Fire Emblem: Knights of Lanchester Lore and Discussion

The Four Nations

The Pharos Empire: The largest nation in Bastion, founded by the hero Pharos, Tamer of Dragons, Conquerer of Bastion, and Saint Elmine's oldest friend and companion. It is said Pharos was by far the strongest of the Great Heroes, the strength of his axe arm rivaling even Saint Elmine and her divine magic. When the land was divided up between the Great Heroes after the War of the Races, Pharos chose the mountainous region to the northwest as his own, which eventually grew into the mightiest empire on the continent.

The Pharos Empire is a militaristic nation, and possesses the largest fighting force out of all the nations. The mountain range known as the Giant's Steps serve as a natural border, making invasion from the east all but impossible, while the southern border is guarded by the structural marvel and envy of the nations, the invincible fortress Heimgar. Pharos is known far and wide for their famous Wyvern Riders, which make up a significant portion of the Pharosian military. The most elite division of the Pharosian military are the Dragoons, which are feared by all.

For most of Pharosian history, the empire has been a benevolent force. While there have been minor disputes and skirmishes between Pharos and the Daram Republic throughout the centuries, it all came to a head fifty years ago, when Emperor Vitiate launched a surprise invasion of both Lanchester and Daram in a bid for power, beginning what came to be called the War of Lions, or the Second Great War.

The War of Lions lasted for five years, and the casualties on all sides were tremendous. Thanks mostly to an alliance between Lanchester and Daram- known as the Lionheart Alliance- and the efforts of the legendary Tactician-General Cassius Sol, Emperor Vitiate's legions were slowly pushed back. Despite pleas for aid from the Lionheart Alliance, the Theocracy of Saint Elmine remained neutral throughout the entire war. This has led to a bitter resentment forming between the countries of Lanchester and Daram towards the Holy Nation.

Eventually, Emperor Vitiate was poisoned and died in his sleep, and he was succeeded by his only heir- an illegitimate son named Varyn- who promptly put an end to the war. Despite being just a child with barely twenty winters under his belt, the young Emperor was loved by all, and a peace treaty was quickly drafted. However, despite this, the peace was shaky at best.

The War of Lions had various monumental effects on life in Bastion, but the largest by far was the Crystal Revolution, which was brought about by each side trying to gain the advantage in the war. This resulted in an arms race between the Lionheart Alliance and Pharos, which led to the creation of machines powered by crystals infused with magic. With the successful use of this new technology, large scale Magic Weapons became more prominent on the battlefield, which added a brand new dimension of combat and completely changed the scope of the war.

Over several years, this technology was used in the creation of many new inventions, from common household appliances to new mechanized forms of military. However, due to a shortage of magic conductive ore, the Crystal Revolution abruptly ground to a halt only 10 years after it began, and countries instead began to frantically search for an alternative power source- which meant exploring the last unexplored place in Bastion. The Wilds.

The current state of affairs in Pharos is complicated, and will be expanded upon later.

Edit: Oh, right. Forgot. The people of Pharos are a strong and hardy folk, having grown up in a cold, mountainous region, but they're mostly isolationists and aren't very friendly to tourists and outsiders. Pretty much the exact opposite of people in Daram.

The Elmine Theocracy: Founded by Saint Elmine herself to be the country that safeguards peace, the Holy Theocracy has changed significantly over the centuries. Where the holy land once hosted annual peace summits between the leaders of the other nations, now it is a country only concerned with itself. A shadow of its former self, the Elmine Theocracy is now a haven of narrow thinking and prejudice. Demihumans are outlawed in the country and banned from entering the Holy Capital, and any caught violating those laws are arrested and executed. Magic is considered to be a gift from the Goddess, and only those who have been "blessed" by the church are allowed to use it. In truth, however, only important or wealthy people are allowed to use magic. The unauthorized use of magic is punishable by death.

On the surface, the Elmine Theocracy is ruled by the young Queen Dianna Snowcrown, famously known as the Silver Haired Maiden. However, while the Queen is technically the head of the faith, she is little more than a figurehead. The real power rests in the hands of her uncle, Archduke Fallon, who is the head of the Church of Elmine.

The Elmine Theocracy has no official standing army, instead they have the Holy Knights, which serve as the country's police force and guards. The original purpose of the Holy Knights was to defend the citizens of all Bastion, but much like their country, they have changed- and not for the better. The Holy Knights are often oppressive of the common folk, and have become very corrupt. However, they are still very powerful, and are easily the equal of the Elites of the other nations.

There is a strict class divide between commoners and nobles, and both sides hate each other. Commoners have to scrounge around for scraps in the slums of every city, while nobles live a pampered life of luxury and look down on everyone else. There are technically four Great Noble Houses in Elmine, but one is disgraced and only three have any real power. The Heads of the Great Houses are second only to royalty, and are often treated as such.

Queen Dianna- now 17- ascended the throne two years ago when her mother, the previous Queen, died in a mysterious accident while on a routine expedition to the land bridge. Since its founding, the Theocracy has always been ruled by a Queen, while her husband is merely the Royal Consort, but the head of the Church used to be called the Pope. In order to be bestowed the title of Pope, four elected candidates would travel to the Silver Tower, a tower at the farthest edge of the country built by Elmine's nine original Disciples to worship the Goddess, and at the summit the candidates would mediate for three days and nights. On the final night, the Goddess herself would speak to each candidate and choose a Pope. However, the Goddess has long since gone silent, and the tower stands locked, unable to be opened.

Alright, now that the four nations are finally done, I'm going to list the main mechanics you can expect in this CYOA, do an overview of the stat system, then I'm going to start the actual CYOA- well, maybe not tonight. I'm tired. I've decided that it will be more fun for you guys to learn about everything in the CYOA, rather than read it here. So once you learn about current events and religion and stuff in the story, I'll write it here. Same with important people. These will be called Codex entries, which I'll talk more about soon. I will, however, still go into more detail about Pharos's current royal family.

The Academy System

There are four prestigious Academies scattered across Bastion, each located in the capital city of their country. Each of the main protagonists can join one of two Academies, and each Academy offers a different "storyline" and perks. However, once you choose an academy, you're stuck with it. So choose carefully.

The Pharosian Dragoon Academy
The Paladin Academy of Lanchester
The Grand Magic Academy of Daram
The Holy Knight Academy of Elmine

Joining an Academy is a huge decision, as it impacts a considerable portion of the story, including which characters you can recruit. Some characters can only be recruited if you're a student of a certain Academy. Each Academy has rewards and perks that can only be obtained by advancing in that academy. Completing quests from the Academy's Job Board and answering questions correctly in class will earn you AP, or Academic Points, and once you earn a set amount, you will advance in rank. Each rank offers different perks specific to each Academy, such as getting a discount when shopping at a store in the capital, or gaining access to the Academy's "Secret Shop", or even new skills, items, and weapons. At Rank S1, you will receive the legendary weapon of your respective country- Bolverg for Pharos, Raikiri for Elmine, Gungnir for Lanchester, and Excalibur for Daram. The ranks in every academy are a combination of a letter and a number, ranging from E to S and 10 to 1.

So, E10 is the starting rank. E10 promotes to E9, E8, etc, until E1. E1 then promotes to D10.
E, D, C, B, A, S. Simple enough ya? Accepting quests from around campus will also increase your AP. Once you have enough AP to reach the next rank, the Dean/Principle/Headmaster etc will give you a promotion exam. Pass, and you're promoted. Fail, and you're demoted a level and have to wait before trying again.

If you manage to reach the highest rank before a certain point in the story, there will be slightly different events, and you will have the opportunity to become the most powerful person in your country, which may or may not be the key to unlocking the true ending.

I'm exhausted now, so I need sleep. I'll finish up and start the CYOA tomorrow. Night dragonlings.

Oh right. I still need to go over the Pharos royal family. The current Emperor is Emperor Darius the Third, and he has one living child, Princess Shira. Emperor Darius's firstborn son and heir, Crown Prince Siegfried, was killed by a group of rogue demihumans on an expedition into the Wilds, and his wife, Shira's mother, died shortly after Shira's birth. Emperor Darius's extreme hatred of all demihumans is well known, and he has grown increasingly distant and hostile in the years after his son's death, making relations between Pharos and the Daram Republic extremely strained. Most people believe that another war is inevitable at this point.

As for demihumans, think Laguz. That's basically what they are.

Codex Entries

Queen Dianna Snowcrown:
Age: 17
Height: 5'4
Build: Petite and lithe
Hair Color: Silver
Eye Color: Pale Blue

The young Queen of the Elmine Theocracy, and a childhood friend of Lucius's. She and Lucius were originally introduced as children by their parents, during the years when House Morningstar was the most powerful and influential of the Four Great Houses. Unbeknownst to them, their parents had betrothed them in secret- an arrangement that crumbled along with House Morningstar. Over the years, she has maintained a close friendship with Lucius, and the two visit each other often. However, their friendship is highly controversial and outright frowned upon by the other nobles, especially Dianna's uncle and Duchess Marion, head of the Great House Gracewind. There are rumors that Duchess Marion and Archduke Fallon are currently having secret talks about an arranged marriage between Marion's son and Queen Dianna- behind the Queen's back.

Lucius Morningstar:
Age: 19
Height: 6'1
Build: Athletic and muscular
Hair Color: Light Blond
Eye Color: Reddish Brown

The youngest son of the esteemed but eccentric adventurer Larius Morningstar. Lucius's father was once a well respected scholar, politician, and explorer, and the vast amounts of wealth he accumulated served to make House Morningstar the wealthiest noble house in all of Elmine. However, that changed once he became obsessed with finding the lost secrets of the legendary Bard Taliesin. Since his father regularly spent long periods of time abroad, Lucius was given a formal education and raised to be a leader from a young age. He grew up on stories of Taliesin, and stories brought back from his father's travels, and those drove him to study music and literature. He soon proved to be a musical prodigy with a naturally beautiful singing voice, and was granted a full scholarship to the Bard's College in Daram at an unprecedented age. A few months before he was set to graduate, however, his father disappeared and his house went bankrupt. His older brother abandoned the family to join the Holy Knights soon after, leaving a young Lucius suddenly in charge of the entire estate. He spent the next several years fighting to keep his family's name and status, and struggling to pay off their debt and earn money at the same time. Now, while House Morningstar is still technically a Great House(Thanks to Lucius's efforts), they have no real power. He is a very pragmatic individual, even a bit cynical, but is adept at hiding his true feelings. He has an intense hatred for his brother, and is determined to restore his fallen house to its former glory- by proving his father was right and finding the lost secrets of Taliesin.

Erin Corsair:
Age: 16
Height: 5'5
Build: Slender
Hair Color: Dark Blue
Eye Color: Green

The granddaughter of Ogrim Corsair, an aging Blacksmith. She was born and raised in the Lower Quarter in Grandia. She never really knew her parents; her father was a traveling swordsman and her mother a simple serving girl. Her parents were never married, and according to Ogrim, her father vanished before she was born and never even knew about her. Her mother died during childbirth, due to the extreme poverty of the Lower Quarter and lack of proper healthcare, leaving her to be raised by her grandfather. Despite growing up around a Smithy, she's always been a sickly girl. She often secretly practices swordplay, and during one such practice session, she met Lucius, who offered to help tutor her. They became fast friends, though she quickly developed a major crush on the young Lord.

Garth Valastair: A wizened old retainer of House Morningstar, he served Lucius's father before him and his father before that. He has seen two generations of Mornibgstars come and go, and is as much part of the House's history as the house itself. While he can be a bit stubborn and set in his ways, he is faithful and loyal and genuinely wants the best for the House. He often nags and complains about Lucius's unorthodox methods, and sometimes his apparent irresponsibility, but he cares for the boy like his grandson and knows, deep down, just how much Lucius cares about him and the House.

The Great House Morningstar: Formerly the most powerful of all the noble houses in Elmine, second only to the Royal Family, the Great House Morningstar suffered a series of rapid declines and financial problems after the former head, Larius Morningstar, spent the entire family fortune on a failed expedition into the Wilds, in search of Taliesin's lost secrets. It was an expedition from which he never returned. Shortly after, his wife Elizabeth Morningstar passed away in her sleep due to heart failure, and the eldest son of the family abandoned his duties and joined the Holy Knights, thus making the youngest son, Lucius, the de facto head of the House. The Great House has retained its rank in the nobility- albeit barely- but any remaining influence now only stems from Lucius's friendship with Queen Dianne. The Great House Morningstar is one of the oldest families in all of Elmine.

Note: As you unlock more entries, more and more entries will be filled and fleshed out. Think of it like a puzzle. You may need to find many different Codex entries in order to see a character's full backstory, or read the whole truth of something. At first, most Codex entries will be only partially complete. Instead of making a new post for every entry, I will edit them here. You should always be able to search for this post using the word "Codex" and it should always be the first or second result. Only playable characters and plot important characters will have their personal data- like age and eye color- listed here.

Edited in Erin's codex entry first cause she's a potential PC, and the others will take a bit longer.

Nope. No 2nd gen. However, marrying certain characters will obviously affect the endings in the Epilogue, and there will be some changes and perks in the story if you marry certain characters at certain times, including a few big changes. There will also be some minor gameplay perks, like gaining extra Leadership Stars for marrying a royal, or getting a discount at all shops in Elmine because you're the Royal Consort of the Queen. Or even simple things like getting free weapons from Erin's grandad.

For example, it's actually possible for you to become the King of Lanchester before Part 2, which, obviously, would change how the war goes quite a bit. There are also a few different codex entries and other secrets you can only unlock by marrying certain characters.

And, of course, characters will change how they address and interact with you during the story. For example, a surly distrusting Ranger named Volke will obviously treat you quite differently during the war if you happen to be a Prince of Pharos,or the King of Lanchester.

I'll give the vote a while longer cause it's really important. And cause I'm hoping that A at least has a chance to win.

Also, you guys DO know that you aren't actually going to reclass to a Mercenary, ya? You still be a Bard. The Merchant's Guild route has no gameplay effects other than you having a Supply Convoy.

Ya I know. I've weakened the enemies of the first few chapters and buffed Shira a bit to compensate for the lack of a Jagen. I didn't really expect you guys to go for the caravan guard route tbh. Kinda caught me off guard. Templar Bard has all the perks, especially since you guys chose the Dragon Emblem. Templar Bard + Dragon Emblem = walking, singing, Bard General.

But that's why CYOAs are so fun. Still gonna wait until tomorrow to lock it in, cause I want Cheese to vote.