Let's Play Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

[RagingKrikkit]

(Edit: 6 Mar 2015: When this was originally posted, I was operating under the username "YakYak", and I'm not going to ask everybody in this thread to edit their three-year-old posts as well.)

Okay, I may be getting in over my head with this, but I've had this idea rolling around my head for a while. With the first half of Illven's misadventures in Fire Emblem comming to a close, I'm going to toss in my set of cards with a playthrough of the other GBA Fire Emblem game, Sacred Stones. This will be slightly different than the standard method of narration in an LP on this forum, for instead of placing a character within the context of the story, I will instead be taking on the role of the narrator, making this a whole different style of writing than other writings here. I know that my last Fire Emblem game did not end well, but after gaining some experience with my nuzlocke and seeing how Illven handles the large size of chapters in Fire Emblem games, I think that I can keep this story going. Standard LP guidelines are in effect, namely that suggestions for who to bring and support are welcome, but I retain veto power. Anyway, here are the rules, and then on with the show!

Note: I strongly suggest listening to the music for this sequence, as this is some of the most awesome music to come from a GBA ever.

Rules:

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1: No reloads, except in the event of lord death.

2: If a lord is defeated, I will restart the chapter and finish it without using that lord and attempting to recreate the events of the attempt where the lord was defeated (most notably, deliberately re-killing any others lost during the level.) Punishment for such a failure will be determined by popular vote.

3: No tower/arena abuse. Arenas may be used during a level, as long as I do not deliberately delay the end of the level to grind in the arena.

4: If I waste potential experience, deal with it.

Prolouge: The Fall of Renais, Part 1

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Let me tell you a tale.



A tale of heroes.



A tale of trials.





A tale of victories.





A tale of defeats.





A tale of honor.





A tale of courage.





A tale of desperation.





A tale of love.





A tale of impossible odds…



Against an innumerable foe.



Friends,



Foes,



Turncoats,



Loyalists,



Knights,



Scoundrels,



Dreamers,



Thinkers,



Commanders,



Servants,



Warriors,



Fathers and sons.



All came together



To save their world



From the greatest evil



To ever threaten it.





This is the tale



Of two siblings,



Their loyal followers,



And their selfless struggle





To prevent the total annihilation…







Of all creation.







This is the story…







…of the Fire Emblem.



And now, let us begin.

















And thus, this tale starts…









































































King Fado sighed as he gave his order.













The princess of Renais held her bracelet up to show to her father. It was a masterful piece of workmanship, silver with gold highlights holding a blue stone in the center of its elaborate engravings.



























Seth grabbed the princess by the arm and pulled her from the throne room.

Characters that speak in this chapter:

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Eirika
Seth

[Illven]

I assume that EirikaxEphraim is a banned pairing?


May the RNG goddess be with you.

[RagingKrikkit]

Actually, EirikaxEphriam never struck me as incestual, and besides, C. S. Lewis wrote a story about brothers and sisters being kings and queens together without any trouble.

[Farix]

Ooo looking forward to this run!

I got a kick out of you tying the image of Joshua with victory and L'Arachel with defeat.

[RagingKrikkit]

I was just kinda going as it went, but they do go down as my most and least favorite characters in this game.

[Illven]

Actually, EirikaxEphriam never struck me as incestual, and besides, C. S. Lewis wrote a story about brothers and sisters being kings and queens together without any trouble.

Oh, well nevermind then.

My support pairings.

EphraimxL'archel/Tana
LutexArthur
KnollxNatasha
NeimixColm

I was just kinda going as it went, but they do go down as my most and least favorite characters in this game.

I like L'archel.... She's funny.

[RagingKrikkit]

Did you give her a French accent in your head? I did, and I have regretted it since.

[Illven]

Did you give her a French accent in your head? I did, and I have regretted it since.

No, I'm not good with giving people accents.

[Deme]

I support Eirika x Seth. Forever.
Also, Franz x Amelia.

[RagingKrikkit]

Good to see another Eirika/Seth fan.

[Farix]

but they do go down as my most and least favorite characters in this game.

Joshua is definitely my favorite and while I did despise L'Arachel at first she kinda grows on you.

Pairing votes for:
Joshua x Natasha
Gerik x Tethys
L'Arachel x Rennac

[RagingKrikkit]

Votes counted, and here we go! Please note that I am again asking for a certain extent of at least mental maturity from readers of this. There are no "Sweet Emiline, my organs!" jokes in this writing. This is a story of war, and I will not sugar-coat it.

Note: The villian revealed in this chapter is to be read in a German accent.

Prolouge: The Fall of Renaris, Part 2

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The apprentice rider set off to the west, vowing to succeed on his first solo mission, and vowing to return to his homeland to take it back from these invaders.





Riding in from the east came three terrible forms. The wyverns were not unknown to the soldiers of Renaris, but nonetheless they were an imposing sight.



Stepping in front of the princess, Seth faced the commander of the wyverns.



Seth did not respond, staring down the invader with steely determination.







Drawing his blade, Seth charged the gigantic beast.





Taste steel!



I zhink not. I zhink dat chu…



Are just a leetle out obf your depth.



Seth swayed on his horse, almost loosing his balance as he held his hand over the massive wound to the gut he had been dealt. “Seth!” The princess cried, seeing the blood flowing down his armor.



I will not die here! Not today! Not while the princess needs me!



He lifted Eirika onto his horse and they sped off towards the border.















He slumped down against a rock and began bandaging his wound.



She began helping him with the cloth, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.

“I can handle it.” Seth protested.



















The princess paused.



































However, they had tarried too long, for the men of Grado found them.











I can handle this.

Princess, I must insist—

Seth, you’re wounded. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.

Princess—

Seth, stand down!

The redheaded warrior sighed, “As you wish, your highness.”



The princess struck, sinking her blade into the soldier’s flesh. She heard him cry in pain, and saw him prepare his axe to counter.



She ducked aside, and the axe flew past her, leaving the soldier exposed to her own counter.



She struck again, puncturing another bleeding hole in the man’s abdomen.



Once again, the warrior struck, but his wounds caught up with him, and he stumbled, opening himself up to another blow.





Taking advantage of the opening, Eirika stabbed her foe twice through the chest, and the man fell to the ground, gasping for breath through punctured lungs.

Eirika stared at him in shock. She had killed. There was blood on the end of her sword. She was a killer. A crushing feeling of what have I done? washed over her, but she had no time to dwell on it, for the next man attacked her.



Once again evading a poorly-aimed blow, she repeated her pattern, catching this man off guard, and sending him to the grass, where he lay in a slowly growing pool of his own blood.







His blow was faster than that of the other two, catching her off guard. She tried to duck out of the way, taking the blow to her shoulder instead of her head. She cried out, nearly falling to her knees beneath the power of the blow. She struck back, but the Grado soldier hardly even seemed to notice the blade enter him. Desperately, she fell back, ducking into a grove of trees. The soldier followed, but she ducked behind a tree, and the axe slammed into the trunk, becoming stuck.



And then she attacked, striking a vicious blow straight through her opponent’s heart, the tip of her sword lancing all the way through the man and extending out his back.









She clutched her shoulder as she saw the blood flowing from it down her arm. Seth drew another length of cloth from his saddlebags and began bandaging Eirika’s wound.

Your highness, you should have let me deal with them.

Seth, you would have only gotten yourself killed.

Which you nearly did, your highness.







She glanced back at the field where the three men lay in circles of crimson. Three lives she had taken. Did they have wives? Children? How many lives had she crushed with a few strokes of her sword?















And thus the two of them set out for Frelia, leaving behind everything they had known—their families and their friends—and traveled on in silence, their hearts heavy but determined.

Characters that speak in this chapter:

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Eirika
Seth

Thoughts on this chapter:

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Well, that wasn't too bad. If you ask me, one of the best parts of normal mode on this game is that it doesn't force you to handle this level any particular way, which while not being particularly big, is a step up from the prolouge in FE7. I was a little disappointed in Eirika's level, but at least she got defense, something she can lack in.

New Characters:

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Eirika


HP: 70%
Str: 40%
Skl: 60%
Spd: 60%
Luck: 60%
Def: 30%
Res: 30%

Eirika is our first lord, and like Lyn before her, largely based off of the myrmidon class. She has the classic "glass cannon" build, although this is tempered by her high HP and speed growths, and higher luck and defense than Lyn. All in all, Eirika is a worthwhile unit, and unlikely to be one that you grumble at the beginning of each chapter because you must bring her along.

Seth


HP: 90%
Str: 50%
Skl: 45%
Spd: 45%
Luck: 25%
Def: 40%
Res: 30%

As soon as Sacred Stones came out, anyone who knew anything about how Fire Emblem worked benched Seth as soon as they got acess to the preperations screen. Then somebody got into the game files, and learned the truth. Seth is not a Jegian. Seth is not an Oifey. Seth is his own archetype, that which carries growths that, while perhaps not on par with others, are still very useful, and Seth is a unit that can be brought to the final chapter with no worries. His speed is slow for a mounted warrior, but that is probably the largest of his worries, offset by his astounding HP growth that leaves him easily able to tank being doubled, in the unlikely event that he is.

Further note: While looking around for some info to wrap this up, I found that several characters we know and love are returning as DLC in FE13. And as for their artwork, well...

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There's Eirika...


And that's Lyn.

[RagingKrikkit]

Weapons Appendix: the Rapier

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Uses: 40
Weight: 5
Might: 7
Hit: 95
Crit: 10
Rank: Prf
Worth: N/A
Range: 1
WEP XP: 2
Effect: Bonus damage to horseback and armored units.


The rapier is our first special weapon, and Eirika's personal blade. It is unchanged from its stats in FE7, where it was wielded by Eliwood. In Eirika's hands, it solidifies her role as a sturdier-than-Lyn unit, and also arguably serves as the balancing force between the two. The rapier is heavier than the Manni Katti, does less damage, and has less critical range, but is offset by a 15% higher hit chance than the Manni Katti. This turns Eirika into less of a critmaster, and instead more of a dodge tank.

[Illven]

Good. You couldn't compete with my comedy anyway

Also is it strange I'm more excited for Lyn then Eirika's return? And I think it's FE 13

[RagingKrikkit]

You're right, it's 13. I'm just a little iffy on the artwork...

What do you mean I can't match your comedy?

[RagingKrikkit]

Okay, moving along! Now we get into the story proper, as Eirika and Seth flee their fallen country.

Chapter 1: Escape! Part 1

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Having defeated a patrol of Grado forces, Eirika and Seth fled northwest to the country of Frelia, hoping to find sanctuary from the war within the borders of their ally nation.



But the war had beaten them to Frelia.







The Grado army had smashed its way through Renais, breaking through into Frelia with lightning speed.



























Prepare to die, Frelian scum!





I’ll tear your heart out!



The Grado commander’s lance tore through the soldier, who stared wide-eyed at his killer as the lance held him upright, his knees having given way. Then his head slumped forward, and the commander roughly pushed the body off his weapon.

Characters that speak in this chapter:

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Eirika
Seth

[Illven]

You're right, it's 13. I'm just a little iffy on the artwork...

What do you mean I can't match your comedy?

That I'm funnier

[RagingKrikkit]

Let's meet at a bar on open mike night, and test that theory.

[ThePhantom]

Well, this looks to be an interesting read.

[RagingKrikkit]

Fox Phantom, are you new to this game, or do you already know all the spoilers?

EDIT: Sorry, I could have sword I saw somebody with that avatar called PhantomFox...

[Illven]

Let's meet at a bar on open mike night, and test that theory.

Can't. Not old enough.

[RagingKrikkit]

Don't worry, you're not the only one. Maybe in a few years then...

[RagingKrikkit]

Chaper 1: Escape! Part 2

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Seth, get to that far house and make sure everyone’s alright. I’ve got the close one.

























Eirika was blindsided by the first soldier, who laid into her with his axe, cutting a bloody path through her abdomen. She riposted, landing two hits on her foe, and leaving him only barely standing.

























Princess Eirika!

Don’t worry about me, Seth! Watch those others closing in!



Eirika’s third blow finally stopped the warrior. He fell to his knees, coughed a small cloud of blood, and fell to his side without a word.









Gilliam and Franz teamed up on another soldier. Gilliam struck first, his lance tearing through his victim, who made a feeble counter before Franz’s sword caught him in the back of the head, throwing him facedown into the grass.



Seth charged another axe-wielding soldier of Grado, slamming his sword down through the man’s skull and almost to his mouth, resulting in a wet sucking sound as the soldier slid off his sword and collapsed in a heap.







Another soldier charged, taking aim at Gilliam, and managed to pierce his armor before Gilliam punched a hole through each of his lungs, causing him to gasp out his last moments on the field, clutching at his chest in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.







And yet we were still defeated.

General?

Our home is conquered, our riders are dead or captured… The Knights of Renaris have lost. Only one goal remains.









Franz attacked a soldier, wounding him in the arm, and easily avoiding the counter.







A soldier ran to the aid of his ally, wounding Franz in the leg, and barely blocking Franz’s first return stroke, throwing him off balance and opening him for a second attack, which connected.





The axeman disengaged and instead went after Gilliam, managing to deal him a notable wound to the shoulder, but paid for his attack with a lance through the gut, which put him on his knees, vomiting blood.



Finally, Franz struck with the fury of Renais, driving his lance through the eye of his enemy, who fell flat on his back as red leaked out the back of his helmet.





















Franz! Seth! Hold the rear! I’ll handle the Grado officer!



Removing a Vulnerary from her bag, Eirika pried the cork out with her teeth and splashed it on her wound. The Vulnerary was a miraculous item, an essential for first aid. Using a combination of herbs used as painkillers and to promote healing ground into a paste, mixed with water and infused with the power of a healing staff, it could provide near instantaneous—if not total—healing to almost any wound. She then stepped forward to confront the enemy commander.



Eirika struck, finding a chink in the armor of her foe. He cried out, but his aim did not falter as he countered, tearing into Eirika’s flank, bringing out a scream of her own, and driving her to her knees. The Grado commander stood over her and grinned savagely as he prepared to deal the final blow, and in desperation, Eirika launched herself to her feet, blade extending towards her foe.



She caught him on the side of the throat, her blade tearing out his artery. As the soldier began to turn pale, he gasped

















Franz and Gilliam finished off the reinforcements, and the four of them moved into the castle.

Characters that speak in this chapter:

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Eirika
Seth
Franz
Gilliam

[Illven]

Nice level ups all around! Your Eirika is turning out better then any of my lords.

[RagingKrikkit]

Just need her to pick up some Str now.

[Illven]

True, but the Rapier will help with that for a little while at least.

[RagingKrikkit]

I guess so, but I usually play very cautiously with my personal weapons, only using them when I absolutely need them. Oh well, I can buy her an iron sword next chapter.

[Illven]

Besides you have Gilliam to break heads.

[RagingKrikkit]

Dat is true.

[fizzmaister]

I'm very happy with the narration style. It should be a very interesting LP. I realize that this goes against the rules that you stated, but what's an LP without suggestions that go against what you want to do.

My suggestion is that you get all of the supports. I realize that this can't be done without creative abuse of save states. You can get all C and B supports, then rewind to right before them as soon as you get your screenshots. Close to the end, you can show the characters dreaming about their possible futures after the war and who they would spend them with. Then, during the final battle, all the appropriate people get their A rank support and the credits roll with the endings that result from the popular polls.

Just planting those seeds. Enjoy, because I know I will (regardless of whether you do the above or not).