Update 103

Update 103: WELCOME TO CHAOS WORLD

♪ Three Crowns ♪

Prince Dimitri and the remnants of the royal army join with the remaining Knights of Seiros to form a revitalized Kingdom army. Using Garreg Mach as their base of operations, they rise to action against the Empire.

♪ Beneath the Banner ♪

Ah, thank the goddess... I couldn't bear the thought of letting Jeralt down by not finding you.

It does my heart well to see that all of you are safe. Now that we have all gathered, let's discuss our next course of action.

♪ King of Lions ♪

I have no objection to joining forces with you. After all, our interests are aligned.

Nothing could be more reassuring than securing the cooperation of the Knights of Seiros.

Let's fight together.

The archbishop entrusted all of her affairs to you. From now on, I shall comply with your wishes.

Garreg Mach may be a strategic location, but it's too far from the front lines to be worthy of notice at the moment. This area is inconvenient as far as transport time is concerned, so it's of little importance to their war effort.

Even so, nothing slips past the emperor. It is safe to assume she at least has this place under surveillance.

Professor... What do you think about making this place our base?

I have no objections.

Fortunately, there are still villages and hamlets nearby. And though I wouldn't call them abundant, we have war funds, as well. What do you think, Your Highness?

Do as you please.

Hey! Don't act like this doesn't concern you! We finally reunited after all this time... We've got to work together!

She's right. In fact, why don't we all join forces and clean this place up a bit?

Ooh, yeah! That's a great idea! And it'll give us time to reminisce about all the good old days at the academy. I can't wait!

That settles it, then. Now, let us all work together and get our new base tidied up. We have finally reunited, after all. We should take this chance to calm our nerves and—

It may sound trivial, but... Well, I think it's a good idea...

I understand feeling impatient, Your Highness. But patience is key at a time like this. If we fix up our base, it will improve morale, which will be sorely needed as we—

Fools.

Let's all settle down.

Stay out of this.

Please calm yourself, Your Highness. We are not your enemies.

My enemies say the same.

I feel so bad for him... Would it help if I brewed him a nice pot of tea?

I cannot claim to understand how he feels. However... The way he's behaving—it's as though he's being haunted by some unseen force.

He wasn't always like this.

Perhaps...

Dimitri has...no interest in interacting with the rest of our army, I take it.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

...Uh...

Okay, yep, welcome to another cruel part of Azure Moon: for the next several chapters, Dimitri cannot raise his support ranks, and arguably worse, cannot participate in instruction. He's stuck with whatever skill experience he gets in battle until something changes, which...is bad. He's your lord, you want him to be as good as possible, but you can't use the best method of raising skill levels on him.

Let's move onto units who...aren't stuck in a mental haze caused by untreated PTSD.

Felix/Ashe B.

♪ A Gentle Breeze ♪

Oh. Hey, Felix.

I suppose your thoughts are still with Lord Lonato.

I'm fine. I'm just frustrated by how little I was able to do. I know he was trying to protect me, but Lonato never really told me anything. In the end, I don't think I understood his feelings at all.

...

You said it yourself. Be more moderate in your passions. To me, he always seemed like a knight out of a story.

And I was so caught up in my ideals. I turned a blind eye to his sadness, his hatred...even when they were right in front of me. I guess I'm pretty far from real knighthood, huh?

Perhaps. Yet knowing someone well does not mean you know how they feel. Whether family or friend. To know someone's sorrow and turn blindly from it... That is the act of a fool. But pursuing your ideals is not foolish.

But before...you said...

I said to be moderate in your passions, not to abandon your ideals. It's OK to be who you are.

Thank you. Hearing you say that means a lot.

Ah, I almost forgot. You lent me this.

Oh, the book I lent you... I'm guessing you hated it.

Actually, I already knew the story.

My brother used to read it to me all the time.

Must have dug up some old feelings, then?

I suppose.

That's just what I'd expect the knight in the story to say! It's not just the way you talk either. It's who you are as a person, deep down.

Heh. Well, I think you're like the squire in the book. He's only half a knight, but he's bold and gregarious.

And he always does his best. Don't stop being that half-knight, OK?

You got it. I'll become the kind of knight only I can be!

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

I love how Ashe is so earnest that even Felix can't bring himself to fully express his hatred of chivalry and knighthood to Ashe.

Caspar/Ashe B.

♪ Respite and Sunlight ♪

Come on, we can't waste time arguing about it like last time! We gotta catch the guy!

I've cut off his escape route! He's all yours!

Hah! You're not going anywhere, you dirty thief!

I guess, but I didn't think our thief would be so...

Yeah. I never would've guessed a cat this big could sneak into our pantry.

So, uhh... What do we do with him?

We? Weren't you the one barreling on about striking the culprit down last time?

You really think I'm gonna attack him? Why don't you try your genius plan instead?

Go ahead, talk it out! Let the cat explain himself!

I doubt you'll understand a word the guy says.

Haha, I guess neither of us has the right solution here. So, what are we going to do with this—whoa!

Huh?

Huh?! Oh...

Gah!

Haha, looks like he gave us the slip!

Haha, he sure did!

Well, after a daring escape like that, I guess there's no more we can do.

I'll teach him a lesson if we ever catch him again.

I thought of a pretty good plan to show him the error of his ways.

I've got an idea of my own, so I guess I'd better find him first.

Is that a challenge? Well then, may the best plan win.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Cat! Cute kitty!

Ashe and Caspar being able to A rank over a cat of all things is one of my favorite cross-house A rank supports.

Ashe/Gilbert C.

♪ A Gentle Breeze ♪

You think so? Thank you, Gilbert!

You really are amazing, you know. Your skills with the lance and bow are just incredible.

One learns the craft of knighthood well after 40 years of service.

Wow. 40 years! That's incredible.

With that many years of training, I'd be really strong, wouldn't I?

Further training and service will only make you stronger. Yet, why spend your life this way? Knighthood is not glamorous. On long campaigns you sleep rough in all manner of weather, and may eat gruel more often than venison... It seems odd that you would admire me. Or that you would long to be a knight. Are you sure of yourself?

But of course! It's been my dream for a long time, now. I really can't help but admire you. Your years of knighthood are so impressive!

I do not deserve your praise. I merely performed my duties to the best of my skill.

Don't be modest. You're a great knight!

If there's any more you can teach me, I would be very happy to learn.

Hmm. Tell me this... Once you don the armor, raise your shield, and level your lance... Why? What is it you wish to protect?

Protect? I, um... Well, whatever needs protecting, right?

You must know exactly what you protect before you become a knight.

I understand. I'll take that to heart.

What is it that you want to protect, if I may ask?

My duty has always been to protect my lord. That is a given for any knight, but for myself, doubly so. Then there are the personal reasons. Each knight has their own, yet mine... I do not speak of.

Oh. How come?

Because it is personal. Mine. It allows me to focus on the work and grants me discipline. That is sufficient.

Discipline, huh...

Something to protect. I'll have to think of something.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

A rare Gilbert support where he acts like an actual person, rather than...whatever we see elsewhere.

Mercedes/Constance A.

♪ Somewhere to Belong ♪

Not at all. I was just in need of a sympathetic ear.

I found a magical scroll, which, unless I am mistaken, should relieve me of my woes.

Oh, wonderful!

Not so fast. The magic within this scroll is a type I have neglected to study.

It pains me to admit this, but it may take decades of going back to the basics to grasp it.

Decades? That's a long time to spend with your nose buried in an old piece of parchment.

Why must the goddess dangle a solution before me, only to cruelly pull it away?

You do?

Why? Those low moods of mine have never done anyone the least bit of good.

You're like a little sister to me. Nothing you do will change that, not even a little bit.

Really?

Of course. You're my sweet Constance, and I like you just as you are.

I...I see. Perhaps my moods are not the great burden I thought they were...

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you. No matter what decision you make, I support you.

I felt no pressure, I assure you. It's more that I feel...embarrassed to have been embarrassed. I'd put so much effort into finding a magical means to alleviate myself...

That it never occurred to me that maybe all I needed was to accept myself.

What will you do with the scroll you found?

Oh, I'll continue to research it...for research's sake, if nothing else. But I may have no need of it. It's not as if these moods of mine have ever hampered my efforts to restore my house. And I am as a sister to you no matter which face I present, yes?

Nothing—no mood, no foe, no obligation—will keep me from honoring my sisterly duty to protect you!

Haha! We can protect each other.

Good! It is settled! Now we can begin the hard work of reclaiming our titles.

Absolutely! We'll become sister sages and restore our houses to their former glory.

You understand the plan perfectly! If we walk this path together...it can only end in triumph!

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Caspar/Annette B.

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

Getting separated from my own troop... I'm a failure as a commander... It's already almost sunset... My wounds are aching... And I'm so hungry... Maybe I'm just going to die right here... Oh, but no! That's such a pathetic way to die... I wonder if the rest of my soldiers are OK... I'm so worried about them...

I was wounded in the forest...lost sight of my troop... I wandered around and...oh! Where is everyone?!

Calm down, you got nothing to worry about. They're fine! My men retrieved the rest of your unit. You're the one we've been worried about. How ya feeling? Are you hurt? You've got a pretty painful looking wound on your leg.

Oh, I'm all right... Though I might have trouble running...

If you say so... I gotta admit, I got the chills when I heard you were missing. Your soldiers told me what happened. I was only able to find you thanks to them.

You've got a good troop there! You should be proud!

...

What's wrong, Annette? Not feeling so good after all?

No, that's not it. I was just thinking about what a hopeless commander I am...

It's my job to look after my soldiers, but they ended up having to look out for me...

If I'm this hopeless, I shouldn't be out there at all...

What are you talking about? I don't know anyone around here who works harder than you.

You put your all into your work and everyone knows it. Why do you think your soldiers are so loyal?

Caspar...

There's no way they'd do so much for you if they didn't see it in you.

C'mon, let's head back. I'll help you if you're having trouble walking. Your soldiers are worried about you. Go show 'em you're doing just fine!

Yes... You're right! Thank you, Caspar.

No problem! Just remember that it's OK to make mistakes, as long as you're learning from them!

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Caspar with the correct, if basic, take.

I'm giving War Monk Balthus a shot. Maybe Adan's success with it will extend to Balthus?

Remember to occasionally comb through your convoy and sell items you don't need. Even excluding the bullions I'd built up, which were worth 10k, I still made about 15k gold selling weapons and equipment I just don't need.

I can't not repair this thing, after all the success that Adan had with it during Reunion at Dawn.

This is so not worth 12 wootz steel, especially given that I could forge a brave weapon with half of that, which would give it +1 Mt (effectively +2 on the player phase), and +10 Hit.

Soon, it will be mine.

What matters to me, more than anything, is ensuring a peaceful, quiet future for my parents. I don't care about the Kingdom. I simply want to remove the threat of the Empire. Because of this, Dimitri's fixation on Edelgard is convenient to me. I fight for my own reasons and no others.

Yeah, that tracks.

SS/VW have a lot of shared monastery dialogue for pretty obvious reasons, but AM has a good chunk of unique stuff. We'll be spending more time going over monastery stuff in AM than we did in VW.

There's so much more I wanted to say to him. We were classmates, of course, but I never really had the chance to get to know him. He was always so tender with the flowers in the greenhouse. I wonder how they're doing...

I should probably just move my little sis and grandpa to Garreg Mach.

At least I could keep working on becoming a proper knight without having to worry about them!

I gotta find them a house once things calm down a bit!

Sounds like Raphael is fighting for similar reasons to Lysithea—not necessarily defecting from the Leicester Alliance, but taking the best opportunity there is to help stop Edelgard's war.

Hey, Professor. Care to join me for a cup of tea? We could invite the others, and the soldiers.

That sounds nice.

Doesn't it? There probably isn't time to bake any treats though...

Oh! I should invite Dimitri to come along as well.

Though I don't suppose he'll want to join in...

Yeah, uh...good luck with that.

An awful lot has happened in these past five years. There were so many times I wished you were around.

I'm glad you're back. Your skills are worth more than a whole army.

As you might've guessed, Sylvain compliments Abby if you're playing as her.

Hey, Professor. It's been a while. It's really good to see you again. Gorgeous as ever, might I add.

The major houses of Fraldarius, Gautier, Charon, and my own family, Galatea, remain loyal... But the lords of the minor domains in the west have almost entirely defected.

After all the royal family has done for them, they respond with betrayal. And to think they have the gall to call themselves nobles.

But we still have His Highness, and you, Professor. I'm sure we can take back the Kingdom's lands.

How convenient that we don't have to deal with a Lorenz-but-in-Faerghus situation.

I want to be useful of course, but I'm not sure anyone needs me.

I need you here.

If you really mean that, I will stay and do my best to help.

The "wrong" dialogue choice contains a bit more info about why Marianne is here.

That was my adoptive father's decision. He has decided there is no future in the Alliance...

Sounds like there's a significant lack of confidence in the Leicester Alliance, even with Claude managing to project the image of unified leadership.

Maybe I wasn't taking the situation seriously enough. After all, the Imperial army could be showing up at any time! I was just so happy to see you again. And everyone else too. Maybe I got carried away.

I'm happy to see you too.

Oh, really? That's so nice to hear!

What're you doing in the cathedral...?

I can hardly look at the thing in the state it's in. Do something about it.

I'll see what I can do.

Please do.

We tracked the boar for five years. I thought he was dead. In the state he's in, he might as well be. He's gotten better at killing people, and in exchange, surrendered what little humanity he had.

I doubt Dimitri consciously "surrendered" anything.

Already, rumors spread that they were utterly annihilated. So regardless of whether there are spies observing us, the Imperial army will know of this soon enough. Your Highness... Dimitri... How could you be so reckless?

Captain Jeralt told me to look out for you, after all. So now my purpose is clear. I'll do everything I can to protect you!

I imagine Leonie didn't need much internal convincing to join up with Dimitri's army, given her dim view of nobles, who form the entirety of the governing body of the Leicester Alliance.

♪ Words to Believe In ♪

The expressions...do not match the emotions.

♪ The Forgotten ♪.

Imperial troops entering Kingdom settlements are destroyed seemingly overnight. Townspeople on the front lines are terrified, and yet they simultaneously treat this as though he's some sort of hero blazing through the land.

Can't imagine their surprise when they realized it was their own prince.

Yuri's the only Ashen Wolf who has new dialogue for Azure Moon, at least this month.

That does bring up a good point, I wonder what kind of rumors and stories are spreading about Dimitri right now.

Did you miss the Wayseer's purple room? I did, too.

Annette/Gilbert B.

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

I carved this on a whim. I wish for you to take it, Annette.

I still do it. When the mood strikes.

It's so cute! It's...wait. No. What do you want from me?

I want nothing. I was carving and... I thought of you. I remembered how happy you would be, as a child, when I handed one of these dolls to you.

I was back then, but I'm not a child anymore. It's too late for this now, Father. It doesn't make me happy anymore.

Annette...

I... I was so lonely after you left. I was always, always alone. I didn't know where you were, or who to turn to for comfort. All I could do was look at the dolls you carved for me, and remember you...and weep!

If you don't need it, you can throw it away. It is all the same in the end.

I am sorry, Annette. I should have given more thought to my actions.

No, this won't do at all. It would be better to throw this doll away... You are too cruel, Father. Of course I... I could never throw it away...

♪ The Forgotten ♪

Father issues combined with abandonment are a hell of a thing.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

More Gilbert.

Adan/Gilbert B.

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

I heard your voice.

I am most sorry for disturbing you.

What were you doing?

I was offering my prayers to the goddess.

It is all that I can do now...

I told you I was in service of the royal family, yes? When I was only a young soldier, the king saw fit to make a knight of me. I was given the great honor of guiding and protecting the royal family.

Guiding?

It was similar to your own work. I was a teacher of sorts. I instructed both King Lambert and Prince Dimitri in the arts of combat, tactics, and academia. I also did all in my power to keep them safe. Until... That day.

I was unable to fulfill my duty. I was...powerless.

You mean...the Tragedy of Duscur?

Yes.

When I received word of the attack, it was already too late. His Majesty was dead, along with many knights and soldiers. If only I had made it to Duscur more quickly... It is my fault that His Highness, Dimitri, has become...the way he is now. After that, I abandoned my wife and child, and fled my homeland. I turned my back on everything I swore to protect. My sins are countless. I will bear the weight of my guilt for as long as I live.

Praying to the goddess won't help.

What else can I do for His Majesty and all of those who died that day?

Apologizing to my daughter and wife. Devoting myself to His Highness. That is the way to atonement. And yet... Even if I am granted the forgiveness of those who still live, praying is all I can do to atone to those who are with us no more...

The dead are gone. You can't help them now.

...

Long ago, there was someone who told me something quite similar. Forgive me. This will not do. As I grow older, I find myself talking endlessly about the past. But it is too late for such things now. I have finished my prayers. We should return.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Two things.

1) Was it Lambert who knighted Gilbert, or Lambert's father? Gilbert is 60 years old as of Part 2, and was apparently knighted at 20. Lambert looks much younger than Gilbert, in his 40s at the absolute latest. Unless an infant prince is able to knight people, it had to have been Lambert's father...but I'm not sure, I could just be misinterpreting things.

2) Why do I get the feeling "The dead are gone. You can't help them now." will be a sentiment that comes up again later in Azure Moon?

♪ Learning Lesson ♪

As stated before, Dimitri is unavailable for instruction for the time being.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Ingrid/Raphael B.

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

Actually...she looks kinda sad. Maybe I shouldn't run away... Hey! Ingrid! Why do you look so sad? Are you hungry or something?

You're not hungry...but you're sad anyway? I don't get it. Are you sick?

No.

Then are you sure you're not hungry?

I just told you that wasn't it. It's nothing you can help with, anyway.

Well, sometimes you gotta talk it out. That's what my grandpa says.

Yeah, I guess that's helpful sometimes. Are you willing to listen, then?

Of course! Please, go ahead.

I've just received yet another letter from my father regarding a marriage arrangement with a noble family.

Minor variance: when playing non-Azure Moon routes, as you might remember, Ingrid is said to have abandoned House Galatea, which changes that line.

I found a letter from back at the academy that my father sent, regarding a marriage arrangement with a noble family.

I see. I see.

I am the only person in House Galatea capable of carrying on our family line...of passing on a Crest...

Ahh, I see. I see.

I've long understood that it would be expected of me to marry, of course.

Same as above.

I've long understood that it would be expected of me to marry, of course. But I chose instead to fight—betraying my family and ruining my father's plans for me.

Hmm...I see. I see.

Raphael, are you even listening?

I'm right there with you, but—

Did you hear that ominous sound? Was that...thunder?

Sorry. All that listening made me hungry!

After hearing you out, I think you're probably just hungry too, and your troubles are sure to go away after a good meal!

I really am not hungry, but I can't say no to good food. All right, let's just eat, then. I can tell you about my struggles some other time, maybe.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Count Galatea's real goddamn bold to send Ingrid letters about marriage arrangements during a fucking war that threatens the existence of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.

♪ A Lonely Figure ♪

Bernie power.

Plus some defensive power for Sylvain.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Some renown-fueled skill boosts. I'm angling to get Bernadetta to Bow S+ and Yuri to Sword S+ by the end of Azure Moon, so they can get their -faire abilities.

We've already got a paralogue, huh? Well, not much else has gone on this update, so...let's go! This one is a serious pain, so it'll be good to get it out of the way.

♪ King of Lions ♪

Of course.

I would hear your opinion on our situation. Given our current fighting power, what sort of challenge do you expect we pose to the Empire?

Do we have any hope of victory?

Our preparations are lacking.

So, we agree. However, in order to strengthen our forces, we—

Aaaargh! Ugh, why would anyone put a barrel here?!

Father?

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

Another stupendous fall.

As though you care about my well-being.

Anyway... Professor, I'm heading out for a bit.

Where are you going?

I was thinking of going to visit my uncle.

To see my brother? Why is that, Annette?

I wanna ask him to entrust me with the Hero's Relic of House Dominic. The fight from here on out is gonna be tough. I need to do whatever I can to get stronger. The best thing we can do, as far as I can tell, is to have another Hero's Relic at our disposal.

You are not wrong, yet it will not be easy.

Why's that?

Under pressure from Cornelia, House Dominic is maintaining a pro-Imperial stance. That makes us his enemy. Brother or no, he will not hand over a Hero's Relic to us.

But he's not a bad person... And we'll never know unless we ask, right?

And Mother might be there too...

The Dominic region is, at present, enemy territory. There is no guarantee you can see them safely.

Fine. Be that way. It's not like I was planning to ask for your help, anyway. Professor, don't worry about me. I'll be back soon, and with a Relic, no less!

Annette! Wait!

She never listens. So frustrating.

However, if she were able to retrieve the Hero's Relic, it would prove a great boon to our forces. Perhaps I should prepare myself for the worst. I shall travel with Annette to see my brother. Professor, might I ask you to take on a task for me? It is entirely possible that we shall be captured in the Dominic region. In anticipation of that... I would ask that you wait outside of the region, with an army at your command.

Of course.

I cannot say with confidence that we will be able to bring back the Hero's Relic without issue.

Parts of the paralogue intro differ pretty significantly if you've gotten Annette and Gilbert to rank A before doing this paralogue. The main thing is that the music played after Annette enters the scene is Somewhere to Belong, rather than Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters. For text, in order of where they come in the scene...

Ow, that really smarts... Oh! Father! I was looking for you.

Father?

Yes. Annette...is my daughter. Another stupendous fall, Annette. You are just as clumsy as ever...

Wait, that's not true at all! But anyway, I have a favor to ask of you.

I was thinking of going to visit my uncle.

I was a little nervous about going by myself, so I thought you could come with me, Father.

To see my brother? Why is that, Annette?

The Dominic region is, at present, enemy territory. There is no guarantee you can see them safely.

You don't know anything! If that's how you're gonna be, I'll just go by myself. Professor, don't worry about me. I'll be back soon, and with a Relic, no less!

Annette! Wait!

She never listens. Her recklessness is so frustrating.

♪ As Fierce as Fire ♪

Ah, the battle preparations menu. How comforting a sight, after being denied it at the worst possible time.

...Ah, fuck me, of course it's gonna be like this.

My favorite, more snipers.

Baron Dominic is a completely standard enemy paladin, just with custom skills.

Canto: Allows unit to move again after completing certain actions, if there is movement remaining.

Lancefaire: Grants Atk +5 when using a lance.

Swordbreaker+: Grants Hit/Avo +30 when using a lance against sword users.

Poison Strike: If unit initiates combat and lands a hit, targeted foe loses up to 20% of max HP after combat.

Like many Maddening bosses, he's stuck with the same Prowess level he'd have had on Hard, a strange oversight.

Oh boy, our first run-in with an enemy swordmaster on Maddening. You see that third ability?

Quick Riposte: If foe initiates combat while unit's HP is ≥ 50%, unit makes guaranteed follow-up attack.

Yep. Every enemy swordmaster has Quick Riposte on Maddening.

I'm not freaking out about that because, well, look at this jerk's AS. No-one in my army is going to be doubling him anyways.

We've seen enemy fortress knights, but I haven't looked at their Maddening ability yet.

Defiant Def: Grants Def +8 when HP is ≤ 25%.

Boring. Snooze.

Oh yeah, Hero is a class that exists, and is on some enemies.

Desperation: If unit initiates combat with HP ≤ 50%, unit's follow-up attack (if possible) occurs before foe's counterattack.

Again, boring. Snooze. It'd be scarier if Vantage and Desperation could activate at the same time, but they can't.

This bishop is technically a mini-boss, I guess? His abilities are unchanged from Hard.

Four copies of this guy are surrounding Gilbert and Annette. Again, abilities are unchanged from Hard.

Dimitri's going to cart the Aegis Shield around again.

It's Constance's turn to take the Caduceus staff. How I yearn for Thyrsus...

The full group, including adjutants. So mad that I'm stuck with Gilbert, waste of a unit slot.

Always remember to give adjutants knowledge/experience orbs if you're not having any active units using them. No reason to leave EXP and skill experience on the table.

♪ No music ♪

This is gonna be rough.

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

We are well aware. Brother, I beg you. For the sake of the Kingdom's revival...

Then we must relent. Annette, there is nothing for us here. We should go.

♪ Dark Clouds Gather ♪

So... It has come to pass after all.

You're wrong! That will never happen, Uncle!

♪ Tempest of Seasons ♪

Be calm, Annette. I assumed something like this would happen. If we do not come back, the professor will come to get us. We need but wait and keep faith...

Feh.

Sylvain is able to clean up.

The rest of these kids'll need some help moving about, if I'm to take out more of the initial threats.

This guy can hold still. Gods, I love Banshee Θ.

Alright, let's kill this—

Thanks, I already knew that.

Hurts to have to use a combat art with Gradivus, but it had to be done.

Stupid snipers.

One bonk sends that assassin to Dreamland. Forever.

I'm not doing anything with these two until my other units are near them.

Man, getting and repairing Gradivus has paid dividends.

Here lies that warrior: he got locked in place, and then died.

Vantage is more annoying here than anything.

Adan's gotten a real big surge of power since the final sections of Part 1.

Vantage...

That was...decidedly unwise.

Quick Riposte and high AS don't do you much good if I can kill you in one shot.

Valkyrie may not be optimal in all situations, but it is very fun in all situations.

Sylvain will serve as bait to kill the hero that Constance injured.

Desperation, even when combined with Vantage, is more of an annoyance than anything, since Sylvain was at no risk of dying.

See my point earlier about dying in one shot.

+1 Spd, +1 Crit...sure, I'll take it.

Dimitri gets to act as hero bait this time.

Oh, goddammit, enemies are going for Gilbert and Annette.

No hesitation!

You may be good with swords, but you don't have a magic ancient whipsword.

...I wonder how good Adan and Abby would be as dark hunters? Sure, they're both highlanders, but— Nope, sorry, wrong series.

You will regret this!

Straight to hell.

Much like your friend from earlier, you can hold still.

Maybe I should've had Mercedes weaken the fortress knight, and have Constance finish him off. Slightly more efficient, EXP distribution-wise.

Some dangerous numbers on that bishop. Too bad he died before he could do anything—such is the life of a magic user when confronted with a gauntlet user.

Oh, hell.

I like that Spd + Def.

Mag, good.

Okay, Annette and maybe even Gilbert can't screw up killing a 2 HP enemy.

Why in the hell are you going for Gilbert instead of— Nope, nah, not gonna question it.

Indeed, heck yeah.

You could've easily kill Annette. Thank you for fucking up.

Time to take these jerks out.

You're in my way!

Rubbing salt on the wound.

Gonna need you to move!

"Gonna need you to move!" is one of my favorite crit lines. Part of it is the voice delivery, which I can't replicate here.

Phew, Annette and Gilbert are safe.

Annette, go. I will acquire the Hero's Relic, even if it means crossing blades with my brother.

I couldn't possibly leave you to do it alone! Father, please let me go with you!

Son of a fuck. The total number of reinforcements is doubled on Maddening, compared to Normal/Hard, making an already difficulty wave of reinforcements even worse.

I can't deal with that right now, everyone's in awful positions.

God you're fucking useless.

Oh, sh—

What?

Oh, right, the fortress knights will only attack Annette once they become mobile.

My fucking god, you're so slow that another fortress knight wielding a tomahawk can double you, while you're holding an iron axe. God I fucking hate you, Gilbert.

Okay, I should be okay now.

There, no-one's in a danger zone.

Quick Riposte doesn't do shit against brave effects.

I don't have time for this!

It's low-chance Lysithea crits day, I guess.

Caspar is turning out quite well, I should use him more.

Should note that, while Dimitri is unable to participate in supports for the foreseeable future, you still do get support bonuses when attacking with him, and other units can get support bonuses from him.

No action on the enemy phase.

Banshee Θ is so useful on infantry-heavy maps.

Dammit.

Double dammit.

Constance...

Saves Balthus from having to take Vantage damage.

Some minor healing, and also, bait time.

Uh-oh.

♪ The Dream is Over ♪

I overestimated how well Balthus can take hits. I blame his mullet.

...Just got bad flashbacks to when he suffered a critical hit from Nemesis that only had a 7% chance. shudder

♪ Tempest of Seasons ♪

At that point, I got a mental whim and reflected on all of the bullshit crits I've suffered throughout all of the LP runs. It was an interesting experience.

Anyways, let's just not put Balthus in the danger zone.

These enemies really only have any interest in attacking Annette, huh? Guess that makes things easier.

Holy shit, Gilbert actually hit something.

Reinforcements?! That will make life more difficult.

After you reach the northwest part of the map, or you hit turn 10, two paladins and two fortress knights spawn in at the start of the player phase. Cool, more things to kill.

You three can hold still.

No matter the difficulty, fliers without effective damage protection die very easily to bows.

You got Str, Bernie, that's very good.

The only nearby enemy that can move is one of the paladins.

If I have to cart Gilbert around, he might as well be useful.

Oh, I just noticed, paladins have Weight -3 for a Maddening ability.

Weight -3: Reduces total equipment weight by 3.

Again: boring. Snooze.

Ready to bleed?

Oof.

No action on the enemy phase. Even the fortress knight within attacking range of Balthus didn't go for him. I really do think they're all singularly focused on Annette.

I like that level. Both damage stats, and +1 Crit.

Only takes one hit.

Okay, let's weaken this guy so someone else can get the EXP.

Perf—

Nice try, Bernie.

You got your damage stat, don't complain.

Sylbait. Baitvain.

Yeah, no, Sylbait works better.

Is every fucking enemy on this map singularly focused on killing Annette, my god.

If you wanna just walk up to me like lambs to the slaughter, be my guest.

They're not even trying at this point.

Oh, come on! Hit me! Challenge me! Do something!

Bah!

Ahh, Special Dance returns to me.

You're in my way!

I don't like getting all these low-chance crits, I know I'm going to pay for it down the road.

Knew it.

Man, this map really does just...give up near the end. Completely forgot about that.

Something tells me this swordmaster wouldn't even try to hit me if he got to go to the enemy phase.

Note the "if."

Holy shit, an enemy actually attacked me.

Right, this update's getting long, let's wrap this up.

Do or die!

Oh, look, another mechanic we have somehow not seen up until now.

Defensive adjutants are secretly very overpowered, it's just that only a very select few classes are considered defensive adjutants, and even then, two of them are Edelgard's personal classes. Excluding those, brawlers, armored knights, grapplers, fortress knights, and great knights count for defensive adjutants.

What defensive adjutants do is reduce the damage of enemy follow-up attacks (note: not brave effect attacks) by a fixed percentage, depending on the support rank. They also grant the very overpowered effect of, if a follow-up attack would deal lethal damage to the active unit, instead letting the active unit survive at 1 HP, even if they're already at 1 HP. This is why the combat forecast shows Bernadetta surviving at 1 HP, even though 60 total damage would normally way overkill her: she'd survive the first attack at 7 HP, and so, the second attack becomes non-fatal. Unles I'm missing something, there's no limit on how many times this can activate per battle, you just need to make sure a unit with a defensive adjutant always has enough HP to survive one attack, even if they get doubled.

Okay, I'm gonna do it!

Doesn't even matter, because the sniper didn't get a chance to attack.

also, nice

I'm just having some fun at this point.

Baron Dominic doesn't have a 1-2 range option, and doesn't even move, so once you've cleared out his subordinates, he's trivially easy to take down.

♪ Wrath Strike ♪

As you might suspect, he has specific battle dialogue with Annette and Gilbert.

Baron Dominic: I have no wish to enact violence on you, Annette. Listen to me and do as I say.

I will not listen! I can't and I won't! There is somewhere I must return to!

Why not, really?

With that, the battle ends.

♪ No music ♪

Brother... I thank you.

You have my word.

The School of Sorcery Soldiers are, bizarrely, a C rank battalion, which gives -2 Phys Atk, +6 Mag Atk, +20 Hit, +4 Rsl, and +5 Cha at max rank. They've got Resonant Flames for a gambit. I don't know why you get what amounts to a budget battalion on a paralogue that is exclusive to one route.

♪ Somewhere to Belong ♪

I don't know what would have happened if not for you... And thanks to you, I got this!

My brother would not surrender such a Relic without a fight... I hope you understand.

I understand.

House Dominic is one of the ten great bloodlines. Yet within the Kingdom, we are mere feudal lords.

With the Empire growing in strength, Dominic must kneel. To do otherwise would be suicide. The western lords, and other rulers, are in the same situation. They all comply, albeit reluctantly.

If we defeat the Empire, I hope the Kingdom will rise once more, under the banner of a legitimate king.

I hope so too. That's why we can't give up!

To that end, Professor, we will require your help. I hope we can continue depending on you.

You can count on me.

Don't worry! We won't make you do all of the hard work by yourself. I'll give it my all too! Speaking of... I'm gonna get straight to training!

Gaaaaaah! Why would someone put a dumb wooden box here?!

And please, look after my daughter as well.

There's a significant chunk of this scene that is only shown if Annette and Gilbert have reached rank A in their support.

Annette, I owe you an apology.

What for?

I knew my brother possessed the Hero's Relic, but I was reluctant to visit him...

Oh, I don't blame you for that. I understand that you two are enemies now.

That's not the only reason I avoided the halls of House Dominic...

Is it...because mom is there?

Yes...

I have yet to earn the right to face her. I still must atone for my sins.

Don't worry, Father. I'm sure mom is waiting patiently for you...

Waiting for the day you restore the Kingdom with His Highness and return. But for now, we just have to keep doing our best!

I hope you are right, my daughter.

For our troubles, we get the most unique relic weapon in the game. It's also one I have no use for.

Crusher: 1 range. 18 Mt, 60 Hit, 11 Wt, 20 durability. Enables Dust for holders of the Crest of Dominic. Magic weapon. Requires Umbral Steel x3 and 2500 gold to repair.

Crusher is, in theory, extremely powerful. It's basically Hades Ω in weapon form, and usable by anyone, theoretically. The problem with it is that mages have reduced Mv compared other classes, and Crusher cannot benefit from range extensions. It's not worth the effort it takes to use it.

Dust: +20 Mt, 1 range, costs 3 durability. Inflicts Def -5 on foe for 1 turn. Effective against Dragon foes.

Dust is the only attractive part of Crusher, since it's effectively a 38 Mt attack. Again, though, the problem is getting mages in range to use it—and also, if you're not playing New Game+, the only person that can use Dust is Annette, noted mediocre combat unit.

♪ Corridor of the Tempest ♪

Guess I've got a rusted Mercurius now.

♪ The Dream is Over ♪

I promise we're almost done, just going through what else I did on this day.

...How the hell did I manage to get someone killed during an auxiliary battle?