Part 14: Chapter 10A: Revolt at Carcino

Chapter 10A: Revolt at Carcino



Carcino's troops stop Prince Innes, blocking his way to Jehanna.

With soldiers occupying the road forward and back, he is trapped in a hopeless situation.

Eirika rushes to the prince's aid.



Yeah, that sounds very exciting, but wouldn't you like to see what's going on in Grado first?



It's just a model.



: Yes...

: Your orders. Capture the leader of the rebel army in Carcino. Capture Eirika.

: Eirika... Do you mean the princess of Renais?

: Eirika invaded Carcino. She massacred the citizens of Port Kiris. Then, she fled south. Glen. Go. Crush the rebels who brought ruin to Carcino.

: ...Understood, sire.



: What did the emperor say, Brother?

: I've been ordered to kill the princess of Renais. Cormag, I want you to remain here in the capital. I'll go alone.

: If that's what you want, Brother, so be it. But you seem troubled... Don't tell me you're concerned about fighting the princess of a ruined land!

: ...Hm... I never was able to slip anything past you, little brother. You're right. This duty falls heavily on my shoulders, more then any other.

: Tell me, Brother, do you know this princess?

: Yes. When Renais and Grado were still close... I met the girl-- I met Eirika only once. We spoke briefly, but I felt she was a woman of great kindness. I cannot bring myself to believe Princess Eirika is evil. I cannot.

: ...Glen. The emperor has ordered--

: There's the rub, Cormag. That's it exactly. His Majesty has never spoken a falsehood in all the time I've served him. And as a servant of the empire, I am duty bound to obey his orders. But I can see no reason to think Princess Eirika's heart is any less gentle now.





: It is because you three generals are weak that we others must work so hard. And yet you get the honor of killing the girl. How I long to do your duty for you!

: Rrrr! Valter, you treacherous swine...

: What's this? Is this how you speak toward your peer knights of the realm? Lest you've forgotten, I, too, am a general--the same rank as you.

: You wretch. You were cast out from the army for mistreating civilians. What lies have you told to receive pardon and reinstatement at the same time?

: Our beloved emperor felt my skills were needed, and his word is law. His majesty has earned my sincerest and most undying gratitude. And then we have you three. Duessel, Selena, and you... The three of you have proven to be unreliable time and time again. We were brought in to plug the holes, don't you see? You ought to thank me, Glen!

: Valter! If you dare insult my brother further...

: Come now, Cormag. And what would you do to me if I did? Would you fight me? Here? Would you show such disloyalty to the emperor?

: ...

: Peace, Cormag. We are His Majesty's men. We will honor his commands. Mark my words, Valter: your crimes are neither forgotten nor forgiven.

: Hmph...



Well, enough of that. Back to the problem at hand.



: Yes, of course. Do you believe this is enough to make me give up? I am surprised you mercenaries haven’t turned and fled, though.

: Naw. You see, Gerik's Mercenaries takes its name from me, Gerik. I'm the chief here. If I quit while our employer still fought on, they'd want a new name, you follow me? So... What's the plan?

: Same as before. We remain surrounded. They're not going to allow us simply to walk out of here... I send a messenger off with news of our plight. However, even on the wings of a pegasus knight, Frelia is days away. We can expect no help from them.

: So we tighten our belts and survive, is that it? Or would you rather quit this place and rest in comfort?

: Surrender? I'm the prince of Frelia. I don't know the meaning of the words. The fate of the world rides on my shoulders, and I'll make it to Jehanna. Even if I have to crawl to do it.

: Now, that makes me feel better. If you're so determined, we may all live a little while longer...



: Hey, Chief, Prince.

: What is it, Tethys?

: I've got bad news...and then I've got worse news.

: What's the bad news?

: We've no more weapons in reserve. What you're holding is what we've got. Once those are gone, there won't be much fight left in us.

: That is bad news... Well? What's the worse news?

: They've begun to move. They're going to attack again. Looks like they're sending up the whole lot of 'em this time.



: You can surrender or flee. The choice is yours.

: What?

: I'm the one they're after. Throw down your weapons, and you'll walk away alive. I don't need you here. You'll only be in my way. Who knows? You filthy sellswords'll probably sell me out anyway.

: Hold on there! That's not true, and you know it!

: Peace, Tethys. Hey, Prince. What are you going to do?

: I'm going to get out of here on my own. I'll break to the south and escape into the mountains.

: That ain't gonna be easy. How you plan on doing that?

: I'm not telling you. I've no idea when you'll decide to betray me. Go on. Get out of here. I'd rather do this alone.

: Sounds like you're trying to make sure you're the only one who dies.

: ...... Fool. I've no intention of dying. But there can be no false hope of reinforcements riding in to save the day. You and I are not the same. You're a commoner, and I'm Frelia's heir. We of noble birth do not shirk the duties to which we are born.

: ...

: What are you waiting for? You may go.

: Well played, milord.



: There's no way I can abandon you after that fine performance. I'm staying with you. To the end.

: To the-- What are you saying? You dare ignore the orders of the one who's paying your wages?!

: Tethys, I want you to go and surrender. Give my regards to Ewan and Marisa.

: Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going anywhere. Now would the two of you kindly stop acting like such...men? And you! You've already fired us. You can't order us to leave now.

: Unbelievable... And you people call yourselves mercenaries? I thought you fought for money, not for duty.

: Yeah, that's one of the rules. Guess we're lousy mercenaries, eh? Now let's get thinking. We still need a plan to get us all out of here alive. You're supposed to be a good tactician, so I figure I won't die easily. Tell us what to do, Prince. We'll follow your orders.

: ... Hm. Very well. I'll see what I can do to avoid getting us filled with arrows.




: Ah... Say, Prince. If, by some miracle, aid were to come, from what direction would it arrive?

: ...From the north. But there's little or no hope of that. Even if Frelia were to send us aid, they would not arrive until...

: This may be good news... Then again, it may be more bad news. There. On that northern mountain path... Someone's coming.





: Princess Eirika, the prince is surrounded by the mercenary armies of Carcino. He looks vastly outnumbered. I doubt he can hold out much longer.

: I can see that. Let's hurry!



Darn right.



This map is very vertically-minded. We've got Innes, Gerik, and Tethys in the middle, and one additional recruit right at the bottom.





Ostensibly, we're here to rescue these three, but Innes and Gerik can take care of themselves. Innes is a Sniper, an upgraded archer, and Gerik is a Mercenary, which we've seen before. In addition, Innes comes with a White Gem, worth 10000 when sold, and Gerik comes with a Hero Crest, good for promoting Mercs like him and Myrmidons and Fighters too.



Tethys is the one we have to look out for. She's a dancer, which means she can't fight back, and she's not well-suited for taking hits either. If left alone, the AI versions of Gerik and Innes do an okay job of protecting her, but we still can't let them be by themselves for too long, since the weapons they start with don't have the best durability.

Notice also the Goddess Icon. That's good for raising Luck by 2, which some of our units could actually use. Moulder, for instance.



Pablo is a headache, and not just because he's a Sage, a promoted Mage. Sages can equip both anima and light magic (and staves, but this isn't quite relevant for now) and for this battle, he's picked Divine, a powerful light magic tome with 10 crit on it. That and his large resistance pool have narrowed down the list of possible characters I can send at him by a huge margin.



We'll jump over that particular hurdle when we get there, I suppose. Priority one is getting the attention of the folks harassing our allies, so...



It's Pure Water time again. I've gotten a new appreciation for this stuff in this playthrough.



: My plan to get rid of Klimt has yielded some unexpected fruit. The head of Frelia's Prince Innes will make a fine gift to Grado.

: Lord Pablo, Prince Innes and his men have taken refuge in a mountain stronghold. Do we have your permission to finish them off?

: Yes. Flush the prince out and cut him down. We'll find Klimt later and roast his old bones as well. Heh heh heh...



He's right next to you, idiot.



: It looks like they're planning on chasing down Prince Innes and his men.

: Pablo, you mad, reckless imbecile... If Prince Innes dies here, the bond between Carcino and Frelia is sundered forever. Carcino will be nothing more than a vassal paying tribute to Grado... We must find some way to aid Prince Innes.

: Wait, my lord Klimt! Pablo is after you as well. If you reveal yourself here...

: Ahh... May fortune keep you safe, Prince Innes...



Who cares about fortune? I make my own luck.



While everyone else worries about the soldiers, Tana snakes around in order to talk to her brother.



I feel bad for not mentioning this sooner, but we found an Elfire tome last chapter. And by "found," I mean we pried it out of the hands of a mage that Kyle whacked in one hit before he could even show off his new toy.

Poor guy...



In other news, this chapter marks the beginning of Amelia's incredibly risky quest to get HUGE! Another thing I failed to mention last chapter is that she arrived with a Speedwing, the speed-increasing stat item. You might have noticed it, though.



Not that she needs it.



Also on a quest for redemption is Colm. I diss on him a lot, but he's actually a fairly good unit for his class.



This is a decent start for getting on my good side again. Although when I think of it, if he doesn't get anything but speed, I can always compensate by handing him progressively heavier swords.



Enemy phase! There's a trio of soldiers coming at Innes from the south side.



This is only a problem because it means that Innes and Gerik are going to be running in the opposite direction from Tana.



Seriously, they can fend for themselves.



By the way, I should mention that bandits are spawning from the mountains to the east at a fairly regular rate. This'll become relevant shortly.



Swolequest continues.



At a very glacial pace.



Vanessa wears down the soldiers by the gate to Pablo, gaining...



......Moving right along.



: You're getting paid a lot more than us common soldiers. Time you earned your gold!

: I hear you. Where do I start killing?

: Th-that way! The Frelian troops! Don't point that blade in our direction!

: I'll do what I can. No promises. Good day.

: Whew... So that's Marisa, the Crimson Flash of Gerik's Mercenaries... She's a beauty, but I'll keep my distance...and keep my head.



So...Marisa. She's good, quite good, and the weapon she starts with, the Shamshir, is an exclusive Killing Edge usable only by Myrmidons and their promoted classes. And Eirika too, I guess, but she's got her own unique sword.

If we want to recruit her though, we've got to get Gerik on our side, and once that event starts, she'll begin walking his way. I should probably mention that just because the two of them know one another, that doesn't mean she'll hold back if she and Gerik meet.



To that end, let's start unraveling this recruitment chain.

: Brother!

: Tana?!? What? How did... What are you doing here?

: I came with Eirika. Wait here, Brother. It's my turn to protect you.

: Stop playing the soldier, Tana. You will return to the palace at once.

: I will not! Eirika, Ephraim, and you are all risking so much... I can't sit at home and watch! I have to do something to help.

: Tana...We'll talk about this later. For now, we join forces with Eirika.

: Thank you, Brother.

We could also do that with Eirika, but that'd take longer.



And with Innes on our side, we can recruit Gerik.

: Reinforcements have arrived, Gerik.

: Lucky us, eh? Good thing we held out as long as we did.

: That was your doing. Thank you.

: Don't let your guard down now, Prince. There are still enemies to fight, and it'd be such a shame to die now.

: I agree completely. Let's go.



While all this recruiting is going on, Vanessa gets the key to the gate.



What else can you ask for in a mage level? Everything else is really just gravy.



And Colm's quest for redemption slowly carries on.



Sadly, this is as big as Amelia gets this map, since she misses all her other attempts. There will be plenty more opportunities next time.



While Gerik sets the stage for Marisa's arrival, Innes doubles back to pick up Tethys.

: Reinforcements have arrived, Tethys.

: Really? Perhaps faith is a good thing. I've never had much before, but perhaps good things do happen to good people.

: Faith had nothing to do with this. Let's go. We must join them.

: What a strange nobleman.

Nothing strange about it. Faith would simply imply that Innes got to where he is by anything other than his own strength, and he's not the type to suggest that.



Like prior games, dancers have the ability to inspire units to go again once they've had their turn. This is very useful if, say, you have a unit who really needs to train herself up and you want her to gain two levels in a single turn.



Jumping back over here for a second. One other item I picked up in Chapter 9 but neglected to mention is the Axereaver, the lance version of a special family of weapons that turn the Weapon Triangle on its head and double the bonus. So instead of a +1 damage and +15 accuracy gain or loss, it's +2 damage and +30 accuracy. Naturally, if you're fighting the wrong weapon, the detriments are doubled as well, so that's something to keep in mind.



Of course, I completely forget that I put it on Gilliam and attack axe users with regular spears instead. I wonder where my brain's at, sometimes.



Good thing the enemy's just as dumb. The Lancereaver is a sword that beats lances. Surprised?



Of course, I compensate for that by having Colm do awesome things. And what does this whirlwind of flapping capes get me?



Reverting back to old habits, eh Colm? I'll bet that our new guys are just as bad.



.............

So how's Colm coming along?



Still cruddy? Cool. This game hates me so much.



So let's get at Marisa now. Innes helps clear the way.



And Joshua too, with some assistance from Tethys.



You are aware that your job might be in jeopardy, right buddy?



And Gerik seals the deal.

: Is that you, Marisa?

: Chief.

: What a mess... Looks like the guild bungled. They're usually diligent about making sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen. But here we are, two people of the same troop, working for opposite sides.

: What should we do?

: Aye, well, that's a good question... As a mercenary, your loyalty should always lie with the person paying your wages. You decide. We can cross blade if you want, but I'd rather you retreat. 'Course, if you betray your employer, you'll soil your sterling name.

: C'mon, Chief. What would YOU like me to do?

: Well, that's easy. I'd like you to come over and join my side.

: Right. Done.

: Ho-hold on... Is that it? Just like that? You know what this will do to your reputation, right?

: Uh-huh.



Anyone who's played FE9 would know that loyalty to your friends is more important than gold or renown.



Oh, that's not good. Looks like the priest had a Sleep staff. Sleep is a nasty status ailment that basically roots a character in place for five turns, making them unable to move or attack. And this isn't the Final Fantasy sort of sleep, curable by a tap to the head. Once you're asleep, the only thing waking you up is a Restore staff, something we don't have yet.



Good thing he missed, huh?



Recruiting Marisa is a risky affair even after she's recruited, because these guys swoop in. The guy with the bow is a Ranger, a mounted archer capable of also using swords, and that entire group of cavaliers is going to go straight for Gerik's troop.



Although with Normal's stat gains, even the Falcoknight in the back of the pegasus knight formation isn't a big deal.



Especially with this conveniently placed ballista. According to what I've read, one of the Pegasus Knights has a stealable Talisman, the stat booster for Resistance, but since Colm is at the other end of the map, who really cares?



A Torch staff too? That priest that Gerik just whacked was a repository of staves. Torch staves have shown up in Artix's playthrough, but they're just torches that can be fired at a distance.



Neimi, realizing that this is the very first time her class has actually been relevant, swoops in to snag a kill.



Nice!



Excellent!



Blech.



Not much to see up top. For some reason, I got really antsy about the ballistae, and so I had Gilliam stand just inside their range, tanking hits.



Gerik starts big and just keeps getting big. He's crazy.



Sensing someone impeding on his Muscles territory, Ross takes immediate action.



More ineffectual ballista footage. Why was I so afraid of these guys? I wasted so much time on them.



Lute focuses on the fundamentals.



I'd originally only sent Colm on this map to grab this. He's exceeded my expectations.



Let me just fast forward four or five turns to spare you the pain of watching me cower in a corner.

Wait a moment...what's that behind the text box?



Would you believe that this is the first time I noticed that there was an arena on this map?



Needless to say, I send my folks through a few bouts.



And this is all I get out of it. Colm's tale of redemption could have been better, I'll admit, but I wasn't expecting much out of him to begin with.



Dancer levels...those sure are a thing.



So...the boss.

: Logic dictates we join now or be subjugated later. I made the rational decision. The only decision!



Pablo hurts. A lot. Anyone who says that you can sleepwalk through this game obviously doesn't remember him.



Believe it or not, Ross is actually the best guy to send against him, due to the kid's huge stockpile of luck.





Eirika and Ross tag in and out for a while, taking turns eating bursts of Divine Light to the face. And then...



: Prince Innes!

: You're one of Carcino's councilmen. Trying to trap me is a mistake. Failing, an expensive one. I think it's time for you to learn how expensive.



Darn right!

: Urrgh... N-no. I cannot die when there is such wealth to be had... Re-retreat! Mercenaries, to me!

Believe it or not, a villain actually managed to flee a fight. We'll see Pablo another day.



But will we see Innes again?

Pablo left us a Guiding Ring, so we've got two at this point. This game's a lot better than FE6 when it comes to promotion items.



Sweet arena winnings. I could go a lot higher if I wanted, but this chapter's been dragging as is.





: This is going to be fun. Yes, yes, yes. I do so love strong women.

: Shall we attack, General Valter?

: No, we'll pass on dessert for now. Allow them to escape. We're leaving.



: Eirika...I'm sorry for troubling you.

: No, it was no trouble.



: Who are you?

: Oh, where are my manners? I am a member of Carcino's Council of Elders. My name is Klimt.

: A council member?

: So you're one of the traitors who ordered--

: P-please, please! I have no intention of opposing you or quarreling with you. I, too, have been marked for death by Pablo...

: What is this all about?

: It's a shameful tale... Carcino is a nation divided. As you know, Carcino has no king but is ruled by a council. But now the council has broken apart into factions mired in discord...

: Factions... You're saying that the whole of Carcino has not betrayed Frelia?

: Correct. The moderate factions prefer to preserve our alliance with Frelia. Pablo’s faction wishes to endear us to Grado, to surrender us to their armies. Once Pablo realized he couldn’t ply us with bribes, he began to have us assassinated. Those of us who remain have taken refuge underground. We oppose him where we can. If you hadn't shown up, I'm not certain I would still be breathing...

: I do recall enemy troops combing this area when I arrived... They were searching for you, is that it?

: Pablo has usurped rule of the council. We had no choice but to hide. Not all of Carcino's council has gone over to Grado's side, though... You must believe me--the whole of Carcino does not believe as Pablo does.

: ...I see.

: Lord Klimt... I understand the hardships you've endured. I am pleased to hear all of Carcino is not our foe.

: I will depart at once for Frelia to explain our circumstance to the king. I think it is best if you return to Frelia as well. Pablo has considerable wealth, and he commands a vast mercenary force. I'm sure he'll send more of them this way as soon as he is able.

Okay, that gives us a place to start. See you next time in-



: Tethys and I are staying with you. Is that gonna work?

: Yes, I would appreciate the help. Starting now, you've got a new contract, though--the pay's double. If the two of you hadn't stayed with me back there, I would not have survived. Gerik, Tethys... Thank you. You have my gratitude.

: Tell me something, Prince. Did you get...er...hit on the head during that last skirmish?

: ...That's unkind. My neck is not so stiff that I cannot show gratitude. I would ask for your continued support in the days ahead.

: We both ask for your help.

: We've got a deal. Let's keep each other alive.

Okay, I guess they needed their little segment too. But anyway, see you next-



: Ewan! How is it... What are you doing here? I told you to wait in the inn and behave yourself, didn't I?

: Yeah, but you always run off and disappear. It's not fair. I want to have adventures, too.

: You are such an imp... I am not out here running about having fun, you know?

: I know. That's why I came to see you. I can help. My teacher finally got around to teaching me some magic. Check this out.

: H-hey! Knock it off! You shouldn't be using magic here!

: Well, I just thought maybe I could help you work is all. I can protect you now, sis. Come on, take me with you. I don't wanna stay in that inn anymore.

: Oh...all right. I'll go speak and speak to the Chief and Princess Eirika. Don't wander off while I'm gone.

: Yahoo!

Ooh! Another new party member? They're just handing these out left and right. We'll see what Ewan can do-



: I think we should follow the advice we've been given and return to Frelia. Continuing on through Carcino like this is too great a risk to your safety.

: The peril is self-evident. However, I have to reach Jehanna, and the only way is through Carcino. If I don't hurry, nations will fall, one after another, to Grado's hunger.

: Innes is right. And the road to Rausten leads me through both Carcino and Jehanna. However, pressing on will only invite more mercenary attacks.



: I know a way that leads over the mountains straight to Jehanna! Want me to guide you?

: ...And who might you be?



: You know better than to interrupt people when they're talking. I'm so sorry. Please let me take my brother out of the way. Come on, Ewan. Let's go.

: No, no--wait, please. Do you really know a route through the mountains?

: That's what I said. At the top of that mountain, there's a village named Caer Pelyn. That's where my teacher lives. I'm sure he'll lead you through if you ask him nicely.

: What is your teacher's name?

: My teacher? His name is Saleh.

: Saleh... I've heard that name on the lips of Frelia's spy network lately. He's a powerful wielder of magic who has been fighting bandits and monsters. The spies mentioned something about a Caer Pelyn, if I remember.

: What do you think?

: Hm. If my spies are accurate, this Saleh is someone we can trust.

: Very well, Ewan. Will you take us to meet your teacher?

: Are you sure you can do this, Ewan?

: Not a problem! All right, everyone. See if you can keep up!

Okay, is that everyone? Anyone else have something they need to get off their chest? Okay? Good.

Next Time: More monsters? It's like Christmas in Chapter 11: Creeping Darkness.

Extras



Innes
Class: Sniper
Weapon Ranks: A in bows
Affinity: Ice

HP: 31 (75%) Lck: 14 (45%)
Str: 14 (40%) Def: 10 (20%)
Skl: 13 (40%) Res: 9 (25%)
Spd: 15 (45%) Con: 9

So far as prepromotes go, Innes is okay. The guy starts out with good stats, he's got pretty good growths, and he fills a niche that might not be filled at the time. Big problem is that he's a Sniper, not a Ranger. As many in the thread will happily point out, bows are not the best weapons in this series, unable to attack at anything but range. If Neimi keeps her lucky streak going, she could surpass Innes and have a horse and a sword to boot.



Gerik
Class: Mercenary
Weapon Ranks: C in swords
Affinity: Thunder

HP: 32 (90%) Lck: 8 (30%)
Str: 14 (45%) Def: 10 (35%)
Skl: 13 (40%) Res: 4 (25%)
Spd: 13 (30%) Con: 13

Gerik's more than a little bit insane. Look at Innes's stats again. Gerik is already most of the way there, with ten levels to go until his promotion. It's pretty clear that they want you to make Gerik into a Hero when he promotes, since that constitution is more suited to wielding axes than swords. Still, the Ranger option is open too, and he'd absolutely rock that as well. Gerik is awesome.



Tethys
Class: Dancer
Weapon Ranks: None. She's a dancer.
Affinity: Fire

HP: 18 (85%) Lck: 10 (80%)
Str: 1 (5%) Def: 5 (30%)
Skl: 2 (10%) Res: 4 (75%)
Spd: 12 (70%) Con: Who cares? She's a dancer.

Tethys is a dancer. She dances, and a single character can move again. If her resistance growth kicks in, she could theoretically be used to tank long-range magic.

She's a dancer.



Marisa
Class: Myrmidon
Weapon Ranks: D in swords
Affinity: Ice

HP: 23 (75%) Lck: 9 (50%)
Str: 7 (30%) Def: 4 (15%)
Skl: 12 (55%) Res: 3 (25%)
Spd: 13 (60%) Con: 5

Now you may be wondering why you'd use Marisa over Joshua. That's not the right question. The real question you should be asking is whether you should use both of them at once, and I believe you really should. Similarly to Franz, Kyle, and Forde, Marisa and Joshua are so close together in usefulness that it all depends on how well they do in determining which one you use. If you put in the effort, Marisa can easily be a good backup Joshua, and Swordmasters in general are quite good in this game.

Extra Conversations

The Innes/Tethys/Gerik recruitment chain has a number of different permutations. If you talk to Innes with Eirika...

: Prince Innes! Are you well?

: Eirika... Is that you?

: We've come to aid you. You must be exhausted. Please fall back and rest. We'll take care of these dogs.

: I cannot allow that. I will not run and hide while a woman protects me... We will continue the fight. You can join us.

: If that's how you want it. Let's go then.

: ...Eirika, a moment.

: Prince?

: I would give you my thanks. You, the princess of Renais, came to my aid...I am in your debt.


If you talk to Tethys with Gerik...

: Hey, Tethys. Looks like help is on the way.

: Really? Perhaps faith is a good thing. I've never had much before, but perhaps good things do happen to good people.

: Good things? I like the sound of that. What do you suppose might come my way?

: Ha ha... I wonder...


And if you talk to Gerik with Tethys...

: Say, Chief. I've got good news, and I've got better news.

: Eh? What's the good news?

: Within our band of mercenaries... There are two women enamored of you.

: Huh? What're you talking about? You a fortune-teller now? And what's the better news?

: Help has arrived. Looks like we may survive after all.

Obviously a hint about Marisa's recruitment.