Warning that spoilers for Fire Emblem: Three Houses await ahead.
It was in the Imperial Year 1185 when Edelgard von Hresvelg and Claude von Riegan joined forces and led a bloody crusade against the corrupt Church of Seiros. With the help of Byleth Eisner, Yuri Leclerc, and former classmates, the commanders were able to seize land across all of Fódlan. A victory at the Tailtean Plains eventually led to the destruction of Fhirdiad through fire at the hands of the archbishop at the time. This was thanks to a misanthropic beast known as Rhea or Seiros according to surviving legends of the past. Having been spared in the previous conflict by Claude von Riegan and living to see the chaos with his own eyes was all it took for an unstable Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd to side himself with the revolutionary forces. The result of this conflict was the absolute extermination of ancient beasts referred to as the Nabeateans and a shadowy organization that had only been known as “Those Who Slither In The Dark”. The Seiros religion was dismantled before long and humanity rose to a new dawn of their own making.
History indicates that King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd was the first ruler of the United Kingdom of Fódlan. It is believed that he frequently sought counsel from Edelgard von Hresvelg, however, even after the young woman went into hiding to live an ordinary life following her revolution. It was also around this time that Claude von Riegan resigned from his sovereign dukedom and returned to his homeland of Almyra to take his rightful place as the country’s king. The relations between Fódlan and Almyra improved in years to follow, with animosity being shoved aside in favor of amicable trade, immigration, and the sharing of the respective cultures. Not too long after this, the Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy was reopened with the help of Yuri Leclerc and Byleth Eisner. The two are rumored to have reunited after the conflict to find a mercenary band before vanishing from history altogether. It is believed that, prior to their disappearance, the two were responsible for funneling money into reopening the new academy. One that has since opened its doors to allowing students from across the world and destroyed propaganda surrounding the now mostly extinct Church of Seiros.
The year is 1685 and five hundred years have passed since this. The United Kingdom of Fódlan is practically unrecognizable from what it used to be and conflict threatens peace once again. Will you dare to step back into the hallways of Garreg Mach yet again?
History
The Crimson War was a conflict that lasted from Imperial Year 1180 until Imperial Year 1186 in all regions across Fódlan. It was declared by the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire at the time, Edelgard von Hresvelg, who garnered support while attending the Garreg Mach Monastery’s Officers Academy. Yuri Leclerc and denizens of Abyss were quick to declare their support followed by Claude von Riegan, who was backed by important families such as House Ordelia and House Gloucester of the Leicester Alliance. The three factions eventually conglomerated into a single force led by Byleth Eisner and are recorded to have fought using the Crest of Flames as their banner.
It has been noted by historians that a stalemate kept the war on standby until 1185 where the aptly named Black Eagle Strike Force was able to turn the tides at the Battle of Tailtean Plains. Claude von Riegan is credited for this victory and for sparing Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd who would later join with his own forces. The Battle for Fhiardid is documented to have been particularly bloody with countless civilians caught in the crossfire. The archbishop of the Church of Seiros at the time, a creature masquerading as a human by the name of Rhea, had confined herself to the city’s palace before lighting it ablaze. The result was her personal execution at the hands of Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd and a further dismantling of the Seiros faith. War had yet to cease then, however, as another threat became visible to the forces of Fódlan before long.
An underground faction known only as "Those Who Slithered In The Dark" were documented to have lived in a shadowy city referred to as “Shambhala” around this time. Little is known about this organization though scholars are certain that they were ancestors of a civilization mostly lost to time, Agartha. Modern day mages have since attempted to replicate the dark and ancient magic utilized by this mysterious faction with mixed results. It is theorized that a vast amount of ancient knowledge was eradicated alongside of Those Who Slithered In The Dark at the hands of Fódlan's forces.
Having defeated both Those Who Slithered In The Dark and The Church of Seiros, the Crimson War officially came to a close during the Verdant Rain Moon in the Imperial Year 1186. It led to the unification of Fódlan under the new name of The United Kingdom of Fódlan. It was eventually decided that King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd would be responsible with ruling it. The Officer’s Academy at Garreg Mach, having been destroyed from the conflict, was rebuilt with the generous assistance from various outside factions. It reopened its doors to prospective students by the Imperial Year 1193. Statues of the Five Heroes of the Crimson War would eventually be erected across the campus in years to follow.
Byleth Eisner was one of the Five Heroes of the Crimson War that was raised as a mercenary and taught at Garreg Mach Officer's Academy for a year before it began. It is unknown whether Byleth was a man or woman as evidence seems to suggest that either conclusion is possible. Some recent scholars have even taken to the outrageous claim that Byleth may, in actuality, have been two different people. It is known that Byleth taught in the Imperial Year 1180 at Garreg Mach Monastery where their parents, Sitri and Jeralt Eisner, met. Surviving artwork depicts them as either a man or woman with light blue eyes, deep teal hair, and wielding the Sword of the Creator. It is believed that they were a bearer of a long forgotten crest, The Crest of Flames.
History indicates that Byleth reunited with Yuri Leclerc sometime after the Crimson War to establish a mercenary company in honor of their late father. This company would go on to eventually fund the reconstruction of the Garreg Mach Officer's Academy. Although they are lost to time after this, many rumors have circulated about Byleth's life. Some of these claims include that they were a reincarnation of a forgotten goddess, that they punched a dragon in the face, that they married into royalty, and that they had multiple lovers in their lifetime of both genders.
Edeglard von Hresvelg is one of the Five Heroes of the Crimson War and is often cited as the origin of the conflict. As the only surviving child of Emperor Ionius IX, she was the final Emperor of the Adrestian Empire that fell into obscurity following the Crimson War. She is usually depicted in artwork as an intimidating woman donning red armor. Although this was originally believed to have been symbolic of the blood spilled during her crusade, scholars have since come to the conclusion that she may have actually wore such attire. She is usually depicted wielding Aymr in battle and is believed to have not have a Crest of her own when alive.
She attended Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy in the Imperial Year 1180 where she acted as the house leader for The Black Eagles. While there, she befriended Claude von Riegan, Byleth Eisner, and Yuri Leclerc who would come to assist her in the coming conflict. It is believed that she started her crusade against the Church of Seiros while still attending the Officer’s Academy. Edelgard eventually disappears from history after the conclusion of the Crimson War and is believed to have gone into hiding to live an ordinary life, possibly in Brigid. Her opinions likely influenced some of King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd’s ruling style, however, and it is believed that he often sought her out for advice. Stories of her escapades still inspire Fódlan’s military forces to this day and she is often credited as one of the greatest military leaders to have ever lived.
Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd was the first ruler of the United Kingdom of Fódlan and perhaps the most polarizing Hero from the Crimson War. He was the final prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus that disowned in the Imperial Year 1186 and a survivor of the Tragedy of Duscur that occurred in the Imperial Year 1176 where he lost his father. His mother died of the plague when he was a child though the exact year had never been recorded. He is often depicted as an imposingly tall man with a black eyepatch over his left eye. He is usually seen wielding Areadbhar.
Originally siding with the Church of Seiros after war broke loose, he eventually betrayed the archbishop after seeing her set fire to his hometown, Fhirdiad. It is theorized that he lost his left eye at the Battle of Tailtean Plains where he was spared by Claude von Riegan. Hatred guided much of his actions during the war though this began to fade after the eradication of those responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur, Those Who Slither In The Dark. Following its establishment, Dimitri was crowned as the first official ruler of the United Kingdom of Fódlan where he went on to become a benevolent and empathetic king that championed people of all social statuses. He is cited for passing many reforms, including ones that abolished Fódlan’s oppressive social system at the time. It is believed that he maintained a close friendship with the Almyran king, Claude von Riegan, and often sought out the advice of Edelgard von Hresvelg while ruling.
Claude von Riegan went on to become one of Almyra's greatest kings following his contribution to the Crimson War. Little about his early life is known though his mother, Tiana, hailed from the Leicester Alliance and crossed the border at some point in her life to be with Claude's father, the king of Almyra. He was born in the Imperial Year 1162 as Khalid and later changed his name after arriving in Fódlan. He became legitimized as the heir of the Leicester Alliance dukedom in the Imperial Year 1179 though this nation would also become obsolete following the conclusion of the Crimson War. Claude is often depicted riding a wyvern and wielding Failnaught.
It is known that Claude attended the Officer Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery in the Imperial Year 1180 where he befriended Edelgard von Hresvelg, Yuri Leclerc, and Byleth Eisner. He was the house leader of the Golden Deer and shocked Fódlan with his decision to fight against the Church of Seiros. It is believed that he was responsible for sparing his former classmate, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, at the Battle of Tailtean Plains. This is often cited by scholars as the turning point for the war against the Church of Seiros. After the conclusion of the Crimson War, it is recorded that he returned to his homeland of Almyra to take his rightful place as the country’s ruler. He went on to strengthen bonds with Fódlan, Brigid, Dagda, and surrounding nations by opening his own for trade, immigration, and travel. Most scholars cite that he remained exceptionally close with the other Five Heroes until his death. It is widely believed that he had multiple lovers of both genders during his lifetime.
Yuri Leclerc, or the "Savage Mockingbird", was one of the Five Heroes of the Crimson War. He was born in a poor town in a western Faerghus to a prostitute and unknown father. At some point during his life, he was adopted by Count Rowe and sent to attend the Officer's Academy in the Imperial Year 1174. He, however, was later expelled for scandal and somehow ended up in Abyss. He was later invited to join the Golden Deer House in the Imperial Year 1180 by Claude von Riegan. He is often depicted with a silver sword and wearing the Fetters of Dromi leading many scholars to speculate that he may have had the Crest of Aubin.
While attending Garreg Mach Officer's Academy for a second time, Yuri managed to befriend Claude von Riegan, Byleth Eisner, and Edelgard von Hresvelg. When war was declared by the latter, he was more than willing to offer his aid with hopes of sparing Abyss from destruction. After the Crimson War came to an end, he eventually reunited with Byleth Eisner to establish a mercenary band that went on to fund the reconstruction of the Officer’s Academy. When it reopened its doors in the Imperial Year 1193, the Ashen Wolves House was found in his honor. Yuri seems to disappear from history following this though his name reappears years later in a correspondence between Claude von Riegan and a sender of a different name.
Crests and Relics
Crests were once preached to have been gifts from the goddess of the Seiros religion, Sothis, and were often used to establish nobility in the past. This created unnecessary social oppression that would be dismantled sometime following the Crimson War. A reform passed in the Imperial Year 1195, although poorly received at the time, outlawed the practice of socially and politically assigning value on the basis of a Crest. The writing in this bill seems to indicate that it may have been drafted by Edelgard von Hresvelg at some point while she was in hiding. This reform took decades to fully take effect, however, and society was unwilling to abandon Crests until an era of renaissance that occurred between the Imperial Years 1400 and 1446.
Crests eventually became muddled among bloodlines and fell into obscurity until the Imperial Year 1670. This was around the time that a radical anti-Crest faction, the New Dawn, took control of Fódlan’s political affairs. Once again, they drew public attention to the matter. Citing ideology supported by Edelgard von Hresvelg was all that they needed to win their way into the hearts and minds of thousands. Four years later, in the Imperial Year 1674, the Guardian Moon Massacre occurred and was responsible for killing countless civilians. Those targeted included those that bore Crests, those that were suspected of bearing a Crest, hidden followers of the Seiros faith, and those that supported pro-Crest ideology. The incident has since been largely ignored by the citizens of Fódlan yet it has been heavily criticized by both Brigid and Almyra thus causing tension between the nations.
Administration from across Fódlan has since been distracting its people with propaganda, threats of violence, and unauthorized force to remain silent on the matter of Crests. Rumors still fly that those suspected of bearing a Crest have been ripped from their homes to never be seen again. This much, however, has never been proven nor recorded. While some of Fódlan’s citizens remain in fear, others support this notion so that the Crimson War may never repeat itself. In an act of irony, however, that seems closer to reality with each passing day. And it may just be that Crests are not nearly as forgotten or extinct as Fódlan wants its citizens to believe.
Heroes' Relics once existed across parts of Fódlan as a source of additional power for anyone that bore a Crest. They were originally preached to have been gifts from the goddess of the Seiros faith, Sothis. This, however, is far from the truth. Their sinister origin states that they were crafted using the corpses of the Sothis' children, the Nabateans, during ancient times. They were constructed by Nemesis with the hearts of the deceased Nabateans acting as their source of power. These hearts were later dubbed as "Crest Stones" and led to these immensely powerful weapons appearing as if they were alive. The Five Heroes of the Crimson War all fought with Heroes' Relics that have since been lost to time.
It is believed that the Five Heroes gathered these weapons following the Crimson War with hopes of disposing them. Some theories claim that they were destroyed while others state that they were simply hidden away. Some scholars also conclude that some may have been passed down bloodlines in secret. It is believed that only Failnaught ever left Fódlan as it is believed to have gone with Claude von Riegan after he returned home to Almyra. It is possible that these Heroes' Relics still exist somewhere in the world, but nobody has stepped forward with the claims of knowing where.
Modern Day
Garreg Mach serves as the current capital for the United Kingdom of Fódlan. It is also where the Garreg Mach Officer's Academy can be found. The academy’s architecture has largely remained the same on the behalf of an an artist who fought in the Crimson War, Ignatz Victor. In spite of this, however, it has since tripled in size. A fourth House, The Ashen Wolves, was officially recognized when it reopened its doors in the Imperial Year 1193. An additional homeroom and more dormitory spaces were created to accommodate this. Following a reform passed in the Imperial Year 1200, the Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy began to accept students hailing from both Almyra and Brigid. Students from across the globe have been allowed access to the academy since the Great Tree Moon of the Imperial Year 1431.
Between the Imperial Years of 1478 and 1480, six statues of the Five Heroes were erected across the Officer's Academy's campus. Two were built in honor of what Byleth Eisner might have been like with one being of a man and the other of a woman. The cathedral, although rebuilt as a compromise for followers of the Seiros faith, has officially banned religious gatherings since the Imperial Year 1301. It has since been repurposed into a historical monument that is used to house and feed the less fortunate in the modern era.
The Seiros faith has since become close to extinct with occasional followers hiding their beliefs and practicing mostly in secret. Much of their texts and sacred sites were destroyed in the centuries following the Crimson War. Practice has been entirely outlawed in certain regions of the United Kingdom of Fódlan while others have remained hesitant to outright ban it. Garreg Mach remains ambivalent on the issue. It has, however, since removed all forms of its teaching from their curriculum and library. What was left of the religion in the Officer's Academy was burnt to ashes in a fire during the Imperial Year 1304 by a coalition of anti-Seiros extremists.
Abyss was shortly abandoned following the Crimson War. It was little more than a ghost town by the Imperial Year 1194 which is around the time that Yuri Leclerc vanished from historical records. Most of its denizens found a sympathetic ear from King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd who did what he could to meet their needs and promise a better future. Most of the underground city’s texts were reintroduced to Fódlan’s society through a reform passed in the Imperial Year 1198. It has since become the occasional home for bandits or black market peddlers though they are often chased off by bold students from the academy. Abyss has mostly been shut off and forgotten about, however, save for the struggles of the people that once lived. Many of its former inhabitants went on to speak or write about their experiences which are in publication to this day. In the modern era, it has been rumored that suspicious activity has been conducted here by unknown individuals donning black cloaks, though little evidence has surfaced to support this claim.
For all of its ups and downs over the past few centuries, Garreg Mach has come to inspire hope for the future, change, and even revolution for all. Like it had done five hundred years ago, it may soon find itself housing students with radical ideology that seek to fix their world once more.
The New Dawn is a radical faction that has taken control of Fódlan’s political and social climate in recent years. They are avid followers of ideologies set forth by Edelgard von Hresvelg and strive for an entirely Crest-less society. Their belief is that humanity will remain unequal and chained to the Seiros faith should Crests be allowed to exist at all. Since their appearance in the Imperial Year 1670, they have begun to place themselves into both the hearts and minds of Fódlan’s people. This has mostly been done by promising that the Crimson War will repeat unless Creastbearers are forever exterminated. They have risen to popularity in recent years with their names being known and supported across the kingdom by major figures alike. Some individuals, including those involved with local governments, have even pledged their allegiance to the New Dawn. Most of Fódlan’s people have turned a blind eye to their injustices, including the Guardian Moon Massacre, as a result of this.
The current leader of the New Dawn is unknown. This had led to various speculations including one that believes the organization to be more internally unstable than it appears. Many graduates of the Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy have enlisted into their ranks anyway, however, and their presence there is undeniably as strong as elsewhere in the kingdom. Outsiders, specifically from Brigid and Almyra, have been cited heavily criticizing the New Dawn for their recent actions. Propaganda, use of unauthorized force, and threats of violence have silenced opposition since the Imperial Year 1674 and will likely continue to do so. There is no denying the amount of Fódlan citizens that have suspiciously gone “missing” or simply been found dead for in recent years, however.
The Guardian Moon Massacre slaughtered countless of Fódlan's citizens in the Imperial Year 1674. It was carried out by local authorities and members of the New Dawn with the aim of permanently removing Crestbearers from the kingdom. The massacre started on the fifth night of the Guardian Moon at sundown. It lasted until the eighth day of the Guardian Moon where it was finally stopped by the current reigning queen, Elycia von Blaiddyd. It was far too late by then, however, and countless regions within Fódlan had already been affected by it.
Businesses and homes were torched during the Guardian Moon Massacre which led to an economic recession in years to follow. Some villages, mostly in the frigid north of Fódlan, are still feeling effects to this very day. Spectators recall how the “snow ran a shade of crimson” and “bodies lined the streets” during the massacre. Remembered as a “terrible, frightening experience”, most of Fódlan’s natives have remained silent on it. This has strained the kingdom’s relationship with Brigid and Almyra who have been heavily outspoken on the matter, even going as far as to claim that some of their own citizens were affected by it.
The Guardian Moon Massacre was outlawed from appearing in Garreg Mach’s curriculum after a reform was passed in the Imperial Year 1679. Many incoming students, save for those personally affected by it, have therefore remained mostly ignorant on its history. It is still mentioned by members of the New Dawn from time to time, however, and it is mostly described as a “positive event that merely sought to make Fódlan a more equal land by removing Crests from it indefinitely". As to be expected, those that were targeted generally included anyone that was born with a Crest, suspected having a Crest, supported pro-Crest ideology, and/or still privately worshiped the mostly extinct Church of Seiros.
Elycia von Blaiddyd is the current queen of the United Kingdom of Fódlan. She was born in the Imperial Year 1653 on the 9th of the Pegasus Moon. She graduated from the Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy in the Imperial Year 1671 as the house leader of the Blue Lions House. As a relatively fresh ruler, she struggled with stopping the Guardian Moon Massacre in the Imperial Year 1674 and accidentally allowed it to continue for three days. On the eighth day of the Guardian Moon in the Imperial Year 1674, she was able to end the massacre by dispatching the kingdom's knights. Failure to act sooner and the willingness to protect those with Crests has led to significant criticism from both sides of the argument.
The New Dawn has come to detest the current queen and has deliberately sullied her image as a result. Through their use of propaganda, they have since painted her to be a weak ruler that is willing to allow the Crimson War to repeat itself. This, along with her detached personality, has led to dislike by both Fódlan’s people and its foreign adversaries. She has been absent as recent as the Imperial Year 1683 which has, perhaps, led to the rise in popularity among the New Dawn and its policies. Her reclusive behavior has increased to the point where she is hardly seen among the public save for official holidays. All that seems to be left of the queen nowadays is a general air of mystery.
Little is known about The Cult of the Nabeateans, if anything at all. There is significant debate surrounding their existence with little to no evidence proving either side of the argument. Rumors regarding this mysterious faction have circulated as early as the Imperial Year 1672. Most stories have involved shadowy glimpses of cloaked figures sulking around Garreg Mach late at night. It is believed that members of the Cult can be caught throughout Abyss and are allegedly led by a mysterious man known through hushed words as “Timotheos”.
Some have dared to speculate that the Cult of the Nabeateans may have, however, been fabricated by the New Dawn. Some students state that their existence is only to "cause confusion and divide" among classmates. There is little evidence to back these claims, however, and so the Cult has become little more than an urban legend in the hallways of Garreg Mach. It is widely considered to be an omen or “bad luck” to spot one of these cloaked figures late in the night. Their name is believed to have been taken from an ancient civilization, Nabatea, that has mostly been lost to time. Their image , on the other, is possibly based around a faction that existed during the Crimson War, Those Who Slither In The Dark. This, at least, may explain the superstitious beliefs that surround them.
