#mentioned cichol

[butwhatifidothis]

Talking from a fe3h discourse perspective I get hating Rhea, as a Rhea lover. To a lesser extent I GUESS I get Seteth. But Flayn??????? She's just vibing and eating fish??? She has NOTHING to do with Rhea's decisions? Like at that point you're (not you op, general you) just looking for issues. To be clear if you hate her because of her personality or whatever sure, to each their own. But hating her because "church bad" feels really stupid to me. That's like a rhea/church fan hating the black eagles on principal because they're part of edelgard's house or because they don't hate edelgard.

When you realize they ascribe to this kind of mentality

it starts to make a lot more sense. Yeah, if two members of a race being bad if enough for you to ascribe malice and evil to every single member of said race, it's pretty easy to also say that the very blood of that race is evil and having it course through your veins makes you evil.

Which they've been saying for a while now!

Yes, you are in fact seeing a ~year-and-a-half old screenshot of them saying the exact same racist garbage they're saying now.

Also, just. This fucker keeps repeating this stupid fucking point about Nemesis and frankly it pisses me off.

Two years. From as early as two days ago (as of July 11th 2024) to as far back as two fucking years, they've been repeating "Nemesis couldn't have been THAT BAD you guys, because the people he's been tyrannically ruling over for over a century and who didn't know the full extent of his actions which include the genocide he committed believed in the lie about him being a liberator! A supposed liberator of a group of people these oppressed ignorant civilians would have had literally no contact with whatsoever given Nemesis has been ruling for over a century! Meaning any human alive during the actual reign of the Nabateans would have been fucking dead by the time Nemesis was killed, meaning any alive during Nemesis' reign had no way of knowing how that rule actually was! This lie was so imprinted into the people's conscious that Rhea couldn't erase it, so it has to be true and not a lie anymore!"

Literally saying that Nemesis was right to do what he did because he said he was and the people who had no choice but to believe him believed he was. Like I said, they are so fucking desperate to defend this genocider and to degrade the Nabateans as an entire race to be biologically inclined towards evil, and have been desperate to do this for years.

Here are a couple more choice words Shandale has said!

"He didn't genocide them because he WANTED to, he did it because he HAD to! If he didn't, anyone he brought with him to genocide the Nabateans would have been killed!"

Oh, but silly me! What I am talking about?

It wasn't a genocide! It was getting rid of oppressor and conquerors! Those oppressors and conquerors, you know, just so happening to be the entirety of the Nabatean race.

Which, hm! Guess what nonnie!

Explicitly includes Flayn! Someone who literally never did anything to anyone! Oh, except be willing to kill followers... who are a direct threat to others and are desecrating her mother's grave. Oh, but who cares about silly little nitpicks like that, she's willing to kill her followers!! ...Oh wait, there's only reference to Cichol in that paralogue? Cethleann isn't even mentioned once anywhere in the paralogue? Like literally anywhere? Bah! Who cares! Flayn is evil, just like all the other Nabateans! Let's """"""""joke"""""""" about killing her over and over and over and over and over again!

Teehee isn't it so funny guys! They're killing Flayn, haha, soooo funny! Ignore how they think Flayn's race in its entirety needs to be killed and how they lie about what Flayn's done to paint her as evil, they're just jokingly killing Flayn and joking about how fun they find the idea of killing this member of a race they clearly hate over and over keekeekee!!! This race isn't real guys you're not allowed to find this disturbing plus they're just joking anyway hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

(there's actually more of these "jokes". Like way more of them. Just, lettin' everybody know)

And, oh, wow!

This includes Indech and Macuil! Nabateans who cut off all contact with humanity after they had helped kill the genocider of their race. Macuil isn't even in Fodlan anymore, he's in the middle of a Sreng desert, but, nope! They helped kill Nemesis, meaning they are also completely evil :)

Funny how every single Nabatean who stood up against the human who killed them all is deemed irrevocably evil no matter what, but the human Agarthans are just poor little victims who deserved more nuance and sympathy even after they literally murder children. But we're the mean ones for pointing all of this out as bad tho

[cherrypikkins]

Here is my contribution for today's prompt for @fe-oc-week! Oct 10 - Relationships.

Today I have provided some material about some key figures in my fe3h OC Kitt's past and present. :3

Click the read more for the lore! (contains mentions of blood, injury, death, body horror)

Kitt Burgess, Ward of the Church - Part II A few years before 1180, the Church of Seiros was alerted to suspicious activity in the Oghma Mountains. When Seteth and Flayn arrived at the village of Annwen to investigate, they discovered a burning ruin filled with its former inhabitants, either lying dead or transformed into rampaging Demonic Beasts. It was there that Kitt, the sole survivor of the disaster, was discovered in a death-like state with a damaged Crest Stone embedded in the back of their neck.

Sensing signs of life, Flayn attempted to heal Kitt, but was unable to stabilize the corrupting influence of the Crest Stone. Seeing that the convulsing Kitt was in danger of transforming into a Demonic Beast, Flayn begged Seteth to intervene. Together, they enacted a ritual sanctioned by the Archbishop Rhea and performed a heavy transfusion of blood. This miraculously succeeded in halting the transformation - if only for the time being.

Kitt was brought to Garreg Mach Monastery, where they spent a year in recovery adjusting to the blood in their veins and beginning a new life under the watchful eye of the Church. Though the transfusion was enough to save their life, it was not enough to fully neutralize the danger posed by the Crest Stone, nor are they yet visibly able to manifest the necessary Crest. As such, they are subject to violent attacks and transformations on occasion. The ordeal also seems to have affected their memories. They struggle to recall key events and figures in their past, and yet the memories they are able to recall seem 'impossible', as though they belong to someone else.

For a time, they were cared for by Seteth and Flayn, who welcomed them into the fold as though they were family. However, Kitt eventually grew suspicious of Seteth, Flayn, and the Archbishop Rhea, sensing that there was more behind the calamity at Annwen and the Crest Stone in their neck than the three were willing to disclose. The church's politics and secret-keeping only compounded their suspicion further. As a result, Kitt has ceased to trust their new family and has had a falling out since.

But perhaps the reason behind this quarrel runs deeper below the surface. Perhaps Kitt glimpsed something in the memories imbued by the Crest Stone - some terrible truth that Flayn and Seteth tried to conceal from them. Or perhaps something even more terrible happened to the three of them, such that it was enough for them to sever ties.

It is said that the Archbishop Rhea is unable to look at Kitt directly in the eye. Yet, she is the one who declared Kitt a protected ward of the Church of Seiros, and that their safety and well-being in Garreg Mach was to be ensured without question.

Gwyn, the Unsung Hero - Part I It is said that the warrior Gwyn first appeared at Lake Annwen, deep in the Oghma Mountains, when Nemesis began his bloody campaign to conquer Fodlan. When refugees, deserters, and defectors fled into the mountain wilderness, Gwyn took these people under their wing and declared Annwen a sanctuary upon which none will suffer persecution from the church nor conquest from Nemesis. Over time, a small city was built - one that mirrored the now ruined Zanado, defended alone by Gwyn, who was soon revered as a hero by the people they safeguarded.

The growing settlement and the seemingly inhuman strength of their founder attracted the attention of the Seiros Army. However, Gwyn refused to entreat them until Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann appealed to the warrior directly. Gwyn at last agreed to offer up their strength in service to Seiros, though only after forcing Saint Cichol to swear that the people of Annwen would be kept safe from all harm and allowed to live their lives in peace. As a show of goodwill, the Saints gifted Gwyn the sacred axe known as Canopus to wield in the oncoming battle.

This was the first - and only - manifestation of the Crest of Gwyn known to history.

Gwyn was instrumental in defending Enbarr against Nemesis and his Elites. Though they emerged from the siege heavily wounded, their actions allowed the Army of Seiros to push back and gain a foothold northward. On the day of the founding of the Adrestian Empire, Gwyn returned the Axe of Canopus to Saint Cichol, intent on leaving for Annwen. When Emperor Wilhelm I asked if Gwyn would accept a reward for defending the capital, the hero responded that they only wished for the people of Annwen to live well and in peace for all their days.

When offered a place among the Saints, they refused. And so, from that point on, they faded away from history. Some say that Gwyn perished shortly from their wounds and was laid to rest. Others say they simply fell into a deep sleep at an unknown location and remains so to this day. Others claim that Gwyn lived the rest of their life in full among the ordinary people of Annwen.

After the Battle of Tailtean, Fodlan was unified, bringing an age of uncertain peace to the land. The population of Annwen soon dwindled as its inhabitants began to leave the remote sanctuary to start their lives anew in Adrestian society. Though the city was soon forgotten over the ages, a dedicated few remained to form a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Gwyn. Living quiet lives away from main society, they continued to honor the hero and safeguard the mysterious stone they had left behind, along with the promise that they would one day return.

The Capricious One - Part I 'Capricious' is the name of the Nabatean whose tale is a blemish upon their people's history.

In ancient times, they wandered the land and walked freely among humans, refusing to be tied to such a place as Zanado where their own kind dwelled.

They harbored a mutual disdain for the other Nabateans, including their own family, but deeply venerated the Goddess Sothis.

They were said to be closely related in blood to the Nabatean known as The Hammer of Judgment, he who would later take up the name Saint Cichol. It is speculated that the two were like siblings. Though they confided in one another, their opposing natures often put them at odds.

Theirs was the Sign of the Mist Dragon.

They were notorious amongst other Nabateans for their tempestuous personality and acting upon a wicked whim, true to their name. Whispers of ancient history suggested that they were capable of both limitless kindness and unimaginable cruelty, of great contempt and greater love, as greedy as they were generous, known to show astonishing mercy and yet hold everlasting grudges.

Though these qualities made them wildly unpredictable, they always heeded the wisdom of the Goddess, and would on occasion show deference to their counterpart - The Hammer of Judgment.

Whenever they took their escapades too far, the Immaculate One would often be called upon to reprimand them, which resulted in a growing tension between the two.

Some said they reveled in causing trouble. Others said they simply saw the world differently, and had only the best of intentions.

Even before the fall of Zanado, to whisper their name was to invite shame and sorrow.

…Not because of the unfathomable deeds they committed, but for the horrific fate they suffered as a result.

(to be continued)

[aubins]

⧼ ＊ ⧽　on aubin, his crest, and the fetters of dromi.

this post is mostly my personal masterlist on my meta and headcanons for any aubin, crest, and relic related lore. some of it i pull from evidence in canon, others i pull out of my ass. i do discuss some of the other apostles while talking about aubin, but any future ashen wolves musers are more than welcome to disagree with me. additionally, it's been a while since i've properly played through the fódlan games myself, so if there's lore i've misremembered here, do feel free to correct me on it!

three houses & hopes lore spoilers to follow under the cut.

*　who is aubin?

i've been working on this on and off for about four years now, so the old version of this section quite obviously dated this post with all its long-winded arguments about why aubin was the elder that saved yuri as a child because some people were quite adamant that he wasn't. now, it is comically short in comparison.

in case you didn't know, this silly little game called fire emblem warriors: three hopes has come out since then and made my life much easier. as seteth and yuri's support chain confirms:

Seteth: You always cursed the blood that flowed through you. But in the end, it saved that child's life. Seteth: It brings me great relief to know that you found salvation in your last moments. Aubin, my friend… Be at peace. 　— Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Seteth & Yuri A-Support

the elder who saved yuri as a child was, in fact, aubin himself. he passes shortly after this from natural causes, which i'll touch on in more detail a bit later. the basic rundown of his character is this: aubin was one of the four apostles who participated in the rite of rising in an attempt to resurrect the goddess. after the ritual failed, he and his fellow apostles went into seclusion and their names were all but erased from history. their crests were similarly believed to have died with them; however, the four ashen wolves are later discovered to bear one of each of the apostles' crests. for yuri's part, he bears the crest of aubin.

*　the apostles' nabatean heritage.

another point of contention is whether or not the apostles are nabatean or human. the fandom wiki has them listed as human for some reason, even though this is not confirmed anywhere in the game as far as i am aware, and i know many believe that the apostles are first generation crest-bearers like the ten elites. personally, i am of the mind that they are nabateans, not humans.

the game refers to the four apostles as saints several times (in the opening narration of cindered shadows and in constance and edelgard's support chain), a title we've only really seen bestowed upon nabateans such as the four saints—cichol, cethleann, indech, and macuil—as well as seiros herself, of course.

(there is also a saint luca mentioned in a readable in three hopes; however, it is, to my knowledge, the only mention of them.)

additionally, we see for ourselves that aubin, at least, is able to transfuse his blood and crest into a human. as far as we know, this is something that can only be done by nabateans.

but there are two points i tend to see brought up as arguments for the apostles being human, so i wanted to quickly touch on them here.

　　›　THE FETTERS OF DROMI EXISTED DURING THE WAR OF HEROES.

this notion, i believe, comes from something that duke gerth says during constance and yuri's paralogue:

Duke Gerth: It's a priceless treasure that ended up in Dagda. After the truce, they sent it to us in friendship. 　> Why did Dagda have a Hero's Relic? Duke Gerth: One story holds that Saint Seiros subjugated the 10 Elites and the clans who followed them. Duke Gerth: There may have been a few clan elders who fled across the sea to escape suppression. 　— Fire Emblem: Three Houses, A Cursed Relic: After Battle

if we take this at face value, it means that the fetters of dromi existed during the time of the war of heroes (32-98). thus, the original nabatean bearing aubin blood would have to already be dead by this point. if this is true, it completely negates the idea of aubin being said original nabatean because he is very much still alive in 185 for the rite of rising.

i'm not exactly jumping to believe this story is actually true, though. the way duke gerth puts it, it's only one of several stories about how the relic arrived in dagda and not entirely reliable. if the fetters of dromi existed during the war of heroes, then it would have had a wielder: a human bearer of the crest that we're assuming is aubin. supposing the clan elder who followed aubin fled to dagda with the relic as duke gerth's story says, surely they would have known the value of the relic? never mind how they even took the relic from aubin to begin with. these were significant and powerful weapons and accessories used by the ten elites—if they managed to run away with one, surely they would have done their best to keep it for themselves, and then within their families after they passed.

but let's just say this important message got lost amongst the clan elder's descendants somewhere, so they see the fetters of dromi and decide it's a piece of junk they can get rid of. did the agarthans not know that the fetters of dromi were in dagda by this point? like surely there would have been some word that a group ran off with one of the relics when it first happened? it couldn't have been that hard for the agarthans to get it back if they knew it was there. they wouldn't have even had to contend with the church of seiros, because they didn't seem to know where the relic was either until it ended up in duke gerth's hands. so, word of the “marvelous, but benign treasure” in dagda just somehow didn't reach either parties' notice when they were well-aware of the missing relic?

suffice to say, i don't really buy duke gerth's story, and certainly not as hard evidence disproving the apostles being nabatean. for a relic to have been missing for so long with neither the agarthans nor the church seeming desperate to find it doesn't seem super realistic to me. to me, it seems more likely that the fetters of dromi were only newly created, and thus their disappearance only a recent concern.

　　›　AUBIN'S ELDERLY APPEARANCE & PASSING.

with the nabateans being a long-life species and the ones we see in canon still appearing quite youthful, i can understand where this sentiment comes from. unless aubin is just incredibly old in comparison to the likes of rhea, seteth, and flayn, he probably shouldn't be looking anywhere near old enough for yuri to be describing him as an elder when they meet.

for me to explain my take on this, let's talk about the rite of rising first.

In the Imperial year 185, the construction of Garreg Mach was completed. Saint Seiros held a sacred ritual to honor the occasion. Four saints, known as the Four Apostles, were led to a tranquil place to perform the ritual. They poured their holy essences into the Chalice of Beginnings—a gift from the goddess herself—in hopes of bringing about her second coming. Alas, the Rite of Rising failed… 　— Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Cindered Shadows: The Fourth House

the opening narration of cindered shadows describes the rite of rising as the four apostles “pouring their holy essences into the chalice.” while this is likely just a fancy way of saying they gave it their blood, i'm choosing to instead interpret this as the apostles having literally given up some of their essence or life force for the ritual. the sacrifice they made was more than just some blood, and whether the rite succeeded or failed, it was always going to take its toll. the fact that it did failed only exacerbated the consequences.

when the chalice absorbs both sitri and aelfric to create an umbral beast, rhea says that the same thing happened last time the rite of rising was performed. as the ritual was said to have been performed in a tranquil place, presumably away from any bystanders, the only people around to actually become the umbral beast would have been seiros herself, alongside the four apostles.

what mostly makes me hesitate to say this for certain is that the description of the final battle in cindered shadows describes aelfric as “forever lost, transformed into an umbral beast.” the four apostles were, obviously, not forever lost, considering the existence of all four ashen wolves bearing their crests.

perhaps the beast was subdued and the apostles were somehow reverted to their regular forms. or the chalice only absorbed the body they were using for the ritual to create the umbral beast, and that was what was forever lost upon its defeat. since i can't say either way with a hundred percent confidence, i'm just going to elect to put a pin in this particular idea for now.

whatever the case, the rite of rising took a significant and long lasting toll on the apostles well-being. as such, after the failure of the rite, all of them chose to vanish from the world. despite how important you would think an attempt to revive the goddess would be, what is remembered of them is that they journeyed to obscure corners of fódlan where they settled and all but disappeared from history.

you could say that this was them adhering to the fact that they were not meant to pass down their crests, and thus decided to find a place where they could simply fade into obscurity for the rest of their days. however, considering all of them end up passing down their crests anyway, i don't think this was their biggest point of consideration.

for aubin's case, this is what i attribute his older appearance to. the rite of rising quite literally stole his life and aged him significantly more than what would have been natural for nabateans. he goes into seclusion because he doesn't have the energy to do much else, having lost most of his strength. similarly, this i believe this lack of strength is also the reason that he dies shortly after saving yuri's life.

aubin is in awful shape when yuri and his mother take him in. i imagine he never truly recovered from the toll the rite of rising took on his body, leaving him quite worse for wear. saving yuri required expending a kind of power that he simply didn't have much left of, and was the final straw that ultimately led to his passing.

*　the crest of aubin.

honestly, i think the way i've described the crest of aubin's effects in narrative previously changed whenever it was convenient to me HAHA but in the interest of staying consistent from this point forward, let's refer to its in-game effects first.

A Crest long lost to history. Occasionally prevents enemy counterattacks when using a weapon. 　— Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Crest of Aubin Ability Description

30% chance chance to land a critical hit with strong attacks. 　— Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Crest of Aubin Ability Description

three houses and three hopes are very different games when it comes to gameplay, so the crest's ability obviously changes between them. i'll pull from both versions for my purposes.

preventing enemy counterattacks doesn't really translate all that nicely into writing. i generally interpret this as increased agility. passively, yuri is already relatively light-footed and quick on his feet; when his crest activates this is increased to a superhuman degree. think dramatic cinematic shots of characters with super speed where the world slows around them. something like that for short periods of time.

crit chance is much easier to translate: his crest gives him increased strength. unlike his agility, this isn't also a passive thing. the strength only really activates when his crest does, otherwise he's just as strong as anyone else who works out on a relatively regular basis would be.

as aubin is the ice dragon, yuri has some level of resistance to cold. nothing that would really save his life if you threw him into a blizzard, but if the weather's a bit chilly, he'll still be able to walk out under-dressed for it and be fine. yuri doesn't think this is a crest thing, though, he just thinks he's more used to the cold as someone that grew up in faerghus.

unnaturally quick healing. this has no canon basis, it's just an idea that i like. yuri is very particular about his appearance and potential scarring considering his line of work, but considering all the trouble he gets into, saying that he's only ever gotten one scar in his whole life isn't all that realistic. magic blood making you heal fast isn't all that realistic either, but the two can just cancel each other out or something.

in a similar vein, he requires less rest than most people. considering the nature of his work, yuri is running around basically 24/7. if he rests, it's probably only for a few hours at most. guy's a control freak and incredibly restless—i don't know if he could ever really settle down comfortably for long enough to get a decent night's sleep, but he has to be able to be everywhere all at once without collapsing from exhaustion somehow.

　　›　YURI'S PROLONGED LIFESPAN.

i didn't realize this was a point of contention to some people until i started poking around more online, but i'm always happy to talk about yuri so let's dissect it. why not.

in non-crimson flower routes, yuri's ending with m!byleth says that the pair lives a very long life together:

[ ... ] Constantly at his side during that time was his husband, Yuri, whose policy proposals led, time and again, to better education and opportunities for the less fortunate. After working to ensure a bright and prosperous future for Fódlan, the couple stepped back from the public eye and vanished from official record. Curiously, informal notes and letters from friends suggest that the pair was extraordinarily long-lived and that their youth was untouched by the passage of time. 　— Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Byleth (Male) & Yuri Ending Card

i've seen people argue this is a byleth thing (as in byleth gave yuri a blood transfusion and that's why he's long-lived) which i personally doubt is true. mainly because f!byleth's ending doesn't mention a word of this and i don't see why it wouldn't if it truly was a byleth thing as opposed to a yuri thing.

i've also seen people argue that this can't be true because he is specifically mentioned to pass away in his ending with constance:

After the war, Constance devoted herself to her magical research. Her unorthodox methods allowed her to make great strides, which earned her acclaim and eventually enabled her to restore her noble house. Afterward, almost as if to spite her detractors, she married Yuri. The pair made a happy, if unconventional, couple, as the husband frequently ventured away for months on end. In the long years of their marriage, however, Constance laughed off any concerns—she was known to say that Yuri always knew how to find his way home. Many decades later, he passed away in bed alongside his beloved wife. 　— Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Constance & Yuri Ending Card

maybe they just lived their very long lives together? who knows how long ‘many decades’ really means, after all. except constance will likely just live a very normal crest-bearer lifespan. unlike yuri, she doesn't actually get her crest via blood transfusion. saint noa left to live the rest of her days in what would later become nuvelle territory and had children. constance's crest is inherited, passed down to her by bloodline.

Constance: Close to a thousand years ago, Saint Noa parted ways with Saint Seiros. She lived out her days in seclusion on what would become Nuvelle territory. Constance: Her children obscured their origins before serving the Empire. It wasn't long before they were ennobled. [...] Edelgard: Hmm… House Nuvelle was known for producing as few heirs as possible. Edelgard: It was also known for keeping its offspring "pure," mostly by disallowing marriage with other houses. 　— Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Constance & Edelgard B-Support

so if yuri's so long-lived, why do these two ending contradict each other? well, i don't really think they do. he dies in his ending with constance, yes, but we don't know what actually causes his death. i guess old age is the natural assumption for most people, but it never actually states that and we've already been given a different instance of him living for much longer than is natural for a human.

in the japanese version of their ending, the last sentence reads, “数十年後、その言 葉を証明するかのように、ユーリスは寝台の 上、愛した妻の傍らで病没したとされる。” to be clear, i don't speak a lick of japanese, so if any japanese speakers would like to tell me what this really says, i would forever be in your debt. but, you know, i squint at it anyway and see the character “病” and go :index_pointing_at_the_viewer: hey. hold on a second.

anyway, i checked the chinese text instead because it's the only other language the game's localized in that i can somewhat comprehend and what do you know? it says yuri dies of illness. so, you know. not old age.

at the same time, we know it's confirmed in lore that recipients of blood transfusions live longer lives.

To face this evil force, the goddess created a new well of power. She gifted certain chosen individuals with sacred blood, allowing them to wield mystical weapons, that they may prevail against the darkness. These souls, buoyed by their divine gifts, conquered the evil ones and drove them back to the north. They came to be known as Heroes. The Heroes experienced unnaturally long lives, persisting for hundreds of years. 　— Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Book of Seiros II

if you want proof that isn't just a readable in a spin-off game, jeralt is also right there and at least three hundred years old to show for it. we know through several sources that first generation crest-bearers live very long lives—there's no reason to believe that the same wouldn't apply to yuri.

*　the fetters of dromi.

ah, hero's relic lore. how i adore you, horrifying as you are and all.

before we talk about it somehow ending up in dagda, let's just talk about the relic itself. in case you haven't seen it, the fetters of dromi are effectively hand, finger, and wrist bones bound together by what looks like some cloth, chains, and rings.

once again, i'll pull up its in-game effects for reference:

Grants +1 Movement and Canto when equipped. Grants Pavise and Aegis to units with the Crest of Aubin when equipped. 　— Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fetters of Dromi Description

+6 Speed. Grants Earthshrinker to user. Grants Pavise and Aegis to units with the Crest of Aubin when equipped. 　— Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Fetters of Dromi (Unleashed) Description

Enables 【Canto (２)】. At start of turn, unit can move 1 extra space (that turn only; does not stack). After start-of-turn skills trigger, if 【Stall】 is active on unit, neutralizes the "unit can move 1 extra space" effect of this skill. Inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-4 on foes within 2 spaces of unit during combat. 　— Fire Emblem Heroes, Fetters of Dromi Description

unlike the crest of aubin, the fetters of dromi's effects are relatively consistent across its different iterations. it gives the user canto, increased movement, and pavise and aegis.

the fetters of dromi's purpose is primarily to amplify the crest of aubin's effects.

increased movement and canto similarly just translate into increased agility again, improved from its passive effect when yuri isn't actively using the fetters. it will take a lot for him to feel exhausted while wearing the fetters of dromi, but if he overextends himself, it'll still hit him the moment he takes the relic off.

similarly related to the crest allowing yuri to persist on less rest, the fetters of dromi allows him to take more hits and sustain more damage. he still gets hurt, of course, but he feels it less than he would without the relic. as with the previous point, when he takes them off, the weight of his injuries will still hit him as they normally would unless he had them healed beforehand.

　　›　HOW DID IT END UP IN DAGDA?

let's establish a timeline for its creation first.

the illness yuri contracts as a child is specifically the plague that was going around faerghus. according to sylvain, this plague happened almost 20 years ago, and according to yuri, he caught it when he was really young. excellent measures of time, the both of you.

i tend to place yuri as having been four when he caught it. since aubin passed shortly after curing him, he would have died vaguely around 1164-1165. the fetters of dromi would have made it to dagda by 1175 at the latest, since that's when the dagda and brigid war took place, and they would've had to have it by then to send it over after the truce. the fetters of dromi were likely made sometime between 1165-1175, then.

but how did the agarthans find out that aubin was dead? yuri ends up in adrestia sometime during this ten year period when the fetters of dromi could have been made. considering the agarthan presence in the empire, i suppose the most likely scenario is that they somehow discovered this random kid with the crest of aubin and decided to investigate further. this eventually led them to yuri's hometown, from which it wouldn't have been difficult to learn from the townsfolk of the story of a strange man who came by a few years ago, saved a child's life with some red liquid, then passed shortly after.

from there, they dig up the body, take the bones and crest stone, then craft the fetters of dromi. as for how it ended up in dagda...um. you know, i'd love to find this out myself HAHA but i can't even conceive a situation for what happened here. i guess they lost it somehow? a bit silly but it had to get there in some way.

　　›　MISCELLANEOUS.

a relic like the fetters of dromi is too new and obscure to have any heavy history or mythology behind it. but there are still some tales—tall and false ones, certainly—like the story of the fetters that reached duke gerth's ears.

some say it is the hand of a master swordsman, cut off in battle and preserved afterward. whoever has the courage to wear it upon the back of their own will find their sword always strikes true. others believe that the relic is a sign that the heroes of history still walk among them, waiting for the day they must once again take up arms to fight for fódlan.

and some still believe that it is both a warning and a curse. that should you hear tell of it, you'll have to lock your home up tight and light a blazing fire, for merciless winter storms are sure to follow.

yuri doesn't believe any of the stories. but what he does know is that sometimes, when he finds himself so lost in his own head that the real world vanishes, bone so often cold to the touch will warm without him calling upon its power, reminding him to return to earth.

sometimes, when he overexerts himself in the midst of battle, the activated relic's steady warmth instead turns searing like a scolding to mind himself. it tightens faintly over the back of his hand like the one that had gently guided him when he first learned his letters, now guiding the swing of a blade rather than the stroke of a pen.

but it is, in the end, just a hero's relic. so it must be his mind playing tricks.

[latenitewaffles]

Meet Cernunnos, The son of Saint Macuil, as well as Mortala and Begalta! Or as he goes by around humans, Fionn. He's a combat instructor at the Officer's Academy and a Knight of Seiros who typically acts as Rhea's bodyguard. An extroverted and sweet man, Fionn's known for giving people pep talks after being reprimanded by Catherine and taking on more squires than anyone else ever has. He's got the Crest of Cernunnos, and is the only person to have ever had it; in fact, it's barely recorded in history.

Age: ~1700 (Academy/War); Is constantly mistaken as being 18-20 and doesn't correct anyone. Born on the 16th of the Verdant Rain Moon.

Height: 6'3" - 190cm

War Monk

Crest of Cernunnos

Strengths: Faith, Brawling, Axe

Weaknesses: Riding

Close Allies: Seteth, Flayn, Alois

Likes: The Four Saints, helping people, storms

Dislikes: Horses, people sacrificing themselves for him, screaming

More Info Below and Design Notes below! (TW; Mentions of parent death)

Like most Nabateans, Cernunnos lived in Zanado with his parents; Macuil and Begalta, his fathers, and Mortala, his mother. One day, the village was raided by those who would soon be known as the Ten Elites, and many Nabateans were slaughtered. Begalta and Mortala were no exception, killed by Riegan and Fraldarius respectively. Cernunnos was chased down by some bandits and almost killed as well, until he was rescued by Cichol. He was roughly 500 at the time, the Nabatean equivalent of 8 for a human.

Though Seiros had intended on making him a Saint, Macuil loudly objected. After all, the man had just lost his husband and wife; making his son a Saint would just put a larger target on his head, and Macuil didn't want to lose him too. Regardless, Cernunnos still fought in the War of Heroes and quickly became known as a force of nature on the battlefield despite his small stature and (relatively) young age. Humans for the most part had a hard time dealing with the fact that they were being shown up by a child; Macuil took mild pride in it whenever he wasn't worried sick.

Then, after a battle, Cernunnos was getting healed by Cethleann after receiving a particularly nasty injury, they were ambused by the Elite Riegan; Cethleann jumped in front of her younger cousin, taking the hit from Riegan's arrow. Cernunnos went into a rage, transforming into The Stormbringer (his dragon form), and proceeding to rip Riegan to shreds. Despite managing to stabilize Cethleann and constantly being told by his other family that it wasn't his fault, Cernunnos constantly blames himself for what happened and took on a healer role to "make it up to Cethleann".

After the War of Heroes, Cernunnos followed his father to Sreng and stayed there for the coming centuries, developing an incredibly jovial mask to hide the pain he still felt from the War and Zanado. This clashed heavily with Macuil becoming more and more bitter, until it eventually resulted in a falling out where Cernunnos ran away to live at the Monastery in Imperial Year 937, taking on the name Fionn and joining the Knights of Seiros.

Fun Facts and Design Notes!

His Sacred Weapon is called the Fists of Nemea. They have a built-in 3 pointed twisting blade.

He's met many nobles across the 3 countries and has dirt on several people's ancestors

One of the houses he doesn't have dirt on is House Bergliez; One of Caspar's ancestors, Emmeline von Bergliez, was a squire of his.

Avid reader of legends and a big fan of a particular story called "The Shadows of Valentia".

Balthus and Rodrigue both recognize him from their Academy days and are both floored that he looks nearly identical. Catherine does too, but knows his secret.

He considered Sitri his cousin. When she died, he took a long break from the Knights of Seiros.

While both depicted designs are based on the War Monk, the Academy/War design mixes it with Seteth's outfit and the War of Heroes design mixes it with the Sothis Regalia.

His hair is meant to resemble a mix of Chrom and Cloud Strife's hairstyles.

His War of Heroes design puts him at around 600, roughly the equivalent of a human 13 year old. Why did I choose to make Nabatean aging weird? Idk.

The Stormbringer is meant to simultaneously look Wolfish, Birdlike, and Draconic.

The Crest of Cernunnos is associated with the Adjustment Arcana (Alternative Justice Arcana. If you know me you know why) and is known as the "Cloud Dragon Sign".

The Crest of Cernunnos has a slight chance of healing adjacent units the same amount as the target unit.

[dazzlerazz]

Random crest post

(Note: Sacred weapons are sort of like relics, but do not require a crest to wield, but they are more powerful WITH them. Relics can be wielded by those without crests, but wielders take damage when usng them)

Thorn Dragon Sign - Crest of Ernest Anna No relics or sacred weapons

Wind Dragon Sign - Crest of Macuil Monica Wind Caller's Genesis (Hopes exclusive, Sacred)

Sky Dragon Sign - Crest of Seiros Rhea, Edelgard Seiros Sword (Sacred), Seiros Shield (Sacred), Labraunda (Hopes exclusive, Sacred)

Crusher Dragon Sign - Crest of Dominic Annette Crusher (Relic)

Shield Dragon Sign - Crest of Fraldarius Felix Aegis Shield (Relic), Sword of Moralta (Sacred)

Bloom Dragon Sign - Crest of Noa Constance Scroll of Talos (Hopes exclusive, Sacred)

Light Dragon Sign - Crest of Cethleann Flayn, Linhardt Caduceus Staff (Sacred), Amalthea (Hopes exclusive, Sacred)

Flame Dragon Sign - Crest of Daphnel Ingrid Luin (Relic)

Grim Dragon Sign - Crest of Blaiddyd Dimitri Areadbhar (Relic)

Craft Dragon Sign - Crest of Gloucester Lorenz, Lysithea Thyrsus (Relic), Axe of Ukonvasara (Sacred)

Kalpa Dragon Sign - Crest of Goneril Hilda Freikugel (Relic)

Earth Dragon Sign - Crest of Cichol Ferdinand, Seteth Ochain Shield (Sacred), Spear of Assal (Sacred)

Ice Dragon Sign - Crest of Aubin Yuri Fetters of Dromi (Relic)

Fissure Dragon Sign - Crest of Gautier Sylvain Lance of Ruin (Relic)

Water Dragon Sign - Crest of Indech Bernadetta, Hanneman The Inexhaustable (Sacred)

Storm Dragon Sign - Crest of the Beast Marianne Blutgang (Relic)

Lightning Dragon Sign - Crest of Charon Catherine, Lysithea Thunderbrand (Relic), Suttungr's Mystery (Hopes exclusive, Relic)

Dark Dragon Sign - Crest of Timotheos Hapi Hrotti (Hopes exclusive, Relic)

Star Dragon Sign - Crest of Riegan Claude Failnaught (Relic), Sword of Begalta (Sacred)

Snow Dragon Sign - Crest of Chevalier Balthus Vajra-Mushti (Relic)

Aegis Dragon Sign - Crest of Lamine Mercedes Rafail Gem (Relic), Ichor Scroll (Hopes exclusive, Relic), Tathlum Bow (Sacred)

Honorable Mentions

Crest of Flames

Amyr, Sword of the Creator

Athame, Ridill, Asclepius (Found in Houses files, but can only be wielded in Hopes, attuned to the cut Crest of Agartha)

Dark Creator Sword, forged with the crest stones of Noa and Timotheos

[kyogre-blue]

SS is done.

The most standout part: I got the Rhea S rank. It was good. I support it, but I wish there was a gen version and also that it was available on VW. My general impression is that VW actually gives you more chances to ask after and worry for Rhea (plus Claude is a rather meh romance option), so it would be great if I could get with her there too.

In general, I wish VW and SS were just one route. Both have some nice small details, but given how similar they are, I feel like you'd get a better experience if they were just combined.

Checking my VW endgame notes, it seems VW gives you info dump about Agartha, which definitely feels missing in SS, and SS gives you a bit more detail about Byleth's deal from Rhea, which adds some nice details on the Rhea relationship front. Seriously, they should have just combined them.

(Hilariously, Catherine's endcard outright contradicts the paired Rhea one. They are incompatible, but I got both. Additionally, Ingrid's card seems to be written for Crimson Flower, since it mentions Galatea being "seized" and Ingrid needing to push strongly to be allowed to govern it, which comes across weirdly as a post-war in the Byleth-led United Kingdom, especially since the other Lions kids I recruited all got their lord positions without any apparent fuss.)

Overall, not much else to say about SS. Final take: SS and VW are really obviously the same route, but even though SS was supposedly written first, VW feels marginally better in its focus and I enjoyed it more. However, the Rhea stuff specifically is good, and I wish I could get it on VW. Yup.

Final save file time: 95:19. Minus the VW playthrough, it's 44:07, so a bit faster. Specifically post-route split, it's 20:16, so it seems like the part that I finished faster was actually just Academy phase, possibly because I just didn't care much for the BE kids.

Liveblogging notes:

Looking closely at the battle selection screen, it seems Shambhala is at the very eastern tip of the Empire. There's a bit of mountain that stretches down from the Throat across Airmid River, and it seems to be there.

Narration calls it a "sprawling underground city."

Thales was kind of a chump!

Ah, I just realized I forgot to check his X description blurbs. They probably weren't too interesting tho.

The Agarthans are super mad about living underground and not having "light." Thales also name drops Agartha in his battle line vs Seteth and in the cutscene afterwards. Aside from their ability description, I think this is probably the first time their proper name is mentioned. But we uh, don't seem to discuss this much?

Small scene with Nemesis's coffin is missing, I think. Well, obviously because he's not the final boss now. iirc the scene immediately after the month change, with everyone freaking out over Rhea is new instead. It's a little weird because iirc VW gives you more opportunities to express concern for her. Here, the Rhea focus feels a bit less supported.

Seteth didn't realize you already knew that Rhea is the Immaculate One (which you did, btw).

Seteth "long ago" lost the power to change form, but "it seems" Rhea has not. My dude, did you not know... He does confirm that he's also a child of the goddess, which Rhea keeps hidden in VW. Flayn is also counted as one of the children of the goddess, even though she's more like a grandchild. It's a general term for dragons.

Seteth and Flayn press Byleth about taking over as the leader of Fodlan in some capacity, now that Rhea's future is uncertain.

We find the Sword and Bow of Zoltan in Shambhala. I was wondering about whether these things existed, since Zoltan is a dude that got namedropped in a small quest item description a while back. I also have an Axe of Zoltan though I can't remember exactly where I picked it up. No spear?

Just noting that you use Arcane Crystals to repair magical weapons like the Bolt Axe, Mythril to repair sacred weapons like Cichol's Spear of Assal, and Umbral Steel for relics. Mythril is also used on forging the rusted weapons that require A+ professor rank. iirc they're legendary weapons from other games or something like that. Smithing Stones are for normal weapons of all rarities.

On VW, this month was about Nemesis appearing and us going to fight him, but here on SS, that doesn't happen, so the explore dialogue is all about Seteth telling us that we should become the new Ruler of Fodlan and us taking the month to think about it. Everyone around the monastery comments on this, how we should think about it carefully, how they believe in us, how they're thinking about the future, etc. It's... hm. I think it's okay, but it really highlights how much Byleth has not been setup for this role At All.

They're a mercenary who became a teacher via nepotism and while we do things in the story that you could probably read as proof of Byleth's ability to lead, they don't really feel that way, especially since Seteth can end up spending half the war refusing what we suggest. Byleth is also just... not a real character. So them becoming the big deal leader is kinda... yeah.

Anyway, I accidentally ended the month early. But whatever.

Before you tell Rhea your "decision," she gives you exposition about how she made you and Sothis's crest stone is in you. She wanted to see Sothis again and thought she could regain everything she had lost.

Sitri was Rhea's 12th attempt. She "grew up" without Sothis's consciousness and fell in love with Jeralt. But when she gave birth, the child was not breathing and she herself was also "in grave danger." Sitri told Rhea to take the crest stone from her and put it into her baby. Otherwise, both would have died.

Byleth is suggested to be able to house Sothis's consciousness because they have both the crest stone and a body born from a parent with Rhea's blood.

Rhea is aware that Sothis gave you her power and disappeared, which means Rhea's dearest wish did not come true, but she's accepting of that. She basically entrusts Fodlan and the future to you.

And she just flips out in the middle of that.

"White Beasts" appear all over the monastery. They are from priests and knights that Rhea shared her blood and "stones" with. Tho given how JP plurals work, it's impossible to tell if Rhea is meant to have one crest stone or several. Demonic Beasts also run in??

Enemies are Frenzied Church Soldiers with minor crests of Seiros, Altered Golems, White Beasts (cardinal that has transformed and gone mad due to the rage of the Immaculate One) with Blest Crest Stone Shards (bestowed by a saint and wielded as a weapon), and the Immaculate One herself. She has a crest stone of Serios, can recover HP when near a White Beast and is described as having been driven to an uncontrollable anger due to the power of the goddess.

This battle was annoying because of the Classic setting. The whole business with Rhea having a private army of people whom she shared blood with is, hm. But I get the feeling this was done purely to explain her battle having the same mechanics as with Nemesis and the 10 Elites. It's... an interesting tidbit that these cardinals and such exist, but kinda weird that the crest of Seiros is actually this common, especially since they can ALL presumably pass it down to their kids, and I would expect Rhea had done this for more than just one generation.

(funny concept: after a thousand years of Rhea just sharing her blood all over, a good three quarters of Fodlan has some Seiros crest blood and it manifests pretty much at random in people all over.)

Anyway, final blow by Flayn.

OK, enough screwing around. tbh I do like Rhea, so there's some emotional resonance in everyone being very worried about her and having little voicelines about how they want to pay back the debts they owe to her, and her sadness and suffering and all that. It's not the worst.

She mistakes Byleth for Sothis when collapsing in the cathedral.

They did make a mistake: Rhea transforms in her dressing gown without the mantle or headpiece, but she changes back in full archbishop regalia.

The post-battle exposition exposition is kinda... ah yes, all nations in Fodlan are gone, but you see the Church is leading people toward a new... nation? How does this work. Sorry, but I don't see a religious government (??) as a good thing.

Rhea says she had a vision of flying free and speaking with Sothis while near death. She's happy she survived... so am I.

Rhea's wish was for peace, but she admits fault in propagating a false history and deceiving the faithful. And she did a bit of forbidden experimentation on the side, obvs. We forgive her tho.

I wish there was a gen way to save her, without the romance. It's such a good coda, honestly, without the marriage.

I wish Byleth was a more concrete character. Not necessarily a super detailed one, but with at least some grounding traits.

Still, Rhea romance scene is pretty good. WAY better than Flayn. Why can't I do this on VW..........

Endings: Ashe takes over Gaspard as the new lord. Galatea was "seized" what the heck, though Ingrid did rule it. Felix still ended up Duke Fraldarius. Sylvain talked his way into peace with Sreng, good on him. Lindhart "escaped the Empire" but went missing. Dorothea fled with her troupe to a secret location. Petra went to Brigit. Caspar fell on a battlefield. Bernadetta because seriously ill and lived as a recluse. Ferdinand returned to his territory but went missing. Catherine became Guardian of Zanado, but why was she shaking up with MY wife in solitude? Because in the ending card with Byleth, Rhea is still archbishop and assists the leader of the new "United Kingdom of Fodlan." Shamir became Robin Hood. Alois became captain of the knights. Seteth became very tolerant lol

[flatsuke]

cyanspade's FE3H Dimileth Fics Masterpost

I think I ought to make a masterpost for the Dimileth fics I've written. Please let me know right away if there are broken links!

Last updated: July 22, 2024

Oneshots

Sundays with the Devil (E || 8,639 w. || Fantasy AU, Dragon!Byleth, Hunter!Dimitri, Dragon Fucking, Interspecies Sex, Voyeurism, Oviposition, Eggpreg, Strangers to Lovers, Bottom Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) — As the last living heir born to a line of legendary hunters, it was Dimitri’s duty to drink The Fell Star’s blood as part of his initiation ritual, the same way his father did before him. But when he sees what the ritual really is, he doubts himself, his family, and his faith. Not to mention The Fell Star herself.

when your silver is my gold (E || 5,296 w. || Pre-Timeskip, Pining, Sex Work, Masks, Lactation, Multiple Orgasms, Come Eating, Fantasizing) — Following Manuela’s sage advice, Byleth visits The Silver Wing, one of Fódlan’s best pleasure houses, to de-stress. Oddly enough, the escort assigned to her reminds her of someone familiar—someone painfully untouchable… but if just for a night, she could at least play make-believe until the sun rises.

show, never tell (but i know you too well) (E || 7,192 w. || Post-Timeskip, Advice Box, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Semi-Public Sex, Oblivious My Unit | Byleth) — Byleth receives an odd question in the advice box one day. Someone in the army was madly in love to the point of pain, and they needed her advice. Matters of the heart—and the flesh—were far from her realm of expertise, but she tries her best to answer them, as any good former professor should. Meanwhile, Dimitri has been acting strange around her as of late. She wonders why.

Satiate (E || 1,408 w. || Modern AU, Food Play, Nipple Licking, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, Ribbons) — Dimitri learns Byleth usually spends St. Cichol’s Day by herself. Determined to make her happy during the holidays, he gives her a present he knows she’ll love. Or, Dimitri wraps himself in a pretty little bow and lets Byleth eat him up.

you made me hate this city (E || 2,614 w. || Post-Azure Moon, Maids, Roleplay, Sex Toys, Anal Sex, Face-Sitting, Bottom Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) — Byleth finally comes to terms with her greed for the one person she is obligated to share with everyone. Thankfully, Dimitri is always more than willing to give himself to her.

--

Multichaptered:

At the End of the World (M || Complete || 10,361 w. || Post-CF AU, Angst, Family Drama, Obsession, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Tempest King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) — After defecting from the Empire, Byleth finds her way to Dimitri’s war council, and later on, his bed. She discovers she’s pregnant with Dimitri’s baby and takes a page from the Jeralt Eisner playbook—she fakes her death and runs away to protect the baby from the threats posed by every side in the war. Years later, Dimitri finds them.

Visitor (E || Complete || 19,544 w. || Modern AU, Eldritch Horror, Psychological Horror, Obsession, Dubious Consent, Monsterfucking, Tentacle Sex, Oviposition, Stockholm Syndrome, Eggpreg, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Yandere Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) — After Jeralt’s untimely death, Byleth goes on an impromptu road trip to get away from it all. She arrives in quaint little Fhirdiad and meets Dimitri, the friendly innkeeper at the Blue Lions Bed and Breakfast. Everything is nice and pleasant, but she can’t shake the feeling that there’s something not quite right about Fhirdiad. Or its innkeeper.

we should never have played god (E || Complete || 22,244 w. || Modern AU, Android AU, Android!Dimitri, Sex Robots, Science Fiction, Robot/Human Relationships, Psychological Horror, Obsession, Stalking, Voyeurism, Dubious Consent, Noncon, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Minor Character Death, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Yandere Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) — Robotics grad student Byleth finds an abandoned sex android in a junkyard. After repairing him and letting him go free, he opts to stay with her and help her with her research. Though it’s nice having someone around, she wonders if he’s more human than he ought to be. Or, Dimitri discovers what being human means. The secret, he learns, is love—in all its cruel, hungry splendor.

(UPDATED!) Rotten Seeds (E || Ongoing || 72,020 w. || Pre-Canon AU, Time Travel, Royal Tutor!Byleth, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Age Difference, Unhealthy Relationships, Codependency, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Yandere Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) — Consumed by grief over Dimitri’s miserable end at Gronder Field, Byleth musters the last of her power to go back in time to his childhood and prevent the tragedies that befall him all throughout his life. Unbeknownst to her, Dimitri still has a darkness innate to him—only this time, he’s hell-bent on making his beloved tutor Byleth his and his alone.

The Unsung Perks of Stranger Danger (E || Complete || 9,872 w. || Modern AU, Rape/Non-Con, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Mental Instability, Stalking, Non-Consensual Somnophilia, Unbirth Kink, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Yandere Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) — In Byleth’s approximately ten years of experience as a handywoman, none of her clients were like Dimitri Blaiddyd. He was polite, he never caused any trouble, and he tipped really well. There was just something a little off about him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Oh, well. At least he was easy on the eyes.

Nativity (E || Ongoing || 16,365 w. || Modern AU, Ranch AU, Psychological Horror, Eldritch Horror, Childhood Trauma, Eventual Cannibalism, Unreliable Narrator, Yandere Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) Downtrodden college dropout Byleth inherits Garreg Mach Pastures from her estranged grandmother, Rhea. Byleth hasn’t set foot on the ranch after moving away with her parents fifteen years ago, but Dimitri, the ranch caretaker, is eager to show her the ropes and help her settle in.Life on the ranch is idyllic. Byleth feels a sense of peace she hasn’t felt in so long.Until cracks begin to show in disturbing ways.

thou shalt not covet (E || Complete || 15,000 w. || Post-Azure Moon, Hanahaki Disease, Rape/Non-Con, Pining, Manipulation, Suicide Attempt, Yandere Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd) Byleth falls victim to a disease of the worst kind—of heartbreak over a man unable to love her back. As she vomits blood and roses, all Dimitri can do is helplessly watch as she willingly dies a slow death to let her love endure. But one day, he realizes a few things: One, that Byleth need not die for a dead man. Two, that just like anyone else, Dimitri deserved to be selfish, too.

The Quintessential Guide to Equine Care (E || Complete || 7,454 w. || Pre-Timeskip, Pining, Non-Human Genitalia, Size Difference, Sounding, Come Eating, Come Inflation) A mishap with potions gives Dimitri a cock fit for a horse. Byleth, ever the dutiful professor, helps him out with his problem.

[hecvenwept]

I know this is probably me being desperate for lore bc IntSys hates Nabatean stans but, behold my newest theory about Seteth & Flayn, also tying in with an older headcanon post of mine about how the Nabateans are imho hinted to be the deities/divine aspects of forces of nature of the universe of 3h in general, not just of Fodlan.

Alright so Brigid and Dagda are two countries outside of Fodlan, who are named after two Irish gods, and members of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Dagda (yes, it seems you put a "the" on the front of the name) is known to be Brigid's father. Much like Cichol is Cethleann's father, the two also being named after Irish mythological figures/deities (although iirc those two belong to the Fomorian Cycle, which I'm not sure is related to the TdD, I'm no expert in Irish mythology and only going off of what I could find on the internet real quick).

Here's where it gets interesting: Cichol (3h) is an earth dragon, the earth often being associated with life, crops, fertility, agriculture, etc, which also happen to be the Dagda's primary elements. The Dagda is also associated with strength & wisdom, two defining qualities we know for a fact Cichol (3h) possesses in canon, not to mention being seen as a father-figure king. The real Cichol also seemed to be associated with life and death, as is the Dagda, who could control life and death. Life and death is also seen as an aspect of the earth/nature in many cultures, in the sense that it's mother earth that gives us life and takes it away.

Now, Brigid. While things seem to be a little murkier when it comes to her, it is suggested she may be part of a Triple Deity (from what I understood, that means there were three goddesses with the same name, each one representing a different quality. One of the Brigids was associated with healing, which is 3h Cethleann's defining characteristic). 3h Cethleann is also adored and depicted in art (ex. Saint Cethleann's Love Garland, Ignatz's attempts at painting her), which could be linked to the real Brigid's title as a "goddess loved by the poet". The real Brigid was also praised for her wisdom and caring nature, both of which can be found in 3h Cethleann; she seems wise beyond her (apparent) years, and her famed healing abilities are the embodiment of her caring nature.

As a general observation concerning divine figures outside Fodlan, Petra remarks that there are stories of people in Brigid that looked just like Byleth after their fusion with Sothis, and even had extraordinary abilities such as flight, which is, of course, something that dragons do.

No idea how to end this wall of text tbh, it's evolved into a tangent, but I suppose what I mean by all this is that Cichol and Cethleann are connected to Dagda and Brigid, and that the Nabateans are eldritch beings/draconic aspects of nature that don't belong solely to Fodlan, but watch over the entire world of 3H.

Again, as a disclaimer, I am in no way an expert in Irish mythology. If anyone out there is more educated on the subject, or generally has more information or any observations/corrections about any of the above, I'd love to hear it! In the end, I'm pretty sure IntSys just jammed together a bunch of folklore and myths from various European cultures to make their medieval Europe fantasy dating sim, so I'm not expecting this to actually have any merit in canon, but it's something I love to think about, adding more depth to a story that I love, a story that feels incomplete (especially after Hopes...God), and, to me, feels like it has a lot more potential than people give it credit for!

[diaphin93]

"their differenciating traits being elvish ears and mostly light green hair which, lets be honest, would be understood analogous to blonde hair if it wasn't explicitely shown to us to be special,"

Funny you mention that.

In Three Hopes, New Game + opens a paralogue to you where you experience a memory of an Agarthan during the War of Heroes. And Seiros, Cichol, and Cethleann are shown to have dyed their hair blond. So that means the Saints of the Seiros faith are blond pretty people who are supposedly blessed by the heavens.

So that just adds another layer of *uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh* to the attempts of racial allegory people try to apply to the Nabateans.

I wouldn't got into that direction to be honest, as my post was merelly, that for all intents and purposes the Nabatean characters are depicted as white people, with Rheas and Flayns hair also invoking more blonde-coded, if we go by typical anime hair coloring. My point was more generally about the issues on hyperfocussing on racial allegory that uses clearly white-coded characters as its central focus, it would stand as well if Rhea had dyed her hair black or brown or pink.

This is one of the points where character designs are fairly clunky in Fire Emblem 3 Houses, due to the use of unnatural hair colors in regular human characters. In the case of the Nabateans its just funny, because there are even green-haired regular human characters. But the issue also stands with Edelgard and Lysithea, where we have to be informed through seeing Edelgards child design about the fact, that their white hair is not natural either. I feel like if the cast had largely normal hair colors it would have probably worked better in terms of visual storytelling.

[randomnameless]

imagine rhea trying to prepare presents for her +1k great grandchildren

given how she officially (?) is the Hresvelg Matriarch...

She tried to keep a clear family tree, but gave up after 3 generations, when Emperor Ionius 2 told her he doesn't even remember how many children he totally because he is very manly has sired on various "dancers" around while he was exploring his empire

Rhea told him to please provide and care and look after his own children, but "I have my empire to administrate, I can't waste time on wild oats!".

Which prompted him, face to her insistence, to say to the future "dancers" he will meet to go to that place in the mountains if they ever get a kid, because he will never ackowledge them but his "great grandma" will make sure they're cared for and fed.

And this is why the wave of pilgrims/refugees who came to Garreg Mach in 280 is called "the imperial harvest".

[ask-lambert-egitte-blaiddyd]

And what if I did? Hmph. Also it’s not /my/ fault you don’t speak my people’s language, ask Cic- er, Seteth was it? to teach you. - Areadbhar

WH- DID YOU- WHAT DID- HOW-

*confused Blaiddyd noises ensue*

...S- Seteth? Erm... Al-alright.

*felling very uncomfortable, scared and surprised*

[reidiantdawn]

Flayn and Seteth but Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea flavoured ❅

[glytchflower]

something I'll never get over from Mabinogi: Morrighan, the Goddess of Revenge, threatens the King of the Gods with a fucking hate crime

like.

this is even more funny when you remember most of the gods in this game have wings.

it's also terrifying. imagine fucking up so badly that the goddess of war and revenge personally swears on her name to break your fucking wings.

[ihavesomethingtoaskofyou]

Ohhhhh. Sorry big guy. Didn’t mean to anger papa bear! [His voice is full of sarcasm. A big smirk on his face] ~M

You act as if you are a child. Does Mother need to make you more Nabateans on Logs? 

[He sighs]

Must I remind you how you are the oldest? 

[mightysort]

@cichole​ said: drunk for manuela ffff

some one word prompts   //   accepting

        in retrospect , she ought to be thankful it’s seteth that’s found her over someone else who could’ve taken advantage of the situation. but , that was something for a sober manuela to be gracious of ( up until he starts to question her morality or something of the sort --- manuela typically did not listen for long ). right now ? well , she just wanted to head back to the tavern.

        the night was young ! and so was she ! and her perfect someone could be in there waiting to sweep her off her feet --- or , rub her back as she bends over a bucket.

        “ i don’t need your help , seth ... seteth. “ she attempts to show this by beginning to walk away ... up until she tripped over her own feet , hand flying out to steady herself on a near by wall. 

        “ see ? perfectly fine ! “ she was not perfectly fine at all.

[herukas]

Do you think Seteth and Byleth might have a child of their own someday? Do you have any headcanons for that?

(Spoilers ahead i guess!)

Yeah! I think that eventually Seteth and Byleth will get to that point in their lives and have children of their own after all they have centuries ahead of them yet to come + Flayn having a baby sibling is cute af, no one can fight me here.

Also having Marcuil and Indech have another niece is a nice HC too, I made Flayn talk to them in their paralogues and after that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

As for any other specific headcanon… nothing comes to my mind right now. I can imagine Seteth being as alarmed as always and, even though he’s aware that he and Byleth have way too many duties to attend to, bringing the babe with him. In a way, I can also see Flayn making sure her baby sib gets all the attention they might need when their parents are just too busy to.