Why wasn't Lilina the leader of the army?

[Interdimensional Observer]

8 hours ago, ping said:

Thanks, @Paper Jam and @Acacia Sgt :) I never really noticed these details in the dialogues, but they're small enough that I don't feel bad about it. :D I guess it's still possible that Uther and then Hector were personally elected in Holy-Roman-Empire façon (Hector's "My brother has only recently become the marquess, as well as head of the Lycian League." sorta sounds like Marquess of Ostia and Head of the League are two seperate things), but that might be stretching it. ;)

 

Well that is possible I think. The Habsburgs eventually came to dominate the office of Holy Roman Emperor, but technically anyone could occupy it, and it had pre... Early Modern? been occupied by plenty of other families.

Again, I'd be inclined to think the dominance of Ostia and Pherae would be owed at least in part to their border locations. But we all know that came later, not before the mythos and the general world and narrative designs. I should do some fanfict on this matter- the History of Lycia. Unfortunately I'd need to read up on noble collective institutions more first, so not for months at the earliest. 

 

5 hours ago, Paper Jam said:

Even if the position of leader of Lycia was hereditary, Eliwood was also a descendant of Roland.

But doesn't Athos call Lyn a child of Roland (and Hanon) too? Athos could mean "one from Lycia" regardless of blood, so Caelin's Marquesses might not have Roland blood then. Then we must assume Lilina in the line quoted earlier isn't speaking poetically like Athos.

Given 1000 years have passed since the Scouring, it'd be almost impossible for at least a significant portion, if not all, the Marquesses not to have descended from Roland. Strong laws concerning inheritance and lineage would have to be in place to shore up Ostia's claim to leadership over all others. For somewhere along the way a male of the Roland line had to be wedded to another Marquess, and the throne of Ostian to have a non-firstborn heir.

[Paper Jam]

But doesn't Athos call Lyn a child of Roland (and Hanon) too? Athos could mean "one from Lycia" regardless of blood, so Caelin's Marquesses might not have Roland blood then. Then we must assume Lilina in the line quoted earlier isn't speaking poetically like Athos.

When speaking to Roland's ghost in "Valorous Roland," Athos referred to Eliwood quite literally as being "descended from your blood." (https://serenesforest.net/blazing-sword/scripts/game-script/eliwoods-story/chapter-28-valorous-roland/)

So you're right; it's pretty much a given that all of Lycia's marquesses can trace their lineage directly to Roland. But we have clear proof in Eliwood's case.

[Dandy Druid]

1)She was captured until she's recruited. Who would want to rally behind some noble girl who has spent the last month being prisoner rather than a noble lad who's been fighting for the past month.

2)Ostia is the highest ranking house, but with Hector's death, attention turned to Pherae (the second highest house) where the head is still alive and the heir has been doing an alright job fighting the Bern troops. Political power had shifted to Pherae for the moment.

3)Lilina didn't want to be the commander. She never mentions wanting a leadership role, IIRC.

[henrymidfields]

If leadership stars were thing, though, I wouldn't mind if Lilina's LS gave combat boosts to all Lycians units. And maybe Roy's would give a bigger boost to the Lycians as well, in addition to a smaller boost to the rest of the army.