Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
| Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Intelligent Systems |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release | October 7, 2004 (JP) May 23, 2005 (NA) November 4, 2005 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Campaign (Single Player), Link Arena (Multiplayer) |
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Japanese:Fire Emblem: Seima no Kouseki) is a Japanese tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It is the 8th game of the Fire Emblem series, and the second to be released in North America.
Gameplay mechanics
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones builds upon the standard Fire Emblem mechanism, with many changes.
One notable way this game differs from the first North American release of Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword is by the return of Fire Emblem: Gaiden's World Map concept: instead of only training and buying items during battle, players may train units in special areas on the map, prepare for battle by purchasing weapons, and manage units, all on the map screen. This system introduces new aspects into the game's strategy - for example, there are some levels which can be restarted after training a specific character, making it possible to have characters attain their maximum level earlier than halfway through the game. However, this exploit takes considerable time, due to the increasing amount of experience required for characters advance at higher levels. The introduction of extra maps is believed by some to be an improvement - in the previous game in the series, many players found it extremely hard to train a low-level character during battle.
Another of the many aspects of the game that some have claimed removes any element of strategy is the fact that some of the Secret Shops now sell unlimited stat increasers. However, during the story, players can only access these shops during battle, with a Member Card in their inventory, until they beat the game. This, as well as having a limited amount of money, limits the amount by which players can boost a character. The game also allows purchase of basic iron weapons and low-level tomes from the armory in the supply caravan before battle, and lets players take items from supply during battle if they are in a group.
Sacred Stones also introduces the Branched Promotion Tree - units are still promoted using specific items (the standard system in most Fire Emblem releases), but it is now possible to choose what the unit promotes into. The only units that do not have a branched promotion are the Lords, Eirika and Ephraim, who both promote into their own unique Great Lord class (not related to Hector's class from FE7).
A rudimentary skill system was reintroduced, which gives some classes unique skills. For example, the Bishop class' "Slayer" skill triples a weapon's might when fighting monsters.
Like the previous game in the series, The Sacred Stones suffers from a few minor and harmless glitches. This game, however, also includes a harmful glitch which makes the game freeze when a Wyvern Knight uses the "Pierce" skill with a ranged weapon such as the javelin or spear while the animation for that character is on. Another glitch from the previous game in the series also reappears, albeit being harder to perform (see Enemy control glitch, also known as the Mines of Cheapness by some fans)..
The Sacred Stones carries over the multiplayer Link Arena from the previous game, with no changes whatsoever.
Game Story
Prologue
"In an age long past... evil flooded over the land. Creatures awash in the dark tide ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. In its despair, mankind appealed to the heavens, and from a blinding light came hope. The Sacred Stones. These five glorious treasures held the power to dispel evil. The hero Grado and his warriors used the Sacred Stones to combat evil's darkness. They defeated the Demon King and sealed his soul away within the stones. With the darkness imprisoned, peace returned to Magvel. But this peace would not last..."
New Game Introductory cut scene
Eirik (Eirika)'s Story (Prologue - 8)
This game starts in the continent of Magvel, in the country of Renais, year 803. The Grado empire, which has a long-standing alliance with Renais, begins attacking without warning, by the order of Emperor Vigarde. This threatens the whole of Magvel, and Renais is taken off guard. Prince Ephraim has gone missing as Grado seizes territories through Renais. Princess Eirika escapes Renais Castle as it is attacked, Seth guiding her to Frelia. Valter, the moonstone, attempts to capture them. Along the way, she meets up with Franz and Gilliam, and rescue Princess Tana from Grado's soldiers as they invade Border Mulan. They meet King Hayden, who suggests that Eirika stay and wait for Ephraim to return, but Eirika wishes to move towards Grado. King Hayden sends Moulder and Vanessa to aid Eirika. They enter Ide, and meet two villagers, Ross and Garcia, and assist them after their village is destroyed. They venture to Borgo, meeting Colm and Neimi, where bandits wreak destruction after the fall of Renais. Their ventures lead them to Za'ha Woods, where monstrosities have mysteriously appeared, and get through with the assistance of Artur and Lute. Upon entering Serafew, Grado has discovered their presence. Natasha of Grado and Joshua, a mercenary, ally with Eirika. Natasha tells Eirika of the Sacred Stones, and that they sealed away an ancient demon king centuries ago. At this time, Ephraim and his companions go into Fort Rigwald and battle through to seize the castle. However, Valter surrounds them and puts Ephraim and his companions into a battle. Upon arrival at Adlas Plains, entering Grado territory, a mysterious man, holding hostage a young girl from Renais, tricks Eirika into giving him a bracelet that her father handed down to her, and Eirika's friends are put into a foggy fight where they must save a family and reobtain Eirika's bracelet. Eirika is soon told by Seth that her bracelet, along with Ephraim's, would be able to open the passage to Renais' Sacred Stone. If all stones are destroyed, a centuries-old Demon King may be resurrected. Eirika ventures into Fort Rigwald, where at the river surrounding it they engage into battle. As they enter the fort, they meet Orson, one of Ephraim's companions, who betrays Renais. A battle is then started. During the battle, Ephraim meets up with Eirika. They seize Rigwald and return to Frelia, along the way wondering whatever is happening with a childhood friend they met in Grado...
Ephraim's Split Journey (9- 14)
After splitting up again with his sister, Ephraim ventures to Grado. During this journey, he finds Grado forces almost commonplace, with mercenary groups attempting to catch the prince. First, Ephraim finds Tana, the princess of Frelia, and frees her from her kidnappers. Next, he recruits Duessel, a general in Grado's army and the man responsible for Ephraim's lance training, who is doubting the intentions of Emperor Vigarde. Dussel mentions the Dark Stone to Ephraim. Cormag is a Wyvern Rider whose brother, Glen, is murdered. Dussel convinced him to join Ephraim. They takes a sea route to Grado, but is hindered by a ghost ship said to be sinking any ships it encounters. After he arrives in Grado, Ephraim defeats general Selena Flourspar, receiving a dragonstone from which his friend Myrrh draws power from. When he arrives in Grado Keep, Ephraim learns the secret of the Fire Emblem from Knoll, a researcher of ancient magic.
Eirika's Split Journey (9- 14)
Eirika splits from Ephraim's journey, bringing Forde and Kyle with her to take a ship to the Theocracy of Rausten. When she reaches Port Kiris, she finds no ships are sailing as a ghost ship has been sinking any ship it finds. She ends up taking an overland route to Rausten, which goes through the Carcino Republic. This is the very same route Prince Innes of Frelia takes, who finds the Republic of Carcino has betrayed Frelia and joined forces with Grado. Carcino is ruled by a council of elders who maintain order within the country, but Pablo, one of the elders, has allied himself and an army of sellswords with Grado. Eirika passes into Caer Pelyn, where she meets Glen, who has been sent to execute Eirika. When Eirika tells her story, Glen believes her and sets off to find answers of Grado's rebellion but is killed by General Valter. Eirika battles monsters in a fort in Caer Pelyn, as well as up the mountains of the vast area. As they continue their way to Jehanna, the Queen of White Dunes, Ismaire, is assassinated and Jehanna's sacred stone is destroyed. After Seth and Eirika find her near death, Ismaire reveals that her missing son is Joshua and gives him the Sacred Twin weapons of Jehanna which include Audhulma the Ice Sword and Excalibur the Wind Blade.
Joined Quest (15- Epilogue)
Ephraim meets up with Eirika to defeat two of Grado's Generals, Caellach and Valter.When Ephraim and Eirika reunite their forces, they find Renais in a state of chaos, and must defeat the person assigned to guard Renais, the traitor Orson. As they continue, they meet Lyon, their childhood friend, who has an engulfed heart. They are led to following the prince after they defeat him, who faces them with Gorgons. When following Ephraim's quest, he approaches Lyon, who freezes Ephraim and snags the stone, destroying it. Ephraim argues with him and asks whatever happened to him. Lyon reveals that the possessed form is a drama and that he is doing everything under his own free will. Along Eirika's journey, Lyon is completely possessed, and manipulates Eirika into giving him the Sacred Stone which he destroys after. Eirika and Ephraim take time to rest at Rausten, Lyon saying that he'll be at Darkling Woods, to which Rausten Court is invaded by a Grado General, Riev, seeking revenge from being exiled from the kingdom. They then arrive at Darkling Woods to stop Lyon from performing a ceremony which he thinks will stop a natural disaster from occurring in Grado. This only leads to the resurrection of the mastermind behind all these events...
Characters and Creatures
These are all the characters that can be recruited during the story. The cast of characters may seem large to newcomers to the Fire Emblem series, but this game actually has a small cast compared to other games in the series. Template:Spoilers
Playable Characters
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- Eirika - Lord The princess of the kingdom of Renais. She's elegant and kind.
- Ephraim - Lord The prince of Renais. He is a man of great honor and bravery.
- Seth - Paladin A young commander of Renais. He's calm, composed, and skilled.File:Seth and his knights.png
- Gilliam - Knight An armored knight of Frelia. He's quiet, yet dependable.
- Franz - Cavalier An earnest and compassionate cavalier from Renais.
- Moulder - Priest A mature priest of Frelia. He's gentle and reassuring.
- Vanessa - Pegasus Knight Sincere, honest, and honorable, she is one of Frelia's Pegasus knights. She is Syrene's sister.
- Ross - Journeyman A young villager. He longs to be a warrior, like his father. Lives in Ide.
- Garcia - Fighter A villager from Renais. He was once a feared military leader. Lives in Ide with his son, Ross.
- Neimi - Archer A childhood friend of Colm who hails from Renais. She cries a lot.
- Colm - Thief A childhood friend of Neimi who hails from Renais. He can be snide.
- Artur - Monk A young monk from Renais. He is a very forthright and pious man.
- Lute - Mage A young mage of Renais. She believes she is a prodigy.
- Natasha - Cleric A beautiful cleric from the Grado Empire. She's graceful and serious.
- Joshua - Myrmidon A wandering swordsman from Jehanna. He loves to gamble. Joshua is the prince of Jehanna but left his mother and his title behind when he left.
- Kyle - Cavalier A steadfast and honorable cavalier in service to Renais.
- Forde - Cavalier A cavalier of Renais. He is skilled, but reckless. He's Franz's brother.
- Tana - Pegasus Knight The princess of Frelia. She is both cheery and sociable.
- Amelia - Recruit A young girl from a small village in Grado. She is honest and sincere.
- Innes - Sniper The prince of Frelia. He's brash and arrogant, but good at heart.
- Gerik - Mercenary A mercenary leader from Jehanna. He's better known as the Desert Tiger.
- Tethys - Dancer A beautiful and charming dancer from Jehanna. Ewan's sister.
- Marisa - Myrmidon An aloof sword fighter from Jehanna. She's known as the Crimson Flash. A member of Gerik's mercenary guild.
- L'Arachel - Troubadour The princess of Rausten. She fights for justice and order.
- Dozla - Berserker A berserker from Rausten. He's a hearty man with a thirst for life. Has dedicated his life to the protection of Princess L'Arachel.
- Saleh - Sage A sage from the village Caer Pelyn. He's Ewan's solemn, but kind, teacher.
- Ewan - Pupil A sage-in-training from Jehenna. He reveres his teacher, Saleh. Brother of Tethys.
- Cormag - Wyvern Rider A Wyvern knight of Grado. A gentle man, but a ferocious warrior. Brother of General Glen of Grado.
- Rennac - Rogue A lazy, greedy, but exceptional fighter from the Republic of Carcino. He serves as L'Arachel's companion in hopes of a high pay.
- Duessel - Great Knight A courageous general in Grado's army. He's better known as Obsidian. Ephraim's former lance instructor.
- Knoll - Shaman One of Grado's royal mages. He knows the riddle of the Dark Stone.
- Syrene - Falcoknight The dutiful commander of the 3rd battalion of Frelia's Pegasus knights. She is Vanessa's sister
- Myrrh - Manakete A young, pure-hearted girl from Darkling Woods. She tends to be shy. The people of Caer Pelyn call her the "Great Dragon," however, she dislikes this title. Daughter of Morva.
Secret Characters
These characters can only be unlocked in Creature Campaign, which is available upon completion of the game. These characters are unlocked after completing certain floors of the Tower of Valni and Lagdou Ruins. To unlock Selena and Lyon, you must complete the Tower of Valni and Lagdou Ruins three times respectively.
- Orson - Paladin
- A Paladin of Renais. He's a devoted husband and a serene and quiet man, who betrayed Renais for a chance to bring his deceased wife, Monica, back to life.
- Caellach - Hero
- An ambitious general in Grado's army, who hails from Jehenna. The axe-wielding mercenary is better known as Tiger Eye.
- Riev - Bishop
- A heretic priest and general in Grado's army. He's also known as Blood Beryl, and has a sinister control over monsters and the undead.
- Fado - General
- The devoted king of Renais. His sole concern is for the people he leads. Father of Ephraim and Eirika
- Ismaire - Swordmaster
- The queen of Jehenna. She is known as the Queen of the White Dunes. Mother of Joshua.
- Selena - Mageknight
- One of Grado's generals, a powerful mage who is extremely devoted to her emperor. She's also known by the name Fluorspar.
- Valter - Wyvern Knight
- A general in Grado's army, both in the past and the present. A sadistic warrior who wields a lance with unsurpassed skill and strength. During his past career as a Grado general, the then normal King Vigard fired him, but when Vigard changed, Valter was re-hired. This cruel man is also known as Moonstone.
- Glen - Wyvern Lord
- A general in Grado's army. He is better known as Sunstone. Brother of Cormag.
- Hayden - Ranger
- The king of Frelia. He's a good friend to both Eirika and Ephraim. Father of Prince Innes and Princess Tana.
- Lyon - Necromancer
- The crown prince of Grado who has fallen under the control of the Demon King. Son of Emperor Virgarde.
Monsters
Monsters sometimes show up in story chapters and are also the only enemies in "skirmish" battles and extra maps. These are battles that take place in a location where you have cleared, and are exclusively against monsters. Monsters carry various items. They range from fairly useless items such as small amounts of gold, Iron weapons, and Vulneraries to incredibly useful items such as Elixirs, Brave weapons, Silver weapons, Killer weapons, promotion items, and stat increasers.
The monsters are:
Mogalls
Giant floating eyeballs that use dark magic. Equip: Evil Eye, Crimson Eye (which is stronger). Both have unlimited uses. A higher form of mogall is an Arch Mogall. Arch Mogalls are stronger and usually use Crimson Eye. Mogalls also (rarely) use Shadowshot, which is long-range dark with 5 uses.
Bonewalkers
Dead warriors come back to life and given will by dark magic. Equip: Swords, bows, lances/ A higher form of a bonewalker is a wight. Wights wield the same weapons, but are stronger.
Revenants
Recently dead corpses, resembling zombies. Equip: Rotten Claw, Fetid Claw (which is stronger). Both have unlimited uses. A higher form of a revenant is an Entombed. Entombed almost always use Fetid Claw and have an absurdly high HP, like 44.
Baels
Giant spiders. They resemble acromantulas (Harry Potter). Equip: Sharp Claw, Poison Claw (which is poisonous), and Lethal Talon (which is also poisonous, but stronger than either). All 3 have unlimited uses. A higher form of a Bael is an Elder Bael. Elder Baels either use Poison Claw or Lethal Talon.
Tarvos
Giant centaur-like creatures. Equip: Axes. A higher form of a Tarvos is a Maelduin. Maelduins wield axes as well as bows, and are stronger.
Giant, dull-witted, and powerful beasts. Equip: Axes. There is no known higher form of a cyclops.
Gargoyles
Giant winged beasts that slightly resemble wyverns but wield their own weapons. Equip: Lances. A higher form of gargoyle is a deathgoyle. Deathgoyles also wield lances and are stronger.
Triangle Attack
When 3 Pegasus Knights (or any combination of 3 Pegasus and Falcoknights) are all positioned within attacking distance of the same enemy in a triangle shape and one attacks, they will perform a triangle attack. This attack can be performed up to six times (or 12 times using 3 brave lances), depending on what the opponent's speed and HP is.
External links
- Official Japanese Page
- Official U.S. Page
- chitomv10's Random Number Generator FAQ (hosted on IGN)
- (Note: contains some misinformation--more up to date notes on the RNG here)