#so she creates crest inequality?

[randomnameless]

The main issue with discourse about crests is how people see it as a cause for inequality with the nonsense about church bad it explains them as gifts of the goddess when

Is there another part anon?

I was loitering on redshit today and saw this sort of argument about the "Church BaD because Rhea said Crests come from the Goddess so she gives a divine right to rule to crested people" and...

Well, save for being a peak example of projecting and ignoring the text at hand...

It's, as you say relatively meaningless in the greater "inequality" scope of things, because, hey.

Kevin Blaiddyd can lift an ox with his pinky. Bob the mailman cannot. Even if Rhea never wrote a thing about the source of Crests... Kevin and Bob wouldn't have been treated the same way : in a world rife with giant monsters and bandits, Kevin's super strength will always be valued over Bob, who doesn't have this super strength, when it comes to protect/defend his people/family.

In a way, writing the Crests come from the Goddess has two results : 1/humans won't try to get their hands on one since, uh, if the goddess gives them, it's as random as it can so, maybe, if you find a person with pointy ears who has a crest, you won't be tempted to, idk, kill it and eat its liver to get a crest

+

2/maybe... it's the one of the only few things Rhea could preserve/salvage from her family and culture ?

The beings who were originally granted crests, aka Nabateans, were created with this power because the Goddess created them as such - "it comes from the goddess" is not technically a lie, Crests come from her blood and were only originally gifted to her children... Humans just happened to get this power by "stealing" it (at least if we're talking about the Elites and their lines!)

Back to projection and "ignoring the text at hands", getting the "divine right to rule" conclusion from this is like me, idk, going to the UK and expecting to find a good baguette :

The Book of Seiros lit says the Goddess is disheartened to see how the power of crests is misused by humans and says Nemesis fell to corruption, basically spelling out how people who have crests... shouldn't abuse it.

Imo, it's not the "divine endorsement" to rule here, but it's much closer to the mandate of heaven doctrine : if you do not rule wisely, the gods will abandon you - the first crested humans did so much shit that Sothis wept and left Fodlan (according to the Book of Seiros!).

As for crest inequality...

Yes, some people are born with super powers, and others aren't. Just like your usual run of the mill genetics that are still used, irl, to discriminate or at least make differences between two people.

"get rid of the system where super powers are valued" is just a nebulous nonsensical leitmotiv that... is completely empty, if you look closer at it.

AG!Sylvain wants to get rid of situation where you will have to use those super powers, okay, why not? But if a Giant Wolf charges at a toddler, and Sylvain with his relic can stop him, but Miklan without said relic cannot - who should be called upon to protect the toddler, or to get rid of the Giant Wolf? Sylvain or Miklan?

Ditto with healing : if Flayn can her special Nabatean Magic to make an AOE area to heal 100 people at once to full HP, when humans require at least 10 healers to cover the same area to heal those 100 people to full HP, who is going to be called to help when available? Flayn, or 10 healers?

Unless you get rid of everyone who has a super power - you can't value something that doesn't exist lol - "creating a world where crests aren't valued" is just, impossible.

FFS, Billy can rewind time, how do you make people "not value" this ability?

[oursunkencity]

My Earthseed

So this week, I have a special blog post focusing on the Parable of the Sower! It is a complex but hopeful novel written by the late Octavia E. Butler about a dystopian world set in California. We follow the protagonist, Lauren Ola Olamina, as she navigates through climate change, a global shortage in water and food supplies, violence and chaos, the circulation of odd street drugs, the ever-growing income gaps, and the return of corporate slavery, to name a few. Lauren has hyper-empathy syndrome, which allows her to experience the pain and pleasure of others. For instance, when Lauren shoots someone, and can feel the pain of the person she’s shot, which debilitates her. While all these external eerily “real-to-the-now” things are happening, Lauren discovers and explores Earthseed, a religion she writes about in her book titled Earthseed: The Book of the Living. Throughout the book, we learn that God is Change and that the destiny of Earthseed (which is you and me!) is to live among the stars. What I took from the book is that humans must adapt to an ever-changing world, as nothing remains stagnant. So, depending on how 

That said, if you haven’t read the book, I encourage you to do so before reading my responses to these fun guided questions posed by Tananarive Due! The questions encompass my thoughts about creating my own Earthseed. Let’s get into it!  

Two real-life issues that would require me to create my own Earthseed community are social inequality and climate change. Disparities in wealth, access to resources, and opportunities stemming from racial and cultural differences have long existed, leading to a disproportionate number of people living below their means. I believe creating my own Earthseed community would address these problems because Lauren has laid the foundation for trusting and caring for one another. If we all trusted and cared about each other's needs and believed that we were all equal, like in the book, we would be closer to solving some of the problems that exist today. Equally important are the various factors that contribute to climate change, which can be solved with the ideology of Earthseed. If we cared about the environment and future generations wholeheartedly, we could make the drastic changes that are needed to save humankind from failing. It is sad to say we missed out on our chance to really make a difference in changing our behavior as a human race back in the 1970s when scientists first brought up the problem. But profits over everything, am  I right?!

Two verses that I would use from the Parable of Sower that I would apply to my community are:

“Belief initiates and guides action—or it does nothing.” from Chapter 5.

and

“The Self must create. Its own reasons for being. To shape God, Shape Self.” from Chapter 21. 

The first quote is an impactful start, I feel, as it asks the community to consider their faith in themselves and the underlying reason for the actions they choose to take. Lauren made it clear at one point in the book that it was imperative to one’s success to believe in themselves. Believing in an all-mighty being isn’t as impactful to some, especially when the world has gone to shit. After all, if God loved you, would they really allow the world to be this chaotic and violent? This is why I think there is deeper value in believing in yourself and what you’re capable of doing, which I think then guides you to take the best plan of action.

The second verse, in so many ways, confirms my thought process of trusting in yourself, as doing so guides and shapes your identity. To shape God, or in other words, the trust in yourself, you can shape the person you want to be, which is 0.001% better than you were yesterday. 

If I could choose a place where I would set up shop for my Earthseed community, I would choose Angeles Crest Forest. For one, it would be close enough to the city to go shopping for supplies but still be far enough away from all the chaos and violence. At a point in the book, Lauren mentions how setting up camp on top of a hill between two low ridges would allow the community “the privacy of a big, open-topped, three-walled room.” I am sure I could secure a place like this in the Angeles Crest Forest, and maybe there might be the possibility of finding some type of water source because there are a lot of waterfalls, rivers, and maybe a well?

As I consider the privacy and safety of my Earthseed community, I think about who I would allow in. If I learned anything from Lauren’s Earthseed community, it is that I would need a diverse array of people, as everyone has different and special talents and skills that can contribute to the community's success. The individuals I let in would also have to be trustworthy, as the well-being of everyone in the community would be at stake if there were an inkling of distrust and a lack of integrity and comradery. Integrity is an important personal trait as it means the person would work at doing what is right with the community in mind in a reliable way. Equally important, comradery keeps the interest of the community in high regard, which allows for better collaboration between community members. Without trust, integrity, and comradery in the community, we would be back at square one: everyone looking out for themselves and disregarding anyone else’s well-being as inferior.

With trust, integrity, and comradery at the forefront of my Earthseed community, being an authentic leader, similar to Lauren, is imperative for the community's success. Being an authentic leader emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, transparency, and staying true to their values, which has the ability to foster trust and respect among the community. To expand, by being an authentic leader, I will prioritize open and honest communication with community members. That would mean fostering transparency by regularly sharing information about important decisions, challenges, and opportunities. By keeping everyone informed and involved, I can promote a sense of trust and accountability within the community that allows for a shared sense of responsibility.

As I think about how my community will survive, I would mirror Lauren’s plans of establishing ourselves in one area where we can grow seasonal fruits and vegetables to sell in town to make money. I would also establish a simple alarm system to inform us if people get close to the community. This would mean we would have to create an arsenal of weapons to protect everyone and train everyone to use them. I would also require everyone to work out and train together. This is where the diversity of skills and talents that some community members possess would come in as well, as I know there will be unique contributions that will ensure the safety and survival of Earthseed.  If I could create any piece of technology, it would be a machine that could convert dirty groundwater and salty ocean water into drinkable water. This piece of technology would ensure not only the livelihood of my community members but also the livelihood of the crops we grow. 

Equally important to farming, as it will nurture the bodies of Earthseed and other communities, education will nurture and expand the minds of Earthseed. For instance, logic and rational thinkers are important to building a better future as they encourage individuals to analyze information, evaluate evidence, and make informed decisions. Additionally, rational thinking fosters constructive communication and conflict resolution, so by promoting a culture of rational discourse and empathy, my Earthseed can mitigate conflicts and maintain meaningful relationships among other members. It is important to highlight that in Lauren’s world, Zahra spoke about people being so dumb they “can’t think, can’t learn, just sit around nine, ten years old, peeing in their pants, rocking back and forth, and dripping spit down their chins. There’s a lot of them.” That is a world without education and a community to help raise them. My Earthseed would be eons away from that!

[themattress]

Dissection time!

it lacks what I’m now calling the three Cs of storytelling: conflict, consequences, and character development.

Interesting thesis. Let's see how well it holds up.

In order for CF to work, you have to believe in the change Edelgard’s going to make. The problem is that Fire Emblem isn’t a game that easily includes the political theory required to tell this story to its fullest extent or to tactfully handle aspects of this plotline like blatant imperialism and nationalism.

Imperialism, yes. That's the biggest part that makes this campaign morally gray...that and being shackled to the Slithers. Nationalism? That'd be more believable if Edelgard was trying to bring back the Adrestria of the past, but she's not, since that Adrestria had problems that caused the fracturing into Faerghus and Leicester, that Adrestria was always beholden to the Church of Seiros and the Crest system, that Adrestria is the one that victimized her and her siblings. She is trying to create a new nation, a new Adrestria. This isn't about national interest, this is a full-on revolution, exemplified when she steps down from power at the end.

From acknowledging that she never considered inequality to giving all the power to one person

"Acknowledging that she never considered inequality" is not a thing that happened, ever. It's a strawman of something that happened, but not an actual thing. And when did she give "all the power to one person"? Her endings make clear there's still ministers in the Empire with their own power, and that her reforms ensure the Emperor doesn't have carte-blanche to do whatever they want without the peoples' consent, though nor are they a useless puppet like her father was rendered. You can only really dispute this if you are reading it in bad faith.

CF also ends way too early for stories like this.

Fair point, I suppose. The developers acknowledged they ran out of time with CF given that they started work on it last, which is why it ends prematurely. At the same time, it's not like the other routes end on notes where "everything is fine" either. Of course there will be more troubles ahead, nothing in war is ever "fully resolved" at the actual end of it. That's just life.

CF often undermines itself with its complete lack of nuance. Everything is far too convenient, simplified, and portrayed as very black and white.

Not only is OP projecting from how AM ended up resolving itself, but they also aren't even correct about this. Nobody ever questions themselves or Edelgard, huh? Let's see.....

.......So yeah, this talking point's bullshit.

Killing Rhea solves the systematic abuse of power and everyone is peaches and cream about getting their nation invaded according to the ending cards.

Which is different from other routes' ending cards painting rosy pictures how?

Rhea’s an evil monster who hates humanity, Dimitri’s a vengenance-driven murder machine, and Claude’s secretly hoping to take over Fodlan himself. None of the legitimate grievances of Edelgard’s antagonists are considered so the player never has to never feel potentially bad about what they’re doing.

And that's why we have scenes like this, showing Rhea's sadness.

Or scenes like this, where Dimitri is able to die at peace with Dedue.

Or scenes like this, where regardless of whether Claude is dead or not it is emphasized how Claude took pains to choose a way that involved the less bloodshed on the Alliance's part, framing him as sympathetic.

Yep, no nuance or legitimate grievances to be seen here!

This is a stark difference from the nuanced and sympathetic treatment Edelgard gets when she’s the antagonist.

I refer to my point on Hegemon Edelgard again.

Edelgard opines about all the blood on her hands with no thoughts about who is doing the bleeding.

CF seems almost afraid of anything resembling self-reflection and opts for borderline hilarious lines screaming in neon letters “Edelgard good, everyone else bad! Please don’t look behind the curtain.”

Beyond debuking "no self-reflection" already (not so much on Edelgard's part but that's because that's her character; on the part of most of the other characters), there are plenty of lines that scream "Edelgard and Empire bad, everyone else good!" in the other routes. OP clearly doesn't have a problem with them because they are operating in extreme bad faith.

It wants the player to simultaneously believe Edelgard is taking the road to hell to rescue everyone else while treating that road like a quick stroll through a sunny forest because it doesn’t want you, the self-insert, to feel potentially bad.

No, it clearly does want you/Byleth to feel potentially bad.

But it doesn't force it, because it's offering up player choice as it should.

In CF, you take the biggest, baddest, richest country and curb-stomp everyone. Edelgard nor Byleth nor anyone else ever stops to question or disagree on anything.

Again, see above for the debunking of this claim.

Everyone you mow down is secretly awful.

....No? Just Rhea and kind of Dimitri, but Rhea being secretly awful is a thing in all routes even when you're not fighting her, while Dimitri is actually depicted better here than he is in other routes' time-skip period, still showing a sense of honor and compassion for his friends.

There’s no interesting conflict anywhere in this route.

The conflict of Byleth choosing humanity over divinity isn't interesting?

Edelgard can threaten to kill her classmates, hire known serial killers, tell everyone her enemies took actions her “allies” actually did, and never come clean to either Byleth or the Black Eagles about - well - anything, and everyone just nods along like drones. It’s like CF forgot the Flame Emperor existed, because Byleth and the Black Eagles certainly do. It’s impossible to invest in this route’s storyline when the interesting actions characters take go nowhere.

No different than with Dimitri in AM.

Characters like Ferdinand and Petra seem set up for mini-storylines of their own, but do absolutely nothing.

You need to do Supports and Paralogues for pay-offs, like with most characters.

Byleth and Hubert agree with everything Edelgard does with no conflicting interests, debates, or questions.

Did OP miss this scene?

Even Edelgard gets very little development and seems barely different from the young woman in the prologue, except now she’s not lying to Byleth - I guess. She has opened up to you and only you, self-insert.

The "Black Eagle Strike Force" is a testament to how she opened up more to the others, treating them very differently than the impersonal way she does in other routes when they're under her command. Just look at the dialogue in this scene; clearly they have a tight bond.

Overall, CF was a massive disappointment. If it had the guts to follow through on some things, it maybe could’ve been my favorite route. In the hands of writers less concerned with self-insert pandering and willing to “go there,” it would’ve had a vastly different review and ranked among my favorite stories in Fire Emblem’s franchise. Instead, we get a shallow and uninteresting let down.

Read: "CF was disappointing because it didn't have real nuance, which I define as Edelgard being unquestionably evil and wrong about everything and the story of Byleth joining hands with her needing to constantly portray that choice as miserable and angsty. It's totally pandering to the player to actually let the player choose a point of view for themselves and choose how they handle fighting on the side of the aggressor in the war! That's just stupid!"

And now some comments from the OP and others in their circle that they agree with proving this whole review is operating under bad faith to begin with:

Claude and Dimitri are capable of nuance, of seeing other people's perspectives, and wanting to work together. But Edelgard's a human bulldozer. Of course she see no value in who she fights and cannot comprehend any nuance about her situation. She's right. Everyone else is bad.

"She sees no value in who she fights and cannot comprehend nuance; she's right, everyone else is bad". Which is why she praises Claude after he dies should the player choose to kill him and also clearly respects him after talking with him should he be spared. Why she cries over Dimitri after killing him. Why she offers Rhea and the remaining members of the Church a chance at surrender without further bloodshed. Yep, total sociopath who doesn't see the value in those she fights or understand why they fight against her. Just a complete monster.

it's so peak Edelgard to disregard and demean all her enemies, seeing them as so lesser than her "brilliance", whereas everyone else is willing to sympathize with her and work with her.

Disregards and demeans all her enemies, huh? I guess I just imagined all of those lines respecting them and calling them formidable foes not to be underestimated! Silly me! But yeah, this shows the OP was anti-Edelgard going in, so of course they'll judge CF badly for daring to paint her in a positive light. They and their circle view it with a bad faith lens.

This route is not a “normal” route, it is a villain route leading, ultimately, to a Bad Ending. Characters revert to their worst selves. The lore doesn’t make any sense, characters are rightfully calling Billy an asshat and there’s nothing Billy can do, bar mowing them down.

Except the Bad Ending isn't bad given that it says Fodlan prospers and TWSITD are taken down, many of the characters are just as good and some better than elsewhere, and "Billy" can, in fact, secure outcomes other than "mowing them down" for several opponents (also, you "mow down" enemies who naturally call you an asshat for opposing them in every route!)

Because you went down this path, you think you’re acting as the hero when you’re really the villain. It’s why there’s lines hidden in the route that link CF Edelgard to the other routes, basically implying that she’s no different because of your support. Edelgard is not a character who changes, instead she tempts and corrupts those around her. It’s only by rejecting her that Byleth can be a hero.

....CF is what is totally lacking in nuance, you say?

only to be so disappointed by the lack of real follow-up on... literally anything from White Clouds

And finally, I can bring this back!

"The poorly written and cartoonishly evil TWSITD are side-lined and killed off almost by accident. Edelgard is the main villain, and is far more interesting."

So let me get this straight: this circle of fans say that CF derailing the set-up from White Clouds by having Byleth join the villain, reject the divine part of themselves and not even truly come to understand it, and having no on-screen resolution for TWSITD is bad, but that AM derailing the set-up from White Clouds by having Byleth obsessively focus on Dimitri at the expense of all else, never learn or understand a thing about the divine part of themselves (including never talking to Rhea about it because Rhea literally never appears), and having TWSITD "side-lined and killed off almost by accident" without their machinations truly being brought to light is good! You honestly couldn't hold a bigger double standard if you tried.

What else can I say but:

Crimson Flower Review

This is a long one guys. 

For a bit of context about this review. I didn't play Crimson Flower first. I played all 4 routes first, beating them back-to-back one in-game "week" at a time. I've realized in the fandom that knowing someone's route order is sometimes taken into consideration, so I wanted to share that. 

Oh, boy. I think the length of this review says a lot about Crimson Flower. Unfortunately, a lot of what's below is fairly negative, but that's mostly because I'm so upset at what this route could've been. Ultimately, I believe bad noise is better than no noise at all, and, say what you want about CF, but it makes a LOT of noise - good and bad - for better or worse. 

Crimson Flower wants to tell a story similar to Kingdom or Legend of the Galactic Heroes where a character, dissatisfied with the injustice of the world, decides to amend that by taking everything over and fixing it themselves. It flips the usual script where the person wanting to acquire power through violent conquest is little more than a cackling villain who kicks puppies as a hobby and turns said character into an ideologically motivated one, furious at injustice rather than seeking personal gain. However, Crimson Flower really misses the mark on its execution due to the confines of current Fire Emblem's storytelling abilities, how it often undermines itself, and also because it lacks what I'm now calling the three Cs of storytelling: conflict, consequences, and character development. 

Crimson Flower is too ambitious for Fire Emblem's current limitations, a point I'll touch on again in my upcoming Azure Moon review too. In order for CF to work, you have to believe in the change Edelgard's going to make. The problem is that Fire Emblem isn't a game that easily includes the political theory required to tell this story to its fullest extent or to tactfully handle aspects of this plotline like blatant imperialism and nationalism. Concrete details are dropped here and there in scattered supports, and, honestly, all of Edelgard's plans are terrible. From acknowledging that she never considered inequality to giving all the power to one person, these details only convince me she has no idea what she's doing. With Fire Emblem's current structure, I'm not sure there is a way for it to handle politics all that well, which makes me wonder why they added these details in the first place. 

CF also ends way too early for stories like this. And, no, I don't mean her killing TWSITD. Yes, that's a necessary catharsis totally missing too, but what I also mean here is the complete lack of the aftereffects of her actions. CF thinks they can end it with King Louis XVI getting his head lopped off or the British squatting in India and call it a day. It ends with TWSITD unresolved, a violent aggressor forcing herself on cultures who never wanted her to lead them, and a continent suffering through five years of non-stop warfare she also forced on them. You can't just pretend everything's magically resolved after Rhea dies and that Edelgard only needed to work for another five or ten years before skipping through flower fields with Byleth and expect me to take this story seriously.  At the same time, there's no real way for Fire Emblem, with its current structure, to realistically deal with any of this. 

There are, though, also major failings in CF's writing that have nothing to do with Fire Emblem's structure not really allowing for some of what CF's plotline demands. It severely undermines itself, creates bizarre mood whiplashes, and is desperately lacking in conflict, consequences, and character development.  

CF often undermines itself with its complete lack of nuance. Everything is far too convenient, simplified, and portrayed as very black and white. Killing Rhea solves the systematic abuse of power and everyone is peaches and cream about getting their nation invaded according to the ending cards. Rhea's an evil monster who hates humanity, Dimitri's a vengenance-driven murder machine, and Claude's scretly hoping to take over Fodlan himself. None of the legitimate grievances of Edelgard's antagonists are considered so the player never has to never feel potentially bad about what they're doing. And when what you're doing is textbook imperialism, that's a bit uncomfortable, especially when the country writing the story has yet to acknowledge their imperialistic past. This is a stark difference from the nuanced and sympathetic treatment Edelgard gets when she's the antagonist. Edelgard opines about all the blood on her hands with no thoughts about who is doing the bleeding. CF acts like there's no real cost to war because nothing lost is given any value in CF's writing, despite also wanting to act like Edelgard's made hard choices and sacrificing oh so much for the good of all (despite actually losing nothing). CF seems almost afraid of anything resembling self-reflection and opts for borderline hilarious lines screaming in neon letters "Edelgard good, everyone else bad! Please don't look behind the curtain." For a route that flirts with the idea of tackling systematic change and engages in imperialism 101, this is all incredibly disappointing and feels more like an angsty teenager's first anti-government/religion wish fulfillment wattpad fic than a story with depth. 

This white/black treatment of Edelgard vs everyone else undermines the very core of the story CF is trying to tell. It wants the player to simultaneously believe Edelgard is taking the road to hell to rescue everyone else while treating that road like a quick stroll through a sunny forest because it doesn't want you, the self-insert, to feel potentially bad. This issue, both wanting a "morally grey" story but without ever letting the player feel bad, is an issue with most routes, but is felt the hardest in CF.  

As a result of CF's unwillingness to engage with nuance at risk of making the player feel sad, there is a noticable lack of conflict, consequences, and character development. In CF, you take the biggest, baddest, richest country and curb-stomp everyone. Edelgard nor Byleth nor anyone else ever stops to question or disagree on anything. Nothing of value is lost. Everyone you mow down is secretly awful. There's no interesting conflict anywhere in this route. Likewise, there's no consequences. Edelgard can threaten to kill her classmates, hire known serial killers, tell everyone her enemies took actions her "allies" actually did, and never come clean to either Byleth or the Black Eagles about - well - anything, and everyone just nods along like drones. It's like CF forgot the Flame Emperor existed, because Byleth and the Black Eagles certainly do. It's impossible to invest in this route's storyline when the interesting actions characters take go nowhere. 

Because this route desperately lacks conflict and consequences, none of the characters are really allowed to grow or develop. Characters like Ferdinand and Petra seem set up for mini-storylines of their own, but do absolutely nothing. Byleth and Hubert agree with everything Edelgard does with no conflicting interests, debates, or questions. Even Edelgard gets very little development and seems barely different from the young woman in the prologue, except now she's not lying to Byleth - I guess. She has opened up to you and only you, self-insert, while Hubert's impact on her life is disregarded because only you, self-insert, ever really supported and understood her. 

Overall, CF was a massive disappointment. If it had the guts to follow through on some things, it maybe could've been my favorite route. In the hands of writers less concerned with self-insert pandering and willing to "go there," it would've had a vastly different review and ranked among my favorite stories in Fire Emblem's franchise. Instead, we get a shallow and uninteresting let down. 

[emblemxeno]

edelgard literally only hangs out with the children of the well-to-do nobility of the adrestian empire. the only poor person she talks to is dorothea and their supports are just dorothea sucking up to her lol. how is edelgard reforming the continent if she's just putting her rich friends in charge of everything like i don't understand how she prioritizing merit at all? like isn't it a weird coincidence that all of the most capable ppl are adrestian nobility?

It is weird, but it becomes less weird when you think about it more and more. And by thinking about it, I mean "ignore fandom and focus solely on what the game provides."

And that’s because one thing I came to realize through all the discourse is that the idea that Edelgard "fights for class equality" is entirely a product of fandom and little else.

When Edelgard talks about nobility and her visions for the future, she doesn't talk about the problems of the common folk. At all. The closest she gets to doing so is her support with Dorothea where she says she'll appoint people regardless if they're noble or common.

Her primary stance is "Crests grant power, the nobility glorifies that power, and those without Crests are pushed aside/treated poorly. Positions granted based on having a Crest or family inheritance must be done away with so as not to squander humanity's potential." This stance is almost entirely in relation to the nobility. She sees Caspar as a victim of these antiquated systems because he has no inheritance. In her supports with Lysithea and Hanneman, she wants to rid the value of Crests so the value of nobility goes with it. During the story, she only brings up Crests as the tool used to keep people down, as a way for nobles in different families to be mistreated and even relays how she was a victim of a Crest deciding her destiny (this is also in Heroes I believe).

There is effectively nothing in the game itself that supports her wanting to better things for the common folk. No talk on tax reforms, better economy, participatory government (she says officials will be selected, not elected in her Constance support for example). The most basic and fundamental reform for an equitable future, free education, has to be brought to her by someone else. Crests themselves really have no bearing on common peoples' plights as a whole.

Her fundamental beliefs are exclusively in regards to how the nobility functions, not making things better for common people. She believes tearing down a system is all that it'll take for the people to then be equal and she says as much when talking to Byleth after chapter 5: "Have you ever wondered if the only way to create a truly free world is to dispense with the goddess and Crests? Do that, and people will have no choice but to rise and fall by their own merits."

The natural assumption would then be "well she is making things better for the common folk cuz if she's choosing people based on their merit instead of their blood, which includes the common people" which is what a good chunk of fandom took from her words. But as we see above, she never does anything to really support commoners themselves. She only believes in a bootstrap mentality, the result of which will be ultimately determined by her since, whoops! There's still an all powerful authority with the title of emperor, so class inequality still effectively exists under her. And exactly as you brought up, the ones who proved capable at the end of her route were all Adrestian nobility. The one commoner was pretty much left in the dust in comparison.

The only way her goals can start to make sense is to throw away the idea that class equality is one of her goals at all, let alone her primary one. But regardless, no need to worry anon, fandom is weird haha. And I could talk further about how this extends to her hatred of the church and how Dimitri when compared to her actually cares more about class based oppression, but this is getting long enough as it is lol. 

[mittelfrank-divas]

I think we all agree that Ferdinand von Aegir is a ray of sunshine and a generally good person who’s trying his best. But all that sunshine tends to obscure the fact that Ferdinand absolutely has a darker side. 

Ferdinand: From birth, nobles must excel. If we do not, we will be forced out of our houses. This environment breeds superior individuals, and they, in turn, recreate the rigorous environment for their own children. Without that cycle, there would be no political elite guiding the world towards prosperity. 

Ferdinand knows that the noble class is a sort of giant Hunger Games scenario in which failing to conform to expectations and excel in their abilities will get them disowned from their families and he likes it that way. 

Remember that this is the kind of system that produced Miklan. That made Bernadetta so terrified of the world. This is a system designed to create winners and losers, and the consequences for the losers can be life-ruining. 

And it is, frankly, easy for him to like this system because he has clearly benefitted from it. Ferdinand is one of the few FE3H characters who mechanically has no weaknesses. He can literally do anything he puts his mind to. He’s naturally gifted and he’s inclined to be hardworking, and those combined with all the privileges he was granted as the heir of the most powerful house in the Empire make this system perfectly designed to put him at the head of the pack. 

And this actually isn’t about crests. Ferdinand goes on to say that people are a product of their environments. Ferdinand is unique in that he sees nobility as a thing that people must do rather than something they are, which is why he can so easily extend his reasoning here to push for universal education. But his goal is to simply expand the pool of top elites. To maintain the same cutthroat environment that produced him, but apply it to everyone across the board. 

It’s not entirely a bad thing, but it’s not the good and pure proposal that it seems to be on the surface. Universal education would undoubtedly go far in reducing inequity overall but that is not even his primary goal. His goal is to make sure that if Edelgard really wants a meritocracy to work, she’d better think about how to get more people up to the same level as the nobility. 

I just think it’s important to recognize how complicated Ferdinand is. He’s often portrayed by fandom as this innocent pure cinnamon roll, when even his more positive inclinations are heavily colored by an elitist mentality. He sometimes jumps through multiple toxic hoops to land on his kinder gestures (telling Mercedes he still thinks of her as noble, for instance, when what he means is that she’s a good person who has value regardless of her status). He actively works to unlearn a lot of the things he grew up with, and yet still remains very much a product of a heavily classist system. That is actually one of the reasons why he remains such an interesting character to me, because he is made up of so many contradictions, and is often struggling against his own nature to be as good and kind as he is. 

[somepinkthing]

Ok bold statement but, from what I've seen, the crest system doesn't actually affect the common people as much as it does the rich and powerful. FE3H is set in a feudal-esque society and throughout the game we see the nobility lord their power over the common folk regardless of crests to drive that point home. That throws edelgard's crusade into a whole new light. I'm not saying the crest system shouldn't have been corrected — it was a bad and oppressive system that hurt a lot of people — or that rhea should have been allowed to continue using the people as she did, but this does put an interesting new spin to edelgard's own justifications that her actions will ultimately benefit everyone universally

I love her but edelgard's logic that her war will help unify fodlan and benefit normal people more than nobles was always full of holes. For example, unity you force on people with an invading army isn't unity? Killing or subjugating naysayers is a short sighted solution if your aim is peace? Creating three major vaccuums of power and then filling them with yourself is just dismantling a system where one person held too much power and sway over the continent and replacing it with another, identical, system? You are not the only one who cares to combat the effects of the crest system and could have allied with others instead of launching a war? The crest system is a symptom of an unfair social class system, not it's cause?

But edelgard, especially pre-timeskip, doesn't have any way of understanding all of that — particularly the last bit. She suffered horrible things, yes, but she was still a member of the nobility throughout it all. She can acknowledge other perspectives exist, but she's too focused on the things that happened to her and to the people around her to truly understand them. Edelgard wants to believe she's doing something that will benefit everyone equally but she fails understand that her idea of what causes people to suffer arose from her own, very isolated experiences and that they wouldn't match the shopkeeper's or her servants' or even her own classmates'! The lower classes didn't suffer from crests! They suffered for the same reason commoners did anywhere in a feudal, almost caste-based society — because people with more power, means, and money than them said so.

Again, I'm not saying the obsession with crests was fair nor am I saying that the church didn't need major reform right down to it's founding principles. What I am saying is that perhaps the dismantling of these institutions didn't justify imperialism and various war crimes as it was more of a symptom than the actual disease in the eyes of anyone not born a noble. Crests were another way to keep people in their place, sure, but arguably it was a power struggle primarily affected the upper classes who had access to said crests. Yes, it was harder (though not impossible it seems) to reach the highest rung of society without having a crest-bearer at least in the family... but lbr you'd pretty much have to be born into high nobility to even need to worry about that anyways. With the exception of rare cases, those from lower classes didn't have the means to approach the crest system. And in those rare instances a commoner did have a crest, it wasn't as if the crest alone granted them societal power — that'd be the rich noble family that popped in to sweep them up. So, yes, there was an odd obsession with having a crest but it was still always the person in the higher social class (crest or not) who held the power.

Furthermore, the empire appeared to be the most glaring pepetrator of said imbalanced class system so, if edelgard meant to tackle the issue of inequality, wouldn't it have been more effective to start there? To tackle the classism within her own country first? Or even to address that issue directly instead of the weird offshoot of it? Because, from this perspective, edelgard embroiled the continent in a war to free the nobility of the crest system and yet it wasn't them who paid the price. And while everyone has gaps in their perspective, not everyone wages war with a limited understanding of the platform they wished to champion. Edelgard truly believed war with the church was the first and most pressing step towards equality. Whether that's true,,, I'm not so sold. It just doesn't line up with the stories the others tell. And though she did push for actual reform in her epilogue, that gap in perspective shouldn't be ignored because it does speak to edelgard's characterization and people's reactions to her war

Edelgard, to me, has always felt like a character struggling to find a way to cope with her own trauma and lashed outwardly. This kind of drives it home. She strives to do good, I absolutely believe that she tries, but she also very much wants to settle her own demons. Running her crusade while telling herself that it would absolutely benefit the common folk just as much as it would her strikes me as her way of making it work both ways

[gascon-en-exil]

I'm playing CF for the first time and I have to say, Edelgard talks a LOT about the monsters or beasts controlling Foldan. She seems more like she believes in killing them more than actually fighting the church itself

There’s not enough evidence in game to prove that the church is actually corrupt - which is probably why half the fandom is constantly producing headcanons to that effect - so Edelgard has to focus on the fact the it’s secretly run by giant lizards...and that’s bad because they’re not humans. Her other major arguments against the church are flat out wrong: that they divided the continent to increase their power, that they enforce social inequality with Crests, etc.

What’s really funny is that Edelgard never learns about most of Rhea’s actually questionable behavior, like creating homunculi or the obsession with resurrecting her mother (and yes, resurrected Sothis would be a net gain for the continent, but Edelgard doesn’t see her that way). It’s telling that the player learns the full extent of that stuff in the only route where you can choose to save Rhea.

[benisasoftboi]

Unorganised thoughts on Silver Snow:

When I finished Golden Deer, I said that it had felt like a more traditional Fire Emblem story than Blue Lions. Silver Snow is that but even more so (though GD is still the most trad-FE cast, IMO)

Having already played those two routes, it felt very much like a whirlwind tour of them both, plus another battle thrown in at the end - a battle that probably should have been harder, but I (completely accidentally) built the bulkiest Byleth imaginable, especially resistance wise, plus high magic - and so, by pairing high defensive stats with Nosferatu, I tanked every attack that came my way 

Gaming, for me, is just doing whatever the hell I feel like, stumbling into good results, and then pretending that I did it on purpose

I spent the whole battle with the Dragon Tales theme song stuck in my head. Kind of killed the mood

I really enjoyed that after wrapping up both the Edelgard and TWSITD plots, they basically Persona 4 you by trying to convince you that the whole game’s done now and all that’s left is to chat with everyone - though unlike in P4, there’s very obviously something left to do because they give you a whole month of prep time, rather than just one day

I felt the same way about this on Golden Deer - none of the characters are appropriately shocked by Rhea’s highly questionable actions 

Also - she says she’s going to explain the whole truth! And she doesn’t! Only the Byleth creation stuff! The other revelations from Golden Deer are missing! Rhea! Why! Are! You! Like! This!

This is actually a problem I have with this game as a whole - they want to keep certain lore and secrets exclusive to certain routes, but it results in every story feeling in some way incomplete. Like, Fates gets a lot of crap, but at least you did get a full story from your half (third? never played Revelation) a game for the price of a whole one. Blue Lions gets the worst of it, I think 

Plus, when you know some of said secrets, it makes characters who refuse to share them in other routes seem weirdly (and sometimes, contrivedly) cagey about things they really do not need to be cagey about. See: Claude refusing to tell Dimitri and Byleth in Azure Moon that he wants to End Racism, and instead vagueing about ‘achieving his dream’. This is not Edelgard wanting to conquer Fodlan and dismantle the entire social structure, Claude, your ideals really are not so controversial that you need to be this coy. Dimitri and I are cool, we getcha 

My one sentence review of the whole game is basically: Great characters, great world building, great gameplay - but really, really frustrating plot structure

I’m also really upset that Seteth does not have a dragon form

Speaking of Seteth, I married him this time around. I mostly decided to do it for laughs, but while Byleth/Dedue is still my number one Byleth pairing, I came to really, genuinely like them together. Seteth is one of my favs, now more than ever

It helps that romancing Seteth feels a lot less... creepy than romancing most of the students. I like Linhardt, but romancing him felt very weird to me because I couldn’t get over Byleth having first known him as a 16 year old under their care. Dedue, for the record, doesn’t elicit this response  because he doesn’t really feel as much like a student to me? Role-wise he feels a lot closer to the knights, and it’s just that he's been enrolled as a student for convenience’s sake, which makes him and Byleth feel more equal than they do with most of the other kids. Helps that he’s also on the older end

Anyway, Seteth and Byleth would be the nerdiest couple ever, is the impression I got from their ending. The confession scene made me laugh in how ‘oh we’ve got a lot of work to do - btw wanna get married? - sweet, now let’s get back to work’ it was. Mark Whitten is a gem

It’s also the the first time I felt like the game was actually shipping me with a main lord (Seteth taking that role in the absence of the box lords on this route). Haven’t done Crimson Flower yet, so no opinion on the Edelgard/Byleth relationship yet, but regarding Claude and Dimitri my (pretty damn controversial, possibly a bad idea to put out there) opinions on them with Byleth are that

Claude and Byleth are platonic bros, regardless of Byleth’s gender. I just don’t get any feeling of romance from their relationship at all, and so pairing them off feels weird (to me, personally - I don’t hate the ship or anything, though)

Meanwhile Dimitri 100% had a crush on his teacher at school, but after more than five years of enduring trauma after trauma, and then half a year of beginning to heal (whilst fighting a war culminating in the execution of his step-sister), Dimitri is nowhere near ready for a romantic relationship. And when he is, I wouldn’t want him with any of the main cast, Dimitri x Village Girl OTP. I guess if it has to be anyone, I’d be okay with Mercedes, maybe Marianne - hell, maybe even Claude - but really, I just want him to get a fresh start. I think that’s the healthiest option for him, in the end

I do think it’s a pairing that could work in an AU where Dimitri doesn’t have any of the experiences he has in canon, though 

And again, this is just my personal reading

I’ll also admit that I may be influenced by the fact that his two most popular pairings are with Byleth and Dedue, who I greatly prefer with each other. Mostly because I love Dedue with all my soul and his ending with Byleth is by far his happiest, in my eyes at least. It’s the only one where he puts some distance between himself and Dimitri and evens out the power balance in their relationship, which makes me happy because oh boy, the Dimitri/Dedue relationship is super interesting and compelling, but also (again, by my reading) all kinds of unhealthy as it’s presented for most of the game - power balance issues like I say, the fact that they tend to indulge, even encourage, each other’s worst instincts and behaviours, mutual guilt complexes - like I say, it’s fascinating, but damn screwed up. IMO, they’re one of the best examples I’ve seen of how unhealthy relationships aren’t always the result of one bad person, and how two good people can end up being very bad for each other

Though it is, again, a pairing I can see working (and actually being incredibly cute) in an AU where they’ve lived less horrible lives

And it’s not like I don’t want them to be friends, I just want them to also develop healthier boundaries and equal levels of respect

oh my god none of this has anything to do with silver snow what am I doing

But hey, speaking of Dimitri - I flip flopped on whether I thought his death was handled better or worse here than Golden Deer. It was given, I felt, more appropriate gravitas, but again suffered from ‘Dimitri’s dead! No, Dimitri’s alive! Oh wait, now he’s dead again’ in like, three successive scenes. And then you see his... ghost? I guess?

Dimitri really seems to get the short end of the stick on routes outside his own. Claude’s non-Deer roles were, in both cases I’ve played, much stronger and more fitting, and Edelgard is Edelgard

Maybe he’ll be good in Crimson Flower. Please. I miss Dimitri mattering. He’s probably my favourite of the three

There’s a point - obviously I don’t fully know Edelgard yet, but from what I got from the White Clouds section, above anything else she strikes me as an incredibly realistic depiction of a slightly edgy, extremely idealistic, but also highly naive and short-sighted teenager

Her whole goal, it seems, is meritocracy. She hates the crest system and the nobility, and she wants to create a system of equal opportunity. I can get behind that, but I really hope she’s prepared to accept the fact that true equal opportunity is basically impossible without recreating The Giver, as inequality is always more complex than one single factor being to blame for everything. Has Edelgard considered other limitations that make true meritocracy difficult to achieve? Has she been working on, say, a comprehensive benefits system? Or is she more of a libertarian type, and so primarily all about negative freedom and removing direct oppression? I hope Crimson Flower goes into detail on this, I’d be genuinely interested to know

I also find it interesting that she gets very angry about the fact that people hurt her and her family as a means to their own ends, so she decides that her own ends are to eliminate the system that lead to that happening - and she doesn’t care who she has to hurt in the process

This isn’t a CinemaSins *ding* plot hole observation, I genuinely think it’s interesting, and not actually that unrealistic

I also suppose her goal is no less naive than End All Racism By Being Nice To People, but Claude isn’t killing and persecuting people in attempt to achieve that, so it invites less scrutiny

I do wonder if I would have felt more strongly positively about her if she’d been my first playthrough. I do believe she’s a person that sincerely means well, and she’s certainly sympathetic, but - hmm. I’ll make my mind up when I finish CF

Anyway, paired endings. A few that I got include Raphael and Bernadetta (by far my favourite Bernie ending so far, seriously, what is that Caspar ending), Shamir and Leonie, which was cute and goofy (as Leonie’s endings tend to be, I notice, I do like that girl), Felix and Dorothea (not my favourite for either, but cute), Sylvain and Mercedes (the same but even cuter), Cyril and Petra (which felt wrong, partly because I love Cysithea a hell of a lot, and also because despite knowing there’s only about a year between them, Petra looks so much older pre-time skip), Ferdie and Marianne (super wholesome and sweet), and Linhardt and Caspar (my boyyyyssss that I refuse to ever separate again)

Not sure what I’m going to aim for on CF aside from keeping those boys together and also Ferdie/Hubert, as I’ve Heard Things

Flayn and Manuela have an A support so I figured they had a paired ending and it turns out they do not, which means Manuela was alone forever and Flayn ran away because apparently she hated having Byleth for a step mother I guess, rude

My Byleth (Myleth?) was prepared to be the best step mother in the history of the world, so offended

I realised ‘Javelins of Light’ is one of my absolute favourite tracks in the whole game. Mostly because it sounds like something out of Danganronpa, which made me nostalgic

I also like ‘Guardian of Starlight’ for somehow managing to sound like a Danganronpa/PMD: Explorers crossover track

I love how out of nowhere the Immaculate One fight is. It really does just feel like they needed something to distinguish the route from Verdant Wind outside of Claude not being around, so they just had a map that was less cool in every way except for the dragon

Is there an explanation for why Nemesis doesn’t show up on this route?

Also - I didn’t mention this in Golden Deer thoughts but I also found that final battle way, way easier than it was probably meant to be because I’d made everyone into a flier and so the floor damage hazard was meaningless

Which I totally did on purpose and not so I could make a stupid joke post about my all-wyvern team 

Anyway, in conclusion, Silver Snow was a good route, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would (I’d kind of thought it was just going to be GD without Claude, which isn’t... totally wrong, but it’s got some other stuff going on too), I liked Seteth getting to have a bigger role, I thought it had the best final boss (if not the best final boss map), and I liked that I got some more Dragon Lore (never a bad thing)

please don’t yell at me for my controversial shipping opinions 

[meditativeyoga]

Facilitating Calm and Balance: Understanding the Multi-Functional Psoas Muscle

On the list of MVMs-most important muscle mass that is-the Psoas muscular tissue, or a lot more specifically the Iliopsoas chain, would certainly be at the top of any type of yogi's list. It wants all, the physical web link in between the back as well as the legs.

The primary muscle activity of the psoas is back flexion as well as expansion. It's the primary hip flexor, both femur-on-pelvis and also pelvis-on-femur. It likewise contributes in side flexion of the back area and also flexion of the low lumber spine about the sacrum. Significantly, the psoas likewise provides vertical stabilization of the lumbar back while still accommodating the natural contours, as well as is considered component of the core.

Most yogis know that a weak, limited, or overstretched psoas can add to low back pain, inefficient activity patterns, and poor stance. Much less recognized are the duty of the psoas in the world of physiology, breath and also core assistance, as well as mood. The psoas can play a role in pelvic pain, abdominal discomfort, cranky digestive tract disorder, as well as anxiety.

Marlysa Sullivan, assistant teacher at Maryland College of Integrative Health, where she teaches in the Yoga Therapy and Integrative Science divisions, maintains that a much more comprehensive understanding of the various features of the psoas would lead us to an extra holistic strategy toward functioning with it.

The Psoas Has Numerous Functions

As a physical therapist and also yoga exercise therapist, Marlysa has observed that it's easy to misinterpret the cues we obtain from the psoas. We might blunder weak point or inequality as tightness and also the requirement to stretch. Consequently, yogis usually concentrate more on stretching and also extending the psoas in postures such as lunges, when what's actually required is enhancing, rebalancing, or, oftentimes, kicking back as well as releasing it.

To comprehend why, it's useful to first emphasis a little bit on the anatomy.

The psoas significant connects from the 12th thoracic vertebra and also all of the back vertebrae as well as intervertebral disks to the thigh. The iliacus muscle mass attaches to the inner lip of the iliac crest and also little area of the sacrum across the SI joint. Along the road, the psoas and iliacus fibers begin to mingle and they share a ligamentous connection to the lower trochanter of the thigh. The muscular links are just a partial picture.

By its position deep in the pelvic basin, the psoas does a pump-like action that relocates blood and also lymphatic fluid throughout the cells. Marlysa explains that via the fascial connection in between the psoas and visceral organs such as the kidneys and also intestinal tracts, rigidity in the psoas will certainly likewise influence those organs.

" When the psoas is limited, the fascia that surrounds the organs will also be tight. It's a little an indirect link, but body organ movement or mobility can nevertheless become limited as well as the function of lymphatic circulation and stomach body organs impeded," she explains.

Another important partnership is that in between the psoas and also diaphragm. By a fascial connection in between both, along with distance to the ligaments that prolong down from the diaphragm to the back, the breathing and also the psoas muscular tissue share a close functional connection. If one becomes limited or inefficient, the various other is most likely to be impacted, so a persistantly limited psoas can restrict the mobility of the diaphragm and also restrict breath capacity.

The Psoas Connection to Fight-or-Flight

Marlysa directs out that the diaphragm-psoas web link additionally has excellent ramifications in state of mind control. When we are stressed out or enter into fight-or-flight mode, the psoas normally contracts. It can additionally be the source of trigger factors or a location to hold habitual tension. This is where an understanding of the link between the psoas as well as the autonomic nervous system-and how the psoas can play a part in our feeling of equanimity as well as well-being-in enters into sharper focus.

" Think of it," Marlysa muses. "In a state of extended sympathetic overdrive or boosted sympathetic activation-such as when we walk in a perpetual state of low-level fight-or-flight or are handling injury in our lives-we're going to have more tone in the muscle mass that are made use of for fight, flight, or freeze. We'll essentially stressful the big muscles like the psoas and the quadriceps that are utilized to run or to fight.

A yoga exercise present that lengthens the psoas will do little to relieve this circumstance. What Marlysa encourages rather to soothe the hyper promoted nerve system is to generate the para-sympathetic (rest and digest) reaction.

" When I consider unwinding a muscle versus stretching it, the suggestion is that whenever you shorten a muscle mass, you bring the origin and the insertion closer with each other while creating a kicked back state. You're not asking the muscle mass to do anything. So for instance, when I'm resting my psoas is in a shortened position. I'm having to hold myself up so the psoas is working.

Facilitating a relaxed psoas helps with a parasympathetic state throughout the body since the body is able to move into leisure mode. Via an indirect link to the vagus nerve, Marlysa mentions that releasing the psoas can also aid take a person out the dorsal vagal feedback that leads us to immobility or dissociation right into this optimal parasympathetic state. This creates what Marlysa terms a bottom-up ventral-vagal response to the social interaction system.

Marlysa's best position for psoas release and also producing that unwinded state is Constructive Relax Position. Not practically a yoga posture, Useful Relax was first introduced by Mabel Todd in 1937 in her groundbreaking publication, The Assuming Body. It's a placement of complete remainder in which the spine is eliminated of the weight of the arms and legs, and also the major joints are free to release right into gravity and also come under rest. The objective is to distribute the weight of the body to make sure that no job is called for in order to keep equilibrium.

" I joke with the students at Maryland College that everyone gets constructive remainder due to the fact that it's the position that every person needs," laughs Marlysa. "As well as not to overstate it, yet the majority of people do truly well if they do useful rest. When you incorporate five minutes of a completely relaxed physical state with longer exhalations as well as more kicked back breathing, then add in some meditation, it really promotes the parasympathetic state. It's a pose that individuals will certainly do, specifically when they understand how much it helps. A great deal of my customers discuss how they use it for tension, anxiety, as well as pain in the back in particular.

" An injury survivor can't always make use of the mind to accessibility relaxation, calm, peace as well as safety. We can attain it through the body. What's actually just stunning and also magical regarding yoga is that we have strategies that can go from the mind (which is called top-down influence) or we can do techniques that are based on the body (which is called bottom-up)," Marlysa states.

Constructive Rest Position

Lie on your back, location and also location your reduced legs hip width apart on a chair, possibly with a yoga band around your thighs to enable them to fully unwind. Alternatively, you can likewise put your feet hip-width apart and also enable your knees to rest on each other.

Find a comfy relaxing setting for your arms, either draping them across your body or on the flooring with hands up.

Do not make any initiative to "take care of" your setting or modify the curves of your spine. If your neck is extremely flexed or your chin is greater than your nose, put a folded up covering under your head to relieve the imbalance.

Allow gravity to work its magic for 5-20 minutes.

Try utilizing an eye pad, relaxed songs, or covering over your body to improve your experience.

When you are prepared to come out of the setting, bring your knees to your upper body and slowly roll away, obtaining your bearings before pressing on your own back up.

[kendrixtermina]

Thank you for pointing out that Byleth and Rhea's supports give off major creepo vibes. I've seen people say that Rhea genuinely cares about Byleth in non-CF routes and when I finished all the routes I was just like "uhh, where is it???" and her S-support honestly felt so tacked on.

I mean you do get that “It was uncomfortable please don’t do this anymore” dialogue option so it’s not just me saying it ‘cause of bias.

Though of course this is somewhat subjective. I mean there have been occasional posts where ppl were put-off by universal faves like Flayn or Claude because most ppl have some a list of personality traits that kinda set them off, rub them the wrong way or would be dealbreakers and its important to keep in perspective how much of that reaction is you and how much is the source material. 

It’s not inconceivable that someone would like her attention or have their sympathy overpowering any alarm bells. 

For me personally her death scene in  SS kinda seals the deal because she keeps talking to the crest stone in their chest to the very end... yeah she was dying and delirious but thats precisely it, lying or cushioning your statements takes more mental energy, it’s like blurting out the truth when you’re high or drunk. 

The s support is relevant in the sense that she does admit her crimes in a watered-down fashion/ in so far as she understood them (ie, it’s another point of evidence that this isn’t just something Edelgard made up or got from a dubious source, though really aren’t ppl seeing that Claude is also suuper onto her?) 

She also outright admits that she just wanted them to turn into Sothis until recently/ throughout part 1

To be fair she does protect them during the imperial raid on Garreg Magh and in Shambhalla, and this is what eventually results in her death, but given her last line that was all ‘cause they’re Sothis container -not to mention that she had her own reasons to want Shambhalla destroyed and fight to the death for that -  for the first time since the war of heroes, she is directing her anger at the real actual culprits. Now if only she could’ve done that to begin with!

Actually I think the experiments are some of her less bad deeds, because she created the homunculi from scratch and she didn’t expect to make a new person that would then get erased, but for Sothis to inhabit the new bodies to begin with - also from the example of Byleth’s mom it seems like she let them live normal lives.

That doesn’t make it less shady that she definitely tried to spark a takeover with Byleth (why you think Jeralt was always sent of lots of faraway missions?)but in the end she had little real control over wether it happens or not. 

That’s the one she feels the most guilt about because its “against the rules”, but the whole “ruling from the shadows for centuries, making people fight among themselves so she could rule, striking down all dissenters” part is actually waaay worse and had many more victims. 

Even here the problem is not even so much that she’s the ruler but her great incompetence. She never meant to have a world full of xenophobia, instability, inequality, crest obsession and corruption and she certainly doesnt want the agarthans running rampant acrosss the map but these were the side effects of the tools she used to keep power. 

Ironically she might’ve had a better chance finding the real culprits or just ruling the world better if she didn’t have prejudice against humans as a whole. Everyone who criticises her is the same as Nemesis to her, so, no investigation or discernment. Humans being savage and corrupt? Nothing she can do about it, it’s in their nature. 

She probably THINKS, or convinces herself, that she’s just protecting the land like her mother before her (from Seteth’s and Flayn’s worth they do view being the guardians of the land as their duty, and in her S support she says that she did it all “to keep the peace”, though she does quite a lot in her mothers name that said mother would never have approved of) and keeping up this Benevolent Mother Figure look when she’s an extremly immature lost child inside with pretty shallow undifferentiated emotions. Some remorse is better than no remorse, but it’s a fairly childlike remorse born out of being told the things she did are bad not understanding their consequences.

“If my actions had anything to do with the war...” Lady there’s no ‘if’ it was totally a consequence of the world your built and your own lies biting you in the ass, starting with the fact that there was no mechanism to vote you out, or even to convince enough noblemen to support, say, your more competent brother as a ruler, since you’re basing your authority on the local religion and you viciously repressed all dissenters before even asking questions. 

There were rebels left and right, produced by dissatisfaction - Edelgard was just more well-connected than most. 

Generally it seems overly cynical to probe the purity of someone’s motives when they’re taking in orphans and outcasts, if the end result is than an orphan isn’t on the street that’s what’s important - but you have to see it in the context of her other actions. It’s like a billionaire supporting crooked, fuck-the-poor style politicians with all their money to get their own interests, and then donating to charity. Charity is good no matter who it comes from but doing an itty bit of good can’t balance out cavalcades of harm, even harm that’s just a side effect. 

She created this situation in the first place oh isnt she caring and merciful for not being completely indifferent to all its victims. 

IMHO what you see in CF seems like a pretty logical continuation of the same zealotry you see in Part I. Part I is basically you doing all of the Church’s dirty work for a year and they makes the ruling class do this at a relatively young age, as an indoctrination tactic . You don’t need to believe Edelgard or Claude, you just need to keep your eyeballs peeled. 

”so they learn never to turn their blades on the church” as Rhea herself outright puts it... whatcha think that line means. Why’d she say that if she didnt regularly put down rebellions, or “ppl would lose faith in the nobility if they heard that one tried to use a relic and transformed into a monster”, what they think that means?

[theexistentiallyqueer]

I just finished Crimson Flower and I’m incredibly frustrated by Edelgard’s lack of development in the main narrative itself, which I attribute in large part to Edelgard’s story being almost entirely hero-conqueror saying fuck the church.

This is a pro-Edelgard blog and a pro-Edelgard post and Edelgard haters can fuck right off. To clarify where I’m at in my PT, I’m replaying Crimson Flower to gather my thoughts and to try to get my preferred paired endings and then I’ll move on to Azure Moon, then Verdant Wind, then Silver Snow, but I’ve read summaries for all of them so I do know spoilers

Look, I do get Edelgard saying fuck the church. It makes sense considering the stranglehold the church has on Fodlan. The church created the political system in which crests have preeminent value and Edelgard rightly sees that for the problem it is.

What makes less sense is that Edelgard’s story in Crimson Flower is defined entirely by the conquest of Fodlan and defeat of the church when she knows at the very same time that those who slither in the dark are the real problem.

Crimson Flower makes no secret of this. Hubert and Edelgard both openly acknowledge that those who slither in the dark are the ones responsible for the violence inflicted upon Edelgard and her siblings. After the annihilation of Arianrhodr, Hubert speculates to Edelgard that they have close enough to proof that those who slither in the dark have been behind similar historical atrocities. The tension between Edelgard and her uncle is so palpable you could cut it with a knife. And yet Edelgard’s entire story is summed up by her defeating the dragon archbishop she has no personal connection with and reigning over a golden age, with only epilogue footnotes that she deals with the real terrors in the shadows.

Edelgard, who rages against the heavens? Edelgard, whose mission is to stamp out injustice and inequality? Edelgard, who reviles the feeling of being controlled, who seeks a relationship of absolute partnership with Byleth because all she wants is to feel like she’s on equal footing with someone, that Edelgard’s story is summed up with “and then she spent her days fighting the true darkness, the end” without any of the telling of the tale or its resolution?

And like keeping in mind that I haven’t gotten to Verdant Wind yet but I know what happens: why is Claude, the one with the least personal skin in the game (where the individual actors are concerned) the one to uncover the depths of the story? His issue is with Fodlan’s isolationism, and it was Rhea, through the church, that reinforced that. On the flip side, Edelgard has a personal stake in the story of Nemesis because her entire bloodline’s power is rooted in its nativity, and thus in how Nemesis’s existence was used to create and propagate crests.

Crimson Flower and Verdant Wind should have been switched. Claude fights the church and Edelgard fights the dark belly beneath it.

[lahayna]

Lahayna: Behind the Songs

The Lahayna song writing process was often an emotive affair, but we thrived on collaboration with each other.  Ideas were brought to a rehearsal room or studio in varying degrees of readiness and each band member would then work on creating the perfect part to fit in with the whole arrangement. We sought each other’s opinions and listened to our Producer, Luke Buttery. The process brought the best out of each of us as musicians and writers.  In the early days songs were sometimes road tested at a gig the same day they were written!  

Here Matt and Chris share some of the stories and production ideas behind the songs on Lahayna’s debut album ‘Lahayna’.

‘Save My Soul’: This was an idea that started when I was messing around at home with playing slide on open D tuning. I had been listening to a load of delta blues records so there was a nod  to the “girl gone done me wrong” in the lyrics but I wanted the music to have a more modern feel percussion wise, so we experimented with lots of layering of percussion in the studio and then added a synth in too. I love the backing vocals that Nikki adds on these. [Matt]

I really love Rory’s drum part on this one - he was always messing around with tribal style rhythms in rehearsals and those ideas found the perfect home on this track. [Chris] ‘Losing Battle’: This song had been around for a while and the lyrics were about that typical relationship we find ourselves in at times where we feel stuck in a loop repeating arguments and the point where you just want out. Musically, the idea was to counter this with a summery 70s funk pop vibe, nodding  to the Isley Brothers and the Jackson 5, really layering things up. I think J’s voice is great on this and for me the stand out is the cool outro solo on the Rhodes which our producer Luke Buttery added. [Matt] ‘Butterfly Bomb’: This track started out as a title, which had stayed with me from the stories my grandparents told me about growing up in London during the Blitz. Butterfly bombs were designed to attract people to pick them up and then explode.  Matt and I worked on the lyrics as a fictional story and sent them back and forth for each of us to add more lines. This was a process that really worked for us.  Once we had the lyrics, Matt then worked on the chord structure and I added the bass line before we took it to the other guys to add their parts.  Our inspiration for the production was the energy and sound of Rolling Stones tracks such as ‘Brown Sugar’ and Jumping Jack Flash’. It was great fun to play. [Chris]

‘Made Out Of Stone’: The idea for lyrics for this was kind of a “split personality conversation” and the philosophical questions I often found myself battling with whilst living in London: the part of me that felt compelled by my environment to live fast and pursue a certain level of financial recognition as a musician. And then what I call my true nature, which valued none of those things and really thought the true value in life came from the nourishment of the soul, striving to create what was real and pursuing the good. From a music perspective, I like the cool Motown style production this has going on and the tremelo. [Matt] ‘House of Cards’: There have been 3 events which I look at as “before and after” moments in my life: when I emmigrated to Spain at the age of 30, the birth of my daughter at 22 years old and, the first was my first real experience of death, when a close friend committed suicide. He had just turned 18 and over the year leading up to this, was trying to come to terms with the death of his mother (who had also committed suicide). Shortly after, his sister was to take her own life.  I personally spent many years trying not only to come to terms with the death of a close friend, but understand what had happened and how any one of us can get into the situation where this seems like the only option. I spent a lot of time with his father after, seeing a broken man who had lost his whole family: and I spent many years questioning the meaning of life through this context. [Matt] ‘When the Lights Are Low’: Another song that had been in vaults for a while and went through many incarnations…I think I wrote this when I was 18 or 19. Musically it was another one which leant heavily on us listening to Curtis Mayfield and the like at the time and we wanted the big production, the heavy reverb, the dramatic strings, brass the whole works. And I really love Churchy’s baseline, groovy and melodic. [Matt]

‘Set It Off’: I remember secretly using the studio where I was working as dubbing mixer to record this years back. I wanted the slow burning intro with the acoustic guitars and then the big kick in. Again, it was another split personality conversation, when you’ve been wronged in a relationship and are trying to make up your mind whether to stay or go. It was a lot of fun to record this one and get the Les Paul out for the solo. [Matt]

‘Passenger’: To give you an idea, this track was once introduced at a gig by Mems as a cry “for the revolution”…Similar to Made out of stone, the lyrics were dealing with my frustrations with living in London and, in general, trying to make sense of the inequality in the world whilst recognising my hypocrisy at times and attempting to understanding the part that I played and how things could change etc. From a music point of view, we left the extended outro for the album and I really love the anthemic quality of this one: along with House of Cards it’s probably my favourite track on the album. [Matt] ‘Love Is Dead’: I’d been listening to a load of rockabilly at the time and this was one of the tracks that I wrote after we had already entered the studio. This song was the start really of the writing for the band that would go on to be Burning Condors. The idea was to have a fun throwaway party song, with the lyrics about how we can sometimes throw ourselves into frivolity and indulgence in an attempt to get over the end of an important relationship. [Matt]

‘In the City’: The inspiration for this song came to me whilst I was driving to our old rehearsal studio, Pulse, in Walthamstow. It was a mid-summer evening and as I drove over the crest of a hill near home on my usual route, I was dazzled by the sun setting in perfect rays over that part of East London.  It was a beautiful sight, albeit probably not great driving conditions! By the time I reached Pulse I had the chorus and a verse.  J then wrote the other verses in a Cafe in Blackhorse Road; adding his own thoughts on living in London at the time, and the situation and surroundings he was in.   

Matt wrote the main melody on guitar and we worked on the song’s structure in the rehearsal room together.  The melody came one day at our manager Paul’s house.  Matt played the riff to J and it just popped into his head. To start with he sang some made up nonsense like “she came out of the window.  I didn’t even know her name”!  It was a relatively quick process and it produced an obvious first single for us.  

We wanted the production to be big and punchy whilst retaining the sound of the individual elements – vocals, guitar, bass and drums.  There are very few embellishments on the final recording, other than some timpani to accent the drums on the breakdown, which sounds massive! [Chris]

The album ‘Lahayna’ is released via Snakehand Records on all major digital formats 20/11/2017.

[fireemblems24]

Your merit post actually reminded me of an argument I saw on one of the fire emblem subreddits, where an Edelstan made a post about how Crimson Flower has the best outcome for Fodlan because it creates equal opportunity for everyone and specifically based that argument on the education that Edelgard and Ferdinand discuss in their A-support. Someone in the comments pointed out that just giving everyone the option for education doesn't automatically create an equal starting ground (1/3)

for everyone, that some peope will still be born poor or to working class families where the priority will always be to work and get food on the table first, even if education is readily available. The people that can take advantage of free education will always be people with the time to spare, i.e. NOT working class families but, suprise, members of the nobility and the already rich. The stans response was that you cant expect Edelgard to just do everything and its not her fault if (2/3)

poor people cant take advantage of free education, which was... a pretty funny rebuttal not going to lie. (3/3)

LAMO about the rebuttal. No idea how you'd ever come up with a counterargument to that. /s

The thing is, more accessible education is an overwhelmingly good thing. There's no denying that. And no one has ever managed to solve inequality. Nor would I expect Edelgard too. I can fully get behind characters who are invading other nations (obviously only in fiction, not real life ever) even if their systems won't make life a utopia for everyone. Or even if there's really no details and they're just really damn good at it.

What I can't get behind is someone so dense they didn't even consider inequality before willingly condemning thousands of common folk to death for her ideals. What's the point of her war if she has such a poor understanding of how people outside her bubble live? Is she really improving the lives of anyone at all except for crested nobles bemoaning how everyone wants them for their blood (which - imo - is going to happen crests or no)? How is any of her ideas helping more than hurting? I just can't see it because of how dense she comes across in that support and there's nothing to make up for it elsewhere.

[rebootrevolution]

X-Men Novelization (Book Two)

Chapter Nineteen

In a way he never had with Charles, Erik smiled. From the dark sky above the aircraft carrier the scrambling people below felt so appropriately insignificant, ducking behind cover he swept away with a thought, leaping from one attack only to fall into the next, finding weapons that were snatched from their hands before they could even fire. The fantasy of that moment was one Erik imagined countless times during innumerable transgressions against him. Finally he let loose. Finally he was unshackled by his fear of what They would do in retribution. They could do nothing, not with the power he now held.

He looked over at the missile, rotating in its place as he swayed his fingers. He considered where he wanted to send it, where it would rectify the inequities wrought against him, where it would inflict the greatest pain. His smile only grew as he admired his work, that is until a piercing thought deflated his moment.

Where were his students? Why did he not see them below joining in the revolution?

He looked down to the control room where he had left them, but it was empty. He scanned the carrier for a trace of Storm’s lightning or the glare of Cyclop’s optic beam, but all he saw was the screaming shadows fleeing from his attacks. It occurred to him that in the absence of his mind he may have put his students in danger, and the horror of the thought caused him to retract his powers back around himself. Surely he had not killed them--where were they?

Magneto received his answer when the he saw the glare he was looking for just out of the corner of his eye. It was just a flash, but as he turned he saw a more definite form of the glare come as a second attack. Cyclops was indeed down below, but he was not attacking the humans; he was attacking Magneto.

The revolving scraps of metal formed a natural barrier from Cyclop’s attack, their magnetic field fortified to the degree that the beam hardly came within two yards of Magneto’s frame. The intent behind the attack was what truly hurt, and the pain only doubled as a second attack came from behind him. This time it was lightning, and it came from above rather than below. Storm joined Magneto in the sky, but it was not as a fellow herald of the revolution. It was as an attacker sided with the oppressors attempting to stamp it out.

Storm hurled lightning bolt after lightning bolt from her hands, the bolts arcing from the sky behind her and then guided past her palm into the same swirling metallic barrier that held Cyclops at bay. With Storm closer, Magneto tried to call out to her. “What are doing, Storm? Please, we can’t let them divide us--not now, not a the dawn of something so beautiful!”

The winds picked up, but Storm called out over them “You tried to kill him! You stabbed him in the freaking back!” Tears welled up in her eyes, but she continued her onslaught as she screamed “You monster! You monster!”

The mirth of his moment was gone. Magneto took no pleasure in his next attack, his heart growing cold as he said “I will not tolerate blood traitors. Never again.” He waved his hands to the side a piece of airplane wing swooped up and knocked Storm from the sky. He looked down at Cyclops, leaping and rolling as he tried to find a better angle, testing the metallic barrier’s points of defense. Magneto jerked his hand up and the ground beneath Cyclop’s feet crested like a wave, throwing him onto his back.

He turned to his missile, knowing that he could no longer relish his moment. He just wanted history to move forward, just wanted time to wipe away all of the unpleasantness and for the history books to portray him as he felt he truly was. He began to aim the missile, finding a spot in the distance sparkling with the light of filthy human industry.

The winds changed. They were swirling before, but they now gusted in a distinct direction. His barrier could only block so much, as the the gail passed through the scraps of metal Magneto threw up his arms to guard his eyes. Then, like a spear, the wind lanced out toward his head and ripped his helmet off. In panic, Magneto reached out to grab it, feeling the magnetism stretch from his fingers and stopping it from blowing it away, but by then it was too late.

A splitting migraine roared from between his eyes to the back of his head. His synapses lit aflame with activity, remembering a thousand pains from both his lifetime and another’s. The memories of breaking his hand on a bully’s face when he was eleven came back, the memory of his mother’s death, the memory of leaving his wife and children behind in shame. Memories he did not recognize were there, too, like the pain of a father taking a belt to his back and of the ridicule of his peers when the other girls asked if he was a virgin.

Grasping onto a distant need for control, Magneto created a field around his brain as he had a million times before to guard against Xavier, but by then it was too late. Without his concentration he had begun to fall from the sky, and the barrier he created around himself fell uselessly to the carrier below. Before he could grab the pieces once more he saw the incoming crimson bolt of energy from Cyclops down below. He remembered drilling the boy countless times on the importance of hitting his target right where he wanted on the very first try, and the memories left him along with his breath as the beam punched his solar plexus and sent him firing off into the night sky.

His revolution had failed.

[arkus-rhapsode]

Rhapsode’s Black Eagle Run Endings

So I did this for my Blue Lions Playthrough, so I’ll do it for my black eagles.

Alois-Family Man

Once the long war against those who slither in the dark came to an end, Alois and his family moved to Remire Village and lived happily as farmers. It is said that from the moment he put down his sword and picked up a hoe, he never so much as thought about turning back.

Hanneman-Father of Crestology

Though Fódlan had changed, Hanneman's goal remained unwavering: to determine the workings of the Crests and to do away with the inequality caused by them. To that end, his research resulted in magical tools that could be used even without the aid of Crests. This proved to be yet another worthwhile discovery by the Father of Crestology.

Marianne-Survivor of the Curse

Marianne returned home to a hero's welcome. The people praised her talent and acknowledged her as a savior of Fódlan. Her adoptive father groomed her as his successor, teaching her the power of words over weapons. By the time she claimed her inheritance, she had transformed into one of Fódlan's most skilled orators. 

Shamir-Distant Archer

Shortly after the war, Shamir gave up the mercenary life and disappeared. Though she was never heard from again, rumors swirled persistently for years of a master archer turned thief who lined her pockets by shaking down all those who preyed upon the innocent.

Linhardt-Sleepy Crest Scholar

Linhardt abandoned his inherited position in favor of a carefree life at Garreg Mach Monastery. There he spent his days at ease, wiling away the hours at the fishing pond or in his private study. After his passing, a treasure trove of documents was unearthed, revealing the key discoveries he had made during his many years of Crest research. 

Lysithea-Scholar of Misfortune

Lysithea returned home to help her parents restore their family land. Years later, when the end to their hard work was finally in sight, she relinquished House Ordelia's claim to nobility, ceding the territory to a nearby lord. Shortly thereafter, she and her family disappeared into obscurity. 

Leonie-The Blade Breaker II

Leonie joined up with the mercenaries formerly led by Jeralt. As his greatest apprentice, she quickly took on a leadership role and eventually even inherited the title of Blade Breaker. She came to be known as Jeralt the Second, as she began to resemble him in all things—including his drinking habits. She left behind many unpaid tavern tabs. 

Ignatz-Worldly Artist 

After returning home, Ignatz persuaded his family that he should become a painter. He traveled all through Fódlan and beyond, painting beautiful landscapes and captivating portraits of the world's cultures. His unique style set the artistic paradigm for a generation. 

Sylvain-Sincerest of Knights

As Margrave Gautier, Sylvain devoted his life to improving relations with the people of the Sreng region. With oration alone, he succeeded in helping to create a new way of life for nobles in which Relics and Crests were no longer viewed as necessary. Though he went down in history as an extraordinary lord, it nevertheless became customary to refer to cheaters as "sons of Gautier." 

Ferdinand-Noblest of Nobles

After officially becoming the new Duke Aegir, Ferdinand set about reforming his territory. He overcame numerous obstacles to help the lands of Aegir recover. To recognize his contributions during and after thee war, the emperor appointed him as the new prime minister. Thereafter, he stayed by Edelgard’s side to help the Empire achieve great prosperity

Ashe and Petra

Petra took Ashe with her to her homeland of Brigid, where she inherited the throne from her grandfather. With Ashe's guidance, she established an order of knights, and used that order to declare independence from Fódlan and renegotiate diplomatic ties on more equal terms. Over years of work reforming diplomatic and military policy together, Petra and Ashe fell in love and eventually were married. The people of Brigid warmly embraced the union. It is said that the name of the knightly order, the Blue Sun, was born of their mutual love of swimming in the sea.

Caspar and Annette

In recognition of his achievements during the war, Caspar was given the title of Minister of Military Affair in the new Adrestian Empire. Though he was well-known for his valor in battle, it was his wife, Annette who reined in his recklessness and who truly kept the army in order. The troops came to see Annette as a motherly figure, and under her guidance, the Imperial army thrived. In their private life as a couple, the roles were totally reversed, as Caspar had to be the one to step in and correct Annette's various calamities around the house. 

Lorenz and Manuela

As the head of House Gloucester, Lorenz first worked to restore his own territory, and then expanded his vision to include reforms to all Fódlan. At the height of his storied political career, he announced his marriage to Manuela, who had established a new school for children in a small town. Seeing the beauty in Manuela’s dream, Lorenz put his resources towards building schools like Manuela’s all over Fódlan, providing education to scores of children who had been left helpless by the war. After many years of success and prosperity, a bronze statue of the couple was erected at the original school to honor their achievement. It stands to this day.

Ingrid-Stalwart Knight

When Galatea territory was seized, Ingrid argued strongly for the preservation of its borders. Her request was granted, and she was appointed to rule. From her new position, she gave her all to ensure that the people of Galatea lived peaceful lives and put in years of hard work to reform its farming practices. Her efforts bore fruit, to the people's delight, and Galatea became a land of plenty. 

Dorothea and Felix

Even after the war's end, skirmishes continued to break out across Fódlan. Learning that there were still places where he could fight, Felix abandoned his noble title and chose to make a living with his sword. He traveled the land, and some years later found himself in Enbarr. There he encountered Dorothea, who had just resumed her career as a songstress in the opera. From that time on, no matter how far Felix traveled, he always found himself drawn back to that opera house. It is said that, when Dorothea saw his face in the crowd, she sang only for him. 

Edelgard and Hubert

As the new Adrestian emperor, Edelgard gave all she had to breathe new life into the government of Fódlan. With tireless work, great sacrifice, and her devoted servant Hubert by her side, she instituted new class reforms and helped to ensure the people's independence. Hubert was always close at hand, ready to dispose of unsavory burdens by any means necessary. In their later years, they passed the fruits of her labor on to Edelgard's successor and vanished from the public eye. Though it is said they spent the rest of their lives together, it is unlikely they ever gave voice to the true depth of their affections. 

Byleth and Bernadetta

Almost as soon as Byleth and Bernadetta were finally wed, the battle against those who slither in the dark began in earnest. Many were concerned that the new leader of House Varley would do little more than hide, but she fell in alongside her husband and followed him everywhere, fighting to bring lasting peace to Fódlan. Forced to throw herself into one terrifying battle after another, Bernadetta developed such a tough character, it is said that absolutely nothing could frighten her.

[deniscollins]

Boston Grapples With Faneuil Hall, Named for a Slaveholder

The New Democracy Coalition submitted a petition this week to the Boston City Council to start the process of renaming Faneuil Hall, visited by 20 million tourists annually, because its namesake, Peter Faneuil, was a slave trader and owner. The mayor opposes the change because it’s a historical landmark, ““Not many people know about the history of that man .. over the years, Faneuil Hall has become a place where good things have happened ... and ...What we should do instead is figure out a way to acknowledge the history so people understand it ... We can’t erase history, but we can learn from it.” If you were on a city council member, how would you vote: (1) Change name, or (2) Keep name? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

The national wave of renamings of statues, monuments and parks that recall the days of slavery is lapping at Faneuil Hall, the historic Georgian brick meetinghouse in downtown Boston that is synonymous with revolutionary fervor and among the country’s most visited tourist attractions.

Since the 1740s, rabble-rousers — rebellious colonists, abolitionists and suffragists among them — have met in the building’s Great Hall. Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and John F. Kennedy have all spoken from its stage, and political rallies, debates and civic events still take place within its walls, making Faneuil Hall — pronounced “FAN-yul” — a living monument.

But its namesake, Peter Faneuil, one of the richest merchants in 18th century New England, was a slave owner. And he traded not only in sugar, molasses and timber, but in humans.

That has drawn the attention of some faith leaders and others who want to remove Faneuil’s name from the iconic landmark.

“Faneuil Hall insults the dignity of blacks and all Americans who believe in the civic dignity of all,” Kevin C. Peterson, founder of a group called the New Democracy Coalition, said in a statement.

Boston proudly reveres its history, but the city also wrestles with long-held perceptions that it is inhospitable to people who aren’t white, a sense reinforced last year when the comedian Michael Che called Boston “the most racist city I’ve ever been to.”

Much of that reputation stems from violence that erupted against court-ordered school busing in the 1970s. But it started before then and still persists, in everything from virulent bigotry at its sports stadiums to the city’s gaping income inequality, leaving Boston perpetually askingwhether it can ever get past the stain of racism. For a city perceived as one of the nation’s bastions of liberalism, its relationship with issues of race is complex.

Against this backdrop, the New Democracy Coalition submitted a petition this week to the Boston City Council to start the process of renaming Faneuil Hall, which is owned by the city but operated as a visitor center and historic site by the National Park Service.

Mr. Peterson has suggested that Faneuil Hall be renamed for Crispus Attucks, an African-American man who was the first person killed during the Boston Massacre in 1770; he is considered the first casualty of the American Revolution.

City officials have not said what they intend to do, though Mayor Martin J. Walsh says he does not support changing the name.

“If we were to change the name of Faneuil Hall today, 30 years from now, no one would know why we did it,” the mayor said in a statement to The New York Times.

“Not many people know about the history of that man,” he added. “And over the years, Faneuil Hall has become a place where good things have happened,” he said. He noted that Douglass called for an end to slavery from the hall and that every year, hundreds of people gather in the hall to take their oath of citizenship.

“What we should do instead is figure out a way to acknowledge the history so people understand it,” the mayor concluded. “We can’t erase history, but we can learn from it.”

Tourists visiting Faneuil Hall this week, many of whom were white, were overwhelmingly against changing the name.

“I don’t like to tinker with history,” said Matt Birch, 32, a social media editor who is white and lives in Washington, D.C., and was browsing in a bookshop in the building. “This is our country’s roots and it helped form our national identity.”

His mother, Nina, 64, a retired accountant, felt the same. “It is what it is because of what it was,” she said. “That’s why we’re here.”

Boston has been receptive to other name changes. In April, officials voted to rename Yawkey Way, a street outside Fenway Park; Tom Yawkey was a former Red Sox owner who did not add a black player to his roster until 12 years after Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers.

Historically, Boston is often remembered for its role in seeking to abolish slavery. But the trans-Atlantic slave trade played an integral role in the economy of colonial New England. The first slave ship to reach Boston arrived in 1638, when colonists traded Native Americans who had been captured in battle for enslaved Africans.

Merchants who grew wealthy from the slave trade founded and endowed several Ivy League colleges, some of which have distanced themselves from these legacies in the last 15 years or so. In 2016, Harvard Law School dropped its official seal because it featured the family crest of prominent slaveholders.

In 2015 a ceremony was held in Boston to acknowledge the city’s role in both the harrowing “Middle Passage” of the slave trade and in the abolition of slavery.

That ceremony was held at Faneuil Hall, where Mr. Faneuil’s own involvement in slavery was just starting to reach the public consciousness.

About 20 million people visit Faneuil Hall every year, many of them seeking a touchstone of the American Revolution. Many know that patriots met at the hall to organize against British oppression, earning Faneuil Hall the moniker “the cradle of liberty.”

But in a random sample of a dozen visitors this week, no one knew who Mr. Faneuil was — or that some of the treasure he spent to build the hall in the 1740s derived from the slave trade.

When told about his past, most said they did not see a reason to remove Mr. Faneuil’s name. Erasing it, they said, would be tantamount to wiping away part of history, which, they said, should be remembered, despicable as it was.

“I don’t condone slavery, but this is a historical landmark,” said Angie Musil, 41, who is white and works as an office assistant at an elementary school in Minnesota. She said her family had recently visited Monticello, the Virginia home of Thomas Jefferson. Although Jefferson owned slaves, she said, “they haven’t shut down Monticello.”

But Alex King, 20, a black student visiting with his class from a school outside of Boston, said he thought changing the name seemed like a good idea.

“You can create better harmony in your community, so people aren’t offended or triggered in a certain way,” he said.

Last year, the nation plunged into a debate after a deadly riot in Charlottesville, Va., over plans to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee.

Several cities and towns took down or renamed historic symbols honoring controversial figures — including Boston, which removed its only monument to the Confederacy, a small stone slab put up in 1963 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Jeremy Snow, 46, a white law enforcement officer who was visiting Faneuil Hall from Florida, said he disagreed with this movement to take down historical markers.

“African-Americans were treated so wrong and so badly over the years,” Mr. Snow said. “But instead of tearing down our history, we should be making new monuments for new reasons.”

He and his family were also planning to visit Salem, Mass., scene of the 17th-century witch trials, “where again, people were done wrong,” he said.

“It seems like when people are done so wrong, it becomes history,” he said. “We shouldn’t do away with it. We need to learn from it.”