FE-bruary, Day 25: Deadlords
Feb. 25th, 2013 06:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mark_asphodelOK. Enough about Robin, Chrom, and the FE13 storyline. I still have some grievances to air about the alpha-universe timeline, but that can wait. Today we shall discuss Deadlords.
Or Dark Warlords, if you prefer.
Their reappearance in FE13 came as a surprise, given it's been a long time-- three thousand years, apparently-- since we've dealt with this crop of ladies and gents. They look a bit different than they did in the SNES era (they've gone Lovecraftian, really) and their names got changed to Latin translations of the Chinese zodiac critters, but it's the same old Ein, Zwei, and Drei as before.
Or is it?
I don't think so, really. But what are they anyway?
Well, according to an interview with Kaga, the twelve Dark Warlords we see in FE4 aren't just golem-like creatures of dark magic, they were originally skilled warriors or holy people. Some of them even carry holy blood. But their "conscience" was absorbed in what seems to be the dark-magic version of what happened withLevin Lewyn when Forseti took over a part of him. They were humans, and each of them had their own "drama" per Kaga, but by the time we get to them in the endgame they're target practice for Julia.
Some dark warlords make an appearance in FE5, too, and here it gets even more sinister.Leidrick Raydrik, all-around scumbucket and Penultimate Boss, gets transformed into Dark Warlord Ein once you kill him the first time. The other FE5 Warlords are even more horrifying, as Galzus, Dadgar, Lifis, Sara, and even Evayle Eyvel get transformed if you failed to recruit and/or save them. (Evyel appearing as Funf the Sniper Warlord is the only nod to her true identity you get if you didn't unpetrify her!) But here you have not just random skilled warriors perverted into demon lords, you have Leif's own comrades-- his own mother-figure-- treated so. It turns the whole business very dark and haunting in a personal sense-- we knew these people. And now we have to destroy them.
And now they're back. But what are they, three millennia hence?
Well, Mus and Porcis and the rest of the Deadlord gang don't exactly match the Jugdral warlords-- Sieben aka Equus has been changed from a Bishop to a Paladin, and Elf/Canis from a Shaman to a Valkyrie. But otherwise the classes are pretty close matches. It's the weaponry that's changed.
Yewfelle. Gungnir. Valflame. Balmung. Helswath. The Brave (Hero) Axe, Lance, Sword, and Bow. Thoron. A selection of genuine Jugdral holy weapons and the neato-keen weapons associated with prominent FE4 characters (and also Waste and Rexcalibur). This can't be arbitrary. Given what we know of the Dark Warlords per FE5, are these Deadlords the grotesque remains of Briggid, Shanan, Lex, Tiltyu, and friends? Well, based on Chapter 23 alone I don't think so-- again, we have a Valkyrie bearing Valflame and a Paladin with Gungnir, and that doesn't sound like Arvis or Trabant/Arion to me.
Here's our players:
Ein--> Mus (General, Brave Lance) In FE4/5 Ein was a Baron, and per FE5 he was Raydrik the Scumbucket in life. The former version of Ein used a Silver Lance and Raydrik!Ein used a Lopt Sword. Now Mus has a Brave Lance, firmly associated with Finn thanks to FE5. I guess he stole it.
Zwei--> Bovis (Bow Knight, Brave Bow) Zwei has changed the most-- a Forrest Knight in FE4, the Mercenary formerly known as Galzus in FE5, and now this. Of the Jugdral-era Bow Knights associated with Brave Bows, Midayle comes to mind as the likeliest to end up in Deadlord form. Might be overstepping his pay grade, though.
Drei--> Tigris (Warrior, Helswath) Drei has always been a warrior, and in FE5 he's what Dadgar becomes if you didn't re-recruit him after Leif's forces got scattered. The use of Helswath suggests a connection to the Neir line, though, and there's plenty of dead Neir users to choose from.
Vier-->Lepus (War Cleric, Brave Axe) Vier was originally a High Priest and therefore didn't use axes... much less Lex's Brave Axe.
Funf--> Draco (Sniper, Yewfelle) As I said, Funf was always an sniper, and in FE5 she was potentially Briggid/Eyvel, so Yewfelle as a weapon makes perfect horrible sense.
Sechs--> Anguilla (Dark Knight, Thoron) FE4's Sechs was a Mage Fighter with Tordo blood, not a mounted unit. Use of Thoron is totally appropriate to the Tordo association, though.
Sieben--> Equus (Paladin, Gungnir) Sieben in FE4 was a bishop with Velthomer blood, and Gungir has always been associated with wyvern riders. No match.
Acht-->Ovis (Sage, Rexcalibur) Acht was always a Sage. Rexcalibur never existed in Jugdral, so your guess is as good as mine.
Neun-->Simia (Swordmaster, Balmung) Neun was always a Swordmaster. The Balmung of course suggests a previous life as a major Odo carrier.
Zehn-->Gallus (Sorceror, Waste ) FE4's Zehn was a Dark Bishop and Waste didn't exist back then.
Elf-->Canis (Valkyrie, Valflame) As I said, Elf used to be a Shaman in FE4, and in FE5 this was what Sara became if you didn't recruit her. And she never used Valflame in either incarnation.
Zwolf-->Porcis (Assasin, Brave Sword) In FE4, Zwolf was a Thief Fighter with a Brave Sword. In FE5, this is what Lifis turned into if you failed to recruit him, and Lifis!Zwolf was packing a Berserk Sword.
I'm guessing these Ylisse Deadlords are/were human beings, but all in all I think it's safe to say that these are totally different incarnations of Deadlord-dom than the ones we encountered back in Jugdral. But then we have the DLC episode "Infinite Regalia," starring a whopping thirty-six Deadlords that apparently include a failed/degenerate Marth and degenerate versions of Chrom's own crew from an alternate timeline. In that light, the Chapter 23 Deadlords may indeed be the remains of fallen heroes, though with the class issues, I'd hazard at least some of 'em are/were the tail end of the holy bloodlines-- the last Valflame user, Gungnir user, etc. Draco could still be AU!Briggid, though.
Or Dark Warlords, if you prefer.
Their reappearance in FE13 came as a surprise, given it's been a long time-- three thousand years, apparently-- since we've dealt with this crop of ladies and gents. They look a bit different than they did in the SNES era (they've gone Lovecraftian, really) and their names got changed to Latin translations of the Chinese zodiac critters, but it's the same old Ein, Zwei, and Drei as before.
Or is it?
I don't think so, really. But what are they anyway?
Well, according to an interview with Kaga, the twelve Dark Warlords we see in FE4 aren't just golem-like creatures of dark magic, they were originally skilled warriors or holy people. Some of them even carry holy blood. But their "conscience" was absorbed in what seems to be the dark-magic version of what happened with
Some dark warlords make an appearance in FE5, too, and here it gets even more sinister.
And now they're back. But what are they, three millennia hence?
Well, Mus and Porcis and the rest of the Deadlord gang don't exactly match the Jugdral warlords-- Sieben aka Equus has been changed from a Bishop to a Paladin, and Elf/Canis from a Shaman to a Valkyrie. But otherwise the classes are pretty close matches. It's the weaponry that's changed.
Yewfelle. Gungnir. Valflame. Balmung. Helswath. The Brave (Hero) Axe, Lance, Sword, and Bow. Thoron. A selection of genuine Jugdral holy weapons and the neato-keen weapons associated with prominent FE4 characters (and also Waste and Rexcalibur). This can't be arbitrary. Given what we know of the Dark Warlords per FE5, are these Deadlords the grotesque remains of Briggid, Shanan, Lex, Tiltyu, and friends? Well, based on Chapter 23 alone I don't think so-- again, we have a Valkyrie bearing Valflame and a Paladin with Gungnir, and that doesn't sound like Arvis or Trabant/Arion to me.
Here's our players:
Ein--> Mus (General, Brave Lance) In FE4/5 Ein was a Baron, and per FE5 he was Raydrik the Scumbucket in life. The former version of Ein used a Silver Lance and Raydrik!Ein used a Lopt Sword. Now Mus has a Brave Lance, firmly associated with Finn thanks to FE5. I guess he stole it.
Zwei--> Bovis (Bow Knight, Brave Bow) Zwei has changed the most-- a Forrest Knight in FE4, the Mercenary formerly known as Galzus in FE5, and now this. Of the Jugdral-era Bow Knights associated with Brave Bows, Midayle comes to mind as the likeliest to end up in Deadlord form. Might be overstepping his pay grade, though.
Drei--> Tigris (Warrior, Helswath) Drei has always been a warrior, and in FE5 he's what Dadgar becomes if you didn't re-recruit him after Leif's forces got scattered. The use of Helswath suggests a connection to the Neir line, though, and there's plenty of dead Neir users to choose from.
Vier-->Lepus (War Cleric, Brave Axe) Vier was originally a High Priest and therefore didn't use axes... much less Lex's Brave Axe.
Funf--> Draco (Sniper, Yewfelle) As I said, Funf was always an sniper, and in FE5 she was potentially Briggid/Eyvel, so Yewfelle as a weapon makes perfect horrible sense.
Sechs--> Anguilla (Dark Knight, Thoron) FE4's Sechs was a Mage Fighter with Tordo blood, not a mounted unit. Use of Thoron is totally appropriate to the Tordo association, though.
Sieben--> Equus (Paladin, Gungnir) Sieben in FE4 was a bishop with Velthomer blood, and Gungir has always been associated with wyvern riders. No match.
Acht-->Ovis (Sage, Rexcalibur) Acht was always a Sage. Rexcalibur never existed in Jugdral, so your guess is as good as mine.
Neun-->Simia (Swordmaster, Balmung) Neun was always a Swordmaster. The Balmung of course suggests a previous life as a major Odo carrier.
Zehn-->Gallus (Sorceror, Waste ) FE4's Zehn was a Dark Bishop and Waste didn't exist back then.
Elf-->Canis (Valkyrie, Valflame) As I said, Elf used to be a Shaman in FE4, and in FE5 this was what Sara became if you didn't recruit her. And she never used Valflame in either incarnation.
Zwolf-->Porcis (Assasin, Brave Sword) In FE4, Zwolf was a Thief Fighter with a Brave Sword. In FE5, this is what Lifis turned into if you failed to recruit him, and Lifis!Zwolf was packing a Berserk Sword.
I'm guessing these Ylisse Deadlords are/were human beings, but all in all I think it's safe to say that these are totally different incarnations of Deadlord-dom than the ones we encountered back in Jugdral. But then we have the DLC episode "Infinite Regalia," starring a whopping thirty-six Deadlords that apparently include a failed/degenerate Marth and degenerate versions of Chrom's own crew from an alternate timeline. In that light, the Chapter 23 Deadlords may indeed be the remains of fallen heroes, though with the class issues, I'd hazard at least some of 'em are/were the tail end of the holy bloodlines-- the last Valflame user, Gungnir user, etc. Draco could still be AU!Briggid, though.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-26 01:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-03-12 11:14 pm (UTC)I downloaded the Deadlord DLC chapter and it's full of hints that the kids are facing down transformed version of their dead parents from the alternate timelines. Gross.
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Date: 2013-02-26 03:10 am (UTC)Chrom: "Holy buckets of EXP!"
Robin: *brings trick-or-treat bags*
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Date: 2013-03-12 11:15 pm (UTC)I loathe them as game protagonists. -_-
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Date: 2013-03-29 11:55 am (UTC)Also, I know their names are Latin for the Chinese Zodiac animals, but the name repartition sometimes seems rather... random.
Well, now that I think of it, Draco being Funf could be yet another hint leading to Eyvel ? Seeing as Jugdrali Holy Blood is dragon blood... Okay okay, I'm going back to work.