Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance/Storyline

The following is a detailed translation of the storyline to Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, the ninth game in the Fire Emblem series. The game takes place on the continent of Tellius.

Background History
Tellius has two main races: The beorc, also known as humans, who hold much of the power on the continent. Then there are the laguz, who mostly inhabit the southern regions. They are beast-like shapeshifters who retain some animal characteristics in their human forms, such as ears, a tail, or a great mane. They are called "half-breeds" or "sub-humans" in a derogatory fashion by humans. These two races have long been at odds due to their differences. Each race has been the victim of oppression by the other. The beorc see the laguz as uncivilized and barbaric, while the laguz see the beorc as weak and deceitful.

There are several laguz countries. First is the beast tribe, cat and tiger like people, who live in Gallia. Their king is the powerful Caineghis. The bird tribe live on the islands of Phoenicis (Hawks) and Kilvas (Ravens). There are also the white winged Herons, a peaceful species with no fighting ability. They were driven to near extinction when humans ravaged their homelands. The majority of the continent is still beorc territory. First, there is Crimea, where Ike and the mercenaries call their home. Their King has formed an alliance with Caineghis of Gallia, hoping to work towards peace. Then there is the northern country of Daein, ruled by Ashnard, who hates laguz. Finally, there is the theocratic kingdom of Begnion, the largest country, ruled by The Apostle, who is said to be the vessel of the Goddess Ashera. Both Crimea and Daein were once part of Begnion before becoming independent.

Main Story
A young man named Ike, son of Greil and brother of Mist, is at last allowed to join the mercenary group his father runs. Known as Greil's mercenaries, they are honorable, refusing to sell their swords to anyone who is not good natured. Greil is a powerful, axe-wielding soldier, whose wife died many years back, when Ike & Mist were small children. Mist carries a glowing medallion that once belonged to her mother. The company works in Crimea, the only country they can call home. That is quickly shattered when Daein, a beorc kingdom, launches a surprise attack on Crimea. The capital is quickly taken, and the mercenaries find themselves under attack.

They come across a battle, with many dead Crimean troops, and an unconscious young woman who claims to be Princess Elincia, the secret Princess of Crimea. Her existence was hidden from the public throughout her life, in order to avoid a power struggle with her uncles. Only the royal families of other kingdoms and the kingdoms highest guards know her. Titania, a former paladin of Crimea and current mercenary of Greil, confirms her identity. Daein demands that the mercenaries surrender her, which some members of the band believe is the right thing to do. When they realize that Daein intends on killing them anyway, they fight to protect her. It is then decided that they go to Gallia, allies of Elincia's father, for shelter.

The mercenary group fights their way through south to Gallia, where they come across some close calls. Before they can reach the capital, Greil is killed by a fierce general of the Daein army, known only as The Black Knight. Ike watches the battle from afar and learns that his father was once a General of Daein, and teacher of The Black Knight. Greil's final command to his team is to put Ike in charge. This outrages some long time members, who choose to abandon the group. Eventually, they are saved by Laguz, and are escorted to the capital.

In their capital, they acquire new laguz allies, as well as information. King Caineghis informs them that Gallia cannot help Princess Elincia take back Crimea despite their alliance. His people would never stand for it, and would never fight for the sake of humans who look down on them. The friendship between Crimea & Gallia, it turns out, is between the royal families. The citizens of either country still harbor prejudice against each other. It is suggested that instead, they go to the beorc country of Begnion for help in rebuilding her country. They take a boat around the continent to reach it due to impassable mountains.

With the help of Nasir, a laguz living as a beorc, they are able to secure a boat out of the country despite the Daein army hunting for Princess Elincia at every corner of the country. By now, news has reached them that the capital has been taken, and the king and his uncles were lost in battle.

Along the way to Begnion, they are attacked by members of the Raven tribe, as well as Daein ships. The Ravens of Kilvas are only working with the Daein soldiers to look after the best interest of their nation. They are also being paid for their service. King Kilvas, Naesala, feels animosity towards all parties in the conflict: Daeins and Crimeans alike. After fighting them off, they reach Begnion, where Elincia is welcomed by The Apostle.

The Apostle sends Ike & company on various, seemingly unrelated missions in Begnion while Elincia socializes amongst Begnion's aristocrats in order to gain support & allies to take back Crimea. Ike realizes that the missions that he & his mercenary group are being sent on are actually connected - they reveal the dark, underground laguz slave trade. Although slavery was made illegal, it is still practiced in secret in the upper houses of Begnion society. The Apostle has been sending Ike on these missions, hoping that he will figure it out, so that he can take action to expose & prove what is happening, when she cannot. One of the most prominent slave traders is a Duke & member of the Begnion senate. As Apostle, she cannot easily accuse a fellow politician without repurcussions.

This Duke ends up negotiating with Naesala, the Raven King, to obtain the rarest, most fragile and most beautiful of all laguz: The Heron. Herons were once plentiful in a forest called Serenes, until a human riot killed nearly all of them. This riot was caused by anger when an Apostle was assassinated, and a false rumor was spread that it was the doing of the Herons. Naesala tricks his own friend and last of the Heron princes, Reyson, into being captured by the Duke. Reyson distrusts all humans for what they did to his people.

Ike & Company go after the rogue Duke at his mansion. Although they make it through to Reyson, Reyson refuses to go with Ike and escapes to hide in the remains of Serenes Forest. The Duke sends his men to search Serenes, as does Ike. After days of searching, they find a different Heron, who had been hiding in Serenes for years. Her name is Leanne, and she is Reyson's younger sister. However, Reyson has no idea she has survived. Ike's group finds her and protects her from the Duke's men. Reyson, with help from his friends in the Hawk tribe that includes the king Tibarn, see Ike helping her and join the fight to destroy the Duke. When it is over, Reyson & Leanne are reunited, use their magical song to return life to the forest, and join Ike in his quest to defeat Daein.

It is decided that Begnion will give their full support to Princess Elincia in her quest to retake her country. By giving Ike command of Begnion battalions, including their Holy Guard of Pegasus Knights, they become the Crimean Liberation Army. The decide to go from the country, straight into Daein's capital, and then from there into Crimea's capital. They fight through enemy lands with miraculous success, spreading stories of their heroism among the people. The people of Crimea hear that a secret princess of Crimea is coming to save them all from the oppression.

Greil's History
Before charging into Daein's capital, Volke, a thief hired early on in their campaign, reveals his true nature. He is in fact an Assassin, hired by Greil. His mission was to follow Greil everywhere, and if Greil ever went berserk, it would be his job to kill him to stop his rampage. This is because Greil has gone berserk once in his lifetime, and it ended with the accidental murder of his wife, Ike & Mist's mother.

Greil's wife was a caretaker of an imprisoned Heron in Daein. This Heron was Reyson's older sister. She was being kept by Ashnard to force her to sing a magical song that would release a dark god trapped within an artifact called "Lehran's Medallion", sometimes known as the "Fire Emblem". The Heron would die, and Greil, then a famous general known as Gawain, fled the country for Gallia, where they would be safe. However, when humans touch Lehran's Medallion, they are overcome by the evilness and go into a berserker rampage. This does not happen when those who are pure of heart, such as Herons, Mist & Greil's Wife, touch the medallion.

Greil held it on accident one night and slaughtered many. His rampage was ended when his wife, knowing what was happening, took the medallion for him at the cost of her life. She forgave him with his last words, and Greil cut the tendons in his sword hand to ensure that he could never swing a single handed weapon again. As a result, he only used axes from then on, making him significantly weaker.

This revelation shakes Ike, but ultimately does not change his mission. To seek revenge against the Black Knight for his father's death, and to restore Crimea back to its rightful owners.

Endgame
Daein's capital falls too easily, when they realize the mad King Ashnard and his main army is not in Daein at all. They have set up shop in Crimea's capital, abandoning their homeland in favor of a base closer to the beast kingdom of Gallia, where they seek to strike next. His nonchalant sacrifice of his own homeland is a sign of his insanity. Instead, they find Ena, a Dragon in the service of Ashnard, holding the castle. Although she is defeated, Nasir betrays the company and helps her escape. It turns out Nasir had also stolen Mist's Medallion and handed it over to the enemy. They hold Nasir prisoner and get no answers from him. Ike gives control of Daein to Begnion, and with his men, pushes onwards into Crimea.

Fighting through Crimea, Ike and his allies make peace with the Raven country, gain full military support from the Beast & Hawk tribes, and run into the Black Knight two more times. On both occasions, Ike is defeated in one-on-one combat. The Black Knight desires a true fight, and tells Ike that he wears sacred armor that can only be damaged by sacred weapons. He tells Ike the location of the Ragnell and tells him that he awaits their real battle.

When that day comes at a fort near the capital, Ike manages to win and finally avenge his father. All that is left is to storm the capital and defeat Ashnard himself. He rides a black dragon and wields a giant sword. After a year-long campaign, Ashnard is finally defeated at Castle Crimea. His mount is revealed to be a laguz whose mind was warped and corrupted. Not only that, but he is Ena's mate. Ena is Nasir's granddaughter, and Nasir, a dragon himself, chose to betray them in order to help Ena. Ena served Ashnard only to get close to her love. His mind was healed by Reyson & Leanne's galdrar, but died soon after in Ena's arms.

Epilogue
All is well and Crimea is at last, free, and begins the slow rebuilding process. Sephiran, visiting from Begnion, ominously comments to himself that this is just the beginning of a new chapter of crisis & trouble. He believes that Ashnard did not care if he was defeated in battle, because the story of a young, naive mercenary rising up to mend the gap between laguz & beorc, while restoring Crimea, will seed hate and evil ambitions throughout the land. Perhaps through continued chaos & war, the evil god within Lehran's Medallion, could be released. Only time would tell.

Crimea receive workers & supplies from Gallia, building a strong bond where there was once hatred. Princess Elincia doubts her ability to become Queen, but is encouraged by Ike. Together, they go out and greet the masses at Castle Crimea, who wish to praise the new Queen and their hero.

The end.