What's the harm in a little reckless besieging? Let's Play FE: The Sacred Stones

The other priest heals the soldier that Gilliam weakened.



Starting my turn on the west side, I have Gerik take out one fighter, netting a goodish level up.



Joshua takes out the other one and gets himself a Zanbato, a sword that is good versus mounted units.



Realizing that I send too many guys to the back, Ross heads for the other front.



Lute starts my assault, then Colm fails to do his part.



Gilliam does his job, though, taking out this soldier. Then L’Arachel heals the somewhat battered Kyle.



Kyle takes down this Ranger. I’m not sure if we’ve encounter Ranger’s before, but they are this game’s replacement for the Nomad’s from the previous games. Except here they are only upgraded units with Bows and swords, and the sprite is kind of lazy and terrible. For taking it down, Kyle gets a good Level Up. He’s looking pretty solid this playthrough. He also got a weapon level for his sword.



Tana finishes off the archer that Colm failed to, getting herself a weapon level.



Franz gets the other Ranger and his very own Level Up. He too, is shaping up rather nicely.



Amelia does her best against the other archer, but she isn’t quite strong enough.



The archer takes a mean shot at Tana, but even with her class’s weakness to bows she is strong enough to take it. Franz and Kyle take a hit each from some Knights, but they aren’t strong enough to be real threats.

Kyle again takes the bulk of the punishment this turn, being attacked by a Cavalier and the last Ranger. Also, that Priest with the sleep staff gets lucky and actually manages to connect with it. This will significantly slow my assault.


And one of those Knights that almost killed themselves gets some long-ranged healing.



Here’s how things stand at the start of Turn 3. The enemies will keep coming out of those forts to the back for several turns, while the force up front is all we’ll see for a while. This is a survive map, but surviving isn’t too hard because there just aren’t enough enemies to overwhelm the player. Look at that map. We are already on pretty much even footing on turn 3. By Turn 4 the battle will be all but over.



Starting on the backside of the map, these three take out those two. I sent three of my stronger guys back there; taking down the few enemies that pop up is no trouble.



Amelia was told constantly to be careful with that spear or she’d put someone’s eye out. And now look what happened. That poor archer likely died of an eye-related injury. Amelia’s harsh lesson is in her rather poor Level Up.
Really, her trainee critical animation is great. Look at it.



I could watch Fire Emblem animations all day.



L’Arachel keeps Tana from being a casualty of my stupidity.



Tana proceeds to take out an enemy, getting a Level Up that is worth it, at least.



Another enemy falls to Gilliams mighty spear, and he gets another infuriating Level Up! That lack of speed is wholly unacceptable, but the rest of his stats are borderline awesome. He should max Def and Str. If I give him all the speedwings I get, which I think is like three, he could turn out all right. But he doesn’t really have any interesting supports and I’ve went on before about my dislike of the Knights and Generals. This is a Fire Emblem game where there really aren’t any bad characters. There are just awesome characters and less awesome characters. I am leaning toward second string with Gilliam.



Lute and Franz take out a couple more enemies, knocking them down to just 7 I believe. And since he can do little good attacking that Knight, Colm moves to the safety of that fort, which puts him in position for his real use on this map.



The enemies have little luck in their attack, except against the sleeping Kyle. But even he is not in any immediate danger.

This Cavalier manages to get an attack in with no reprisal and time the sleep wielding Priest misses Colm.



So it’s my turn again. Eirika crits her way to this Level Up! She’s still looking really good.



Gerik handles the other baddy that popped out of the fort.



Those Level Ups just keep rolling in. This time it’s Lute getting a solid one.



Colm gets one for doing a little against the Knight. He could use more strength, but he is a Thief. He only needs to be adequate and steal things.



L’Arachel heals up Kyle, and Tana knocks this Cavalier down to exactly one life which is perfect, because it lets me do this:



And another kind of bad Level Up for Amelia. This is not going at all how I’d hoped.



Meanwhile, Gilliam and Franz do their thing, thinning the already thin ranks of my opponent.



This is the entirety of the enemies turn. The one remaining Cavalier attacks Kyle and gets healed by the Priest. The other Priest did try one last sleep attempt, but it was unsuccessful.

Joshua gets in on the Level Upping action, and I feel bad wanting to complain about this one. There really isn’t anything to complain about with this Joshua.



It takes both of these two to take down the other one, thanks to Gerik’s somewhat unwieldy blades. Blades are heavier and stronger than regular swords. They are the axes of sword styles, with their low accuracy but high damage.



Lute takes down the Cavalier. And as you can see from Colm as he moves to steal a Red Gem from the Priest, there were three reinforcement Cavaliers on the Southern part of the map. What you can’t see are the other two on the North side.



Franz can’t quite kill the first one, and Gilliam can’t make it over there because Knights are slow and terrible.



One on the north side gets to Ross, who I moved up there with the horse-killing Halberd equipped. He never stood a chance. On the south side, one managed to reach L’Arachel, who I placed a little too close to the action, and the other got a face full of Gilliam.



The last two miss with their attacks on Tana and Colm. And at the end of the enemy’s turn, these three Wyvern Knights show up. Now who could they be?



This is how the battle stands with Cormag’s arrival. Remember what I said about the real struggle with this map is not winning too early? The first time I played it I won before Cormag even showed up. I pushed everyone through the front and took out the enemy leader in three or four turns and never even saw Cormag. I almost did that this time, with Cormag’s three Wyvern Knights being almost half of the enemies remaining forces. So first things first:



Cormag: You don't know me, but you know my brother well enough. I'm Cormag. I'm the brother of Glen, general of the Grado army, whom you killed?
Eirika: What?
Cormag: This is no longer war, and this is not a battlefield. This is a duel, and I fight to avenge my brother. He died in combat, and I'll not foul his name by murdering you unarmed. But I will have vengeance.
Eirika: Hold! What is the meaning of this? Glen... Are you telling me General Glen is dead?
Cormag: Do not play me for a fool! You will not... Your lies do nothing but stain your honor. Nothing more.
Eirika: You've got it wrong! You're making a mistake. Your brother and I never fought. He lowered his lance and left the battlefield to confront your emperor.
Cormag: ...My brother? You lie! Where is your proof?
Eirika: I've no proof. But... Here are the words he spoke to me. He told me he believed I possessed a gentle heart when we met before. He said I had not lost that quality...
Cormag: ..... I see... Those are indeed my brother's words. But then who? Who benefits from-- ...Ah! ...Valter!
Eirika: What is it?
Cormag: ...Princess Eirika of Renais. I would be your ally.
Eirika: What?



He seems perfectly rational now that he's joined us.

Next Time: We integrate Cormag into the team and make short work of the back half of this map.

His thieving done, Colm leaves the front. He will soon have something to steal on the other side of the map.



I start with Lute softening up this guy so Amelia might be able to take him out.



Ross utterly destroys this cavalier with the halberd. And he gets a pretty solid level up. He could do with more speed, but there is virtually no chance he doesn’t max strength.



Franz takes care of his business over here.



Cormag proves his loyalty by helping take out his former comrades. Between him and Gerik, the two wyvern knights are dispatched. Joshua, meanwhile, retreats a little bit and heals with a vulnerary to be ready for the next wave.



Amelia finishes the weakened enemy off and gets a decent level up.



L’Arachel heals and we wait.



This is the entire enemy phase. There is nothing for the two healers to do and the boss doesn't move. Remember this is supposed to be a survive chapter, where the player is pressed into a defensive formation and is constantly assaulted on all sides. Except there just aren't enough enemies to do that, making for a disappointingly easy map.



Eirika gets that vulnerary from Joshua to heal herself, while reinforcements make their way over there.



Gilliam does his job, but also seals his fate with this Level Up. Between his skewed stats and lack of useful supports, Gilliam is out.



Ross misses taking out another cavalier, Kyle joins Colm heading for the other side and Tana doesn’t do quite enough damage to take out her target.

Franz has the same trouble as Tana, but he does get a forgetable Level Up in the bargain.



Last but not least, Amelia uses the staffless Priest as a punching bag.



One of the remaining cavaliers chooses suicide by Franz. On upper portion of the map, Ross is still having trouble connecting with his foes.



Lute can’t quite finish off the man with the physic staff, but Gilliam is able to land a killing blow on the last cavalier down here.



Ross’s puts his recent failures behind him to obliterate another horseman with that Halberd.



There is some more moving around on the back side if the map. Where I know a bunch of enemies are about to show up.



Tana downs the still possibly useful priest while Amelia is still having trouble with the unarmed one.



The last mobile enemy tries his luck with Ross again. It does not go well for him.



Shockingly, at the end of the Turn 9, a bunch of enemies show up behind us. Its that dirty snake Pablo and the battered remains of his mrecenaries.



Here’s a hard to see view of the map. There were also more cavaliers jumping out of the forts on the other side of the map. Those plus Pablo’s 10 men put me and the enemies back on even footing as far as numers go.



Ross heals himself, letting the cavaliers get off of their forts and come to him.



Cormag goes for the biggest threatm taking out the Warrior, an upgraded Fighter, like Garcia, who can use bows as well as axes. He also scavenges a hand ax from the corpse.

Joshua goes for threat #2, Pablo, who is packing long range magic. As usual, the boss has something to say. He tries to coax our converted mercenary with vague promises of monetary reward.



Joshua nails him in the face with a critical hit. For Pablo, it was all about gold, even to the end.



This Level Up is not too good. That is Joshua’s reward to taking out a boss, a downright bad level up.



With the leaders out of the way, the rest of my team tears into the enemy



I have Kyle use his axereaver, an axe killing lance, but still can’t double him up. Luckily, Colm is there for the finish.



Amelia gets her last Recruit Level Up poking at that defenceless Priest. Not a bad level up, at that. I’m going to miss that little girl with a spear sprite.



Lute goes after a cavalier, but can’t connect twice, so Tana swoopes in for the kill



Gilliam finally comes up empty on one of his not too sure jabs. Franz, though, gets an oppurtune critical to take him out



L’Arachel (God that sucks to type over and over) heals Amelia and gets a solid Level Up.

On the enemy’s turn, the first goes after Cormag, who gets himself a mighty fine Level Up.



These two go after Eirika, whose weapons are starting to give out on her. Too bad the first one had the body ring that Colm was supposed to steal.



The rest of the enemies take their shots, but do minimal or no damage.



Ross weathers a couple of blows.



Kyle criticals his way to an outstanding Level Up.



Cormag takes this guy down.



Another Level Up for Eirika that is pretty nice. She’s now maxed speed. I may have miscalculated a bit, because it is going to be hard for her to get to level 20 before she automatically changes class.



Ross takes down yeat another cavalier.



Lute finally puts that Priest out of his misery, Tana gets healed and we wait for the last turn.



The only guy other than the boss goes after Lute, but she is in little danger.



Franz is the first to go after the boss, who seems to be somewhat delusional about the state of the battle.

Franz does a little damage, and Gilliam quite a bit more. Tana does a ton as well. Unfortunately, to boos does enough in return to force me ot finish it this turn.



Knowing the battle is coming to an end soon, I have L’Arachel (maybe I’ll just call her Larry from now on?) get what experience she can.



Lute, though, does just enough damage to finish the guy off. His supposed perfect formations were far from it. I think he might have been on easy mode until this battle.

Fun Fact: if you can't kill Aias on this map, his buddy Caellach comes back and does it for you, because he is a bad guy and they kill people.



Hey, look at this, a Level Up and a Knight Crest for Lute. She is looking very good here.
As soon as Aias is defeated, some Green Troops arrive on the map



Eirika: The Knights of Rausten! Just as L’Arachel said... Reinforcements have arrived in Jehanna!
L’Arachel: What I'd like to know is what took them so long! However, it seems that all has worked out in the end.
Soldier: Princess! Knights of Rausten, 2nd battalion, reporting for duty!
L’Arachel: Well done. You may lift your eyes.
Eirika: Princess? L’Arachel, you’re a--
L’Arachel: What? Oh, you mean... Don't be silly. This is nothing. Please don't concern yourself.
Dozla: I do believe, milady, that your disguise has been penetrated.
L’Arachel: Oh... I suppose there's naught to be done about it now.



I was acting under divine order to strike down evil in this land.

This is truly a shocking turn of events! Who could have thought that L’Arachel was actually Princess L’Arachel? She really worked hard to diguise herself.

Eirika: ..... Is that so? But why did you...
Soldier: The truth is... The princess was enflamed by the words of the court troubadour, Saaga... She forced us to allow her to journey forth anonymously on a quest for justice.



This is the correct and only response to the undimmed brillaince that is L’Arachel.

Soldier: Princess. This is from King Mansel.



L’Arachel: What's this? War funds? Oh, what a grand uncle. He's just so thoughtful. Princess Eirika of Renais. Rausten will not yield to Grado. Together, let us defeat the empire in the name of righteousness!



Innes: What? How did that...
Eirika: And the queen? Is she safe?
Seth: That remains unknown.
Innes: She may yet live. We must hurry.
Seth: The palace has already been occupied by imperial troops.



L’Arachel: What it is, Eirika?
Eirika: It's nothing... ...Lyon...



Next Time: We find out more about this ‘Lyon’ as we try to save a Queen that may have a hidden connection to one of our party members.

On Hiatus

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I could offer excuses or I can just say that it is time from more Let’s Play Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.
First, a quick story refresher



Alright, everyone caught up? Its time to move on to storming the castle.



Okay, here we g … What’s this?



As soon as we start, it’s time for Amelia to change classes. The two options she gets are Knight and Cavalier. I think I have made my stance on Knights pretty clear, so it should be obvious what I am going to choose. There is a good argument that Knight is actually the better choice, if only because there are tons of Cavalier options and just Gilliam for Knights. But Knights suck and I don’t want to consign Amelia to that hated fate.
Last time we left off with Eirika reminiscing about Lyon. Here we start with a flashback with those two.



I've been bested at fencing by a woman. Pitiful crown prince, am I not?
Eirika: That's not true...
Lyon: Oh, no, Eirika. It is. The people need a strong ruler. They don't want a weakling like me. They want the strength you and Ephraim share. My body is frail. I prefer to spend my time locked away in the castle, reading... I think my father would be better served if someone else took my place. I'm sure all of our retainers feel the same...
Eirika: You're wrong, Lyon. An emperor without compassion will never hold the people's love.




Yes. I...I will do my best. Even though I lack your strength, there must be some good I can do.
Eirika: There is.
Lyon: By the way, Eirika... If it please you, would you accept this?



Seth: Jehanna Hall has been completely occupied by Grado soldiers. I'm sorry to report that Queen Ismaire is already...
Innes: And the one giving orders to the troops in the palace is Crown Prince Lyon?
L’Arachel: What is there to give us pause? Should we not storm the palace and retake it by strength of arms?

As usual. L’Arachel has the right idea. Surely God will favor our holy cause.

Innes: Frelia's spy network reports that Prince Lyon is an initiate of dark magic. If this is true, even approaching him will be a serious challenge. I'd heard the prince dislikes violence. However, it could all have been a ruse.
Eirika: .......
Innes: Still, if we don't retake the palace, we've no hope of defeating Grado. We must rescue the queen, no matter the cost...



So our team has made its decision. What better place for 2/3 the royalty of continent than assaulting a castle held by a dangerous dark wizard?



After all these years of loyal service as Jehanna's most decorated commander... Without you, I could not have ruled these long years since my husband's passing. It was through your unwavering support alone that I still sit upon the throne. You are the cornerstone of Jehanna. You have held my trust more than any man. So tell me why. Why have you betrayed us? Why have you betrayed me?
Carlyle: Your Highness--No... My queen... Ismaire... It is your own fault. You are too lovely, my queen.

I guess Lyon’s casual sexism in the flashback is not going to win creeper of the week, because Carlyle here is going into super-creep mode

Ismaire: Carlyle...
Carlyle: The first time I met you, twenty years ago now... I saw you in the garden of this very palace... and I was bewitched. Your pale beauty far surpassed that of any flower. I was in the grips of an unforgivable desire. You were the wife of my king, to whom I'd sworn life and loyalty. I told myself a grand lie that day. I told myself I could be happy simply serving you as your most loyal knight.
Ismaire: ......
Carlyle: After years of duty, years of service, years of...of silence... I became aware once more of the feelings I'd buried deep within myself. How could I leave this world without expressing my true desires? Could anything be more desolate? More devoid of meaning? That is when I made my decision. I would follow my heart and claim your hand as my own.

He could have just asked her out. This seems a little elaborate.

Ismaire: Carlyle... You forget yourself.




Ismaire: Carlyle...

Enough of that. It time for the battle. Here’s the map:



Behind all those doors we can’t see into are more enemies. This is a map where the thief is almost essential. Lots of doors and chests to open. That is not an accurate shot of the troops I sent out. First of all, Gilliam was benched. For Innes. Why Innes? This is a good map to have an archer on, with tons of enemy archers in hard to reach places. Plus, I’ve had a change of heart as to supports. In order to make them work with the team I will be using, I decided to only do Eirika/Ephraim up to the second level and let them have A Supports with someone else. Plus, as big of a dick as he may be, I like Innes.
It begins …

with more talking



The only fight I'm here for is with the locks of the treasure chamber.
Soldier: Hah... Don't get so excited. I doubt you mercenaries will see any action at all once we soldiers've finished.
Rennac: Yeah, great. You go do that. Whew... With all these soldiers around, I shouldn't have to lift a finger. I'll just sit here and wait for them to win they day. Then, I collect my pay! No more being ordered around by that selfish princess and her moronic bodyguard. This is the life. Lady Luck loves me.



It looks like L’Arachel’s wayward rogue companion will be returning to the fold soon. On with the battle



First of all, Kyle liberates this door key from the poor guard



Colm, Eirika and Innes head for the other door while Gerik takes the key from Kyle and opens the door.



Joshua follows Gerik in the door and takes out the first of the enemies therein. The rest of the troops split themselves into three groups. End turn 1



Caellach: Yes. The palace is mine. My palace... Oh, how I do like the sound of that.
Carlyle: Do whatever you want with the royal treasury. The only treasure I wish to leave here with is the queen of my heart.
Caellach: Oh, yeah, about “your queen?.. There's been a change of plans.
Ismaire: Ah!
Caellach: Don't move, Carlyle. You twitch, and the queen dies.
Carlyle: Blackheart! What is the meaning of this?
Caellach: Calm down. You'll get her back as soon as I'm done with her. Jehanna's Sacred Stone is around here somewhere. I've got to find it and destroy it. I need this woman to guide me to its hiding place.
Carlyle: Do not lay a hand on my queen!
Carlyle: Don't get so incensed. I'm not going to harm her. I'm not like that freak Valter. I'm kind to women. But if you make a wrong move, you'll lose your prize. Understood?
Carlyle: Yes...
Caellach: There are some annoying pests outside who think to win back the hall. I want you to take care of them. Lose, and the queen will never be yours.
Carlyle: ...... If my queen comes to any harm in your care...
Caellach: Yes, of course. I know all about the might of your sword arm.



Lyon:......
Caellach: Greetings, Prince. Let's get going.



Caellach: What's this? Are you still ill? You know, you're not very princely. C'mon. Follow me.
Lyon: Caellach...

Maybe Lyon is more like Eirika remembers him. It is probably his Dad is the evil one. That Caellach is a real dick. Though if I’m being honest, Ismaire might be better off with him. I get the feeling that Carlyle is supposed to come off as more sympathetic than I see him.

Back to the battle.



Joshua takes all comers in that doorway. He takes out the first and gets a mediocre Level Up!



Unfortunately, things get dicey after that. Joshua takes too many hits and nearly dies. Luckily, that last shot from the shaman misses.



Innes picks off the guard from the west door.



Kyle and Gerik push on in behind Joshua, with Kyle taking out the shaman and Gerik taking a Guiding Ring from the chest.

L’Arachel heals Joshua and the third team is stuck on the outside because I forgot to give one of them a Key.



The guys on the other side of the door Colm opened come after him, but he weathers the storm.



Finally, Tana arrives with the key to let everyone in the third door. Ross bursts in after her to take out the Knight guarding the other side.



Colm gets out of the way to let Eirika come in and take out the Knight he couldn’t scratch. Innes moves in behind her for support points.



No one needs any HP, so L’Arachel gets her exp with that handy Barrier Staff.



Lute takes down a fighter and gets herself another quality Level Up! She could do with a bit more HP. Ideally she won’t ever get hit, but I know how likely that is with me playing. She also loots a Swordreaver off the guys corpse. Ross will make good use of that.



Franz takes out the other one. Everyone else just waits for next turn.



The pile of Mages and Shaman’s all attack Eirika. The mostly miss and the ones that hit do minimal damage. Plus, after the first, they all have to attack her from point blank, so they all end up dead.



She does get one awful Level Up! out of the deal, and at the very end a Weapon Level. A little bad luck and this encounter could have been dangerous, but in the end we are left with one surviving Mage and a slightly more powerful Eirika in need of a little healing.



Over here, the druid takes an ineffectual shot at Amelia and Rennac runs the other way, complicating my attempts to recruit him.

L’Arachel moves up as far as is safe and heals Franz. On the other side of the fight, Eirika continues to wreck Mages.



Amelia deals with the druid, getting her some of that hard to come by safe exp. Ross starts to knock down a wall that will save me time later and everyone else moves up and waits.



Tana lucks out by not taking a critical hit from this jerk with a Killing Edge. Unfortunately, her return strike only nearly kill him.



That Knight on the other side of the breakable wall attacks Ross and gets what he deserves. Ross is looking fine, though some defense or speed would be real nice. Still, I’m not going too upset when he maxes strength.



Colm gets a Dragonspear out of the chest. The Dragonspear is strong against … wait for it … dragons. Innes proves his worth, such as it is, by taking out one of those archers on the wall. And Joshua and Kyle finally catch up.



Once taken out, that enemy with the Killing Edge drops a Hero Crest. Joshua or Gerik will make use of that soon. Tana also gets another excellent Level Up.



The rest of the team hands out beatings to any one nearby. Amelia is not able to participate because she would be on the wrong end of said beatings.



Tana gets healed so L’Arachel can Level Up, but I might as well not have bothered. Still, there isn’t much to complain about with her.

Those archers mount a counterattack that produces about zero as far as results.



Amelia takes a hard hit and Franz avoids one. Luckily there is enough help around to keep her safe next turn. And that stinking coward Rennec pilfered my Hammerne.



Don’t worry about that staff, though, because here comes L’Arachel to set things right with Rennac, as only she can. By which I mean that if you recruit him with Eirika, it cost about 10,000 gold, but L’Arachel can browbeat him for free.



Rennac: Wait... hold on now. Go with you where? Look, sorry, but I've been hired by the Grado Empire, and... Hello! I'm talking to you!
L’Arachel: Rennac, whatever is the matter? I promise to listen to your story later, but now, we must be going!
Rennac: No, I'm no servant, like that kook Dozla. I'm a mercenary. I escorted you to Renais like I was hired to do, didn't I? You have no right to drag me across creation without any pay whatsoever!
L’Arachel: Is this about wages? I believe you've received ample compensation.
Rennac: Ample?! Do you even know what that word means? You've the princess of Rausten! I thought working for you would pay well. Yet your purse strings are knotted tight, and I've almost been killed so many--
L’Arachel: The joy that comes from doing good is not something that can be purchased. There. All better? Let's go.
Rennac: NO! I said I don't want to! Riding with you is-- ...And there she goes. Oh...By the Stones, why did I ever take that job in the first place?



L’Arachel is the best religious zealot ever.



Now that the recruiting is done, it’s time to get back to the killing, starting with Lute destroying this fighter with her mighty magic.



Innes takes out another of those pesky archers. Her bloodlust temporarily sated by all those mages, Eirika takes the time to heal herself.



The other chest contains an Energy Ring for one of the numerous magic users. And Kyle javelins an archer.



Gerik takes out the Knight guarding a door, and gets a pretty good Level Up!



Ignoring the weapons triangle, Tana takes out this guy with an axe.



Franz and Amelia sort through their items, Franz equipping his ranged spear and Amelia taking a vulnerary from Tana to get some much needed healing. With the chest already opened, I have Rennac wait and end my turn. That is roughly the halfway point of the map and as good as a point to end part one as any.

Next Time: we reach the throne room. Do we save Ismaire? Is Lyon really a bad guy? One of those questions will be answered.

So L’Arachel is a cross between Princess Amelia and Tsarevna Alena?

When we left off way too long ago, our team of valiant do-gooders was assaulting Jehenna Hall to save Queen Ismaire. Along the way, the intrepid Princess L’Arachel browbeat her loyal retainer Rennac into rejoining the team. So now we march on Ismaire’s super creeper betrayer Carlyle.



So we start with the enemy phase right after I recruited Rennac.



The first move they make is this knight attacks L’Arachel. Fortunately, he missed.



These two archers go after Colm, who was busy looting chests. He comes out none the worse for wear.



This archer goes after Franz, but he can fight back and does, getting a very good Level Up! for his troubles. He also gets a weapon level with his lance.



Another archer runs into trouble going after Ross, though Ross does miss his second throw, so the archer lives for another turn.



I move Ross down to deal with the reinforcements that I know are coming from the bottom of the map. Lute moves in and takes out that knight. Their great defense is no match for her magic. And Franz deals with that nearly dead archer.



L’Arachel heals the slightly injured Amelia and Rennac moves up to draw that shaman’s attack. Also, you can’t see it, but Tana went down further than Ross to help with the reinforcements.



Gerik, stuck in no man’s land in the middle of the map, opens a door.



In the southwest portion of the map, I start dealing with the hard to reach archers. Kyle takes down one, getting himself a fine Level Up!



Innes does the same for the archer with the longbow. His Level Up! is not so good, though.



Colm and Joshua head down to deal with the three knights in the next room.



On the enemy’s turn, Joshua gets a face full of spear and Tana deals handily with some cavaliers.

Another knight attacks Gerik from a distance. Rennac draws the shaman over. Kyle deals with the last of the archers.



One more cavalier goes after Tana, to little effect.



Innes takes out the knight blocking the door, letting Kyle ride through and take out one on the other side. He takes the door key.



Colm moves into the room and heals himself with a vulnerary. With Joshua, I decide the better part of valor is discretion. If I attacked the knight, I wouldn’t kill him, but if he hit Joshua then and on the next turn Joshua would be dead. That is assuming that the knight hits both times, but I'd rather assume he does than chance that he doesn't. Letting the knight initiate the combat fixes that. Also, Ross picks off a wounded cavalier.



Tana takes out the cavalier with the javelin. She gets another solid Level Up!



Amelia deals with the shaman at the top of the map. Dark magic users are great for weak characters like Amelia since they are so terribly inaccurate. She gets a none too great Level Up! out of it. Her stats aren’t as great as they sometimes are, but she is still looking to be solid after a few more levels.



Rennac opens the big gates for everyone and L’Arachel uses her barrier staff on Franz, because that priest up there has a berserk staff and a berserked Franz could mean the end of Amelia or L’Arachel. In the middle of the map Gerik takes down a knight.



Time for another enemy phase.



That knight takes the bait, though it appears I was too cautious in not attacking. Tana has another handful of cavaliers to deal with. On the first, unfortunately, she breaks her iron lance.



So she switches to her heavy spear, which is unfortunate, because I might need that later.

This is how the map looks at this point. There are still five cavaliers for Ross and Tana to deal with, then a knight, an archer and a handful of other guys behind the door on bottom left and last there are guys around the boss. This battle is about over.



Kyle downs the knight, which allows Colm to open the door and Joshua to take out the fighter just inside. It also leaves him in what is far from an ideal situation, having to face to attacks while missing a third of his health.



Innes gets the last Archer and Eirika waits near him. I don’t remember if I mentioned this last time, but there has been a slight change to my support plans. Mostly because the later Eirika/Ephraim supports are kind of boring and because they can support the most people and I needed their A supports free to help match everyone up.



Tana’s taken too much of a beating, so she hightails it out of there and Ross takes her place to cut down the remaining cavaliers. Gerik can’t quite reach to attack, so he equips his more accurate weapon and waits.



Amelia can’t reach the cleric with Berserk Staff, so Franz takes him out, and nabs a Mend Staff off of the corpse. Amelia waits beside him, for suport points.



L’Arachel continues her noble quest for experience.



Both mercenaries in the treasure room go after Joshua, who comes perilously close to dying. He does get a Level Up! out of the deal, but it’s no great shakes.



Ross eats his share of attacks from the advancing cavaliers. He dishes out his share of damage though.



In the middle of that onslaught he does get a high quality Level Up! Maxed Strength with 3 levels left isn’t bad, but he could definitely use more Speed and Defence.



Colm loots ten thousand gold from the chest. Then they wait.

Lute takes out a knight and gets more Magic in a somewhat mediocre Level Up!



Rennac can’t take out the other knight on his own, but he takes a swing. L’Arachel heals some more scrapes and bruises. Ross flees from the open room to a more defensible doorway.



All those cavaliers go after Ross, and he deals with them savagely.



The knight mistakes Lute for easy pickings and learns his mistake too late.



Lute gets healed and we advance. Everyone else move toward the throne room, even all the guys on the far side of the map who won’t get there for ten turns.



I moved into the range of this sniper, but he has little chance of hitting Rennac.



My turn again, these guys on the back half of the map race to catch up. It will be a while.



Amelia can’t quite take out the sniper herself, so Lute comes in and finishes him off.



Healing and waiting for everyone else.



The enemies in the middle have moved out. The knight tires his lick with Franz. The Fighters apparently have hand axes, so they get some ineffective free shots at my guys on the other side of the wall.

My turn. Tana takes out the knight on the very top of the screen with her heavy spear and Kyle starts breaking down the wall.



Lute takes out a knight and gets a familiar Level Up! I’m fairly certain that she just got that same level up a few turns ago.



Franz can’t quite kill the knight, which would be perfect if Amelia could use a ranged attack, but doesn’t have one. She is also the only one missing any life, so L’Arachel tops her off.



Franz takes a little beating from the advancing horde.



Innes, Franz and Rennac take out the three enemies blocking my path.



L’Arachel gets another good Level Up! for her healing efforts. Yet still she is only level 8.



We move and we heal. That’s pretty much it.



The enemies here are little threat. They can’t even damage Rennac were they to hit him.

Luckily, these guys are weak enough that Amelia can take them out while putting her at no danger whatsoever. Her Level Up could have been better, though.



L’Arachel heals and everybody moves.



The last mobile baddy attacks Rennac, for no damage.



More healing and Amelia takes out the other one.



Another turn. I am not attacking the boss, because this boss is tough. He is faster than any of my guys, strong enough to do considerable damage and gets bonuses from sitting on the throne. None of my guys around him can do enough damage and avoid being killed on the counterstrike.



L’Arachel can still do her healing, though.



This is when I realized that even though she has a low chance of doing any damage, Lute can attack him without facing much of a reprisal.



Carlyle and her trade blows for a while.



It goes on like this for way too long. I’m hoping with Eirika and Innes can help and I am going to have to start doing the attack and rescue dance to get this guy down. Lute does manage to hit him a few times, and L’Arachel manages to get everybody’s HP topped off.



This does happen while I fiddle. L’Arachel could do with more than just speed and resistance.

I try both Innes and Tana, and it goes about as well as these numbers would suggest. Luckily Franz is able to rescue Tana away before things get really bad.



Eirika hits him, but takes a devastating blow in return. Kyle is there to rescue her away. Innes also gets a blow in, finally bringing Carlyle close to death.



Amelia: Oh, yes. Quite! You know, everyone here is so much friendlier than the folks in Grado. I'm glad there are so many people around my age traveling with us.
Franz: Yeah. I think I'm about the same age as you are, too. You know what that means? That means, from now on, you're my rival.
Amelia: What?
Franz: What do you say?
Amelia: Um... Well, does that mean... I have to fight you?
Franz: No, no. It's nothing as complicated as all that. We'll just work together. See, I'll try to be better than you, and you try to be better than me! Every day, try to be a better person than you are today. It's easier to do when you've got someone to work with.
Amelia: I see... But why?
Franz: Yes, well. Um... My brother's a knight, too, and he's had someone like that for a long time. I've always been envious of the competitive relationship he has. They compete, and they argue, and they bicker... But I know they respect one another, and they grow together. I envy that.
Amelia: Um... I'm not sure I can be like that.
Franz: Ha ha ha... Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter who you are. All that really matters is that we have someone like that in our lives. Besides, you are a qualified soldier, are you not?
Amelia: Er... I'm not honestly sure I'm even qualified to be out here.
Franz: Same here. That's why I picked you. Let's work together.
Amelia: All right! I'm not sure I can live up to your expectations... But I'll do my best.



These two are kind of sweet or kind of boring, depending on how much you enjoy these youngsters finding out that love can bloom even on a battlefield. Also, I think Franz believes his brother might be gay.



And another round of nearly getting my guys killed.



After way too many turns and way too many misses, Eirika finally takes down Carlyle. I don’t remember that boss giving me that much trouble on previous playthroughs.



The next turn, Eirika seizes the throne and finally ends this battle. That could have gone better. I ended up wasting most of the battle for more than half of my team. It’s kind of an awkward map anyway, with no good way to get from the chests back to the battle.



Ismaire: ...I know nothing of the Sacred Stone's keeping place.
Caellach: Don't waste me time. My partner here sees everything. When the rebellion began, you went straight to the palace altar. You had hoped to prevent us from smashing the Sacred Stone. But you have the Stone of Jehanna with you right now, don't you?
Ismaire: ......
Caellach: Hand it over. Cooperate, and I'll let you live.
Ismaire: ...I cannot.
Caellach: Oh, give it up, will you? I've no time for games. If you resist, I'll just kill you and take it anyway.
Lyon: H-hold! You mustn't harm her, Caellach...
Caellach: Shut up, Prince. My orders come from higher than you. You've not going to start disobeying his word, are you?
Lyon: ......
Caellach: Last chance. Give me your Sacred Stone.
Ismaire: ...I cannot.
Caellach: Ha ha! A queen to the end. I like you. You've got guts. Good-bye.
Lyon: Ah!



Caellach: And another Sacred Stone has been destroyed. Grado, Frelia, and now Jehanna... Only two stones remain.
Ismaire: Uuh...ahh...
Lyon: Ah... What should I do? C-Caellach... You must help her.
Caellach: Leave her. Let her last breath be a harsh and ragged rasp. She's not long for this world.

I have a little work to wrap up in the hall before we leave. You should hit the road pretty soon, too, Prince.
Lyon: ......



You’d find her faster if you tried looking instead of just hanging around the throne room asking stupid questions.

Innes: I heard she was in the throne room, but there's no sight of her. And there's no Sacred Stone, either.
L’Arachel: We must search quickly.
Lyon: Ah...
Eirika: Lyon!
Lyon: Eirika...



My brother and I have been so worried about you... We know more then anyone the gentleness of your spirit. Your father is deranged, isn't he? That's why Grado invaded Renais, right? Tell me, Lyon... Please... Tell me what has happened.
Lyon: I'm sorry, Eirika. I've wanted to see you and Ephraim for so long now... I wanted to see you so that I could apologize. The invasion of Renais... I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry, but I still cannot talk to you. Not yet...
Eirika: You... You have a reason, don't you?
Lyon: Mm... I can't talk about it now, but...



I must tell you, I'm a little relieved. I was afraid you'd changed as much as your poor father has. I'm so glad.
Lyon: Me, too, Eirika... No, you have changed. You're even more beautiful than you were before.
Eirika: L-Lyon...
Lyon: I'm sorry, I have to go. But please remember this. This war started because I was too weak to stop it, but... I'll always be your friend.



Eirika: Y-yes. Coming!
Innes: Queen Ismaire... Is she...
Seth: We're too late. Her injuries are... She will not last much longer.



Hey, we know some random mercenary swordsman by that name. What a strange coincidence!

Ismaire: ...Joshua...
Eirika: Queen Ismaire!
Ismaire: Oh, Joshua... Where is...that boy...
Eirika: Queen Ismaire...
Ismaire: Please forgive me, Joshua... I was a foolish mother... I was so intent on being queen that I spared no time to be your mother.



Eirika: Joshua...
Ismaire: Joshua... It really is you... Joshua...my son...
Joshua: I'm sorry, Mother. I should never have left you. I've no excuse... I wanted to see the world as a man, not as a prince. I wanted to be worthy. I planned on returning to your side afterward... I was so foolish. If I'd been here, I could have--
Ismaire: No, it's fine. You're here now... Listen to me, Joshua. The Stone of Jehanna has... been destroyed. The one who tempted Carlyle is responsible...
Joshua: What? Who was it?
Ismaire: ...Carried a dark stone... It is...the origin of all this... It should not exist... Joshua...you must... Our country...our people...
Joshua: I understand, Mother.
Ismaire: Thank you...Joshua... I have something... Something I must give you...
Joshua: This is...
Ismaire: It's one of the Sacred Twin relics, unique to House Jehanna... He who would rule our land must possess it... I've watched over it since your father passed away. I kept it safe and waited for this day to come...
Joshua: Mother... I have it now. I understand its meaning...



I really like this stuff in Fire Emblem games, when the completely optional guy that you can recruit early in the game turns out to be someone important. It strains credulity at times, but it also makes it feel like your actions affect the story, even though any change is actually very small.



I wrote a farewell and left the palace, taking nothing with me. I felt I could never understand the people while I stayed sequestered in a castle. I abandoned my identity and roamed the continent, working where I could. I wanted only to be worthy of becoming king. I knew one day I would return. Gods, I was so foolish! I was such a child, I see it now. Was I simply rebelling against my mother? Punishing her for tending to her duties?
Eirika: ......
Joshua: I was a fool, yes, but I learned much over these ten years. I have learned about the hearts of our people, how they need to be governed. I have learned how our country needs to change and to grow. I have learned much, but I've lost much more. Mother...
Eirika: Prince Joshua...
Joshua: I made a promise. I want to continue what she began. I will help defeat Grado. I will defend Jehanna and her allies. ...I know it doesn’t sound like me, but...
Innes: On behalf of Frelia, I came to Jehanna with a letter to the throne. I give it to you. Prince Joshua of Jehanna... Let us fight together.
L’Arachel: Renais, Frelia, Rausten, and Jehanna. Four nations...united!
Eirika: Yes, I suppose that's true. And my brother is with us as well. And if it were possible... Lyon... I wish you could be here with us, too.

Well, that didn’t go so well. We didn’t save the Queen or the Sacred Stone. An utter failure. There is no way things could get worse.

Damn.

Soldier: Fires have broken out all through the hall!
Joshua: What?
Soldier: The curtains were soaked in oil, with torches set about the hall. It's a trap! Someone did this during all the fighting. You must flee! Quickly, before the flames engulf us all!



Captain Obvious to the rescue. Without Seth how would Eirika know not to stay in the burning building.

Eirika: I know. Joshua, we must go. Now.
Joshua: No... Mother... Forgive me...



Eirika: Is everyone well? Did anyone get left behind?
L’Arachel: What a cowardly act, setting fire to the palace hall. But we've escaped without injury. The enemy's trap has failed.
Innes: ...No, it hasn't. Assemble the troops now. The enemy is coming.
L’Arachel: What did you say?
Innes: This is the reason for the fire. To drive us from the palace. They'll be attacking soon. No other plan makes sense.
L’Arachel: How is it that you know that?
Seth: Princess Eirika. I've just received word that Grado reinforcements are headed this way. There are two armies, led by Generals Valter and Caellach.
Eirika: No!
Innes: Two armies... They're willing to send so many here and leave the capital defenseless?
L’Arachel: Why does everyone seem so distraught? It matters not who stands in our path. We shall smite them all with the power of righteousness!
Seth: Princess Eirika... It's going to be very difficult for us to continue. One of Grado's generals alone is more than a match for us. Compound that with the exhaustion of our troops, and I'm not sure we can--
Innes: Bah... With Jehanna Hall in flames, we've no place to hole up and dig in for a siege. We have to retreat. We have to win ourselves time for form a plan. Grado sent two generals... What could be happening in their capital?



Despite winning the battle, the forces of good are in pretty dire straits.



Next Time: Scorched Sand. Can Eirika and pals survive this desert ambush? What did happen to Ephraim? Can I take any longer between updates? All these questions will be answered.

Moved to On Hiatus

I've put off updating this until I had a couple of updates ready to go. I've this chapter and the next ready to go, so hopefully with that buffer I can keep this thing updating regularly until I finish.



When we last left off, our intrepid band of heroes had narrowly failed to save Queen Ismaire of Jehenna and in a shocking twist it turns out that her son and heir was our very own wandering sellsword Joshua. Then they let the bad guys burn the palace, barely escaping to find themselves trapped between two enemy armies. Is all hope lost?



Eirika: ...Oh...Seth?
Seth: Yes, it's me. Please, you must rest. If we continue like this, you'll...
Eirika: No... it's all right. We're all suffering... We're still completely surrounded by Grado's armies... We may all die at any moment... I can't lose focus now. Has anything changed?
Seth: Unfortunately, no. On every front, our forces meet with defeat upon defeat. Rausten's knights are scattered and worn, and the enemy is closing in around them. And this accursed sand... Most of the units can't get proper footing and are being slowed down. Mounted units are having the worst time, as their movement is severely limited. Princess Eirika... I ask that you leave for safety. We'll use flying units and magic users to hold the foe here.
Eirika: No. I will not retreat.



So we’ve got Eirika drawing a line in the actual sand.



Riev: Her brother's left the capital. He should be arriving here shortly. You don't want to be fighting her still when he arrives. Trust me. We are equals here in Grado's army. Would you like me to assist?
Valter: All you need to do is vanish, you disgusting old man. Eirika is mine. I won't let you have her. She is so strong, so beautiful... She's the prey I've dreamed of.
Riev: Heh heh heh... Your fangs are still sharp, eh? Good. Very good. Ah, Valter... You're a beast. You're bound to no country. You care nothing for friend or foe. Kill a man, claim a woman... You live for nothing more, you wretched beast. That's your strength. That's what makes you stronger than any many alive. A beast acts without remorse. Man's morality cannot win. It's nature's way... The stage is all yours, Valter. Do not fail to get the girl's bracelet. Our master demands it...



Hey, it looks like we are finally going to deal with King crazy here.



There are lots of enemies in the northeast and southwest. Deserts and cliffs make navigation difficult. On top of that, soon there will be enemy reinforcements from the northwest in the form of waves and waves of Pegasus knights. This is also the obligatory hidden item map. In most Fire Emblem games there is at least one desert map with a handful of items hidden in the sand. When a character steps on a tile that hides an item, they have a chance to pick up that item. Only a chance, which I believe is governed by the luck stat. My plan is to leave a small group to deal with the incoming fliers, send half of the rest to fight with the northeast army and the rest will try to run straight down through the desert. Finally, as if to hammer home that this is the point when the game gets serious, there is not one, but two bosses, both of whom are real characters and not mooks who just showed up at the start of the chapter.



They are both high leveled, if not exactly high statted, advanced units. Either one of these guys would be a challenge, both in the same battle is a little daunting. Especially with the extra help each of them have, which we will see shortly.



I’ve switched out Amelia and Franz due to mounted units complete inability to move in the sand. I’ve replaced them with Cormag, who will have a near full time spot from now one, and Marisa, because I have an inordinate love for myrmidons and a lack of useful magic units. Really, if Artur would have turned out at all he would be in there, or if I felt like taking the time to train Ewan.
Let’s get this started!



Kyle draws first blood, but can’t quite finish the guy off. Luckily, Gerik is right there to clean up.



Cormag goes the other way, getting roughly the same results as Kyle. As much as I don’t care for Knights, something I miss without them is the satisfying ting of a No Damage! hit. I am glad Cormag can fill that gap.



Tana takes care of her business and Ross fails to finish Cormag’s leftovers.

Back on the other side, Eirika dispatches the remaining enemy, getting a quality Level Up! in the process.



Here is where I make my first big mistake. Not having Lute take a shot at the soldier, that is what it is. But look at how I set up my team there, putting Marisa, my weakest unit in the middle of my group. That was not a good idea. She really isn’t strong enough to with stand the coming assault.



L’Arachel does what she can, healing the tiny amount of damage that Ross had sustained and netting another Staff level



On the enemy phase, that mercenary that Lute couldn’t finish takes a hefty chunk off of her HP and she again fails to exact revenge.



Ross manages to get this one, but the Level Up! he gets isn’t too hot. Ross is getting pretty close to class change time, so I’ll ask, do you guys want Berserker Ross, who only uses axes but gets a +15 crit rate or Warrior Ross, who adds bows to his repitoire? I usually lean toward Berserker.



The enemies there seem to love taking axes to the face, since most of them come after Ross. Tana does get her shots in, though.



More guys coming after Ross, with the big mean berserker being unable to hit Innes.



The last one goes after Tana, who’s retaliation nets her yet another great Level Up! I guess it’s getting close to time to be asking the same question about her. She can become a Falconight, which has slightly lower stat caps (1 point on important stats) or Wyvern Knight, which has an infrequent, game freezing glitch but is statically superior? I prefer the Falconight because I like the Pegasuses.

My turn, time to go to work. Marisa takes out that pesky mercenary and Lute downs a Wyvern Knight.



Cormag up top takes out one of the injured enemies, while L’Arachel heals up Ross.



Gerik downs the berserker and gets a high quality level up!



Tana shows off her skills as a mage killer, and gets the shaman’s Luna tome after he is defeated.



Ross takes out the last of the group around him, and everyone else moves and waits. At the end of the turn, we get some new arrivals.



Duessel, Knoll. It's time we rescued Eirika. I'll need all your strength.
Duessel: Of course, Your Highness. I've pledged my service and my axe. You shall have both.
Knoll: Princess Eirika... She's a friend of Prince Lyon's, isn't she? I'll do what I can to help you. I feel like that is what Prince Lyon would want.
Ephraim: The enemy's numbers are great, but we do not need to face them alone.



Yay! So Ephraim has returned, and he has brought some more Grado defectors, whose stats I will take a look at on my turn.



Ross continues to be popular with Grado soldiers, as does Marisa.



This Wyvern Knight nearly ruins my day, something that will be a recurring part of this battle. Luckily, Colm dodges what would have been a fatal hit.



Back on my turn, Marisa finishes off that mercenary who attacked her, and gets a fine Level up.

Joshua takes out one of the fighters. Colm and Lute pass around some vulneraries, since L’Arachel is busy halfway across the map.



Down here with the new guys, I send Knoll up to the village to get a Master Seal from this old lady. The Master Seal can change any character’s class, which will probably be Ross or Colm since I think Pirate and Thief use the same item to change.



Here is Duessel. He’s not bad, for a prepromote. He doesn’t hold a candle to any of the cavalier options, but he is more than useable. Plus, he has A Rank in all weapons, which is useful. I plan to dump him on the bench after this chapter.



Knoll is one of only two options for Dark Magic in this game, but Dark Magic isn’t very good in this game and Knoll is merely okay. Since he is joining so late, I have never found a reason to use him.



And here’s Ephraim, who we will have no choice about using. Still, his stats are excellent and so are his supports. When you choose Eirika’s path, it leaves Ephraim as kind of an odd afterthought of a Lord, one who doesn’t join until the last third of the game, but he’s a cool dude anyway.



Both he and Deussel wait for the hordes of enemies.



Deussel draws a lot of attention, I guess because his axe? He deals with them viciously, wasting valuable experience.



Joshua, Innes and Tana all take a shot or two as well. No one comes out much the worse for wear.



Cormag takes a solid hit from a mage. Then this Wyvern Knight with a slim chance to hit Marisa does, and nearly kills her. Luckily the RNG didn’t completely screw me, since the next one’s slim chance missed.