Part 30: Chapter 12x: Saint Jagen (Battle)

Chapter 12x: Saint Jagen (Battle)


This chapter is pretty simple, so let’s just get it done.



Dejanira’s face is absolutely horrifying.

: That accursed Archanean wench! Never mind Camus’s pleas. We should have put her to the sword with the rest of them…




Horace seems uninterested. By the way, Horace’s portrait changes in the sequel…




His eyes just get wider. That’s the only change. I like to think he’s slowly been getting more and more surprised as the years go on.

: Hm, something bothering you, now? Don’t tell me you are toying with the idea of rejoining your motherland? Because if you do, I think you know exactly what will befall your people.

: Yes, you’ve made it quite clear! I am an Archanean knight no longer. I knew this day would come when I gave my lance to Dolhr. I will not flinch.

: Good. Then gather your soldiers and kill these rebels before they cause any more trouble.



Marth has a bit of a hidden passive movement ability, in that he can cross these one tile rivers. He can’t walk on oceans like Pirates, but this is still situationally handy.



Combined with the abilities of our actual pirate, the nearest two enemies are down without much of an issue at the start of the map.




Afterwards, I’m splitting the group. Your more powerful units will probably want to be on the right. As will Marth, because that’s where the villages are.




This conversation is triggered at the end of the player phase on the first turn.


: Good.

: Shall we advance on the enemy?

: …No. That won’t be necessary. We’ll lure them in close, then strike. No one attacks unless the enemy makes a move first. Is that clear?

If your hint sirens aren’t blaring here, you may not have played a lot of Fire Emblem before.



Even as a Hero, Sedgar doesn’t really pump out damage, but he doesn’t really die either. So it works out.




Be wary of the two moving mages here, they’re dangerous just by virtue of being mages in Shadow Dragon, the game where nobody ever gains a Resistance point.




Then again, they’re also mages, so they’re easy to cut up, even without a dedicated tool. Athena demonstrates by julienning this man into convenient strips.




Ogma finishes off the Cavalier for a very sad level.




The right side continues to push up, because believe it or not, those first two enemies were all you have to worry about on the left for now!






The Archanean soldiers here all belong to Horace’s group. If you aggro one of them, they will attack, and this is bad news, as Horace will join them. Thankfully, you can skirt around their attack ranges, as the game seems to helpfully hint at by gluing this Knight in place.



This Archer isn’t with Horace, though.




I’m gonna fuck up that Archer.




Whoa, you were supposed to shoot Dolph! Not cool.




Yikes. There’s pretty much the only thing that will threaten you on this map.




And he’s brought a friend. Be careful not to get into the Archanean Knight’s attack range. You can be in the Cavalier’s ranges, or even Horace’s, without them attacking, but for some reason the Knights specifically count. This map’s a little wonky like that.



Sedgar was just getting bored, so I gambled a little. It paid off!




With the mages out of the way, Marth can visit this village. Which is definitely the only one on this map. Just clarifying.





: After the palace fell, though, he bent his knee to the Dolhrian emperor and has been servin’ him ever since. For that, folks call him a traitor and say he tarnished his knightly brethren’s reputation. Well, that’s a load of hogwash.

Hogwash is a great word.

: He broke his knightly oaths to protect us! Not ’cause he’s some traitor. Please, sire, you have to help clear his name. Here…Lord Horace’s father, bless him, gave me this weapon as a gift long ago. I know he’d be glad to see it used to restore his son’s honor.




Well, we won’t be using it on this map, but it is pretty good. It’s the Lance version of the Killing Edge, as you probably guessed.



Sedgar saunters forth, Devil Axe at the ready. Please ignore that strange formation of forest that looks like a village.

Instead, focus on what a cruel trap that Save Point is.




I got obscenely lucky here (That huge gap in screenshot titles is for a DIFFERENT reason.), Sedgar hit twice with the Devil Axe and didn’t take a hit from the Manakete.



Frey can lure out the bow wielders now. Dejanira doesn’t move, so these seem like the last real threats. This map is sort of a pushover, yeah.




So long as you don’t step into this area, you should be fine. I think. Pretty sure.




This sniper is notable for having a better weapon than the boss he’s right next to. C’mon, Dejanira.




A level, but not a dead Sniper. I’ll need a finisher.




Unfortunately, the fearsome reinforcements have arrived!

It’s...one Pirate with an Iron Axe.



: Our greatest champion rises to face Dejanira. Unafraid. Unflappable.




: He puts up a brave fight. Sweat pours from his brow, and he bleeds Altean blue.



: But this is the death of Penvo. They say that, in his last breath, he gave Marth the courage to face the Empire. And taught the world to love.



Meanwhile this pirate will get here eventually. Setup.



Response.



Results.



Maybe Athena can succeed where Penvo failed. I’m not attacking this turn, just getting in position.



OH SHIT TWO PIRATES THE STAKES HAVE BEEN RAISED.

Actually, it’s three, the one in the fort south of here showed up again. Apparently if you let the map go much longer, the other forts start to generate them as well.




We’ll need our defenses at full strength to accost our aquatic adversaries.



Jagen’s now officially gained more Magic than most of my natural magic classes in these games. Dammit, Lena.



Athena didn’t quite finish Dejanira, but Marth takes care of it. Once the boss dies, reinforcements also quit spawning, but we do have those three Pirates still up.



Deploy the welcome wagon!




Goodbye, Welcome Wagon.



Still, they don’t last long after that.



Now, you’ll get the good ending to this map (and a new unit) if you finish it without killing Horace.

But that DOES only apply to Horace.



Nobody said anything about his men.



What I do, I do for the experience points.


Ahem.





Fade out…



And we’re at the castle now.

: Spare the lives of my soldiers and treat my people kindly, and you may do with me as you see fit.

nobody tell him




Stacheman!

: Dolhr threatened him, said they’d raze the land corner to corner if he didn’t comply. So you see-

: Hush! You’ve said enough.

: But, Lord Horace…

: I betrayed my fellow knights and besmirched their good name. I will not dress up my sins as kindnesses! I accept my punishment. Allow me to die a knight’s death.



Give her a second, she’ll be up in a bit for this cutscene.

: …! Princess Nyna?

: Horace. I heard what you said. And you have it quite right. Your crimes deserve death, or worse.




I don’t think Nyna knows how this army operates, like half of our forces tried to kill us at one point.

: But I shall give you no knight’s death. I shall give you a traitor’s life. You say you will not dress up your sins. I say you will not run from them either.

: Your Highness…! Are you saying you wish me to live?

: You did all in your power to protect these people. That was honorable, Horace. But if you die today, no one will remember you for anything but your one act of betrayal. Your soldiers will have to bear that shame in your stead. Do you call that justice?

: …..

: Starting today, you shall prove to the world there was value in your actions. Show us a traitor’s worth. Show us what the soldiers who fought and died for you saw to be true.

: I...I do not know what to say.

: I have claimed your life, Horace. You have no say.

Wow, Nyna, lay off of it a bit.




: Heh...Very well, Your Highness. As you command.

Map’s done!

Now, if I were to put a second village in this map, one that might easily be missed on the second take of an LP playthrough...it would say something like this.


: Are you with the League? Please, sir, I’m beggin’ ya…You have to help Lord Horace. He’s always looked out for us small folk, before and after he inherited the land. He’s a pillar of strength, he is. We’d be dead if he hadn’t made the tough choices he did. The least we can do is rescue him from his plight now. Here, I’ve got this magic tome one of our villagers found after the last battle on our soil. You take it, and find some way to save him. Promise!

And Jagen would totally say it, and then give you a Blizzard tome. Theoretically.




Horace has some pretty damn strong base stats for this point in the game. This is good, because he’ll need them, his growths are horrible. His highest is a 15 in Luck.. Still he’s pretty usable, especially on Normal.

Next time we do what might be the worst chapter in the game.

Bonus Content
There’s no Horace card.



The Assistant Leader of the Wolf Knights, Sedgar