a fish again.”

The fisherman blinked, he was more confused than depressed by his poor luck, “How would that be possible?”

“I have my ways. Give me a moment.” Marisa replied.

She got up and she returned to her things. She plunged her hand into her swag again, drawing up Tethys’ lamp again. She gave it a rub and Tethys was pleasantly surprised to see her. Smoke swirled around them both and Tethys noticed the poor little meow meow that Marisa had encountered this time.

“I want to make a wish again, on this guy’s behalf,” Marisa said, her hand balled into a fist without unthinking, “can I do that?”

“Of course, Marisa.” Tethys assured her.

Marisa smiled, “I wish for a fishing rod that’s sturdy as all hell, can never be broken and catches every fish it can find.”

“Your wish is my command.” Tethys gave her a wink and manifested Marisa’s wish.

Out of thin air, a fishing rod to Marisa’s specifications dropped into her hands. It was smooth and supple, long and polished. It was beautiful, it made Marisa smile a small smile. Better yet, the fisherman smiled a huge smile when Marisa gifted him the rod. Only after he got over his gasping and ogling at how both a woman and a fishing rod had come out of nowhere.

“You can have this but keep it a secret.” Marisa said.

“Understood, but let me thank you, I recall you were hungry, let’s see if I can finally make my first fish this morning - and yes, your companion can join as well.” the fisherman replied.

“Sounds good.” Marisa replied.

Tethys drew in closer, a swish to her hips and she sat delicately beside Marisa who popped down, sitting, casually. They sat, shoulder to shoulder, not quite leaning on one another but close and watched as the fisherman had a grand time with his new fishing rod.

He was reeling in fish after fish with ease. Tethys clapped him on and Marisa was pleased as punch with making a wish on his behalf. She lit a fire for them and shared her bread from her rations. The fisherman was over the moon with his gift and couldn’t thank Marisa - and Tethys - enough. Marisa assured him that his joy was more than enough, although eating some catfish would go down a treat, too.

It was not an extravagant meal to have for breakfast but it was very delicious nonetheless. Marisa couldn’t be more thankful for the fisherman’s kindness in reciprocation of her own; Tethys the same. This meal of fish cooked over a fire complemented with crusty, white bread was the first thing she had eaten in a long, long time and whilst it wasn’t fodder for a bush fire, the last thing she had consumed, it was still very tasty.

After eating, Marisa and Tethys parted ways with the fisherman, wishing him nothing but the best for him and his wife, may she enjoy his catch of the day and may his fishing rod continue to serve him well. The synergy between them had been refreshed and was more comfortable - even closer - than the night before, unlike what Marisa worried about. And so, with an idle conversation between them, they continued travelling on down the road. All whilst the fisherman stayed a little bit longer at the pond, promising he would be home in time for he and his wife to make lunch. It was all very sweet and with renewed energy, Marisa and Tethys were able to make it to town at about noon, or perhaps an hour afterwards.

Their first order of business was to find accommodation, at least for Marisa but that was tossed to the wayside in favour of merely ambling about through the town. It was busy and bustling, markets lining all its various lanes with people going to and from, on their business and usually holding all sorts of interesting street foods, too. But it was the comparatively quieter park in the centre of town that Marisa and Tethys both enjoyed.

The designated green space was enclosed with trees with a winding, cracked path through it. A few benches were dotted about amongst the verdant, green grass, in the shade of trees and in the very centre of it, was a brick well with rust and moss on its side. They drew in closer to it and noticed how it had something of a beetle infestation as a couple meandered along the brickwork.

“Hello?” Marisa called down into it and she heard her echo back.

She smiled into the well. It was dark and dank but in an oddly serene way, it emanated a boggy coolness about it which Marisa appreciated after all her trekking this morning. Moreover, she was pleased with the echo it had given her back to her greeting and she began to wonder about the superstitions of wells, something she couldn’t help but to do given that a genie was standing beside her.

Tethys giggled as she watched Marisa play with it - and she wasn’t the only one intrigued by it. They stepped away and allowed a little girl to step closer. In the corner of their eye, they noticed her rather cheerful mother not too far off, holding onto the hand of her toddler aged younger brother.

The little girl stepped up to it with much confidence and dared to ask what Marisa had been tempted to ask a second ago. She had curly little pigtails and in her pudgy fingers she held a dinged up coin: one that would not be missed. She took a big, ruddy breath and threw the coin into the well.

“I wish for a new pet, one that’ll scare that girl whose mean to me!” she announced.

She seemed quite pleased with her wish as she marched off away from the well, no doubt expecting it to have granted her wish at least by suppertime. It was very cute. Though her loud voice did scare off one of the beetles on the brim of the well, making it fly off - only to circle around and land on her shoulder. She didn’t notice the insect on her sleeve as she rejoined up with her mother and baby brother.

Marisa turned her head to Tethys cautious but curious. Her eyes wider than she meant to be as she tried to ask but Tethys had all but read her mind.

“No, wells do not grant wishes in exchange for gold, unfortunately.” Tethys replied to her inquisitive stare. She then quirked her eyebrow with the utmost precision, “Thinking of granting that little girl’s wish, are you?”

“No, no, um, she seems good.” Marisa said, the shell of the beetle on her shoulder caught the sunlight and created a rainbow in that millisecond long gleam.

“I think so too.” Tethys said. “But you still need a home for that third wish that I offered you.”

“Yeah, about that… What happens after the third wish? Its granted and then what? What happens to you?” Marisa asked, concern saturated her voice and even creased her face.

Tethys took a breath. She seemed uncomfortable but like a good performer, she bore a smile through it and replied with the utmost chipper reply she could: “I return to inside my lamp and no matter how you try, you will not be able to summon me again like you have before. Thus, what happens to my lamp after that is up to you. If you had a house - ooh, you should wish for a house - you could put me on your mantelpiece and forget about me until one of your lovers or descendents or even a robber decides to take me and rub my lamp, transferring me to them for a spell.”

Marisa fell silent. That was a… bittersweet fate to say the least. Her downcast expression caused Tethys to coo and once again, she tried to stroke Marisa’s face but Marisa didn’t flinch. Nor did she pull away, she looked up at Tethys and it was difficult. Like looking into the sun, or maybe into a vast fire. It was blinding, it was spellbinding but there was such sadness to her red eyes.

“I think I know now what I want my third wish to be. I don’t need it, that little girl didn’t need it but… but you need it.” Marisa said.

“Pardon?” Tethys demurely exclaimed.

Marisa put her hand over Tethys, only for her to trace Tethys’ wrist and feel the warm gold of her shackles. They didn’t impede her, they seemed more an aesthetic than bondage but they were still proof of the curse upon her. A reminder.

“I wish to break the enchantment that wizard put on you, so you never have to grant another wish ever again.” Marisa said with confidence.

Tethys tried to flounder. She didn’t even think that was a wish that could be made and yet she heard it. From inside Marisa’s swag, where her lamp was kept safe, it cracked. It broke. The curse upon her lifted. The bracelets on her wrists turned to sunglitter. Nothing more than illusion and she could feel it deep inside her soul: a severance from the lamp. She was no more a flame on the wick inside of a lamp, she was a fire that could ravage countrysides of the whole world. The temperature around them increased as more of her power as a fire spirit returned to her in lieu of how it was repurposed to be that of a genie.

“Marisa, I have no words.” Tethys told her, tears welling up in her eyes.

She flung her arms around Marisa and she buried her head in the crook of Marisa’s neck and shoulders. Marisa awkwardly returned the embrace. Her arms coiled around Tethys and they held each other tight and needy.

“Y-Your welcome. Like I said. You needed it more than me.” Marisa said as she patted Tethys’ back.

Tethys pulled back, “Thank you, now… now I can search for Ewan, my younger brother. Oh, Marisa, can I ask something of you now.”

“Your wish is my command, Tethys.” Marisa joked.

“Will you help me find him? I can’t promise any bounty of gold but it would mean the world to me if… if we didn’t part here.” Tethys asked her tearfully.

“It would be my honour, Tethys.” Marisa replied.

“Thank you, Marisa, I mean it,” Tethys said and she grew cold, she pulled back a little bit more, “for now and… and for then.”

“Then…?” Marisa stiffened, confused. “What’re you talking about?”

Tethys looked hesitant to share but she replied, “I could be wrong, I have been alive so long, I could be misremembering but your hair,” she stroked a tuft of Marisa’s hair, “and your kindness, your courage… They are uniquely you. Your soul is old, Marisa, I think you may have been the young woman who tried to prevent me from being captured at all.”

“I - I don’t really believe that sort of thing.” Marisa shyly denied it. “I’m me. Forever and always, you know.” She turned her head but didn’t begrudge Tethys’ sentiment. Her heart skipped a beat and she was reminded of how she felt when she had met Tethys upon her first summoning.

She had felt as though she needed to fight. There had been bloodrush and adrenaline. If… If Tethys was right, it was not that Marisa had needed to fight her but rather on her behalf. Surely that was too whimsical a coincidence for someone as earnest as she but she couldn’t say it wasn’t damn flattering, either.

And so, by the side of the well that did not grant wishes, the woman who was no longer a genie and the woman who selflessly granted other people’s wishes made their pledge together. Even though Tethys was freed from her bond of servitude, to Marisa or to the lamp and the wizard who had put her inside of it, she did not want to part from Marisa. Together, they would find her dear little brother, no matter how long it took or how many stones they had to turn, it would be done. Side by side, for as long as the days, months, or years, with Marisa’s sword on her hip and Tethys helping out their quest, too, by dancing for extra coins, too. They would do it together and after that?

Well, they hoped to live happily ever after in whatever form that would take. Perhaps in a house, perhaps not, for richer or for poorer, until the inevitable conclusion of Marisa’s mortal life coming to an end and Tethys outliving her as a spirit of flames but surely with fire in their hearts either way. The end.

#rare femslash exchange #femslash #marisa x tethys #tethys x marisa #maritethys #fire emblem #fire emblem sacred stones #sacred stones #marisa (fire emblem)#tethys (fire emblem)#writing tag #ack i wrote this ages and ages ago and the reveal was also a while back but i totally forgot

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fecompendium · 7 years ago

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Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones Unit Review

The following is a guide discussing the strengths, weaknesses and utility of the playable characters in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. Popularly considered to be the easiest Fire Emblem game before awakening, the Sacred Stones allows for grinding experience and money, allowing new players a softer barrier to entry. In addition, its challenge mode and alternate routes provides series veterans with a meaty challenge.

Units in Order of Appearance (Eirika’s Route):

Eirika: The main heroine of the Sacred Stones and likely your main unit throughout, Eirika is a Lord that has the stats of a Myrmidon: High Skill, Speed, and Luck growths, Low Defense, Resistance and HP growth. Eirika is fairly useful throughout her route, as non-mounted sword users are relatively rare in the early part of the game. Upon promotion to a Great Lord, she gets a mount, giving her remarkable reach. Overall, Eirika will prove a vital part of the team in the late game, provided you can keep her alive.

Seth: Imagine FE: Conquest Gunther, but with excellent growths and joining on mission 1. That’s Seth in Sacred Stones. He’s a pre-promoted unit with great stats and pretty great growths as well. He can stomp out any enemy in the early game and can remain relevant in the late game. While he likely won’t be as good as other promoted cavaliers, Seth can and will remain relevant throughout.

Franz: You are, unfortunately, showered with mounted units throughout the game, meaning that some units may get lost n the background. Franz comes early and has the benefit of being balanced in stats and growths. This means the player can tailor him to any given cavalier role. Franz has about 40-50% growths in every stat, save for Defense and Resistance, which are a bit lower. As a Paladin, Franz becomes more defensive, allowing him to patch-up his low Defense and Resistance growths. As a Great Knight, Franz becomes an offensive powerhouse, attacking with all three physical weapons. I recommend Franz above the other Cavaliers, as his versatility will prove valuable in the late game when enemies are strong and plentiful.

Gilliam: Gilliam is the premiere defensive tank in the game. He has great Defense and HP growths, allowing him to tank hits early and grow into an unstoppable wall in the late game. There’s little else for me to say about Gilliam, as he exists solely for this role. General or Great Knight, Gilliam will take hits and kick ass regardless.

Vanessa: Vanessa is the first flying unit in the game, and fits the Florina/Shanna/Sumia archetype; a weak, early game unit with remarkable growths and potential. Vanessa has fantastic Speed, Skill and Luck growth, as well as excellent mobility thanks to her flying status. Her defenses and HP are low, so she should be handled with care. Upon promotion, she can either become a Falcon Knight, playing to her stat strengths and giving her access to swords, or a Wyvern Knight, allowing her to break through enemy lines. I recommend the Falcon Knight promotion, as Wyvern units are a bit underpowered in this game.

Moulder: Eh…Moulder is hindered throughout the game by a low Magic stat, which, for a Healer/Sage/Bishop, is a very bad stat to lag behind in. I’ve used Moulder throughout a game and found him vastly inferior in both promoted roles to other units. If you insist on using him, he’ll be at least functional, but will ultimately fall behind other healers, despite his early join time.

Ross: Ross starts out as a Journeyman (villager with an axe) and will promote to a base class upon level 10. His best stats are in Strength and Luck, allowing him to hit hard and dodge readily, making him the easiest of the three villagers to train. He has either the option to become a Fighter or a Pirate, and later a Hero, Warrior, or Berserker. I recommend Pirate-Berserker most, with a good second option being Fighter-Hero. Avoid Warrior with him. Warriors tend to be more defensive units, while Ross is clearly designed to be a powerful offensive axe wielder.

Garcia: Like in the Blazing Blade, I don’t recommend using Fighters. They just don’t have the staying power that other axe users do. Garcia is the best Fighter in the game, and probably makes the best Warrior in the game. He has great HP, Strength, Skill and Luck, but is incredibly weak everywhere else, most notably in Speed.

Neimi: Archer suck in this game. But Neimi is the best of the worst. She’s got good growths across the board, save for Defense, Resistance and HP, but it never seems to help. One might assume that she’d make a great Sniper, but this is a mistake. Ranger is clearly the better path for her, as Snipers lack movement, secondary weapons, and the Sure Strike skills are rendered useless by their already high Skill. You may as well use her, as the other bow user is worse, but don’t expect miracles from Neimi.

Colm: Thieves are also a rare and underpowered class in The Sacred Stones. Colm joins early, and henceforth is more useful than the other option for the Thief role. He’s fast. And he can dodge. That’s it. He can open chests, so keep him around. But aside from that, he’s really just meh. Assassin is the more offensive promotion, Rogue eliminates the need for buying Lockpicks.

Artur: Light magic is very useful in this game, as you are faced by legions of Terrors, especially while grinding or in the late game. Artur makes a good Bishop, having great growths in Magic, Skill and Resistance, with his magic flaws being his low Defense and HP. As a Bishop, he can deal with the majority of enemies with his powerful Light Magic, and heal a significant portion of damage. As a Sage, he gains access to Anima magic as well as staffs, giving him offensive coverage. Artur’s greatest flaw, in my opinion, is that he faces competition from many magic users, a lot of whom specialize in Light magic.

Lute: Lute is the best magic user in the game. She has the highest magic growth of all units, and has respectable Speed and Resistance. As a sage, she becomes an offensive powerhouse, blowing away hostile enemies. As a Magic Knight, she is able to travel great distances, hitting any enemy within her range for great damage. She is likely the only viable Magic Knight, but functions better as a Sage, so the choice is largely preferential.

Natasha: Natasha is easily my choice healer, and later my choice for Bishop. Natasha is able to dodge more readily than Artur, and tends to double more frequently (upon promotion). She is also viable as a Valkyrie, but there is a better unit that comes later to fill that specific role.

Joshua: Joshua has story relevance later, so I recommend keeping him around, even if you don’t use him. The two Myrmidons are quite similar in uses and stat spread in this game, so you can get away with using either. Joshua joins much earlier than the other Myrmidon, and on an arena level, allowing him to accumulate levels and weapon proficiency. He has good Speed and Skill, and as a Swordmaster these stats are augmented, in meaning he’ll double and crit readily. I’d avoid the Assassin class with Joshua, as it isn’t the best option for his growths.

Ephraim: Eirika’s brother and the second main character, if you choose his route, Ephraim is the more durable of the Lords. Ephraim has great growths in Strength, Skill, Speed and Luck, with salvageable Defense. He wields a unique Lance, giving him a strong initial advantage over Eirika. Upon promotion, he gains great advantages as a lance wielder and a mount, giving him extra mobility. If you choose to go down his route, be aware that enemies are generally stronger and missions far more difficult.

Forde: As apparent by the color of his armor, Forde is the Kent of this game: a cavalier with good Skill, Luck and Resistance. I recommend Forde the least of the cavaliers. He joins too late to make much of a difference, as his brother Franz will already be trained and probably close to promotion. He can reliably hit and double, but will find trouble breaking through tougher enemies in the late game, primarily armored foes.

Kyle: The Sain of the game, Kyle is the most offensively oriented cavalier. He has good Strength, Skill and Speed growths, which, couple with his mobility, makes him a potent offensive force. I recommend him over Forde, but admit that both Seth and Franz will have a significant head start, and he will likely falter as a Great Knight when compared with other options in the late game.

Orson: Orson is available for only one mission in the main game, and therefore is hardly worth mentioning.

Tana: Tana! Tana is likely the best Pegasus Knight in the game. She has higher total stats than Vanessa, despite her later join time, and can really do some damage if you promote her to a Wyvern Knight. As a Falcon Knight, she’s far more durable, and her access to swords will give her great Defensive coverage. Her best growths are in Speed and Luck, with solid Strength and Skill, typical of a Pegasus Knight.

Amelia: Amelia is a Recruit (villager), and as such will require significant attention. I will admit, from a practical standpoint, that Amelia is likely one of the less useful villagers, as one of the main promotions she has is the Cavalier/Paladin/Great Knight line, and the player has already received four units in this area. The two promoted lords add up to six mounted units, so Amelia face redundancy issues in this line. Instead, I recommend Amelia as a Knight, then promoting her to a General. As a General, she is excellent in using both Lances and Axes, and her naturally high Luck coupled with the General class’s great Defense makes her able to withstand whatever physical hit she isn’t able to dodge. Again, she will require training, but the payoff is good if the player chooses her promotions carefully.

Innes: Again, bow units are pretty lackluster in this game. Innes is balanced, except for his Defense and Resistance, but will have trouble keeping up to Neimi. Also, Sniper isn’t exactly the best class, so it’s easy to ignore Innes after using him to recruit the other units on his mission.

Gerik: The first (and only) Mercenary in the game, Gerik comes as a welcome relief. He doesn’t really excel in any stat, but instead can be tailored to fit any role. Think Franz but not mounted. He does join fairly late, but does so on an Arena level with a Dancer, so it’s easy to train him up. I recommend the Hero promotion, as axes are arguably more useful than bows in this game. Ranger is also acceptable.

Tethys: Tethys is a Dancer. Yep. She can’t attack, but instead can give strong allies a second turn. She maxes out at level 20, and is useful in certain situations. Her high luck and speed allows her to dodge incoming attacks with regularity. I don’t like sacrificing slots on my team for Dancers, but the player can easily make Tethys work.

Marisa: She’s alright. Marisa joins late and will require training. Luckily she joins on an arena level, but it can still be a hassle. She’s essentially Joshua 2.0. She has better Luck and Resistance, but is on par with him in Speed and Skill, and will lag everywhere else. It’s up to personal preference whether Marisa deserves a spot on your team. I’ve had runs where she’s been great and useless, so I’m pretty neutral towards her.

L’Arachel: Easily the greatest character that has ever existed in any Fire Emblem game ever, L’Arachel is both funny, cute, a great mounted healer and, upon promotion, a great offensive unit. It should be noted that L’Arachel demands immediate and fastidious grinding, as she joins late in the game at a pitiful low level. Healers tend to level up relatively fast regardless, but I still recommend taking the time to gather bonus experience with her. L’Arachel’s big claim to fame is being a great Valkyrie, with excellent Luck, good Magic and Resistance, and solid Skill and Speed growths. Note that she will die if hit with a physical attack. But otherwise, she will heal damage in massive quantities and obliterate enemies with powerful Light magic in the late game.

Dozla: Ross is a better Berserker. Skip if Ross Berserker is present. Is you insist on Dozla, you’ll find a functional if unimpressive pre-promoted axe unit, with great HP, Strength and Speed.

Saleh: He’s sort of like Pent, a mid-game mage with good stats but unimpressive growths. Saleh has his uses, but magic users are plentiful and you likely already have a dedicated healer, Light mage, Anima mage, or someone who can use all three, on your team.

Ewan: Popular opinion would dictate that Ewan would be more useful than Amelia, as he has the ability to become a Dark Mage, a class that is traditionally very rare in the Fire Emblem series. However, Ewan’s late join time makes him by far the most difficult villager to train, despite his benefits when promoted. He has fantastic potential for Magic, Skill, Luck and Resistance, but this won’t keep him relevant, especially when Knoll, the other option for Dark mage, joins three or four chapters after with a net of 20 levels on Ewan. Overall, I’d say that if you want to train Ewan, he will be an excellent magic user, but if you want to bench him I can hardly blame you for it.

Cormag: Like Joshua, Cormag is a unit with story subtle story significance and some great dialogue with bosses later on. He is also the first and only Wyvern Rider you receive. As a Wyvern Rider, Cormag has good HP, Strength, Skill and Speed, making him a potent offensive force that can decimate enemy lines. He is also the only unit capable of becoming a Wyvern Lord, making him an offensively oriented Falcon Knight. As a Wyvern Knight, he can punch through armor and wield heavy lances well, meaning he’ll be a mobile and unstoppable physical tank. Overall, I recommend Cormag, despite his late join time.

Rennac: I like Rennac, and recommend recruiting him, but not using him. He holds the Member Card, an essential item if you wish to properly upgrade units. He’s okay, but suffers from joining as a pre-promoted Rogue. His growths, aside from Speed and Skill, are garbage. He’s outclassed by Colm in almost every category, so there’s not much point in using him. His banter with L’Arachel and Dozla is priceless.

Duessel: He’s actually good. It’s odd that, while traditionally pre-promoted units are pretty good save for the Cavaliers, that Sacred Stones gives you many pre-promoted units that are crap with the exception of the cavaliers. Duessel has great HP, Strength, Skill and Defense, and that’s all he really needs. He faces extreme competition from the other cavaliers that have likely already joined and been promoted, however.

Knoll: The only Dark Mage in the game, unless you choose to promote Ewan down this route, Knoll is alright. He joins late, and at level 10, and will require significant attention. However, upon promotion he can become your premiere Dark Magic user, with phenomenal Magic and Skill. His main drawbacks are his low Defense and middling Speed, making him susceptible to strong counterattacks.

Myrrh: Myrrh is severely handicapped by receiving only one Dragonstone with a 50 hit charge. This means, unless the player has Hammerne staffs, that Myrrh can only attack and/or counter 50 times before becoming entirely useless. That being said, if you are willing to use her sparingly, Myrrh is fantastic. Her stat growths are remarkably good, and she is guaranteed to gain points in HP and Defense every time she levels up. She can annihilate monsters, and most enemies will have trouble injuring her. If the player can find a good strategy to preserve her attacking potential, Myrrh is easily one of the best units in the game.

Syrene: Despite joining late and with crummy stats, Syrene has two main advantages. First, she is able to initiate, with Tana and Vanessa, the powerful Triangle Attack, which will come in handy in the late game. Second, her growths are quite good, enabling her to grow from a pre-promoted level 1 Falcon Knight into an unstoppable flying machine by the late game, with proper training. She’s a fantastic replacement for a flying unit that has been killed, but otherwise her utility depends on personal preference.

#fire emblem #fire emblem the sacred stones #Nintendo 3DS #nintendo #gameboy advance

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araitsume · 7 years ago

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Prophets and Kings, pp.35-50: Chapter (2) The Temple and Its Dedication

The long-cherished plan of David to erect a temple to the Lord, Solomon wisely carried out. For seven years Jerusalem was filled with busy workers engaged in leveling the chosen site, in building vast retaining walls, in laying broad foundations,—“great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones,”—in shaping the heavy timbers brought from the Lebanon forests, and in erecting the magnificent sanctuary. 1 Kings 5:17.

Simultaneously with the preparation of wood and stone, to which task many thousands were bending their energies, the manufacture of the furnishings for the temple was steadily progressing under the leadership of Hiram of Tyre, “a cunning man, endued with understanding, ... skillful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson.” 2 Chronicles 2:13, 14.

Thus as the building on Mount Moriah was noiselessly upreared with “stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building,” the beautiful fittings were perfected according to the patterns committed by David to his son, “all the vessels that were for the house of God.” 1 Kings 6:7; 4:19. These included the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, the candlestick and lamps, with the vessels and instruments connected with the ministrations of the priests in the holy place, all “of gold, and that perfect gold.” 2 Chronicles 4:21. The brazen furniture,—the altar of burnt offering, the great laver supported by twelve oxen, the lavers of smaller size, with many other vessels,—“in the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.” 2 Chronicles 4:17. These furnishings were provided in abundance, that there should be no lack.

Of surpassing beauty and unrivaled splendor was the palatial building which Solomon and his associates erected for God and His worship. Garnished with precious stones, surrounded by spacious courts with magnificent approaches, and lined with carved cedar and burnished gold, the temple structure, with its broidered hangings and rich furnishings, was a fit emblem of the living church of God on earth, which through the ages has been building in accordance with the divine pattern, with materials that have been likened to “gold, silver, precious stones,” “polished after the similitude of a palace.” 1 Corinthians 3:12; Psalm 144:12. Of this spiritual temple Christ is “the chief Cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” Ephesians 2:20, 21.

At last the temple planned by King David, and built by Solomon his son, was completed. “All that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord,” he had “prosperously effected.” 2 Chronicles 7:11. And now, in order that the palace crowning the heights of Mount Moriah might indeed be, as David had so much desired, a dwelling place “not for man, but for the Lord God” (1 Chronicles 29:1), there remained the solemn ceremony of formally dedicating it to Jehovah and His worship.

The spot on which the temple was built had long been regarded as a consecrated place. It was here that Abraham, the father of the faithful, had revealed his willingness to sacrifice his only son in obedience to the command of Jehovah. Here God had renewed with Abraham the covenant of blessing, which included the glorious Messianic promise to the human race of deliverance through the sacrifice of the Son of the Most High. See Genesis 22:9, 16-18. Here it was that when David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to stay the avenging sword of the destroying angel, God had answered him by fire from heaven. See 1 Chronicles 21. And now once more the worshipers of Jehovah were here to meet their God and renew their vows of allegiance to Him.

The time chosen for the dedication was a most favorable one—the seventh month, when the people from every part of the kingdom were accustomed to assemble at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast was preeminently an occasion of rejoicing. The labors of the harvest being ended and the toils of the new year not yet begun, the people were free from care and could give themselves up to the sacred, joyous influences of the hour.

At the appointed time the hosts of Israel, with richly clad representatives from many foreign nations, assembled in the temple courts. The scene was one of unusual splendor. Solomon, with the elders of Israel and the most influential men among the people, had returned from another part of the city, whence they had brought the ark of the testament. From the sanctuary on the heights of Gibeon had been transferred the ancient “tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle” (2 Chronicles 5:5); and these cherished reminders of the earlier experiences of the children of Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness and their conquest of Canaan, now found a permanent home in the splendid building that had been erected to take the place of the portable structure.

In bringing to the temple the sacred ark containing the two tables of stone on which were written by the finger of God the precepts of the Decalogue, Solomon had followed the example of his father David. Every six paces he sacrificed. With singing and with music and with great ceremony, “the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place.” Verse 7. As they came out of the inner sanctuary, they took the positions assigned them. The singers—Levites arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps—stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets. See Verse 12.

“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.” Verses 13, 14.

Realizing the significance of this cloud, Solomon declared: “The Lord hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. But I have built an house of habitation for Thee, and a place for Thy dwelling forever.” 2 Chronicles 6:1, 2.

“The Lord reigneth; Let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; Let the earth be moved. “The Lord is great in Zion; And He is high above all the people. Let them praise Thy great and terrible name; For it is holy.... “Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at His footstool; For He is holy.”

Psalm 99:1-5.

“In the midst of the court” of the temple had been erected “a brazen scaffold,” or platform, “five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high.” Upon this Solomon stood and with uplifted hands blessed the vast multitude before him. “And all the congregation of Israel stood.” 2 Chronicles 6:13, 3.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” Solomon exclaimed, “who hath with His hands fulfilled that which He spake with His mouth to my father David, saying, ... I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there.” Verses 4-6.

Solomon then knelt upon the platform, and in the hearing of all the people offered the dedicatory prayer. Lifting his hands toward heaven, while the congregation were bowed with their faces to the ground, the king pleaded: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and showest mercy unto Thy servants, that walk before Thee with all their heart.”

“Will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built? Have respect therefore to the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee: that Thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldest put Thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplications of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when Thou hearest, forgive....

“If Thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against Thee; and shall return and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication before Thee in this house; then hear Thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which Thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

“When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against Thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them; then hear Thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, when Thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land, which Thou hast given unto Thy people for an inheritance.

“If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all Thy people Israel, when everyone shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in his house: then hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest; ... that they may fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways, so long as they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.

“Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of Thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for Thy great name's sake, and Thy mighty hand, and Thy stretched-out arm; if they come and pray in this house; then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all people of the earth may know Thy name, and fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by Thy name.

“If Thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Thee toward this city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name; then hear Thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

“If they sin against Thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near; yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; if they return to Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name: then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Thy people which have sinned against Thee.

“Now, my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into Thy resting place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength: let Thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed: remember the mercies of David Thy servant.” Verses 14-42.

As Solomon ended his prayer, “fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices.” The priests could not enter the temple because “the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.” “When all the children of Israel saw ... the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshiped, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.”

Then king and people offered sacrifices before the Lord. “So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.” 2 Chronicles 7:1-5. For seven days the multitudes from every part of the kingdom, from the borders “of Hamath unto the river of Egypt,” “a very great congregation,” kept a joyous feast. The week following was spent by the happy throng in observing the Feast of Tabernacles. At the close of the season of reconsecration and rejoicing the people returned to their homes, “glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people.” Verses 8, 10.

The king had done everything within his power to encourage the people to give themselves wholly to God and His service, and to magnify His holy name. And now once more, as at Gibeon early in his reign, Israel's ruler was given evidence of divine acceptance and blessing. In a night vision the Lord appeared to him with the message: “I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever: and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually.” Verses 12-16.

Had Israel remained true to God, this glorious building would have stood forever, a perpetual sign of God's especial favor to His chosen people. “The sons of the stranger,” God declared, “that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isaiah 56:6, 7.

In connection with these assurances of acceptance, the Lord made very plain the path of duty before the king. “As for thee,” He declared, “if thou wilt walk before Me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe My statutes and My judgments; then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.” 2 Chronicles 7:17, 18.

Had Solomon continued to serve the Lord in humility, his entire reign would have exerted a powerful influence for good over the surrounding nations, nations that had been so favorably impressed by the reign of David his father and by the wise words and the magnificent works of the earlier years of his own reign. Foreseeing the terrible temptations that attend prosperity and worldly honor, God warned Solomon against the evil of apostasy and foretold the awful results of sin. Even the beautiful temple that had just been dedicated, He declared, would become “a proverb and a byword among all nations” should the Israelites forsake “the Lord God of their fathers” and persist in idolatry. Verses 20, 22.

Strengthened in heart and greatly cheered by the message from heaven that his prayer in behalf of Israel had been heard, Solomon now entered upon the most glorious period of his reign, when “all the kings of the earth” began to seek his presence, “to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.” 2 Chronicles 9:23. Many came to see the manner of his government and to receive instruction regarding the conduct of difficult affairs.

As these people visited Solomon, he taught them of God as the Creator of all things, and they returned to their homes with clearer conceptions of the God of Israel and of His love for the human race. In the works of nature they now beheld an expression of His love and a revelation of His character; and many were led to worship Him as their God.

The humility of Solomon at the time he began to bear the burdens of state, when he acknowledged before God, “I am but a little child” (1 Kings 3:7), his marked love of God, his profound reverence for things divine, his distrust of self, and his exaltation of the infinite Creator of all—all these traits of character, so worthy of emulation, were revealed during the services connected with the completion of the temple, when during his dedicatory prayer he knelt in the humble position of a petitioner. Christ's followers today should guard against the tendency to lose the spirit of reverence and godly fear. The Scriptures teach men how they should approach their Maker—with humility and awe, through faith in a divine Mediator. The psalmist has declared:

“The Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods.... O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”

Psalm 95:3-6.

Both in public and in private worship it is our privilege to bow on our knees before God when we offer our petitions to Him. Jesus, our example, “kneeled down, and prayed.” Luke 22:41. Of His disciples it is recorded that they, too, “kneeled down, and prayed.” Acts 9:40. Paul declared, “I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3:14. In confessing before God the sins of Israel, Ezra knelt. See Ezra 9:5. Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.” Daniel 6:10.

True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen, every heart should be deeply impressed. The hour and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened. “Holy and reverend is His name,” the psalmist declares. Psalm 111:9. Angels, when they speak that name, veil their faces. With what reverence, then, should we, who are fallen and sinful, take it upon our lips!

Well would it be for old and young to ponder those words of Scripture that show how the place marked by God's special presence should be regarded. “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet,” He commanded Moses at the burning bush, “for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5. Jacob, after beholding the vision of the angel, exclaimed, “The Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.... This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:16, 17.

In that which was said during the dedicatory services, Solomon had sought to remove from the minds of those present the superstitions in regard to the Creator, that had beclouded the minds of the heathen. The God of heaven is not, like the gods of the heathen, confined to temples made with hands; yet He would meet with His people by His Spirit when they should assemble at the house dedicated to His worship.

Centuries later Paul taught the same truth in the words: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; ... that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” Acts 17:24-28.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; And the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance. The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”

“The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; And His kingdom ruleth over all.”

“Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.”

Psalm 33:12-14; 103:19; Psalm 77:13, 14.

Although God dwells not in temples made with hands, yet He honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has promised that when they come together to seek Him, to acknowledge their sins, and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by His Spirit. But those who assemble to worship Him should put away every evil thing. Unless they worship Him in spirit and truth and in the beauty of holiness, their coming together will be of no avail. Of such the Lord declares, “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.” Matthew 15:8, 9. Those who worship God must worship Him “in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” John 4:23.

“The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:20.

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