Part 17: Interlude: Deis

Interlude: Deis

THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS TO BREATH OF FIRE I, II, AND IV



Deis is one of the biggest mysteries of the series. The few things we learn about her over the course of the first four games just leaves more questions. She is referred to as Bleu in the first two games, but don't be fooled. It's the same lady. She's typically portrayed as a quirky woman who nonetheless is quite capable and intelligent. The fact that she is nigh immortal only helps this.

In the first game, the party enlists her help to stop the Dark Dragon army from destroying Prima. She gives the party an egg that ultimately creates something to wreck their shit. Deis was also one of the people who helped seal away the Goddess Keys. She subsequently joins the party, but due to her long sleep (the party has to wake her up before she helps), she's forgotten most of her spells. However, as demonstrated by her insane level up speed and the fact that she learns offensive spells with almost every level up, she remembers them fairly quickly. Unfortunately, like most RPG characters in the first game, and the SNES era in particular, she might as well fall off the face of the planet when she joins, as she has no further plot points. However, it's heavily implied that she always has a hand in whatever major disaster is going on whenever she's awake.

In the second game, she's entirely optional but is still expanded on a bit. In a stark contrast to the first game, where she was relatively unknown, she seems to be fairly famous, demonstrated by the awe the party feels when she joins (talk to them in Township). At this point, she's basically a legend, having helped save the world twice over. However, once again she has forgotten most of her magic (the party finds her studying at the Magic School, but she says she prefers to get it back through experience). And unlike a lot of optional characters in RPGs, she actually has dialogue, albeit it's during the ending. She also tends to talk a lot about the past when she's talked to in Township (as long as she's in the active party, if she's not she just sleeps in her room). A few times, she even shows glimpses of her serious, much more tragic side.

Between II and III, she clearly sided with the Brood during the war, for obvious reasons (as an aside, I'd love a game in the series to revolve around the war). At some point, the Light and Dark Dragons reunited and just became the Brood, and was apparently enough of a threat to God or the Guardians that she had to be sealed away. It's also this game that shows just how serious she is. She knows her role is essentially a guide and does what she can, even though she's too old and tired to guide Ryu personally. There's stuff she doesn't seem to be sharing, as usual. But more than probably anyone else in the world, she knows what's at stake, but keeps her lips sealed, choosing to trust Ryu and Garr. And just who is this "sister" she referred to? Deis also serves as a Master, teaching the highest level attack spells, referencing her battle role in the first two games.

Deis in Breath of Fire IV is a bit different. She was summoned into the world of that game, and was stuck into a suit of armor that became sentient due to her power and referred to her as Ershin. Later, once it was revealed to be Deis, the armor took up the name Ershin. In this game, she's just as smart and wacky, but also fairly selfish. She wants to go home and really has no interest in solving the issues of that game. However, after seeing Ershin's courage in sacrificing itself to save the Abbess of Chek, Rasso's utter douchebaggery, and the party's purpose and compassion for Ershin, a suit of armor, she decides to accompany them and goes back into Ershin, reawakening it. She serves as a source of information about the Endless and the situation with Ryu and Fou-lu. Throughout the game, she's a bit of a bitch, but no one really hates her for it. She was dragged from her own world to guide another that she never wanted to lead, how can you be mad at her for hating that situation? However, over the course of the game, she bonds with the party and even expresses sympathy over what is truly one of the most horrific moments in RPG history, and ultimately decides to stay in the world, to see what happens.

She was scheduled to appear in Dragon Quarter, as the character Lin, but was ultimately scrapped. It's a pity, too. I would have liked to see her role in that world.