Once again, sincerest apologies for the length.
"In an age long past... evil flooded over the continent of Magvel. Creatures awash in the dark tide ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. In its despair, mankind appealed to the heavens, and from a blinding light came hope: the Sacred Stones. These five glorious treasures held the power to dispel evil. The hero Grado and his warriors used the Sacred Stones to combat evil's dark ruler, Formortiis. They defeated the Demon King, the source of this evil, and sealed his soul away within one of the stones. With the darkness imprisoned, peace returned to Magvel. But this peace would not last...In time, each of the five heroes founded their own kingdoms on Magvel. Ulrich, wielder of the thunder blade Sieglinde and the flame lance Siegmund, established the kingdom of Renais, currently ruled by Fado, the peerless warrior king; Fallon, wielder of the winged spear Vidofnir and the serpent bow Nidhogg, founded Frelia, known for its pegasus knights and currently ruled by Hayden, the venerable sage king; Alenna, wielder of the ice blade Audhulma and the anima tome Excalibur, founded the desert kingdom of Jehanna, known for its mercenary guilds and currently ruled by Ismaire, the 'queen of the white dunes'; the saintly Latona, wielder of the light tome Ivaldi and a powerfull staff, established the theocracy of Rausten, currently ruled by the divine emperor Mansel; and Grado, the leader of the five heroes and wielder of the black axe Garm and the dark tome Gleipnir, built an empire in his name, strengthened by the strongest military on the continent, presided over by Vigarde, the silent emperor. In more recent times, a new nation has started to emerge, in the form of the mercantile republic of Carcino, governed by a council of elders; it is the only nation without a Sacred Stone. In the Year of the Stone 803, the Grado Empire, a long-standing ally of Renais, launches a surprise attack on Renais, ordered by Emperor Vigarde. Renais is unable to mount resistance against such a swift and forceful attack. Prince Ephraim of Renais is nowhere to be found as Grado sweeps through territory after territory. King Fado of Renais orders his trusted general, Seth, to take his daughter Princess Eirika to safety in neighboring Frelia while he stays behind in order to discover the motives behind Grado's sudden attack...."
#Cast of Heroes
+Playable Characters
*Renais
"Eirika is the only daughter of King Fado of Renais, and the younger twin sister of Prince Ephraim. She wears the Lunar Brace which is one of a pair of bracelets that together grant access to Renais' Sacred Stone. She is a very kindhearted, forgiving, gentle, and careful person. She detests violence, saying that she wishes there was a way to solve their issues without violence, while Ephraim is impulsive and likes fighting, revealed in a flashback in Serafew that he wanted to become a mercenary. She is also very brave in the face of adversity: she will never deny help to anyone who needs it, and despite her distaste for unnecessary violence, she will fight to protect either her friends or her kingdom. Eirika's biggest flaw is her naivety, having been rather sheltered until she began her training under Ephraim's watch two or three years ago. She suffers badly for it at two points: in her conversations with Lyon in the Narube River, and at Neleras Peak when she insists that the person talking to her is really her beloved friend Lyon, and not the Demon King. She hands him the Sacred Stone from Renais when the Demon King says that it will save Lyon, which drives her to intense guilt for a short while once the mistake sinks in. In the final battle against the Demon King, she wields Sieglinde the thunder blade."
"Ephraim is the crown prince of Renais and Eirika's twin brother. He is a headstrong and determined man whose skill with a Lance is unsurpassed by any other in his country. He has a semi-friendly rivalry with Prince Innes of Frelia and is also good friends with Prince Lyon of Grado. He wears the Solar Brace which is one of a pair of bracelets that together grant access to Renais' Sacred Stone. Ephraim is engaged in guerrilla war against Grado in an attempt to divert Grado troops from their invasion into Renais, concurrently with his father's death. Blaming himself for his inability to aid his father in his time of need, Ephraim journeys back towards his homeland in hopes of finding his sister, Eirika, who has now disappeared in the wake of the invasion. He also wants to find Prince Lyon to unravel the mystery of Grado's sudden invasion. Ephraim is passionate and headstrong, and well-liked for his candid, direct manner. In the final battle against the Demon King, he wields Siegmund the flame lance."
"Seth is a calm, brave, and clever soldier of Renais who harbors feelings for Eirika. He is better known as the Silver Knight. Seth is best described as a 'duty comes first' man. He is stoic, honorable, polite, calm, and usually expressionless. Despite his seemingly cold outside, he is just and fair. He sometimes loosens up when talking to others, such as Franz and Natasha. Seth lets his duties come before his feelings, as seen in a conversation with Eirika, where he has difficulties expressing his feelings to people that have a higher social status, showing a great deal of humility and honor."
Cox's Shining Knight from Justice League Unlimited was the main inspiration for this casting.
"Franz is an earnest, sincere and determined young cavalier from Renais. He is the younger brother of Forde, and seeks to emulate his father, a great knight who died in Renais' service. His mother died of poor health, but according to Forde, Franz was too young to remember. He greatly admires Seth and can develop a fraternal bond with Natasha. During the war, he falls in love with former Grado recruit Amelia. He enjoys fishing. His loyalty to Eirika and Ephraim is surpassed only by that of Seth, and he strives to live up to his brother Forde's example."
"Forde is a cavalier in Ephraim's service whose skill in battle is only matched by his remarkable laziness; he tends to be the first to opt out of Ephraim's risky plans and is known to fall asleep in battle. However, Forde claims this is merely a plot to lure foes within range. He has gone so far as to equip his horse so that he can fall asleep in the saddle without falling over. He often banters with his companion Kyle, the more level-headed one of the pair, who calls him out on how lazy he is. Forde is also the elder brother of Franz, and is a rather accomplished painter in his spare time. When Forde was young, he won a sword contest and his mother was happy, not for his contest, but for the painting he had made for her early that day. She kept it with her even when she died, it was only then that Forde took the painting back. He hung it in his house as a reminder of how he must continue to make people happy, not with his sword, but with his brush."
Probably about time Dalton looked for a role way different then Grant Ward, and what's no different than a layabout knight moonlighting as an artist?
"Very chivalrous and proper, Kyle is a classic knight, much like Kent from Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. His devotion to his status as a knight has him come off as a little too serious for some, although he learns to loosen up during his conversations with Forde and Syrene. In a conversation with Forde, it is revealed that Kyle has a sister named Mia, who married into a well-off Frelian family. In a conversation with Syrene, it is mentioned that when she gave him a carved figurine of a pegasus knight, he started to collect wooden figurines. He is a fierce rival, yet also best friend to Forde. Their rivalry seemingly started out from a tournament, in which he was defeated by Forde, which made him start focusing on his training to never lose to him again."
The current voice of the Big Blue Boy Scout is a great fit for the more straitlaced of Ephraim's troops.
"Artur is a monk from Renais, ordered to help destroy the monsters plaguing the land. He is simple, straightforward, and uncompromisingly pious. When he was a child, he lost his only toy and a monk helped him search for it an entire afternoon, which made him to choose to become a monk. He is a childhood friend of the mage Lute, who constantly spies on him, a hobby she names 'Monk Watching'. He finds Lute both witty and amusing in addition to peculiar and irrevocably strange. Artur falls quickly in love with Lute over the course of the journey. Lute one time tried to help Artur confront his fear of spiders by unleashing dozens in his room which Artur always considered a prank until Lute later revealed her intentions, which caused him to look at it as a rare and touching sign of affection from her."
"Lute is an extremely studious, if not eccentric, young mage. Lute believes she is a prodigy, and tells this to everyone she meets. Given her enormous wealth of knowledge and her alleged ability to remember practically everything she reads, hears, and sees, it is hard to argue with her. She's the opposite of her best friend, Artur, in that she spends most of her time inside studying as opposed to being outside. She has a motto: "There's no one better than me!", and also often claims "I am superior, after all." Lute is boastful and has a habit of "monk watching" (spying on Artur). In one of her support conversations with Knoll, whom she also stalks in the beginning to the point of making him unnerved, she claims to have some supposed "knowledge" about him. She is like Canas, in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, since he claims to be a scholar as well. For all her studies, she does have a great lack of knowledge of less academic matters such as love, a subject that flusters her greatly."
"A chivalrous thief from Renais and a childhood friend of Neimi, Colm managed to steal Eirika's bracelet while 'walking by'. Colm used his abilities as a thief to keep himself, and later Neimi alive. He would steal items of value from people that seemed wealthy to pay for necessities for himself and Neimi. Colm is rather snide and arrogant, but genuinely cares for Neimi. He is also quite proud of his thieving prowess. It is often hard to tell if Colm is exhibiting his uncaring for others or if he is simply clumsy. In a conversation with Moulder it is revealed he had burned a pack filled with Moulder's belongings twice, Moulder then says he is 'concerned about the condition of Colm's soul.' Colm has a weakness for Neimi being sad or crying, which she does quite often. He will often try to pretend he doesn't care or pester her about being a "crybaby". Eventually, Colm is unable to keep up his facade and comforts Neimi."
"Neimi is very sensitive and something of a crybaby, but is also a great shot with excellent senses. She was trained by her grandfather, the legendary Zethla, the "single-arrow legend"; according to her, whenever Zethla went hunting, he only carried a single arrow with him, yet never missed his hunting target. Neimi's deceased mother was a high-ranked cleric who left the clergy to get married; Neimi's most prized possession is a mirror that belonged to her mother. Neimi and her childhood friend Colm grew up together in the village of Lark. Colm always defended her in front of bullies and protected her constantly, a habit he still practices. Colm is blunt and sometimes downright rude to Neimi, though his snide attitude crumbles when he sees her cry. It is unknown why he is so harsh with her most of the time, though it is implied that he is trying to train her out of her hyper-sensitivity. They each have somewhat of a crush on each other, revealed in supports with other characters. Neimi says when Amelia asks her if there is a boy she likes, that 'He's someone who's always watched over me, stood by my side. He used to make me cry, but I...I love him.' At one point in the journey, Neimi manages to overcome some of her fears to become a ranger, a horse-mounted archer with skill in swordfighting."
"Garcia is a villager from Renais who was once a mighty military leader, well-respected in all the countries of the continent. However, he retired from the army when his wife Elisa died, in order to raise their young son Ross; he laments that he spent so much time focused purely on the military and didn't spend as much time as he could have with his wife, and is thus dedicated to being a good father to his son. One day, however, Garcia is plunged back into war when his village is destroyed, forcing Ross and himself to fight their way past the bandits to escape—This battle brings them into a meeting with Eirika's group early on in their mission. Seth, who has admired Garcia ever since he was a squire, discovers his identity and asks him to join the troupe, but Garcia is reluctant until Ross decides to join as well to prove himself to his father. Accepting that he doesn't have to shelter his son any longer, Garcia takes up his role as a fighter for Renais once more. Garcia is a fierce fighter, but a gentle man off the battlefield. He greatly enjoys life and likes to have fun by involving himself in physical activities like archery. He knew Neimi's grandfather from his days as a soldier in Renais Castle; the man was dubbed the "Single-Arrow Legend" Zeltha for his prowess in the bow, for he never needed more than one arrow to dispatch his target even when he went hunting."
"Ross is is a young villager from Ide, and son of the former warrior Garcia, who left the army in order to raise him. Ross is a wild and impetuous youth, who seeks to emulate his father by becoming a warrior; he is shown to be serious about his oaths. Ross lost his mother, Elisa, when he was very young; in a support conversation with Lute, it is revealed that Elisa knew some degree of magic, and Ross believes that he had a chance at learning magic, for Lute states that you have to be born with magic in order to use it. Garcia retired from the army to raise little Ross; as a result, they are extremely close, and Ross adores his father and seeks to become as strong as he is."
Ross here is pretty much our answer to Carl Grimes in this story, though without losing an eye and able to really swing an axe like his old man.
*Frelia
"Innes is the prince of Frelia and the older brother of Tana. He is famed for his immense skill with the bow and his tactical prowess. Ten years prior to the storyline, a foreign archer of great renown came to the palace to display his skills. Although Innes was still young, he demanded to match his own skills with the foreigner's. The two of them scored many perfect hits even though the target was moved farther away after each one. The foreigner eventually became tired and and offered to place the target too far away for Innes to hit for one last shot. While the foreigner barely hit it, Innes simply tilted his bow upward and achieved another perfect shot. The foreign archer finally gave up and Innes won the contest. Innes is extremely brash, arrogant, and proud. He also harbors an intense rivalry with Ephraim that appears to be fueled by his own one-sided envy. However, he is actually a good and just person at heart. He is also a very capable leader, although he is not necessarily charismatic. Innes's analytical and critical mindset is both his greatest asset and his worst flaw. His skills are very useful in times of crisis, but his interpersonal relationships suffer and it takes him a long time to build meaningful bonds with the other characters. He can be very harsh and severe towards Tana, whom he wants to spare from the horrors of war. He tries to convince her to return to Frelia, but he is ultimately unsuccessful as she insists that she is ready for war, having trained with Syrene and Vanessa. However, it is shown that he only wants to help her, but expresses it poorly due to his pride and thus he must stop seeing her as a child in need of protection because he can reveal what he truly thinks about her. In the final battle against the Demon King, he wields Nidhogg the serpent bow."
Marsden's Duke from G.I. Joe: Renegades is a great basis for the tactically-minded, bow-slinging prince of Frelia.
"Tana is the princess of Frelia, and the younger sister of Innes. She is cheery, sociable, a little naïve and appears to harbor a crush on her old friend Ephraim, although she envies Ephraim and Eirika's close sibling relationship and wishes her own relationship with the stoic, arrogant Innes was closer. Her happiness and sociability seem to spread to others, as she is able to become friends with Marisa even though she is noticeably unsociable. She also strongly refuses to have people taking care of her, wishing to be seen as more of an adult than a young girl in battle and determined to not let her princess status keep her away from the harsh reality. Her pegasus is named Achaeus. In the final battle against the Demon King, she wields Vidofnir the winged spear."
"Vanessa is a sincere, honest and honorable knight of Frelia. She takes her work very seriously and as Forde says, "needs to loosen up." She is calm even in the craziest situations, and is slightly envious of her sister's relaxed personality. She tends to take things seriously, and can never tell when the people are joking or being truthful. She has a dry sense of humor, and often scolds Forde for falling asleep in battle. However, she can be slightly mischievous at times, as seen in a conversation with Lute, where she convinces her that the wings of a thousand pegasi act as an extremely potent aphrodisiac. She is good friends with Lute and Moulder, who acts as a father figure to her. Vanessa is level-headed and always does the right thing. In a talk with Syrene it is revealed that when their father suddenly got sick, Syrene and their mother panicked and did not know what to do, but Vanessa just knelt down and started to gather nuts in her hands, went off and sold them, and came back with medicine for her father. It is also revealed that she is always trying to be like her sister but can never seem to catch up with her, to which her sister replies she has always wished she could be more like Vanessa with her calmness even in the middle of crisis and battle."
"Gilliam is a quiet, yet dependable armored knight of Frelia. He joins with Franz to rescue Princess Tana and back up Eirika and Seth in their escape from Renais, and later is appointed by King Hayden to be Eirika's escort along with the priest Moulder and the pegasus knight Vanessa. He is a long-time friend of Moulder and Vanessa's older sister, Syrene."
"Moulder is a mature priest of Frelia, and is gentle and reassuring. He is well trusted by King Hayden, and is sent to aid Eirika alongside Gilliam and Vanessa. He is a very kind person and acts as a father-figure to most characters in the story. He seems either somewhat absent minded or too devoted to his work, such as in talk with Gilliam, where he is revealed to have carried the crown at King Hayden's coronation, and dropped the crown when a young Gilliam yelled at him to get a hold of himself, or in a conversation with Syrene in which he forgets his own birthday."
"Syrene is a famous pegasus knight of Frelia, and the older sister of Vanessa. She is the commander of their third battalion, and is widely renowned for her beauty, skill, and courage. She acts as an "older sister" figure to Tana, whom she trained along with Vanessa. A conversation with Gilliam reveals a somewhat more hotblooded and teasing side to her. According to a conversation with Kyle, that they met once in their early stages of adolescence, when Kyle was a squire and messenger and Syrene was a trainee. Kyle was sent from Renais to deliver messages to King Hayden. Syrene was amused with his serious behavior; once they were done, she managed to rope him into going to the seaside with her, which Kyle had never seen while growing up in landlocked Renais. Later she helped him fight some bandits, and gave him a small wooden figure in the form of a pegasus, which he kept."
*Jehanna
"Joshua is a wandering swordsman with a fervor for gambling. Joshua is met by Eirika and her group in Serafew where he is working as a mercenary on a job to kill Natasha. Natasha approaches Joshua to tell him about the emperor's strange changes; Joshua seemingly does not care however and has a small bet with Natasha (a simple coinflip). She wins the bet, possibly as a result of Joshua cheating in her favor, ultimately causing Joshua to join Eirika's group. When Eirika's group faces off with Grado forces at Jehanna Hall, he is revealed to be the Prince of Jehanna, who disappeared about ten years prior to the beginning of the story, abandoning both his mother Queen Ismaire and his title so he could better learn about his people's needs and become worthy of the crown in his own eyes. During this time he worked with Caellach in a mercenary troop, and appears to have earned a penchant for stirring up trouble off the job, but Caellach appreciated him anyway. Joshua is a very roguish, casual, and carefree person. He's also very cunning, enough so that he can cheat without getting noticed, although Gerik and Artur catch on. He believes in luck more than ability, and is carefree about his job, as shown in Serafew when he is sent to kill Natasha, he'd rather head back to the Arena. He's also slightly flirtatious to girls, especially Natasha; he is also noted to have feelings for her, which is hinted in his first word to think of her as 'beautiful' and when he bets she will fall for him, a bet she admits he won later on. Despite his jovial and carefree attitude, Joshua is very loyal, genuinely kind, caring, calm, and composed in the battlefield, as portrayed in his conversation with his mother that he felt deep guilt over leaving her. He shows the most kindness to girls, not only to Natasha but also to Marisa and L'Arachel. Joshua also seems to be fairly honest, as seen in a support conversation with Innes where he cheats Innes out of tons of gold. Innes continues to gamble with Joshua even though he will not stop losing. Eventually, Joshua admits that he is cheating and offers to return the gold he cheated away from Innes. In the final battle against the Demon King, he wields Audhulma the ice blade."
"Gerik is the leader of a small group of mercenaries, known by the alias of the Desert Tiger. From his childhood and throughout his career as a mercenary, Gerik had always detested violence, although he had a strong conviction to protect those he loved dearly. His need to protect his friends started his career as a mercenary and spurred him on when his friend was killed, the need shifting to his new friends made from his career. It is revealed in a conversation with Saleh that he is responsible for the death of Gerik's friend, Zabba, but Gerik forgives him. Gerik is also observant and is guileful, shown when he sees through Joshua's cheating when he duels him and when he stays with Innes after tricking the sniper when he tried to dismiss Gerik, accidentally firing the mercenary and making him unable to order Gerik and Tethys to leave his service. Despite his resentment to fighting, he also shows the fighter Garcia admiration for his prowess in combat. Gerik's scar, according to his and Tethys's supports, was acquired during a duel. When younger, Gerik had become haughty and arrogant in combat, and so he challenged a much more experienced knight. He lost soundly, but his opponent spared him, leaving the scar on his face. He learned from the experience, becoming a wise leader in the process. In a conversation with Ross, he mentions that he had been on the opposite side of a battlefield of Ross' father Garcia who was then a knight. Between Tethys' and Ross' talks, it can be inferred that Garcia is the man who left the wound on Gerik's face."
"Tethys is a beautiful, charming dancer, and also is a native of Jehanna, as well as being a member of Gerik's mercenary band. She and her younger brother Ewan were both abandoned by their parents when they were young. After living a sad and hard life on the streets, Tethys began dancing to make money for both of them, and with time, she became famous for her beauty and skill. In a conversation with Marisa, it is revealed she is in love with Gerik as well, and jokes about making a competition with Marisa to see who can gain Gerik's love. Other talks further reveal that she's very observant and has a sharp eye for detail; she deduces at mere sight that Marisa is right-handed and not left-handed like she says, and she also tells Gerik that she taught herself how to dance after memorising a famous dancer's moves and practicing non-stop. She also has a healthy appreciation of aesthetics and beauty, as she wants Artur to tell her the secret to his beauty."
Kind of makes me think of the character as a medieval version of Baccarin's Inara from Firefly.
"Marisa is a member of Gerik's Mercenaries. She is an aloof and detached beauty, and a master of the blade, earning fame as the "Crimson Flash" because of her great speed. She seeks to surpass her father, who was also a great swordmaster. She is unusually clumsy at everything outside of fighting, as revealed in one of her conversations with Gerik. It is also shown that she secretly has a crush on Gerik, as her talks with her friendly rival Tethys reveal. When Eirika's group winds up rescuing Innes from a battle in Carcino, Marisa is accidentally deployed under the hire of Grado, while Gerik and the other mercenaries were hired by Innes. She switches sides after speaking to Gerik, not worried about what this would do to her reputation."
"Ewan is the younger brother of Tethys and the student of Saleh. Born in Jehanna, Ewan is a sage-in-training with much potential, according to Saleh. He is quick-witted, excitable, and enjoys playing practical jokes on Saleh. Ewan also appears to enjoy brain teasers and riddles, as shown in a conversation with Ross. He is troublesome and keeps causing accidents which Saleh does not like; at one time he "accidentally" threw Saleh's magic tome to the river. Also, in a conversation with Tethys, she gets him to admit shaving half of a man's mustache off, and putting a frog in another man's boot."
*Rausten
"L'Arachel is the princess of the theocracy of Rausten and the niece of the Divine Emperor Mansel, Rausten's Pontifex and Lord. She fights for justice and order, emulating her parents who died doing the same when she was a little girl. Although L'Arachel is portrayed as completely self-obsessed and egotistical, and at many times comical because of her egotism, she is actually very helpful and kindhearted, providing information and support to both Ephraim (with whom she falls for) and Eirika and comforting them in their time of need. Despite the apparent honor of her desire to rid the world of darkness and evil, she is also driven by a more-or-less selfish desire for fame. L'Arachel is a very excited person who is always ready to help someone in need. As the princess of Rausten, she is spoiled and does not know much about fighting. Even though she knows magic, she has to bring Dozla and Rennac to help her, though Rennac soon leaves on his own. In the final battle against the Demon King, she wields Latona's sacred staff."
You may as well blame Galavant for this particular casting (same for my casting her co-star Joshua Sasse as Hector back in The Blazing Blade).
"Dozla is the personal guard of L'Arachel, princess of the country of Rausten. He is quick to do L'Arachel's bidding and is in many respects as 'free-spirited' as her. He often goes along with the unnecessary things she has him do, like pretend they are a random travelling group of warriors. Unlike Rennac, Dozla does not feel the need to be paid for his work. In addition, he is one of the very few people who actually thinks as highly of L'Arachel as she does of herself. He is the total opposite of Rennac, fighting for the greater good and L'Arachel's ego instead of money. Despite his rugged appearance, he is quite gentle and sensitive. Dozla sometimes comes off as being "simple-minded". This is evident in a conversation with Rennac, when Rennac will demand 50,000 gold for traveling with L'Arachel, and claims he will bend 50,000 ears to get it, Dozla thinks he really wants 50,000 ears. However, it is learned later that Dozla just likes to tease Rennac from time to time, showing his humorous side."
Many of you will probably think of Blessed's role as Vultan in the cult-favorite Flash Gordon, one of the big inspirations for this casting. My alternative choices are Dan Castellaneta, inspired by his Groundskeeper Willie; and Kevin Michael Richardson, who can pull off all sorts of larger-than-life characters.
*Grado
"Natasha is a beautiful cleric from the Grado Empire, originally from Rausten. Natasha is a graceful, gentle, loyal, and serious person. According to Joshua, her ability to heal is not only limited to healing the body, but also the mind of soul of those who seek her help. In her conversations with Joshua, she is rather doubtful of making a decision on his proposal, but chooses to accept it anyway. She is very kindhearted and caring, evident in her dedication to helping others in any possible way. After discovering the reason for Grado's sudden invasion of Renais, she is the first person to betray her country, despite the immense danger to her life. Despite this, she is very humble and quickly claims that she does not deserve praise whenever she receives it. In the final battle against the Demon King, she wields Ivaldi the glorious light."
We've seen her as a character who specializes in the keen art of hurting--why not see her in a role that's the direct opposite, a character specializing in the keen art of healing?
"Amelia is an orphan from the small Grado village of Silva, and is a young girl who is inexperienced in combat. Amelia's motivation to join the Grado army stems from her broken childhood, where in her village Silva was attacked by bandits. Her father was killed in the raid and her mother, Melina, was kidnapped and presumed dead by Amelia. After this event, Amelia vowed to be the greatest soldier Grado will ever behold in order to protect her loved ones. She first appears in her new residence, Serafew, where Eirika herself visits her house just as she leaves, finding a torch that she had dropped in her rush to join the army. She is later seen in Carcino, where she joins a Grado military force assigned to capture Eirika. At first, she is merely one of Grado's forces fooled by the propaganda declaring the siblings Eirika and Ephraim evil nobles of Renais, but when encountering the cavalier Franz, her opinion quickly changes and she defects to their side. She then aids Eirika and Ephraim in their journey, where she and Franz fall in love."
Coincidentally, while I was working on my cast for The Binding Blade, I found a fancast someone had done of Fire Emblem: Awakening, where they had cast Stoner as the voice of Lissa, the younger sister of the game's main lord Chrom.
"Known as the "Obsidian", Duessel is one of Grado's Six Generals. Along with Selena and Glen, Duessel is one of the Imperial Three, the three original Generals before the invasion of Renais. He is characterized by his martial prowess, honor, and his will to fight for the greater good. He trained Ephraim at one point, and both of them are good friends. As Ephraim leads his division to the heart of the Grado Empire, he finds Duessel and a small group attempting to make a last stand after being branded traitors. In a conversation with fellow Grado defector Cormag, it is revealed that Duessel possesses two special lances; one, a small, beautiful lance designed by the famous armorer Gavaleus, Duessel tells Cormag he will "never dull its shine with blood or dirt. If I ever use this lance, I vow that it will be only in my own final hour." The other is "a magic weapon of dark design that's been in my family for ages." Duessel tells Cormag that a member of his family must always bear the lance but never use it; Valter once got his hands on this lance, which caused him to go insane. Duessel promises to bequeath it to Cormag since he has no son, seeing that Cormag has a "discerning eye" and no desire to use it. It is also revealed that Duessel knows where Amelia's lost mother Melina is. Some years after the raids that deprived Amelia from both of her parents, during a patrol he and his squad fought some bandits that kept Melina as their prisoner. She had lost her memories due to trauma, so Duessel took her to a peaceful village where she was welcomed and given a home. Melina recovered rather steadily, but remained amnesiac for years; only a few months before the events of the game, she managed to remember that she was a widow from Silva and had a daughter. Duessel then went to Silva, but by then Amelia had already joined the army. When he met Amelia herself, he noticed the extreme physical similarity between the girl and "someone he knew", but only by the time of the retaking of Castle Renais did he remember everything. Throughout the story, Duessel had been questioning the Emperor's actions, such as making Riev, Caellach, and Valter generals, and the war itself; this indicates that he has high moral values. In the final battle against the Demon King, he wields the black axe Garm."
I knew I wanted to cast the former James Bond as Duessel, and not just because his in-game portrait bears a striking resemblance to a purple-haired Brosnan.
"Cormag is a gentle, compassionate commander serving in the Grado military and who loves both his country and his Emperor. He also harbors a love for kittens, woodworking and possesses a strong sense of justice. Cormag was raised with his older brother Glen in the countryside of Grado. As children, the brothers would labor in the fields of their parents, often having to chase birds and animals from their crops, and therefore becoming quite adept at throwing stones. When, sometime later, an imperial procession would make its way through Cormag's village, both he and his brother watched while situated on top of a tree. When the boys spotted a dog troubling the horses pulling the Emperor's carriage, they threw objects to drive it away, as they would have done in the fields. In doing so, the brothers accidentally hit some of the Emperor's men, and were themselves arrested for what appeared to be an attack upon them. Emperor Vigarde, however, personally rescued the boys from imprisonment, and invited them accordingly to a feast. Upon taking note of Cormag's strength of arm, the emperor offers both the chance to join the military. Alongside his brother, Cormag would eventually rise in fame. Their exploits were told and made famous even in other countries like Renais. Before the events of the story, Glen becomes Vigarde's Sunstone general, and Cormag follows in his brother's stead. Both Cormag and Glen harbor dislike for General Valter, who was once stripped of his rank and exiled for his mistreatment of Grado civilians. This dislike embodies itself fully after Glen sets out to find and kill Princess Eirika, and is subsequently murdered by a bloodthirsty Valter. Valter returns to Grado with Glen's mangled corpse and tells Cormag that Eirika was the person responsible for his brother's death. Cormag becomes instantly bent on revenge and sets out to find Eirika. Eirika convinces Cormag that she had not killed Glen, and had let her go after referring to her as a kindhearted person. Believing in her, Cormag then realizes that the man who must have been responsible for his brother's death is Valter. He then defects from the Grado army and joins Eirika's group. His wyvern's name is Genarog. When Eirika and Ephraim's forces unite in the deserts of Jehanna, Cormag avenges his brother by defeating and killing Valter."
"Knoll is one of Grado's royal mages who aided Lyon in his research into the Sacred Stones in an attempt to resurrect Emperor Vigarde. However, after Lyon used the Dark Stone to successfully resurrect his father, Knoll was then imprisoned for execution to keep the truth from being revealed. When Ephraim's group reaches the capital and defeats the Emperor, they discover and release him from the prison cell. After that, Knoll joins the army and provides them with information about Lyon's fall to darkness. Knoll is kindhearted and very intellectual, but is secretive and rather elusive because of the troubling knowledge he holds. He rarely talks and keeps to himself mostly, possibly being secure or private-minded. Despite his aloof and taciturn personality, he is very passionate toward his country. As the war against the Demon King intensifies, Knoll adds a summoning ability to his skillset, allowing him to summon axe-wielding phantom warriors for additional support. In the final battle against the Demon King, Knoll wields the dark tome Gleipnir."
*Caer Pelyn, Carcino, and Darkling Woods
"Saleh is the grandson of the Chief Elder of Caer Pelyn and an accomplished magic user. He is solemn and intellectual, but is quite generous and is a mentor to Ewan. He is Myrrh's escort and faithful servant, though both were separated and later reunited in Jehanna. He is also friends with Gerik. It is revealed in a conversation that Saleh killed a friend of Gerik's, which causes Saleh to seek forgiveness. In the final battle against the Demon King, Saleh wields Jehanna's Sacred Twin anima tome, the swift wind Excalibur."
"Rennac is a lazy, greedy, but exceptional fighter from the Republic of Carcino, born to a rich merchant. Rennac was originally hired by L'Arachel to escort her to Renais. However, despite her wealth, she never actually feels the need to pay him. After his initial appearance during Eirika and company's first brush with monsters, where he talks very little, he is spotted on several occasions with, or hiding from L'Arachel, and complaining about her. As Eirika journeys to Jehanna he at one point is found in a house hiding from L'Arachel and he hands over an item to a character to ensure they won't reveal where he is hiding. Eirika's party finds him working freelance for Grado during their retaking of Jehanna Hall; L'Arachel talks to him, and despite his complaints and attempts at resisting, he eventually cracks and agrees to fight with her. Rennac is apparently also an excellent dancer. When he was young, he would dance with his father's female associates in order to entertain them. His dancing skills were also shown in his a conversation with L'Arachel where he danced with her. He often tries to disobey L'Arachel and escape from her, but somehow he keeps coming back."
"Myrrh is a Manakete and the adopted daughter of Morva who lives with him in the Darkling Woods. In Caer Pelyn, she is known as the Great Dragon. She acts as a companion to Ephraim, whom she sees as a big brother-figure. When Eirika's party winds up in Caer Pelyn, the village's elder, Dara, reveals that Myrrh is actually the Great Dragon from the legends who saved Magvel from the Demon King. She accompanies Ephraim as he heads towards Grado's capital; she runs away from his group once they arrive at Taizel after their ship journey, with her reason being that she senses her missing dragonstone. She is eventually captured by Selena, whom she attempts to convince that Grado's cause is unjust. However, Selena refuses to believe her words and releases her. Before Ephraim's army begins clashing with Selena, Myrrh rejoins her former companions. After the battle, she obtains her dragonstone, although she is saddened by Selena's death. When the army arrives at the Darkling Woods, she hopes to reunite with her foster father Morva. However, Morva is forcibly transformed into a draco zombie by Lyon. After her father is slain by the twins' army, she cries over his death, but continues to fight against the Demon King and his minions, joining the other Sacred Twin wielders in the last battle. Myrrh is a shy and humble girl who is often lonely. Much of her dialogue is expressing concern for whomever she is speaking to, and she rarely talks otherwise. While she seems to prefer solitude, she actually longs for close companions."
+Ally Characters
"Fado is the ruler of Renais, the father of Eirika and Ephraim, and known as the peerless Warrior King. As the king of Renais, he had a fair relationship with Grado's emperor Vigarde, until Grado suddenly attacked Renais without warning. Grado's forces quickly overwhelmed the unprepared Renais soldiers and eventually reached the castle. Before the castle was besieged, Fado entrusted Seth to take Eirika to safety. Although it is unknown what happened after Seth left with Eirika, it is very likely that Fado was killed as he is never seen again."
"Hayden is the king of Frelia and father of Innes and Tana. Described as the venerable Sage King, Hayden is a wise and honorable king who values his friendship with King Fado. After the fall of Renais, he offers Princess Eirika shelter in Frelia's capital, but is refused and ends up lending her some help instead, Vanessa, Gilliam and Moulder are added to the ranks to help her on the way to find her brother Ephraim. Sometime during the war, Hayden sent his elder son, Innes, to lead the fight against Grado. After the twins of Renais are reunited and Grado's true goal is revealed, he is last seen giving the party advice and supplies, then sends Innes and Eirika to warn Jehanna and Rausten, while Ephraim plans to march towards Grado's capital directly."
"Ismaire is the just, beautiful, and beloved queen of Jehanna, known as the 'Queen of White Dunes'. She took the throne in accordance with her dying husband's wish; and since she became busy with matters of governance, she could not make enough time for her son who then left the country. During the events of The Sacred Stones she is killed by Caellach because of her refusal to give up Jehanna's Sacred Stone. It is revealed, shortly before Ismaire draws her last breath, that the missing heir is in fact the sword fighter Joshua.
"Mansel is the theocratic ruler of Rausten, known also as the Divine Emperor. His heir is his niece, L'Arachel, whom he has lovingly raised ever since her parents perished when she was a young girl. During the game's events he is portrayed as pious and kindly, and willing to break with sacred tradition in order to support the Demon King's defeat. He is noted to be the keeper of the last Sacred Stone of Magvel, which was instrumental in the Demon King's eventual demise. Mansel is similar to a pope in regards to his authority on both political and spiritual matters, and claims ancestry with Saint Latona, who was one of the Five Heroes of Magvel and the only one said to be pure enough to resist possession by the Demon King. The "Blood Beryl" Riev sought revenge on Mansel for excommunicating him from the religious order for heretical worship, and carries out an assault on Mansel's castle shortly after Ephraim and Eirika arrive there."
Mainly inspired by Molina's guest role as King Gustav in Justice League.
"Klimt is the head of the Council of Elders, which rules the nation of Carcino. He did not want to get Carcino involved in the war with Grado, and, as the most powerful and influential member of the Council, managed to keep Carcino out of the fray. However, the councilman Pablo used his wealth to corrupt his fellow councilmen into agreeing with him, and soon they would overrule Klimt's decision and aid Grado's forces with Carcino's army. When Klimt refused and tried to stop them, Pablo attempted to assassinate him. Luckily, Eirika and her forces intervene, and the assassination attempt failed."
"Dara is an old woman of Caer Pelyn and is implied to be the leader of the village. Over 100 years in age, she is wise and very knowledgeable on the history of Caer Pelyn, and maintains that the Great Dragon, not a human, was the one who led the Five Heroes to victory against the Demon King many years ago. She is Saleh's grandmother and is first seen in Eirika's journey, at the end of her group's battle with monsters terrorizing the village, as the group takes shelter with Dara in Caer Pelyn. Saleh's talks with Myrrh reveal that she was saved by the Great Dragon as a child after monsters attacked the village."
"Known as the Great Dragon, Morva was the leader of the Manakete tribe in the Darkling Woods, as well as an uncredited leader of the Five Heroes who defeated the Demon King. He was also the foster father to Myrrh, and watched over the Demon King's body in Darkling Woods. Despite his isolation in the Darkling Woods, Morva is said to have dedicated his life to protecting humans, and seems to watch over Caer Pelyn. Morva appears to Lyon when the latter tries to gain entry to the Black Temple. At first he tries to dissuade Lyon, believing that he was being manipulated by the Demon King from within; it is then he learns that he is dealing with a fully-possessed Lyon, and vows to kill him. Unfortunately he himself is then killed and turned into a draco zombie by Lyon and left under Riev's control. Simultaneously Myrrh gets a sudden feeling of sadness, feeling her father's death as she puts him out of his misery."
#Cast of Villains
+Major Villains
"Vigarde is known as the stalwart "Silent Emperor", and is the monarch of the Grado Empire and the father of Lyon. Before the events of the story, Vigarde was a wise and kindhearted ruler, whose camaraderie with King Fado of Renais started a lasting friendship between the two nations. During the course of the story, Vigarde seems to have ordered the invasion of Renais, and thus sent the neighboring nation into ruin. One year before the events of the story, Emperor Vigarde died due to a lasting sickness. His death drove his son, Prince Lyon, into despair. By manipulating the Sacred Stone of Grado, also known as the Fire Emblem, which housed the spirit of the Demon King Fomortiis, Lyon managed to bring his father's corpse back to life, but only as a mindless puppet of what it originally used to be. Prince Lyon, now consumed by Fomortiis's spirit, used his father's puppet corpse to orchestrate the destruction of the Sacred Stones. Characters including Generals Glen, Duessel, and Selena noticed the Emperor's change in temperament, but were unable to discern what the root of his change is. Not knowing what caused the change eventually led Duessel to join Ephraim's group, while Selena stayed completely loyal to her death. Glen could not follow the orders that he was given (to find and kill Eirika), which led to his defiance of the emperor. However, Valter quickly found out about this and killed Glen in the mountains of Carcino. Vigarde's manipulated corpse was eventually fought and killed by Ephraim's group as they took Grado Keep. The body then disappeared without a trace."
"Once a revered priest of Rausten, he was cast out by Pontifex Mansel for heresy and worshipping the Demon King, Fomortiis. The fallen heretic priest would then become one of the strongest warriors in Grado; however, his true goal was to release the Demon King from the Stone of Grado. He is very loyal to Prince Lyon and acts somewhat like a caretaker, though it is probably due to Lyon housing Fomortiis' soul. He is also known as Blood Beryl, and named one of Grado's two new generals (along with Caellach) for his sinister control over monsters and the undead. Despite the collapse of Grado's army with the death of Vigarde and most of their generals, there were still remnants of the army that would continue fighting. Riev personally led the remnants in an attack on Rausten to destroy the last Sacred Stone, and also to exact vengeance on Mansel for exiling him. Despite his best efforts, he is unable to get to Mansel or destroy the Sacred Stone and retreats to Darkling Woods. At Darkling Woods, Riev is next to the corrupted manakete Morva with a large horde of monsters outside Fomortiis' temple to prevent anyone from interrupting him. He is eventually killed in the ensuing battle."
My alternate choices for voicing Riev include John Kassir, known for his creepy take on the Crypt Keeper; Maurice LaMarche or Corey Burton, with either one imitating legendary master of horror Vincent Price; and John Noble, based on @Jordacar's casting of him as the Archmage in his great Gargoyles fancast.
"Caellach is one of the six imperial generals of Grado's army, and is also known as the Tiger Eye. As a young man, Caellach became a mercenary in order to get away from his hometown in Jehanna. In this mercenary troupe, Caellach eventually came to meet Joshua, who had also abandoned his country in order to travel the world as a mercenary. Eventually, Caellach's drive to succeed bolstered him upward to become one of Grado's two new generals, along with Riev, the Blood Beryl. He also convinces Aias, a man he knew from his mercenary days, to join up with the army of Grado as well as to become his aide and lieutenant. He is the destroyer of the Sacred Stones of Frelia and Jehanna, completing his missions using less-than-savory ways. He is also the killer of Queen Ismaire, earning him the vengeance of her son Joshua. Caellach, along with Valter, stages an attack on Eirika and Ephraim's forces in the Jehanna dunes. It is here that Caellach meets his end at Joshua's blade. Caellach had a "for glory" mindset, as he wanted to become a king (or at least be famous). He disliked the past and wanted to abandon it; he ran away from his hometown for unknown reasons."
"Valter, also known as the Moonstone, he is the third strongest general in Grado's Imperial army, both in the past and the present. According to a support conversation between Cormag and Duessel, Valter used to be only a somewhat more decent and sane man (though he was not "a gentle lamb before" as Duessel puts it) until, having had his own lance broken in battle, he took a cursed lance owned by the Obsidian, which made him into the man he is now. Since then he is a sadistic wyvern knight who wields his lance with unsurpassed skill and strength. During his past career as a Grado general with Duessel and Glen, Emperor Vigarde discharged him for slaughtering innocents, and he was replaced by Selena--but when the Emperor "changed" from the powers of the Dark Stone, Lyon ordered that Valter be reinstated as one of Grado's Six Generals. He is the first Grado general Eirika and Seth face, as he is present during the siege of Renais. He later duels and kills fellow Grado general Glen (after the former had let Eirika and her party go), framing Eirika for the crime and sending Cormag after her. Ironically, during his and Caellach's assault on Eirika and Ephraim's forces in Jehanna, Cormag gets his revenge and kills Valter."
Freeman's voice for the similarly-unhinged Alan Gabriel from The Big O would work well with Valter.
"Lyon is the prince of Grado, the son of its emperor Vigarde, and a close friend to Ephraim and Eirika. He is a gentle person who greatly admires his two friends. His greatest ambition was to be a strong ruler to protect his empire but harbored feelings of uselessness fueled by his weak health, his one-sided feelings for Eirika, and his hidden jealousy of Ephraim. Aided by Knoll, who was among a team of dark magic researchers, he discovered and used a "forbidden" spell that allowed him to see into the future. What he saw was a massive earthquake that would destroy most of Grado. He began to experiment with the Fire Emblem, which was the Sacred Stone of Grado that contained the spirit of the Demon King, Fomortiis. His extensive experimentation eventually caused the Stone to split into two halves, one of which was still a Sacred Stone, the other of which was the Dark Stone, which now contained the Demon King's spirit. However, when Lyon tried to use the Dark Stone, he fell under the Demon King's influence and was convinced that he might be able to avert the disaster by reviving the Demon King and harnessing his power; in reality, Formortiis was slowly devouring Lyon's soul, possessing him more and more. When he is not fully dominated by the Demon King, Lyon's speech and behavior are different whether he talks to Ephraim or Eirika: when he faces Eirika he seems sad, remorseful and gentle, as well as somewhat willing to hear her; when he speaks to Ephraim, he is much more aggressive and straightforward, saying that despite cherishing his friendship with Ephraim, he wants to win a battle against him at least once. Sometimes though, he falls completely under the Demon King's control and loses any semblance of courtesy and instead becomes menacing and dark. In the end, he is killed and dies in the arms of his friends, then serves as the final sacrifice needed to revive the Demon King. Despite his efforts, the earthquake he foresaw happens anyway and is seen by people as the divine punishment for Grado."
+Reluctant Villains
"Selena, known by her title of Fluorspar general, is one of Grado's six imperial generals. As a child, Selena was raised in a poor, impoverished city. The citizens of the town were so poor as to be unable to support themselves. When winter approached, many considered horrible options in order to feed themselves. However, Emperor Vigarde personally sent provisions to the town, and saved the population of the city even though they were unable to pay their taxes. This act of kindness so touched Selena that she went to the Imperial Capital to join the army, which lead to her eventually becoming a knight. Selena is a charming and polite general; she keeps peace with her fellow generals and bears an unwavering loyalty to the Grado throne. She is easily saddened by the suffering of others, and regrets watching Renais fall into chaos. Due to her village being saved by Vigarde despite the inability of her people to pay their taxes, her sense of duty to the throne is unshakable even through evidence of corruption, a character trait that eventually leads to her demise. During the War of the Stones, it is shown that she's extremely loyal to her Emperor, at the cost of ignoring her own opinions and feelings (similar to Brunnya in The Binding Blade)."
"Glen is known as the Sunstone, and is one of the Six Imperial Generals of the Grado military. Glen was born and raised in southern Grado farmland. As children, Glen and his brother had to chase animals from their fields by throwing sticks and stones at them. This skill came into use one day, when the Emperor's procession decided to pass through Glen's village. Watching the Emperor from the top of the tree, the two boys spotted a dog harrying the procession and drove away the dog by throwing objects at it. Unfortunately, some of the Emperor's guardsmen were also hit by the projectiles and the soldiers decided to arrest the boys. Emperor Vigarde personally chastised the soldiers who arrest Glen, and invited him and his brother to a feast. This feast culminates with the brothers enlisting in the Grado military, and Glen's eventual rise in both rank and fame. Near the beginning of the story, Glen is given the task of finding Princess Eirika, and thereafter to eliminate her and obtain her bracelet. Glen reveals to his brother that when Renais and Grado were still close, he had met the Princess once before and found her to be a kind and gentle person. It is this meeting that causes Glen to doubt his Emperor's words that Eirika had killed the citizens in the country of Carcino. The two eventually meet again as Eirika's convoy is passing through Caer Pelyn to enter Jehanna. As they converse, Eirika disproves Vigarde's accusations against her. This leads Glen to frustrate over the reason why the Emperor would lie to him, and he lets Eirika go, resolving to postpone their battle until after he talks with the Emperor again. As Eirika leaves, Glen is confronted by General Valter, who reveals that his exile by the Emperor and his hatred for Glen's plea for peace drives him to kill. The two are drawn into a duel, and Glen is murdered. It is Glen's murder which serves as the catalyst for Cormag's eventual defection from the Grado army to Eirika's side."
+Traitors to their countries
"Orson was a former knight of Renais. Sometime before the story, Orson was well-known among the knights for his love and devotion to his wife, Monica. After her death, his behavior greatly changed and he made a deal to betray Renais and side with the Grado Empire in exchange for Monica's resurrection. He is first seen when he is accompanying Ephraim, Kyle, and Forde during their assault on Renvall Castle; unbeknownst to them, he is secretly working for Grado. This betrayal is revealed when Eirika and company arrive to seek Ephraim and his forces at Renvall. Following his betrayal, Orson leaves Renvall Castle and returns to Renais to be with Monica. As time passes, he falls deeper into madness, not realizing that Monica is only a corpse. He has been placed on the throne of Renais, which he makes no effort to rule, causing it to fall into chaos. It is stated that he never allows anyone to enter the royal chambers and refuses to accept meals. Before Eirika and Ephraim lead the charge to retake Castle Renais, he brings a birthday gift for Monica. However, he soon discovers that Eirika and Ephraim are attacking the castle and thus is forced to fight against them to keep his home. In the end, Orson dies in the fighting and his zombified wife is euthanized."
"Pablo was once a member of the leaders of the Council of Elders in Carcino. During the war between Grado and the other countries, he attempted to persuade the rest of the Council into switching sides with Grado, but this only resulted into a splitting of the Council into factions. Those lead by himself sought partnership with Grado, while Klimt and his faction preferred Frelia's alliance. Pablo attempted to bribe members, but upon refusal of his offers, he used assassination to give his own faction major control of Carcino's government. He tried to kill Klimt, who is one of the members of the Carcino Council against Grado. He also attempted to kill Innes by using his own mercenary army so that he may gain favor with Grado, as Innes was making his way to Jehanna. He was later on defeated by Eirika's army, but fled. Later, he is in Hamill Canyon leading his own faction towards Jehanna, seeking to join Grado's army after being attacked by Frelia's own military, where he is finally put down by Eirika's group."
"Carlyle was the leader of Jehanna's army; however, during the events of story he betrays Jehanna and helps the Grado Empire take over Jehanna Hall. However, Carlyle is not an evil man; he had been deeply in love with the Queen of Jehanna, Ismaire, but because she was the king's wife he did not do anything to pursue her. He taught her son, Joshua, how to wield a sword. Carlyle was tempted by the one who 'carried a dark stone' to help Grado take Jehanna Hall and have Queen Ismaire for himself. After Grado has captured Jehanna Hall, Caellach is told that Princess Eirika and her forces are approaching. He then tells Carlyle to defend Jehanna Hall if he wants to see Queen Ismaire again. Thus, Carlyle leads the Grado forces in defending Jehanna Hall, but is killed during the battle by his former student Joshua. Joshua asks Carlyle why he has taken his path, unable to fully comprehend why his mentor did such a deed. Carlyle believes he cannot turn back, and fights Joshua with all his might. Ironically, during the battle to defend Jehanna Hall, Caellach kills Queen Ismaire in order to take the Sacred Stone of Jehanna. He did try to let her live though, as he did not like to harass or kill women."
+The Ultimate Evil
"Formortiis is a giant horned demon known as the Demon King, and is the master of all monsters. Among the creatures at his command, these include zombies called Revenants and Entombed; living skeletons called Bonewalkers and Wights; floating, tentacled eyeballs called Mogalls and Arch Mogalls; canine-like Mauthe Doogs and Gwyllgis; giant spiders called Baels and Elder Baels; centaurs called Tarvos and Maelduins; flying fiends called Gargoyles and Deathgoyles; axe-wielding cyclops; gorgons; and undead behemoths called draco zombies. He was the menace that the Five Heroes of Magvel, together with the Great Dragon, defeated and sealed away in one of the Sacred Stones; Prince Lyon's tampering with Grado's Sacred Stone--the Fire Emblem--accidentally frees Formortiis's soul, which possesses Lyon and sets the events of the story into motion."
Next time: a new saga unfolds on the continent of Tellius, as a heroic band of mercenaries must fight to stop a great war between the beorc (humans) and the laguz (shape-shifting human-animal hybrids) from consuming the land and awakening a dark goddess from her slumber. All this and more in