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  1. 1. Did you read this yet?

  2. 2. Which character archetypes does Micaiah fall under



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I have opted to finish and post this now that CYL2 character popularity poll is running. Please vote for Micaiah, one of the best-written characters in the series as you'll soon see. 

Background Information

Micaiah was raised by some old woman, probably a priestess because it explains why Micaiah can use light magic and it also explains why Micaiah is more spiritual compared to her peers. Her guardian explains to her that she is branded and that she has to keep the brand a secret which is why Micaiah lives most of her life in seclusion. This explains her stoic demeanor and passive introverted dialogue. 

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“No. I know nothing of my parents. But just before she died, the old woman who raised me told me what the brand was and what it meant.”

(Image of Micaiah’s brand)

Micaiah:
“This is proof that the blood of both beorc and laguz course through me. And so, I am anathema to both. She told me never to let anyone see it, and to be always on my guard.”

Muarim:
“Wise advice…”

Micaiah:
I’ve avoided people most of my life to conceal my brand…and my powers. But there’s no way to hide how very slowly I age. I just keep moving through Daein. The same holds true now… I won’t be able to stay in this army long.”

 

Unlike other lords in the series, Micaiah is not being raised to become a ruler/commander in chief, nor is she like Ike and Alm who were trained by a powerful warrior so it can be said Micaiah is probably the weakest combatant out of all the lords due to no combat experience or training which explains why she's such a weak fighter in game-play with bad growths in most relevant fighting skills such as speed, skill, strength and defense. This is a good way of integrating story with game-play. 

Being touched by the kindness that Micaiah's guardian showed to her, she herself becomes an empathetic individual who ends up feeding Sothe and taking care of him much like she herself was taken care of. Eventually, Micaiah became worried that her brand would be a burden to Sothe and runs away from him. While this action is morally despicable, she had a good intention which is the basis of Micaiah's character. After Daein lost the war, Sothe and Micaiah reunited and at this point, Micaiah promised that she won't keep any secrets from him again and stayed by his side from that point on, learning from her previous mistake of abandoning Sothe. Over the course of the Mad King's War, Micaiah is cared for by the people of Daein which touched her deeply especially when she can feel their own empathy which is the start of Micaiah's patriotic feelings towards Daein. Once Begnion occupies Daein and brutally oppresses its citizenry, Micaiah is saddened by the plight of her fellow countrymen and decides to become a freedom fighter along with Sothe. Afterwards, they meet up with Edward, Leonardo and Nolan and form the Dawn Brigade with Nolan as the leader. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: …A long time. I met him when I was hiding out in the back alleys of Nevassa, over ten years ago. He was so skinny, but his gaze was so piercing… I wondered how such a young boy could look like that. One day, I noticed he was standing close to me, just watching. He continued like that for a few days. One day, I held out my hand. He was suspicious of me, but came over anyway. He looked like a scared animal. Then his little hand slipped into mine. It was shaking. His fingers were so thin and frail. I couldn’t let go after that.
Micaiah: After that, we traveled together all over the continent. No matter where we went, we were always together.
Ike: The first time I met him, he’d hidden on a ship we were taking. He mentioned he was looking for someone who was like family to him. It was you he was searching for, wasn’t it?
Micaiah: I…I tried to leave him behind. When we went to Crimea, I split off from him and took a ship to Begnion. But when I reached Begnion, war had broken out between Crimea and Daein. I knew I had to return to Daein to look for him. I couldn’t find him, so I went to Crimea. But I still couldn’t find him… We found each other again after the war, in Daein. In the back alleys of Nevassa, where we first met.
Ike: You took routes opposite to each other.
Micaiah: When I told him why I’d disappeared, he got so angry… I’d never seen him get so emotional before.
Ike: I can’t say that I blame him. I’d be pretty furious if I heard someone that I loved was wandering around two countries at war. Besides, I’m sure he’d hidden his feelings about being abandoned until he saw you again.
Micaiah: I thought I was reaching the limit of how long I could stay with him. He grew each and every day, but I remained the same… I didn’t want him to be harmed by the curse I lived with. Can you imagine how hard that would have been on him?
 

Spoiler

Sothe: Hey, remember our promise from three years ago? There are no secrets between us.
Micaiah: Sothe, Muarim knows that I’m older than I look.
Sothe: I see. Well, don’t worry too much about it. You can trust him.
Micaiah: Yes, I’m sure of that. Muarim seems very trustworthy. But, what about everyone else? What would they think if they knew all of my abilities came from the mixed blood running through my veins? Blood they consider cursed!
Sothe: Micaiah, stop…
Micaiah: Right now, when they look at me, they have love and affection in their eyes, but would they look at me the same way if they knew? I don’t want to find out, Sothe. I don’t think I could bear the truth.
Sothe: You know, we can stop.
Micaiah: What do you mean?
Sothe: Look, this was an impossible situation to begin with. You’ve always led such a secluded life… Ever since you were thrust into this position, I worried that the pressure might get to you.
Micaiah: You’re right. I knew it would turn out like this. Despite that, I accepted the job. I can’t stop now.
Sothe: But, Micaiah…
Micaiah: Listen, Sothe. I realized something after Daein lost the war.
Sothe: What’s that?
Micaiah: I realized how much I loved my country.
Sothe: And?
Micaiah: During the war, I spent a lot of time with the people of Daein while I was waiting for you to return. After we lost the war, all our cities and towns had been reduced to ruins. We had to help each other to cope. We supported and comforted each other. That’s how we survived.
Sothe: You never mentioned this before.
Micaiah: I’ve been secluded so long, I had no idea people were so strong… and kind. No one knew who I was, but they helped me because I was from Daein. They were so… loving. They were my friends.
Sothe: And now you won’t leave them.
 

 

Thus, we see that even before the events of the game, Micaiah is getting character development as she initially runs away from Sothe but comes to the realization that the two should stick together. Furthermore, her apathetic nature towards other people is changed due to the events of the Mad King's War, Ike's subsequent "liberation" and the subsequent Begnion occupation. Hopefully, the argument that Micaiah receives no character development is thrown out the window. Just from her background alone, I root for Micaiah more than any other lord because unlike the others, she isn't fighting for political power, or in the case of Ike and Alm, isn't partially motivated due to enjoying fighting or vengeance.    

 

Part One

Micaiah is shown in a cut-scene where she gets captured by Begnion soldiers but ends up getting rescued by Sothe. From this scene, we can deduce that Micaiah isn't a one-man army and will need protection from superior units throughout the course of the game which is also hinted at by Edward in the easy mode prologue and Nolan in Chapter 1-1.

Chapter 1-P

Micaiah mentions that she can't foresee the future whenever she wants. This is important because I've heard of people say she's only a good tactician and leader due to her ability to see the future but this ability only kicks in sometimes and it's mentioned explicitly when it happens so most of Micaiah's tactical feats are because she's a straight up good tactician which will be showcased later on. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: Edward, you know that's not how it works. I foresee some things, but I
    don't get to choose what I see.

 

Anyhow, she helps out the local citizens by fighting against bandits with Edward. When Leonardo shows up, he criticizes Micaiah's decision to fight the bandits without additional help but Micaiah mentions she couldn't leave the citizens in their condition. Basically, Micaiah is willing to take big risks to protect the citizens of Daein which goes to show she's brave and sacrificial, hence suited to be the user of the skill sacrifice. It also shows she's very idealistic and reckless. 

Spoiler

Leonardo:
“What were you two thinking, taking on these bandits alone? That’s beyond reckless.”

Micaiah:
“I’m sorry, Leonardo. We couldn’t just leave the helpless villagers to these monsters. Please, help us fight them.”

 

 

Chapter 1-1

When it comes to explaining why there is so much Begnion activity, Micaiah is too ashamed to explain and temporarily disappears, forcing Leonardo to reveal the truth. Though she does come back to apologize to Sothe and Nolan which is good as she's starting to overcome her weaknesses in facing off people who may potentially be angry with her. This is good because after all, a shit load of people will be angry with her in part 3 but at this point it seems like Micaiah will just cower away unable to face the wrath of others.  

Spoiler

Nolan: I've never seen so much Begnion activity in this area before. Is
    there...something we should know?

[Micaiah leaves]

Leonardo: Um, well, actually, the truth is...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nolan: Ah, that's what did it. You had a run-in with bandits?

Micaiah: And Begnion soldiers spotted us as we made our escape. I'm sorry. We 
    only wanted to help. We were careless.

Sothe: We'll worry about that later. More importantly, Micaiah, were you seen 
    healing anyone with Sacrifice?

Micaiah: I'm afraid so.

Sothe: You can't allow anyone to know what you can do. Healing without any 
    tomes or staves is a rare gift—-almost unheard of. If anyone saw you
    doing it, you'd be given away immediately, and I don't know if I could
    keep you safe.

Micaiah: I know, Sothe.

Sothe: I know you know, but you keep doing it! This place isn't safe anymore. 
    We should leave at once.

 

At this point in time, it is quite clear that Nolan is the one leading the Dawn Brigade and giving the battle strategies. Micaiah may be the one with foresight, but that isn't reason to make her the leader and strategist due to having far less experience and wisdom than Nolan. Once she does become a competent leader and strategist, it won't simply be because of foresight either or else she'd have lead the Dawn Brigade since the beginning, it'll be because she's actually smart, charismatic, experienced and decisive enough to do so. 

Spoiler

Edward: This way's no good either. Begnion soldiers have every alleyway 
    blocked. A kitten couldn't sneak past them.

Nolan: It looks like this really is the least guarded path, then. Even so, it's
    swarming with soldiers.

Micaiah: There are more coming up behind us! We'll be trapped if we don't move
    quickly!

Nolan: We can't wait for Sothe.

Micaiah: The stairs by the church lead to the marketplace. We can break through
    there.

Nolan: I'll go first and secure the way. Micaiah and Leonardo, cover my back! 
    Remember to keep your distance from the enemy. Team up and bring them down
    one by one!

Micaiah: We'll be careful.

Leonardo: Leave it to us.

Nolan: Edward, you bring up the rear. Your skills have improved, but you're 
    still new to fighting. Don't rush the enemy. Just focus on surviving their 
    attacks. Got it?

Edward: Yeah, yeah, I got it.

 

Despite Micaiah apologizing for getting into the fight and using sacrifice, she ends up doing the same thing again when Nico gets into trouble. Unfortunately, three others die as a result of the Dawn Brigade coming back. This goes to show that Micaiah is selfless to a fault and willing to disobey Sothe and Nolan's orders but there are actual negative consequences for her actions which is a good thing when it comes to writing main characters. Hopefully, she'll learn to respect authority later on. However, Micaiah's bravery and selflessness inspires the civilians which is neat as she's going to be pivotal to encourage the citizens to rebel. 

Spoiler

[cutscene - Micaiah healing Nico with a blue glow from her hands]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grandfather: It...it's a miracle. We've seen a miracle today!

Man: That was Sacrifice...

Lady: That girl! She must be the Silver-Haired Maiden. Only she possesses 
    Sacrifice!

Sothe: [runs up, carries Micaiah out]

Begnion: Stop right there! After them! We can't let them get away!

[the townspeople mill in front of the soldiers]

Man: We still stand by the Dawn Brigade.

Begnion: What is wrong with you people?! Did you hear me?! Clear a path, or 
    you'll end up like that kid!

Jarod: [runs up] You sniveling idiots! Why are you just standing there?! Give 
    chase. Now!

[the soldiers clear a path]

Begnion: Yes, sir! We would like to, sir, but...the townspeople are blocking 
   our way.

Jarod: Oh...I see. The townspeople are blocking your way. You dullards! 

[he stabs and kills all of the townsmen with one blow]

 

Chapter 1-2

Later on, she decides to help Laura retrieve medicine for the abbot and the DB does just that. Even though Nolan is the leader of the Dawn Brigade, it seems like from this point on, Micaiah is unofficially leading the Dawn Brigade. While this may seem like bad writing, it was intentional and will be addressed. Right now the problem with Micaiah is that she unintentionally usurps leadership positions undermining the real leader. Nolan doesn't seem to mind though as he's a passive individual not trying to exert his authority. 

Spoiler

???: [a girl runs up to them] Um...excuse me. Are you people heading to town by
    any chance? Our abbot is ill. He needs medicine, but Begnion soldiers are 
    hoarding our provisions in the manor house.

Micaiah: The Dawn Brigade, at your service! I'm sure we can help you and your
     abbot.

 

After Laura gets the medicine, she gets captured by Jarod and Micaiah ends up tricking the group to split up so that they can escape. Unfortunately, while Micaiah can be quite deceptive (she told a lie with a straight face), she herself is quite naive and thought that by offering to sacrifice herself, she could free Laura and let the DB escape. Unfortunately, both of them will be held hostage and be used as the lure for the DB. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: Wait! Laura's missing! She was just with me.

Sothe: Let's split up and search for her. Micaiah, you come with me.

Micaiah: ...Hm, the forest is huge. We can cover more ground if we search 
    individually.

Sothe: But...

Micaiah: Let's rendezvous at Kunu Swamp in three marks' time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Micaiah runs alone]

Micaiah: Somebody's near by...

???: You sensed me, did you?

[Jarod appears]

Micaiah: Where is Laura?

Jarod: And you saw through my ruse. You're as clever as they say, my dear. You
    even came alone. How brave of you. Was that to give your friends a chance
    to escape? What a thoughtful little thing you are.

Laura: Mi-Micaiah! Don't come any closer!

Micaiah: Laura! Let her go! She isn't one of us...

Jarod: Now, you know I can't do that. She's a valuable hostage, just like you!

 

Chapter 1-3:1-7

Anyhow, the DB allows the prisoners to escape and the merchants reveal that there is a prince in the desert leading an uprising. The DB decides to go there due to Micaiah's foresight revealing it to be their destiny. They eventually reach some ruins and Micaiah reveals to us that she's not racist. Unsurprisingly the main character is non-racist although what makes her even better is that she lives in a racist nation so being able to hold on to these ideals means Micaiah has a strong character as she's not easily swayed by the majority opinion. It is revealed that Micaiah harbors some level of resentment towards Ike but unlike the other people of Daein, her resentment is quite benign compared to the hatred Ike saw when he "liberated" Daein which goes to show she's not the type of person to harbor hatred in her heart. It seriously irritates that some people have the audacity to hate Micaiah due to her disliking Ike even though she has good reasons to do so. Furthermore, her resentment is pretty benign, all things considered, so if anything, we should be glad that Micaiah isn't some revenge crazed individual like Sasuke or Raven. Not saying I dislike either character (I actually like them) but Micaiah is obviously a lot more likable in comparison and doesn't give off reasons to hate her this early on. Also, she'll eventually change her views on Ike yet people still hold this against her. On the other hand, I don't see people hold the fact Jill used to be a racist against her because she develops out of it. Double standards much?

Spoiler

Micaiah: I remember a time when you used to refer to them laguz as
    "sub-humans." Such an ugly word. Now look at you.

Sothe: Well, come on. Beorc are called the "Children of Wisdom"--and the laguz
    the "Children of Strength"--for a reason. But I know now that just because
    our two races differ, that doesn't mean one is better than the other. The
    age-old beorc bias against laguz is based on sheer ignorance. When I met
    Ike during the war three years ago...and fought beneath him...he made me
    realize this.

Micaiah: Honestly. Here I thought you were saying something enlightened, and
    you're just talking about him again?

Sothe: What do you mean, "again"?

Micaiah: Sothe, sometimes, every other thing you say is like an ode to Ike. I
    know you fought beside him. I know you owe him your life. And I know you
    want to be just like him... But to the people of Daein, he's the man who
    crushed us three years ago. Some would even call him our archenemy. If we
    hadn't lost the war to that man, Daein wouldn't be in the mess it's in now.
    You know that.

 

In a base conversation with Kurth, Micaiah is considerate of people wanting their own privacy and hints that she too desires privacy but at the same time is willing to interact with people. This goes to show just because you're introverted and even have necessary secrets to keep, you can still get along with other people in a friendly fashion. 

Spoiler
Kurth (*)

Micaiah: What are you doing out here, Kurth?
Kurth: Hello, Micaiah. Pay me no mind. I’m just watching the desert. How the wind changes the sandscape…The ebb and flow of the dunes, like giant swells in the ocean. I find it mesmerizing.
Micaiah: Is this your first time in the desert?
Kurth: Yes. My homeland is ringed with mountains. Everything about Daein looks new and curious to my eyes.
Micaiah: I see.
Kurth: …You have not asked.
Micaiah: I’m sorry?
Kurth: You have not asked me who I am or where I am from. Not just you, Micaiah, but the others as well. No one seeks to know who I am.
Micaiah: You seem to not want to talk about yourself. Am I right?
Kurth: Yes… Quite right.
Micaiah: That’s why no one asks. People can tell when someone wants privacy. Many of us desire privacy too. Kurth, you are not our enemy. I know that much. You’re kind and gentle. That is all I need to know.
Kurth: Thank you…

 

Micaiah certainly cares about the soul as she's worried that the riches in the ruins may impoverish their souls. I can't understand why she'd complain about much-needed funds for the war effort, don't be so naive, you can't win a war without as many funds as possible, but at least it gives us more insight into her spiritual nature. Later on, there is a similar conversation later on where Micaiah is upset when Sothe takes money from a bunch of poor villagers due to feeling bad about their plight. Now that makes more sense than refusing free money, but despite feeling bad for this, she ends up having to make the tough moral decision of taking the money for the greater good. This base conversation foreshadows a major aspect of Micaiah's character conflict, having to overcome her empathetic nature in order to fight a war where she has to go against her compassionate nature for the greater good. Making tough decisions is what a leader does and it is great that Micaiah is starting to get rid of the naivety of thinking that she can win a war with limited money and she's starting to get her self-less to a fault nature under control. 

Spoiler
Sothe (***)

Sothe: Hey, Micaiah. I sold the treasures we took from the ruins. We have traveling cash now.
Micaiah: How did we do?
Sothe: We have 10,000 in gold.
Micaiah: Great! That’ll help a lot.
Sothe: Maybe. We could use more.
Micaiah: Sothe, 10,000 is plenty. We just need enough money to live on. More than that, and the soul becomes impoverished.
Sothe: I know, I know. We should be rich of heart and poor of pocket… Met, I just follow your orders.

Spoiler
Outside the Village (***)

???: Yes, that’s what I heard! What with that light… and that silver…
Lass: Could she… Could she be the Silver-Haired Maiden?
Micaiah: Hm?
Lass: Oh, it is! It is you!
Grandmother: Oh… Oh, my…
Lass: You’re fighting with King Ashnard’s son to free Daein, aren’t you? Oh, we’ve heard so much about you!
Grandmother: Oh… what a blessing! What a blessing!
Lass: We’re all waiting! We’re waiting for the day you free us from those filthy Begnion pigs!
Grandmother: Please… take… this.
Lass: It’s not much, but people from all over the village pitched in.
Micaiah: Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly…
Sothe: Thank you. We appreciate your kindness.
Grandmother: …
Lass: We’re all counting on you! Please, free us!
Micaiah: …
Sothe: Looks like Izuka’s propaganda is working fast.
Micaiah: Mm.

Sothe: You didn’t want me to take the money, did you?
Micaiah: It’s not that. It’s just… Oh, never mind.
Sothe: Oh, come on. What did I do this time? You’re not going to say? Great. In that case, let’s get out of here and go find the others.

 

Once the Dawn Brigade merged with the Daein Liberation Army, Micaiah was made the vice-general because she makes an appealing figurehead/poster girl for the revolution. While initially, Izuka turned her off, she could sense that Pelleas had the right intentions so she decided to take the role. Her fortune telling was useful in deciding to attack Terin and also in the battle to take Terin. Afterwards, when it came to liberating a prison camp, Izuka wanted to poison the water but everyone was against this so Micaiah devised her own strategy which worked well. Finally, Micaiah is now showing a tactical nature instead of relying on her feelings and fortune telling. This tactical ability will be important later on when she loses her powers due to chaos from war and we will see the fruits of Micaiah's experience turn her into a good tactician unlike when she was first made the vice-general of the Daein Liberation Army. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: Wait a moment! I appreciate the offer, Izuka, but I'm afraid I cannot
    accept. I have no war experience and no knowledge of battle tactics. Daein
    needs a general with both.

Izuka: Are you not a member of the heroic Dawn Brigade, whose conquests precede
    them?! Do you not want to save the people of Daein?! Serve the prince, and
    you can step out of the shadows and face the empire boldly, without shame!
    Why hesitate?

Sothe: This is a thinly veiled scheme...and I see right through it. You just
    want Micaiah to serve as a figurehead for your revolution.

Izuka: Is that a problem?

Sothe: Yes, that's a problem! She's not some fancy stoneware for you to set on
    display. If you're going to do this...then I cannot sign on.

Micaiah: Exactly.

Pelleas: Micaiah, please, wait! That isn't what we meant. You're not the only
    one who knows nothing about battle. I don't either. But if I don't act, the
    devastation of Daein will grow ever worse. So, I have to be brave. Please,
    I'm asking you to do the same, Micaiah... For the sake of the future of
    Daein, will you join our cause?

Micaiah: ...Prince Pelleas...I will.
Spoiler

Micaiah: No. Talrega is no good.

Izuka: Wha-what was that!? On what grounds are my decisions being questioned by
    this...this child?!

Micaiah: The timing is wrong. Because of the rains, we won't be able to advance
    well, let alone fight.

Jill: It's true. I'm from Talrega, and I remember well the landslides and
    floods that come every spring. The mountain road leading to that particular
    work camp is notoriously dangerous.

Izuka: Wha-what?! Impossible! My...my strategy is flawless, perfect even. Hmph,
    I never...

Sothe: Micaiah, where do you think we should attack?

Micaiah: ... Terin... We'll have better luck in Terin.

Tauroneo: Terin, too, lies in the mountains, but in the arid northern region,
    where the weather is predictable.

Pelleas: Micaiah, you're amazing! I count my blessings to have you as
    vice-general. You give me hope.

Jill: Lady Micaiah, few outsiders know of the landslides in Talrega. Have you
    been there before?

Sothe: Micaiah is a powerful seer. We in the Dawn Brigade owe our lives and
    our freedom to her abilities.
Spoiler

Laverton: Fight, and these people will be executed right now! Surrender, and
    they will be spared.

Micaiah: ...Everyone, throw down your weapons.

Sothe: You have a feeling, don't you? Got it. We'll follow your instinct.

Laverton: Ha ha ha ha ha... A wise choice, girl! Well, no more need for these
    prisoners, is there? Kill them all!

Fiona: No!

[Fiona's group seize the prisoners and rescue them]

Laverton: What do you think you're doing?

Fiona: I'll have nothing to do with you and your monstrous tactics!

Laverton: So, you betray us after all. Marado has never been known for holding
    its faith. You'll die like the rest!

Sothe: A troop of Daein cavalry just mutinied. Is this what you sensed?

Micaiah: Yes. Now we must reinforce them and help save the hostages!
Spoiler

Izuka: ...Such a trivial concern, and one my profound genius has already
    addressed! Behold this lake next to the camp that provides fresh water to
    all there. Into this lake, we shall dump a deadly toxin of my own
    devising! Then we'll sit back...as the enemy slowly dies.

Micaiah: What are you saying?! Poison is inexcusably vile! I will agree to no
    such plan.

Izuka: Wha-wha-what was that?! You! You! How dare you question my plan,
    conceived in a state of exalted meditation!

Micaiah: No matter how misguided the enemy may be, we must fight with
    compassion and consideration for the innocent.

Sothe: She's right. Poison doesn't discriminate. Prisoners would die too. And
    any nearby villages would be affected. And then what would happen? People
    would doubt us, question our cause, maybe even side against us. And it
    would cast a stain on Prince Pelleas's name, don't you think?

Izuka: Errrrrgh... Fine then! Do as you like! And when you find yourselves
    utterly defeated, you can come crawling back to me! [leaves]

Tauroneo: My apologies to both of you. When Lord Izuka gets excited, he can
    lose all sight of reason.

Micaiah: I apologize too, General Tauroneo. He stormed out because I--

Tauroneo: You needn't apologize. ?You are in the right. I would never condone
    the use of poison. However, this does mean we must devise another plan if
    we are to have any hope of victory.

Micaiah: Yes, you're right. In that case, what do you think of this strategy?

 

Micaiah obviously knows about the branded but ends up asking Pelleas about what they are as if she doesn't know anything about them. She basically manipulated Pelleas into thinking she's ignorant of what the branded are. When you think deeply about this, it is the perfect way of getting Pelleas to reveal his opinion of the branded. By acting like she doesn't know what they are, she can keep any suspicions of her brand away because it is less likely to be branded if you don't even know about the brand than if you know about it. If she were to ask him directly about his opinion on them, she'd give the impression that she's interrogating him and is curious about what he might think of her if she were a branded. It goes to show that while she may not be a talkative person, she knows how to use the correct words at the right time. Although this isn't always the case as you'll see later. 

Spoiler

Pelleas: Let's keep this among ourselves... We don't want people to confuse us
    with the Branded.

Micaiah: What are the "Branded"?

Pelleas: I'm pretty sure it refers to beorc who have laguz blood in their
    veins. I know, it's hard to imagine someone with the blood of a sub-human
    running through their veins. Anyway, I've been terribly mistreated by
    people who thought I was one of the Branded.

 

Chapter 1-8

When Tormod and Sothe had a friendly talk, Micaiah was surprised to see Sothe so happy. She's so distant from people that she doesn't understand the concept of a friendship. Her emotional sentimentality caused her to accidentally hint at her true identity to Muarim. In a base conversation with Sothe, Micaiah reveals that she's very worried that people will start hating her if they come to know that she's branded. This demonstrates that Micaiah's character conflict is the fact she's afraid to lose people's love especially when she can feel it which amplifies the effect kindness has on her. Even though Micaiah is troubled that her secret may end up getting exposed, she reaffirms her commitment to her country and strengthens her resolve despite Sothe suggesting that they can still leave. After hearing people cheer her on, she feels even more satisfied with her actions although due to her humility, she doesn't believe she's a hero. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: That Sothe... He looks happy, for some reason.

Muarim: Because he's reunited with my little one?

Micaiah: That must be it... Oh, Sothe, ever since he was small, he's tried to
    act more grown up than the grown-ups... I've taken care of him so long, and
    still I've never seen him smile so easily before.

Muarim: Hm... Watch what you say. Comments like that... They reveal that your
    appearance belies your true age.

Micaiah: What are you--

Muarim: Among the laguz, there are those who detest and revile half-breeds such
    as yourself. They call you "parentless," and deny you any laguz heritage,
    honor, or dignity. Take due care.

Micaiah: Oh... Oh no...
Spoiler

[Chapter 1-8; Sothe] (*)

Sothe: We're just about ready. Let's talk to Tormod, and--

Micaiah: ...

Sothe: Micaiah?

Micaiah: Oh, sorry.

Sothe: Hey, remember our promise from three years ago? There are no secrets
    between us.

Micaiah: Sothe, Muarim knows that I'm older than I look.

Sothe: I see. Well, don't worry too much about it. You can trust him.

Micaiah: Yes, I'm sure of that. Muarim seems very trustworthy. But, what about
    everyone else? What would they think if they knew all of my abilities came
    from the mixed blood running through my veins? Blood they consider cursed!

Sothe: Micaiah, stop...

Micaiah: Right now, when they look at me, they have love and affection in their
    eyes, but would they look at me the same way if they knew? I don't want to
    find out, Sothe. I don't think I could bear the truth.

Sothe: You know, we can stop.

Micaiah: What do you mean?

Sothe: Look, this was an impossible situation to begin with. You've always led
    such a secluded life... Ever since you were thrust into this position, I
    worried that the pressure might get to you.

Micaiah: You're right. I knew it would turn out like this. Despite that, I
    accepted the job. I can't stop now.

Sothe: But, Micaiah...

Micaiah: Listen, Sothe. I realized something after Daein lost the war.

Sothe: What's that?

Micaiah: I realized how much I loved my country.

Sothe: And?

Micaiah: During the war, I spent a lot of time with the people of Daein while I
    was waiting for you to return. After we lost the war, all our cities and
    towns had been reduced to ruins. We had to help each other to cope. We
    supported and comforted each other. That's how we survived.

Sothe: You never mentioned this before.

Micaiah: I've been secluded so long, I had no idea people were so strong...and
    kind. No one knew who I was, but they helped me because I was from Daein.
    They were so...loving. They were my friends.

Sothe: And now you won't leave them.

Micaiah: I was touched by their kindness. Now, I'm scared to lose it. Very
    scared.

Sothe: Micaiah...

Micaiah: I suppose this isn't the time to worry about such things. If my power
    is needed to liberate Daein, I will stand my ground and fight.

Sothe: Well, not to spoil your resolve... But if things get too hot, I'm just
    going to grab you and run.

Micaiah: Sothe...

Sothe: Friends and Daein are important, but not as important as you are to me.
    Remember that.

Micaiah: ...All right. Thank you, Sothe.
Spoiler

Nailah: It seems the soldiers are celebrating your liberation of the prisoners.
    You should wave to them. People like their heroes to seem approachable. It
    would make them happy.

Micaiah: I'm no hero... But I see what you mean. [turns, looks at Sothe and
    after some back and forth hesitation, waves]

Daein: What a glorious sight she is!

Daein: Lady Micaiah! Lady Micaiah, the Priestess of Dawn!

[Micaiah continues to wave at the soldiers]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Micaiah stands alone, Sothe walks up to her]

Sothe: Here you are. I've been looking for you.

Micaiah: Sothe, after all those soldiers cheering... I feel like I'm doing real
    good here...

 

Against the wishes of both Izuka and Tauroneo, Micaiah decides to go out to Shifu Swamp to rescue the prisoners despite the strong possibility of a trap. As a result of the success, Micaiah's popularity explodes even further which diminishes Pelleas' own authority. When it is revealed that Izuka drugged Muarim, Micaiah gets very angry showing us that she has a strong sense of justice but due to loyalty to Pelleas, she reluctantly tolerates Izuka's presence although the deal is that he never again tries to experiment on the laguz.

Spoiler

Micaiah: You twisted maniac! You are the lowest--

Pelleas: Everybody! Wait, please! Izuka clearly did a terrible thing to that
    sub-hum--that laguz, I apologize. Tormod... I'm truly sorry. He will not
    use the drug again. So, please... Try to forgive him...

Micaiah: Prince Pelleas...

 

Chapter 1-9

Eventually, the Begnion occupation army is ordered to stand down which ends the war, or so everyone thinks. After being a commander for so long, Micaiah wants some alone time because she is stressed out and because she's an introvert. It is a scientific fact that introverts gain energy and relieve stress when they have some alone time. Unfortunately, she ends up as easy prey for Jarod who happens to find her through sheer luck but she is in turn lucky when the Black Knight randomly shows up. It is revealed that she believes that even if she dies, people will continue to follow Pelleas which goes to show that she's very optimistic and is too humble to believe that she's everyone's paragon of hope. This, unfortunately, blinds her from reality and exposes her naivety. Fortunately, the Black Knight shows up to save her life and easily gains Miccy's trust which shows she has a trusting nature. After Jarod is defeated, Micaiah decides to spare Jarod's life so that he can be judged by the Apostle. A lot of people think this is a pretty stupid move but it does make sense from a political standpoint. The Apostle had just granted Daein freedom and they could very well risk the ire of Begnion if Micaiah is accused of killing Jarod which isn't unthinkable considering how shady Begnion is. Even the shrewd Soren had the same idea in chapter 3-3 where he said that Begnion senators should be spared as an act of goodwill even though this backfired on them as the senators weren't interested in peace and they'd have been better off killing them. So it can be argued that what Micaiah did there was actually intelligent and even if you disagree, it certainly doesn't make her dumb. Anyway, Micaiah makes a mistake, and there's a terrible consequence for her action which she has to pay for by setting out on one final battle which could have been avoided. Hence, saying Micaiah doesn't get punished for her mistakes is completely and utterly wrong. 

Also, this scene shows that Micaiah doesn't fight for revenge but for the freedom of her people. Now that freedom has been granted, she feels additional killing is pointless and wrong. Also, Micaiah wanting the Black Knight to be on her side against Sothe's wishes goes to show she's willing to cooperate with a war criminal for the greater good, showing some grey morality even in part one.  

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“He is not ours to judge. He belongs to the apostle now. I suppose he must bury his fallen friend and pray before facing her.”

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“Sothe, stop that! In King Ashnard’s War, you served below General Ike, and you and the Black Knight were enemies. But now, you are comrades with the same goal–Daein’s restoration. Listen to me. The Black Knight was Daein’s strongest general. We need him.”

 

One thing to note is that Micaiah's visions are becoming unclear. This isn't just a plot device so that Micaiah stops being successful in part three as it occurs in part one as well and is caused by enormous amounts of stress as well as the chaos of war. Therefore, the weakening of Micaiah's visions are grounded in logic and not just a cheap cop-out when the writers need it to be. 

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“Sothe, I hadn’t told you, but I haven’t been feeling well lately. My mind feels…foggy. Things I could always see clearly are now dim and vague. I may have committed us to an irreversible fate.”

 

Chapter 1-E

While Micaiah doesn't want power for herself, her actions have unintentionally subverted the revolution from Pelleas' control. This is not very different from Nolan losing his authority over the Dawn Brigade. Though in Nolan's case, this was a non-issue because he didn't want to exercise his power so even though it's not mentioned explicitly, there is no plot-hole in regards to why Micaiah is leading the Dawn Brigade by chapter 1-2 when Nolan is supposedly the leader. After Jarod starts bombarding Nevessa, Micaiah sets off to kill Jarod once and for all. What this shows is that Micaiah learns from her mistakes and won't repeat them. This is how to write character development as there is a compelling reason for change and she becomes a better leader as time goes on. Her character is not static but at the same time, it isn't all over the place as there is a logical progression on how she acts. 

Spoiler

Izuka:
“Of course not, you idiot girl. You’ve already been far too impulsive, acting without the prince’s consent. And do you think I do not see what has happened? Your name has been raised to lavish heights among the Daein people–your name, and yours alone! Why, even our own soldiers heap their praise on you like sugar on berries, sparing not a thought for their prince!”

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“That shout…that’s Jarod! For Daein’s sake, this time I swear I will put an end to him.”

 

While Micaiah readily accepts Pelleas' request to become the supreme commander of the entire Daein army, she does mention that she'll eventually leave once Daein is completely secure because she can't hide how slowly she ages. 

Spoiler

Pelleas:
“Well, you didn’t hurt the effort! I’d hazard a guess that Daein’s reconstruction would have only been a dream without you. I regret I have no other way to show my gratitude, but… I want to officially name you Supreme Commander of the armies of Daein.”

Micaiah:
“…I see. And I accept. It is with great honor that I assume this office. This battle may be over, but the fight to return Daein to its former glory will take time and effort. If my support can be of service, then I am honored to assist.”

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“Muarim, before you go… I just want to thank you. Thank you for not telling anyone about my brand.”

Muarim:
“No thanks are needed. It’s rude of me to ask, but do you know anything about the circumstances of your birth?”

Micaiah:
“No. I know nothing of my parents. But just before she died, the old woman who raised me told me what the brand was and what it meant.”

(Image of Micaiah’s brand)

Micaiah:
“This is proof that the blood of both beorc and laguz course through me. And so, I am anathema to both. She told me never to let anyone see it, and to be always on my guard.”

Muarim:
“Wise advice…”

Micaiah:
“I’ve avoided people most of my life to conceal my brand…and my powers. But there’s no way to hide how very slowly I age. I just keep moving through Daein. The same holds true now… I won’t be able to stay in this army long.”

 

Part One Summary

In summary, Micaiah starts off as a naive idealistic person who constantly made rash decisions but ends as a responsible vice-general towards the end of part one. We can clearly see that in the prologue, Micaiah is not very leader-like and even Leonardo seems more of a leader considering it was Micaiah who was relying on him on what to say to Nolan and Sothe. By chapter 1-2, Micaiah started calling the shots but still made dumb plans such as letting herself get captured by Jarod. After she became leader of the Daein Liberation Army, she became a more intelligent leader and made strategies that liberated Marado State, freed prisoners from prisons , made proper preparations to rescue captives from the swamp, etc. While initially Micaiah was hesitant in collecting money, especially from people, she realized this was necessary for the war effort even though it pained her to do this. Micaiah had to struggle with the torment of hiding her brand which nearly got exposed twice so she's put into these scary situations but nevertheless reaffirms her commitment to the revolution and fights on. While Micaiah has accepted the position to become Daein's commander-in-chief, she plans to eventually leave which leaves room for future development. 

 

Part Three

Chapter 3-6 and 3-7

Pelleas asks Micaiah to fight the Laguz Alliance and she accepts. A lot of people find it dumb that Micaiah is all of a sudden fighting a war against people she has no beef with but let's look at the reasons why she does so. Remember how she promised Pelleas she'll serve as the commander-in-chief of the Daein army? Well she's the type of person to keep her promises. She also trusts Pelleas' judgement due to the fact he has good intentions which is something she can feel due to her powers and her previous experience working with Pelleas. Why didn't Micaiah pressure Pelleas to spill the beans? Well he's clearly depressed and she obviously wouldn't want to worsen Pelleas' sadness. Trusting Pelleas' judgement is not OoC at all, she always had a trusting nature as shown previously with the Black Knight. Though Micaiah gives a rather bigoted reason for targeting the Laguz Alliance when Sothe pressures her even further. Her soldiers are excited to hunt down the laguz so she's going to lead the pack to satisfy their urges essentially. Now that is OoC since Micaiah holds no prejudice and is against Laguz hunts but this can be contextualized by the fact that Micaiah doesn't have a good explanation so she's reaching for whatever flimsy reasoning comes to her mind. Also, just because Micaiah is the main character and Sothe is her close confidante doesn't prevent him from tearing apart her arguments rather ruthlessly so enough of this lame complaint that Micaiah gets favored even when she does the wrong thing. Contrast this with Shinon, who hates Ike, going along with Ike in part three without any complaints in Ike's face. Really easy to see who the writers favor.  

Spoiler

Micaiah: The Daein Royal Army will answer Begnion's request and attack the
    Laguz Alliance at the Ribahn River. Those are our orders from King Pelleas.
    As his subjects, we will obey him.

Sothe: Without even asking why? Daein is finally on its own. Why are we even
    speaking to Begnion, let alone fighting for them?!

Micaiah: I don't know. I do know that King Pelleas wants what's best for
    Daein...just like us. He must know something we don't. I trust him. He's
    changed since the coronation, though. He doesn't smile or laugh anymore.
    Maybe it's because Izuka and the Black Knight vanished.

Sothe: Who cares about Pelleas smiling or laughing? We have no quarrels with
    the Laguz Alliance! Why are we targeting them?

Micaiah: Well, with a few exceptions, the soldiers are excited about hunting
    down the laguz... They've been promised a large bounty for each one they
    kill. It's certainly raised morale.

Sothe: Listen to yourself! Laguz hunting?! That's just great. We've gone from
    being freedom fighters to bigots in the blink of an eye. I can't believe
    you'd go along with such a murderous plan. How do you feel about this,
    Micaiah? Tell me the truth.

Micaiah: ...I don't want to fight.

Sothe: Then why ar--

Micaiah: What choice do I have?! I'm the general of this army. It doesn't
    matter how I feel. Besides, I can't let the king or the soldiers down. My
    duty ultimately lies with them... I'm sorry.

Sothe: Following Pelleas's orders is the same as approving of them.

Micaiah: Sothe, you don't have to do this. I heard that your friend Ike is
    fighting on the side of the Laguz Alliance. Go, fight with them. Or don't
    fight at all. But don't let me force you into anything.

Sothe: I'm not leaving your side. I swore I'd protect you, no matter what. I
    keep my promises. If I can't talk you out of this insanity, I'll fight
    Commander Ike and his men.

Micaiah: Sothe...

Sothe: But we'd better prepare ourselves. This fight will be harder than any
    we've had before.

Micaiah: Thank you. I know this isn't easy. But if one side must fall, I will
    do all I can to make sure it is not Daein. I have no other choice.

 

If we have a look at Micaiah's conversation with Reyson, she further reveals her intention. Micaiah is politically pragmatic and she believes Daein will fall apart if they can't unite under King Pelleas. Think of it like this, if Micaiah refuses to go to war, the Daein army will get suspicious that their supreme commander doesn't want to fight which will hurt their loyalty to King Pelleas. Moreover, Daein would be forced to fight with or without her because Pelleas is adamant about it and the result won't be very pretty for Daein if they lose the war from her prior experience when Daein lost the Mad King's War. Hence, it makes complete logical sense that Micaiah would reluctantly command the army to minimize the chance of Daein losing because Daein losing could potentially result in the people of Daein suffering just like before the liberation. I won't deny the fact she's a camus. But she's a very well-written one whom you can sympathize with more so than the other camus archetypes in the series because she has compelling reasons to fight and this war isn't as black and white compared to most other FE wars. Also, most commander-in-chiefs end up following orders to go to war even in unjust conflicts so if anything, Micaiah is a very realistic character as her actions aren't always completely heroic just to please readers and instead are grounded in logic and realism. This makes her a very well-written character in my book. To each their own I suppose. 

Spoiler

Reyson: Micaiah, the Maiden of Dawn … Is that what they call you?
Micaiah: Who are you? Your wings look just like Rafiel’s
Reyson: I am Reyson. My brother told me about you. This is why I’m here. Please pull back your troops. Our enemy is not Daein. This is not your fight. Am I not correct?
Micaiah: I know how you feel… Though I owe a debt to Rafiel, I cannot do what you ask. It’s not that I don’t want to! I think this whole war is madness! But I must keep fighting.
Reyson: Why is that?
Micaiah: This fight is my king’s will. I cannot stop fighting just because I don’t agree with him. If we don’t pull together under our new king, Daein will fall apart again, just as it did before its liberation. I believe in King Pelleas. I believe that our king will lead the people of Daein to happiness
Reyson: …I see. I understand your position. Please accept my apology for asking the impossible
Micaiah: What? What do you mean?
Reyson: You are fighting to protect your beliefs. I understand that now. But remember that we also cannot, and will not, pull back. We both carry a heavy burden. that’s why we’re here.
Micaiah: Yes…

 

Anyhow, Micaiah sets up an elaborate ambush considering how she's even able to conceal her army's smell with the wind currents and made use of the fog. Clearly a great use of weather conditions to prepare an ambush. On top of that, she made great use of the river terrain as it hinders the side that crosses it. Using both weather and terrain effectively for an ambush is just what I'd expect from a seasoned guerrilla warfare commander. After all, even though she was no tactician at the beginning, through her experiences as a rebel leader, she's become much better. This is an example of logical character growth.  

Spoiler

Kyza: Are we being pursued? I don't smell any beorc.

Ranulf: That's because the wind is blowing from the other side. Oh no... I have
    a bad feeling about this. Call a halt on the river crossing! Kyza, Lyre! Go
    tell everyone else. I'll make a run for the lead force and let them know! I
    just hope it's not too late! [runs]

Lyre: No... No! The enemy is here? No way!

Kyza: Lyre, run to the left wing and inform them of the situation. [she runs
    before he finishes speaking] Lyre!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Micaiah: Not yet. Wait for them to get closer. Everyone, stay quiet...

[a tiger laguz appears]

Sothe: There's the lead force!

Micaiah: Everyone! Take your positions! Attack!
Spoiler

Ranulf: We've just begun crossing the river. This fog worries me. I can't see
    the other side at all.

 

The way she positions her army is so effective that both Lethe and Ranulf comment on it. This is in spite of the Daein army being unprepared to take on the laguz due to lack of experience fighting them, lack of numbers and due to Begnion not giving proper intel to Daein. The lack of intel, combined with Micaiah's fortune powers not working, along with Soren's tactical prowess further bolstered by the Laguz Alliance's superior forces is what it takes to defeat her army. 

Spoiler

Lethe: Grr, I can't find an opening! If only I could find one weak point, we
    could break through!

Ranulf: These guys are really clever. They must have a veteran commander to use
    a strategy like this.
Spoiler

Ranulf: ...Well, there weren't very many of them, but their morale was really
    up there. Their commander seemed very clever, as well.

Soren: It must be the Maiden of Dawn.

Ike: (turns to him) Who?

Soren: She was the hero of the recent Daein uprising. Micaiah is her name, if I
    recall correctly. Supposedly she has performed miracles and turned many
    losing battles into victories. An interesting figure.

Ranulf: Miracles? I'm finding that a bit hard to swallow. Are you sure about
    that?

Soren: Who knows? Personally, I doubt it. All I know is that the Daein army
    believes in her miracles, which makes her dangerous.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[cutscene – Micaiah looking up at the sky holding her tome to her chest with
    Sothe in fighting stance behind her, in front of Daein Keep]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soren: This Maiden of Dawn is supposed to be the savior of Daein, whose
    miraculous powers freed their people from tyranny. In other words, her
    followers are fanatics who see her as a goddess. She will make a formidable
    enemy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranulf: If we attack them head-on, the fighting won't stop until one side is
    decimated. There's got to be a way to avoid that, right?

Titania: What about a decoy force, like we've used in the past?

Tibarn: The decoy only worked because the enemy didn't expect it. I wouldn't
    count on the same strategy working twice.

Soren: Not necessarily. The empire assumes superiority over all other
    countries. Begnion is only using the Daein army as a pawn to stop us, and
    likely won't care if it is destroyed in the process. As such, the Daein
    army is most likely uninformed about our past tactics.

Ranulf: You might have a point there. I went scouting after the fog cleared,
    and their forces looked really unprepared to fight us. They had no
    ballistae, and they hadn't fielded many fire mages. It felt like they
    didn't know a thing about fighting laguz.

 

She's also learned the art of coercive diplomacy although due to lack of knowledge on her opponents' strength and numbers, she underestimates them. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: My king, Pelleas, has decided to answer Begnion's request for help in
    fighting the Laguz Alliance. You have no chance for victory. Further
    bloodshed is meaningless. Please surrender while you can.

Lethe: Do not insult us, tiny beorc! We'd rather die than surrender!

Micaiah: Behind you lies the Begnion army. In front of you is the Daein army.
    You've nowhere to run.

Ranulf: Well, I guess we'll just have to chase you down like cattle and press
    on. Sound good to you, Skrimir?

[a roar can be heard in reply]

Micaiah: What in the goddess's name was that?!

Sothe: Get back, Micaiah! That roar... That must be a lion! Lion laguz are
    stronger than the cat or tiger laguz we've been fighting.

Ranulf: Hey... Is that you, Sothe? You look so much older now. Beorc grow up so
    fast... Just like Ike. Remember him, Sothe?

Sothe: What? So Commander Ike really IS fighting with you?!

Ranulf: Let's just say you shouldn't assume that you can see all of our troops.
    Sothe, if you care for this girl at all, get her and her men out of here.
    That's my only warning to you.

Micaiah: Wait!

Sothe: Stop, Micaiah. If we chase them, they'll kill us for sure.

 

While many criticize Micaiah for being too submissive to Pelleas, she does ask Tauroneo to convince Pelleas to end the war so it isn't like she becomes a puppet. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: I shall do my best to defeat the Laguz Alliance quickly. When this
    battle is over, please persuade the king to negotiate a peace treaty as
    soon as possible. Would you do this for me? Would you please talk to the
    king and help to stop this pointless war?

Tauroneo: I shall try...

 

Also, it is quite clear that even the narrator says that Daein's attack on the Laguz Alliance was an act of aggression so saying that there is too much Micaiah pandering by the narrative is complete nonsense. It's not just Micaiah's opponents that call her out, even her allies and the narrator does. 

Spoiler

The Daein army takes to the field and deals a heavy blow to the army of the
Laguz Alliance. This sudden aggression shocks the Alliance like a lightning
bolt on a clear day.

 

Despite being under sheer stress, Micaiah is able to hold her composure and firmly order a retreat despite opposition within her army yet is able to do so courteously. This goes to show she's level-headed even when the situation turns against her and she's on the verge of fainting.

Spoiler

Micaiah: Even the hawk tribe is here? The Begnion army never told us that they
    had moved out...

Sothe: ...They got us. Commander Ike's force was just a decoy.

Micaiah: Staying will only increase casualties. Let's retreat.

Daein: No, Maiden! We can still fight! Please give us your orders!

Micaiah: I have. We shall retreat! I will not let all of you die in vain!

Begnion: But...

Sothe: General's orders. We kept our losses to a minimum. That's enough for
    this battle.

Daein: Yes, sir! [leaves]

Sothe: Micaiah, I'm surprised. This is the first time you couldn't predict the
    enemy's movement.

Micaiah: ...You're right. [collapses]

 

Finally, Micaiah's perspective on Ike begins to change. In part one, she'd get irritated whenever she hears his name but now she's willing to listen to what type of man he is. Sure she has to do this to gain intel on her opponent, but it's the start of her becoming more open minded. 

Spoiler

Micaiah: Sothe. Tell me more about Commander Ike.

Sothe: Why? You used to hate it when I said anything about him.

Micaiah: I want to know more about the man I'll be fighting against. What kind
    of a person is he?

Sothe: Well, let's see... He's generous. He doesn't care about petty things. He
    holds no prejudice against laguz, nor does he care about the opinions of
    the nobles. He's a master swordsman. He accomplishes everything he sets out
    to do. He's a true hero.

Micaiah: I see. He sounds...quite different from King Pelleas.

Sothe: Micaiah, they don't even compare. King Pelleas lacks any leadership or
    decision-making skills.

Micaiah: ...That may be, but I believe in King Pelleas. His heart is in the
    right place. I believe in his virtuous nature and his commitment to being a
    good king...

 

Chapter 3-11

Now that Crimea, the Apostle's Army, Gallia and Phoenicis have joined together Daein's military situation has gone from bad to worse. To counter the looming threat Micaiah ordered the Daein army to demand custody of Sanaki and threatens to invade Crimea if the demand is not met. Invading Crimea would be a stupid move but Goran makes it clear the Daein army was ordered to fight defensively and hold on to the bridge. So the threat to invade Crimea was just a ruse to bait the coalition into attacking the Daein army. This puts the Daein army in a more favorable position where they have access to light runes, catapults and pitfalls to hold off the much larger army. Furthermore, the bridge is narrow and not an open field so the enemy can't make use of their large numbers. So as you can see, when Micaiah has no good options, she's forced to choose the least worse strategy which of course fails but it is still commendable since the odds are stacked heavily against her. 

Spoiler

Sanaki: Zelgius returned to the empire by himself to rescue Prime Minister
    Sephiran. Our army consists of the troops he left behind, as well as the
    armies of Crimea, Gallia, and Phoenicis. Ike, you're probably the only
    person on the face of Tellius who commands respect from all four countries
    represented here.
Spoiler

Crimea: We've received a report that the Daein army has appeared near the
    border between Daein and Crimea! The Daein army demands custody of the
    apostle on behalf of Begnion! They will use force if necessary.

Ike: Daein wants to get in our hair again? Perfect.

[Ike, Elincia, and Sanaki turn to each other]

Sanaki: ...I am puzzled by this. Why does Daein support the senate? Well, I
    suppose it doesn't matter. Ike, we must change our target.

Ike: Agreed. We have to get Daein out of our way before we do anything else.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[an overhead view of the dreaded bridge chapter]

Sanaki: So, Daein still refuses to negotiate?

Sigrun: Either they believe the senate's lies, or...the senate is pulling some
    strings behind the scenes.

Ike: Well, whatever the reason, we can't attack Begnion without taking care of
    this first.

Sanaki: I will not give up. I won't stop sending messengers until they respond.
    Ike, I leave you in charge here. [leaves via a member of the Holy Guard]

Ike: Let's keep our numbers small. We shouldn't provoke them any further.

Skrimir: I understand. Gallia will stay behind.

Ike: You'll have your turn soon, Skrimir. I promise. All right, let's go!

---------------------------------------------------------------{start battle}--

Goran: I cannot believe this! It's an army of sub-humans and beorc. It must be
    true that this apostle is a fake. The true apostle would never join forces
    with those filthy creatures!

Daein: The enemy has sent a messenger once again. Commander, this is the third
    time they've asked to negotiate.

Goran: Ignore the messengers! We must protect this bridge. That is the order
    from the Maiden of Dawn!

 

Once the Daein Army has been defeated on the bridge, Micaiah shows up and orders a retreat. The Begnion inspector is rather obnoxious but Micaiah firmly refuses his advice without being rude. She ends up fainting, again. She does comment on how she felt she always wished she didn't have foresight, but after losing it, she's upset about losing it. This is a pretty deep lesson that people in general take their blessings lightly and when they lose them, they finally realize how foolish they were.  

Spoiler

Sothe: Micaiah, it's over. The front line is broken. The apostle's army is
    crossing the bridge.

Micaiah: All right, then.. Order a retreat.

Inspector: Wh-what?! No! Are you a simpleton? Just destroy the bridge!

[Micaiah moves over to Sothe's side]

Micaiah: Inspector... With all due respect, Daein soldiers will also die if we
    destroy the bridge now.

Inspector: Those are called acceptable losses, my dear, and any losses suffered
    by your men are acceptable if it means stopping that army! As a
    representative of the senate, I will not allow you to retreat! Fight to the
    last man!

Micaiah: Inspector. While I respect your opinion... The final decision is up to
    me, as commander in chief of this army. Sothe, order the retreat. Get those
    men out of there before they're routed.

Inspector: Insolent little brat! How dare you disobey my orders!

Sothe: We could always leave you here while the rest of us retreat, Inspector.
    How's that sound?

Inspector: Y-you... I will report this incident to both your king and the
    senate! Start thinking of an excuse now, perhaps! [leaves]

Micaiah: Pompous fool...

Sothe: Well, I'll go order the retreat.

[Micaiah collapses, Yune chirps]

Sothe: Micaiah?!

Micaiah: I...I'm sorry, I...

Sothe: Don't move. I'll be right back! [runs off]

[Yune chirps]

Micaiah: What's happening? I was doing so well...for a while... I feel
    like...fog is clouding my mind... Am I...losing my powers?

[Yune chirps]

Micaiah: Funny... I always wished that I didn't have this farsight... It often
    feels like such a burden... But this clouded vision seems so strange. Now,
    I miss the clarity... Ironic, isn't it, Yune?

 

Chapter 3-12

Once Micaiah learns of the blood pact, she, like Pelleas, falls into despair but quickly regains her hope and suggests that Pelleas finds a way to undo it while she holds off the Apostle's Army to give him time. This is an important point because there's some misconception going around that Micaiah was willing to let the Senate conquer the world just to save Daein which is not true at all. The war against the Apostle's Army was merely a temporary evil that would kill thousands of soldiers on both sides to prevent the inevitable death of an entire country which has a much greater population than even the largest armies. So between Pelleas' idea that they follow the Senate no matter what, Sothe's insistence they die an honorable death, Micaiah's is the most balanced and logical approach. 

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“King Pelleas and Queen Almedha are telling us the truth. It’s hard to believe, but I can see it… My power hasn’t gone away. It was just weakened from exhaustion. This is all so horrible… Now Daein can never be free from the senate’s leash.”

Sothe:
“Even if it’s true, Micaiah, that doesn’t mean you have to go to war again. We could leave Daein…”

Micaiah:
“But without me, who would hold our forces together? Leaving the army would be the same as abandoning the people of Daein. I won’t do it.”

Sothe:
“But…”

Pelleas:
“I’m sorry, everyone… I’m so sorry… I-I-I didn’t know…”

Tauroneo:
“King Pelleas… What then do you propose we do?”

Pelleas:
“Why, obey the empire, of course. We have no other choice in the matter. As long as I follow the senate’s orders, no one will die because of me.”

Sothe:
“No, I can’t accept that! We have finally wrested our country back from the occupation forces… I’d rather be dead than have to bend to the will of the empire. What are we, dogs?!”

Tauroneo:
“And now that Begnion is ordering Daein troops into battle, we are treated as disposable pawns. Many Daein citizens will die of this pact, whether we obey it or not.”

Pelleas:
“It would appear that I have been crowned king during the last days of Daein. Follow or fight…the result is the same. We will be destroyed.”

Micaiah:
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, we can’t give up!”

Pelleas:
“What?”

Micaiah:
“You heard me. The only way to really be doomed is to give up.”

Pelleas:
“Micaiah, there’s no way out of a blood pact. None! What do you suggest we do?”

Micaiah:
“Look for a way out. I know Duke Lekain says the pact can’t be broken, but of course he’d say that! King Pelleas, you have the resources of an entire country to draw on, and the best of reasons to do so. Check the royal library! Check the archives! Somewhere, I’m sure you’ll find…something. Just don’t give up.”

Pelleas:
“Micaiah, forgive me. I was so overwhelmed that I let myself give in to despair. But you’re absolutely right. We can’t give up just yet. We have people to save!”

Tauroneo:
“Unfortunately, we don’t have much time. Begnion will not put off triggering the blood pact until after we’ve found a way to break it.”

Micaiah:
“We can make time. If we take on the empress and the laguz forces, it’ll look as if we’re obeying the senate. In the meantime, you can research the pact.”

Pelleas:
“All right. I’ll start immediately. Just give me as much time as you can…”

Micaiah:
“Of course. We’ll do our best to hold them back…whatever it takes.”

 

One aspect of Micaiah's character that I like is that she's willing to forgive people for their mistakes. Just because you screw up doesn't mean you deserve to be thrown vitriol, which generally speaking makes things worse, not better. What's done is done and that past mistakes can't be undone. What truly matters is the future. Furthermore, at this point Micaiah has reaffirmed and strengthened her commitment to protecting Daein despite the situation being much bleaker and despite no longer having the moral high ground.  

Spoiler

Pelleas (***)

Pelleas: I have to head back to the castle. I have to know if there is a way to break free of the blood pact.
Micaiah: Please be careful.
Pelleas: …Please, Micaiah. Stop being so kind to me. It’s too difficult for me.
Micaiah: I can feel how you’ve suffered. You’ve had to endure it all alone for so long. It’s ghastly.
Pelleas: It was my fault… I brought this curse upon Daein!
Micaiah: No! You didn’t know! I will protect Daein. I’ll protect our country from harm, no matter what happens. You have my word.
Pelleas: Micaiah… Very well. I won’t give up. We’ll fight destiny together.
Micaiah: Yes.
Pelleas: I want you to take this. I found another one in the treasure room of the castle. Stand fast, Micaiah. I will find a way to save Daein.
Micaiah: …

 

The situation is bleak and very depressing but Micaiah still has the time and mental sanity to converse with the peasantry which is very admirable. More importantly, this base conversation contains one of the most heart breaking lines from any FE character. Micaiah has a huge attachment to her people and wants to save them which is a good thing but unfortunately she's caught between a rock and a hard place where whatever she does, she commits a grave injustice. If she fights the good guys, she's killing people who she shouldn't be but if she chooses not to, she's letting her entire country perish. If she runs away, she's abandoning her responsibilities. Whatever she does, she's doing something immoral. Poor girl. Anyway, she's now willing to be looked down upon to fight for what she believes in which is a contrast to part 1 where part of the reason why she fought was because she was looked up to as a hero. Now her resolve has been strengthened to a level where her reputation no longer matters which is the epitome of selflessness. Sure she had those qualities back in part one but they have most certainly increased. 

Spoiler

Nico (*)

(English version only)

???: There she is! Hey, lady!
Micaiah: Who? Oh, Nico!
Nico: This is great. I was hoping I’d find you.
Lady: Nico, mind your manners. The Silver-Haired Maiden is the saviour of Daein. She’s not just some “lady.”
Micaiah: Oh, it’s all right. I’m still the same simple girl from Daein you met before. Nothing’s changed. So, are things well with you?
Lady: Well, the fighting’s got everyone worried, coming so soon after the last war and all… But we’re doing all we can for Daein! It doesn’t matter who or what we’re up against. Believe me when I tell you we’ll never give up.
Nico: That’s right! We won’t give up. Ever! I know we’re gonna win, too. ‘Cause we’ve got you on our side. That’s what everybody says. The Dawn Brigade will save us.
Micaiah: Is that what they say? I see… Listen to me, Nico. You can believe in us. I promise we’ll keep you safe.
Nico: I knew it!
Lady: Come along, Nico. We should be going. The maiden’s got better things to do than stand here chatting with us all day.
Nico: Bye, lady! See you later!
Micaiah: Yes… good-bye, Nico.
Sothe: …
Micaiah: I… I want to save them all. The world is a better place with people like them in it.
Sothe: I know how you feel, Micaiah. That’s why we started all this. We’ve always been fighting for them. But this war we’re in… It’s not just. We’re fighting on the wrong side.
Micaiah: I know. I don’t want to see anyone die. It’s ironic… I’m killing with no malice, because I don’t want anyone to be killed. I… What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to stand back and let all of Daein perish? Is that the “just” thing to do?
Sothe: …
Micaiah: If that’s what it takes to be just, then I want nothing to do with justice. I’d rather be hated and feared like Mad King Ashnard. I’d rather the dark god take my soul. I’m going to save my people, Sothe. If the rest of the world paints me as a beast to be reviled and hated, so be it.

 

Before the battle started, Micaiah's plan was questioned by both Sothe and Tauroneo and it was suggested that Micaiah herself is most opposed to such a plan but it goes to show how much willpower the girl has to go against her own empathetic nature. Sure the two ended up going on with it but she did use logic to convince them and it is out of character for either to abandon her. Anyhow can we just go over how brilliant this plan is? Terrain is used effectively to give Daein the high ground advantage as well as the ability to roll boulders at the enemy. Not only that, but General Maiel was sent with a decoy force to distract Ike's Laguz army, effectively splitting up the coalition allowing the main force of the Daein army to focus on the weaker target. Being able to fool Ike's army with a decoy is a nice maneuver because the Daein army is a lot smaller and it means Micaiah managed to fool Soren due to him being Ike's strategist. That decoy force was sent to their deaths which goes to show that Micaiah is no longer her idealistic self that believes she can save everyone unlike in part one where she'd always try to save everyone. She has learned that sacrifice can sometimes be necessary in war. 

Spoiler

Before Battle (Battlefield)

Sothe:
“It looks as if the apostle’s forces are using this road to avoid a head-on confrontation. I guess we were right in assuming that they don’t necessarily want to fight. Micaiah, are you still set on this?”

Micaiah:
“Are the rocks ready?”

Tauroneo:
“Yes. They’re in position.”

Daein Soldier:
“General Maiel’s forces have encountered General Ike’s laguz forces. The battle has begun! The decoy operation succeeded. The apostle and her Holy Guards are heading this way.”

Micaiah:
“All forces, get in position! Our target is the apostle. We will attack her while General Ike is distracted. If we let her through, her army will cross into Begnion. That will surely anger the senate, and the senate will move to destroy Daein. We must fight with everything we have so that Daein may live on!”

Sothe:
“But, Micaiah… Is this really necessary? Can’t we avoid all of this fighting and somehow pretend to obey the senate?”

Tauroneo:
“Micaiah, it was you more than anyone else who used to hate plans like this…”

Micaiah:
“The apostle’s army has incredible numbers. We wouldn’t stand a chance taking them head-on. They would march right through us. We need to give Pelleas more time, but if we hold back, the senate will know we’re up to something. For now…let’s just try to draw this out a bit and stop the apostle’s army.”

Tauroneo:
“Lady Micaiah. Your strength moves me. I shall not falter.”

 

Eventually it was revealed that she planned to set the Apostle's Army on fire, taking advantage of the terrain to douse the army with oil. She was even willing to kill Sanaki which goes to show how far she's willing to go. While this scene disturbs many people, it would be incredibly stupid to fight a conventional war when the Daein army is vastly outnumbered and would get decimated, so I think this was a wise decision that required a lot of willpower to execute. 

Spoiler

After Battle (Battlefield)

Sothe:
“We’re in position at the top of the cliff and the Holy Guards are at the bottom. Just as we planned.”

Micaiah:
“All right. Thank you.”

Sothe:
“There is no turning back now, Micaiah. You have to give the order.”

Micaiah:
“Yes, I know.”

Daein Soldier:
“General Maiel has fallen to the claws of the sub-humans! General Ike and the Laguz Alliance are heading this way to rescue the apostle!”

Micaiah:
“…Prepare to move to the next phase. Archers, get ready! There’s no more time for doubt.”

(Camera moves to Sanaki’s side)

Sanaki:
“What are they doing? What are they pouring down the cliff?”

Tanith:
“No! It’s… It’s oil! They’re going to set us aflame!”

Sigrun:
“Apostle, onto my pegasus! We’ll take to the sky!”

Tanith:
“We will protect the apostle from the archers by becoming her shield! Holy Guards, form up!”

Sanaki:
“No! No, Sigrun! We cannot leave the others here! I will not allow it!”

Tanith:
“Commander, we’re ready!”

(Camera moves back to Micaiah’s side)

Micaiah:
“Don’t let the apostle escape! Archers, mages! Bring down that pegasus!”

 

Once Tibarn suddenly captures Sothe and threatens to drop him down the cliff, Micaiah finally breaks down. She orders her army to stand down but later on says they'll continue fighting which prompts Tibarn to drop him. By now, it is quite clear how conflicted she is about what to do and after seeing her levelheadedness prior to this, I think it is refreshing to see her break down which goes to show that while she's a great leader, she is by no means perfect. Some people say that Micaiah should be more punished but seeing Sothe fall to what she believes to be his death is very brutal. Sure, he was eventually saved but those few seconds where he was falling must have been horrifying so she does get punished quite a bit. Tauroneo has to order the retreat because Micaiah has broken down and is too traumatized which goes to show that the scare was a brutal punishment. 

Spoiler

(Tibarn flies in and grabs Sothe)

Tibarn:
“Don’t move. I see one arrow fly, and the boy gets a quick lesson in falling.”

Sothe:
“Tibarn! Urk!”

Micaiah:
“Sothe! No, please! All units, cease fire! Now!”

(Ike’s army appears)

Tauroneo:
“General Ike has reached us… We’ve failed.”

Ike:
“Micaiah of Daein, listen to me very, very carefully.”

Micaiah:
“Tell him to let Sothe go!”

Ike:
“Not a chance. I’m offering you a choice. Surrender now and go home to Daein, or fight us and die.”

Micaiah:
“We can’t. We won’t retreat or negotiate. Regardless of what you believe, the only choice we have is to fight.”

Ike:
“Micaiah, are you insane? Look around! Every single person in your army will die! Do you care that little about them?”

???:
“Enough! Everyone stand down!”

Ike:
“Apostle…”

Sanaki:
“I’ve seen enough bloodshed for one day! That’s enough! Please, no more…”

Ike:
“We’ll retreat for now. You’d better do the same, and I mean now. I’m not sure how long I can hold my men back.”

Micaiah:
“But we can’t!”

Tibarn:
“Fine. His death is on your hands, then. Sorry, little Sothe, your friend just killed you. Say a quick good-bye.”

Sothe:
“No, wait, Micai–!”

(Tibarn lets go of Sothe)

Micaiah:
“NOOO! SOTHE!”

(Ulki carries Sothe to safety)

Micaiah:
“Oh, thank the goddess. Sothe…”

Tibarn:
“Take this as a lesson, little beorc. Next time, there won’t be anyone to catch you.”

Ike:
“General Tauroneo, I’ll ask you one last time talk some sense into that girl, all right? She’s losing it.”

Tauroneo:
“…We won’t pursue you this time. However, we cannot avoid this war. That is all I will say for now. And Ike…I’m sorry for this.”

 

Despite not being able to light up the Apostle's Army and the Crimean Royal Knights, they took serious casualties so that ambush was still somewhat successful despite failing which is impressive considering their numbers and the fact they were on a time limit as the battle would effectively end once Ike's army would show up. 

Spoiler

After Battle (Apostle’s Army)

Ike:
“What’s the situation?”

Soren:
“It’s awful. The Begnion Central Army and the Crimean Royal Knights have almost been completely obliterated. On top of that, the oil that Daein used has injured the Holy Guards’ pegasi and all but grounded them.”

Ike:
“Yeah, I think awful fits. Thoughts, everyone?”

 

Chapter 3-13

Pelleas asks Micaiah to take his life but Micaiah realizes that her ability to go against her own morals have a limit which is nice as it goes to show she's just a human with great resolve but not perfect. Pelleas basically points out that she is willing to kill countless strangers but not individuals close to her. While this might irritate many, this is a flaw of human nature. If a family member died you'd feel much worse than thousands of strangers dying. In spite of all her special powers, she's a very human character which makes her compelling.  

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“I can’t! I thought I made up my mind… I thought I’d do anything for Daein! But then I saw Sothe taken from me, and I saw him fall… I was powerless to do anything! I’d taken so many lives as a general, and yet, when I thought of Sothe dead…”

Pelleas:
“Even if it hadn’t been Sothe in front of you, you would have reacted the same way. That’s the kind of person you are.”

Pelleas:
“Individual lives taken before your eyes weigh more heavily than the many lives taken during the chaos of war. If that life is someone dear, the burden is even worse. It’s only human. Isn’t that true?”

 

Anyway, the player is given the option of having Micaiah obey Pelleas' command, let Tauroneo do the job or attempt to sacrifice herself to guard Pelleas. If you opt to have Micaiah kill Pelleas, it goes to show that now she's even willing to kill individuals who she cares for to save her country, whereas previously, she couldn't. If you have Tauroneo kill Pelleas, this moment is similar to the time when Elincia lets Lucia get executed. This is in stark contrast to the previous chapter where Micaiah wasn't willing to let Tibarn kill Sothe. The third option is extra content available only on a second play through. Basically in this case, Micaiah at first allows Tauroneo to kill Pelleas but she see's a vision that tells her there is a better way and changes her mind at the last second. This adds on to her characterization from the second scenario and shows how selfless Micaiah is, and more importantly, that Micaiah isn't just blindly following orders and is herself a strong leader capable of changing the minds of both Pelleas and Tauroneo through both her actions as well as a logical argument. 

Spoiler

Pelleas:
“I want you to kill me.”

Micaiah:
“No, I can’t! I can’t do it! Don’t make me do this, please!”

Pelleas:
“The blood pact breaks when the pact-maker is killed by a third party. That is exactly how it’s written. This is the only way to save Daein.”

Micaiah:
“Please! Please don’t ask me to do such a horrible thing.”

Pelleas:
“This is my duty as king, Micaiah! If you won’t do it, I must ask someone else!”

“Obey his command” is chosen

Micaiah:
“All right… I’ll do it… I’ll do it for you, and for Daein.”

Pelleas:
“Thank you, Micaiah.”

(Pelleas hands Micaiah a dagger)

Pelleas:
“General Tauroneo. Please look after the people of Daein.”

Tauroneo:
“Yes…Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“Sothe. I’m sorry for all that I put you and Micaiah through, including this. Please forgive me.”

Sothe:
“Don’t worry about that now, Pelleas.”

Pelleas:
“Micaiah. Please give this ring to my mother. Tell her that I loved her dearly.”

Micaiah:
“…I will, Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“Good-bye, my friends.”

(Screen goes white)

Micaiah:
“Your Majesty. Sniff…what have I done?”

Almedha:
“Pelleas! Is he here?!”

(Almedha appears)

Almedha:
“NOOOOO! Pelleas! My dear Pelleas!”

(Almedha falls to the floor)

Almedha:
“Who did this?! Who killed my son?! Was it you?! I know who it was… YOU! You killed my Pelleas!”

(Sothe stands in front of Micaiah)

Micaiah:
“…”

Sothe:
“It was the king’s wish. He sacrificed himself to make Daein free. He asked Micaiah to end his life.”

Tauroneo:
“It was an honorable end for a king. Thanks to his noble sacrifice, Daein has been saved.”

Almedha:
“Fools! Is that what you think?! Daein has not been saved!”

Tauroneo:
“Wh-what do you mean, my queen?!”

Almedha:
“Take a good look.”

(Image of Pelleas’s arm, with the blood pact intact)

Almedha:
“The mark is still on his wrist. My son’s death was in vain!”

Micaiah:
“No! It can’t be! Sothe, tell me that it isn’t true…”

Almedha:
“Murderer! Give me back my son! You took my only son! Give him back!”

“Pass the burden to another” is chosen

Micaiah:
“I…I’m sorry. I can’t do this…”

Pelleas:
“I see… That is all right, Micaiah. I know it’s a terrible thing to ask. …General Tauroneo. It is your duty.”

Tauroneo:
“Your Majesty… Is this necessary?”

Pelleas:
“This is your king’s order, General. You must obey.”

(Pelleas hands Tauroneo a dagger)

Tauroneo:
“Such will, at so young an age! …As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“General Tauroneo. Please look after the people of Daein.”

Tauroneo:
“Yes…Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“Sothe. I’m sorry for all that I put you and Micaiah through, including this. Please forgive me.”

Sothe:
“Don’t worry about that now, Pelleas.”

Pelleas:
“Micaiah. Please give this ring to my mother. Tell her that I loved her dearly.”

Micaiah:
“…I will, Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“Good-bye, my friends.”

(Screen goes white)

Tauroneo:
“…”

Micaiah:
“Your Majesty… Sniff… What have we done?”

Almedha:
“Pelleas! Is he here?!”

(Almedha appears)

Almedha:
“NOOOOO! Pelleas! My dear Pelleas!”

(Almedha falls to the floor)

Tauroneo:
“Queen Almedha…”

Almedha:
“Who did this?! Who killed my son?! Was it you?! I know who it was… YOU! You killed my Pelleas!”

(Sothe stands in front of Micaiah)

Tauroneo:
“No, Queen Almedha. It was I. I killed the king.”

Almedha:
“Traitor!”

Sothe:
“It was the king’s wish. He sacrificed himself to make Daein free. He asked the general to end his life.”

Tauroneo:
“It was an honorable end for a king. Thanks to his noble sacrifice, Daein has been saved.”

Almedha:
“Fools! Is that what you think?! Daein has not been saved!”

Tauroneo:
“Wh-what are you saying, my queen?!”

Almedha:
“Take a good look.”

(Image of Pelleas’s arm, with the blood pact intact)

Almedha:
“The mark is still on his wrist. My son’s death was in vain!”

Micaiah:
“No! It can’t be! Sothe, tell me that it isn’t true…”

Almedha:
“Murderer! Give me back my son! You took my only son! Give him back! Bring him back to me!”

“Refuse his command” is chosen (2nd playthrough only)

Micaiah:
“I…I’m sorry. I can’t do this…”

Pelleas:
“I see… That is all right, Micaiah. I know it’s a terrible thing to ask. …General Tauroneo. It is your duty.”

Tauroneo:
“Your Majesty… Is this necessary?”

Pelleas:
“This is your king’s order, General. You must obey.”

(Pelleas hands Tauroneo a dagger)

Tauroneo:
“Such will, at so young an age! …As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“General Tauroneo. Please look after the people of Daein.”

Tauroneo:
“Yes…Your Majesty…”

Pelleas:
“Sothe. I’m sorry for all that I put you and Micaiah through, including this. Please forgive me.”

Sothe:
“Don’t worry about that now, Pelleas.”

Pelleas:
“Micaiah. Please give this ring to my mother. Tell her that I loved her dearly.”

Micaiah:
“…I will, Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“Good-bye, my friends.”

(Tauroneo is about to stab Pelleas)

Micaiah:
“NO! This is wrong! We can’t give up, Your Majesty!”

(Micaiah runs between Tauroneo and Pelleas)

Tauroneo:
“Eh?”

Pelleas:
“Micaiah?!”

(Micaiah falls to the floor, Sothe picks her up)

Tauroneo:
“Lady Micaiah…”

Pelleas:
“What did you do?!”

Micaiah:
“I…I’m all right. I…”

Pelleas:
“Fetch a healer! Now!”

Micaiah:
“No, I’m fine, really. I’m just confused… Is the goddess telling me that I’m not worthy to become a martyr for Daein?”

Pelleas:
“Or maybe she is saying that you’re just too important to lose…”

Pelleas:
“But this is my fault! It was all because I signed that blood pact! I can only amend my mistake by giving my life!”

Micaiah:
“You must stop running, Your Majesty.”

Pelleas:
“Wha–!”

Micaiah:
“But what if your information is incorrect, Your Majesty? I couldn’t live with myself if I’d let you give up your life in vain. There MUST be another way! We’ll look for it together. There is… I… I can see…”

 

Also, remember Micaiah's prejudiced views on Ike in part one? Her battle conversation with Ike finally changes her mind on Ike. Back in chapter 3-7, she started becoming more open minded about Ike's virtues and now she's willing to accept that he's a good man. Though having a positive opinion on Ike makes her job to kill him harder since now she's not killing some hated enemy or just a generic soldier, but the man who Sothe wants to be like but is willing to go through with it due to her resolve. Furthermore, Micaiah's feeling very remorseful over her actions so saying she's some unapologetic person is asinine. However, feel free to dislike her because she most likely feels more awful about her actions than anyone who's played this game and is willing to be hated on.

Spoiler

Micaiah vs Ike

Ike: Micaiah, we have to talk. This is insane.
Micaiah: What’s insane about a people fighting for their country?
Ike: There’s got to be something we can do! Let us help, please!
Micaiah: Why would you want to help us, after everything we’ve done? No, after everything I’ve done…
Ike
: We know you don’t want this fight. Isn’t there any way for us to avoid it?
Micaiah: …No. No, I’m afraid there isn’t.
Ike: Just talk to me! We can find a way!
Micaiah: You don’t understand. We can’t stop. I’m sorry, but I can’t explain it more clearly than that.
Ike: Micaiah, I don’t want you to die. I don’t want all of your soldiers to die. You have to let me help you.
Micaiah: Ike… Now I see it. Now it makes sense.
Ike: What makes sense?
Micaiah: Sothe always spoke so highly of you. Now I know the reason. You truly are a good person. It’s a shame…
Ike: Why is that a shame?
Micaiah: Because it makes what I have to do even harder. Please prepare yourself. Let’s put an end to this.
Ike
: As you wish. Good-bye, Micaiah.
Micaiah: (The light of life! Shine a ray upon my path and) …strike my enemy!

 

Finally, at the end of chapter 3-13, Micaiah orders her men not to attack Nailah but her men refuse to listen. This shows that while Micaiah is extremely charismatic to the extent that some of her soldiers blindly worship her, their loyalty does have its limits which is nice or else she'd be too perfect. 

Spoiler

Daein Soldier:
“The sub-humans are here! Protect the maiden with your lives!”

Micaiah:
“Stop! Stand down, all of you!”

 

Chapter 3E

Thanks to Almedha and Kurthnaga's help, Daein now knows exactly how the blood pact is to be broken. The problem is that the Apostle's Army decides to move towards the Begnion border but at this point in time, tracking Lekain down would take too long and they can't risk to doom their country just yet.  

Spoiler

Kurthnaga:
“I do understand, Almedha… more than you realize. Everyone, as you’ve heard, there are two conditions to breaking the blood pact: the destruction of the physical document and the death of the pact-maker. However, it takes two parties to make a pact.”

Micaiah:
“Oh… I see.”

Almedha:
“Yes! Ashnard once told me he’d considered killing the man who created his father’s blood pact instead! I didn’t know why until now… This means that we could kill the senator who signed the pact instead of Pelleas!”

Micaiah:
“It’s possible, but very difficult. We’ll need not only to hunt down the senator, but find the document, with no idea where to start. Daein could be annihilated in the time it would take to look.”

 

The chances of victory are virtually nonexistent, which is acknowledged by Micaiah, but this begs the question, why continue fighting if you'll lose either way? Micaiah has always been an optimistic person so she wants to earn Daein as much time as possible and not to waste the sacrifices. This is a logical fallacy that humans always fall victim to. It's called the fallacy of sunk costs. Basically, when you have already put in a lot of time and effort into something, even though you will most likely fail, you'll still continue to do it in order to not waste the sacrifice and cling to a false hope. Considering the chaos of war, sheer stress, love and passion, I think Micaiah falling victim to this line of thinking is very realistic and doesn't make her a stupid person despite the obvious irrationality of this course of action.

Spoiler

Micaiah:
“All right. Order all units to stand by until they encounter the enemy forces. Everyone! There is still hope for Daein! We are the key to that hope! But first, we must win this battle! Why are you still here? You must return to the apostle’s army before the battle begins!”

Nailah:
“That army has enough troops. I think you could use some help on your side.”

Rafiel:
“Reyson and Leanne both fight for the people they love. I shall do the same, even if that means fighting against them. I shall fight for Daein on your behalf.”

Micaiah:
“Thank you both. It means a lot to me. But are you sure? After all, this seems like a hopeless battle.”

Nailah:
“It’s too soon for you to give up hope. You have the dragon prince of Goldoa on your side. That counts for something.”

Micaiah:
“Kurth is the prince of Goldoa? So, he is a laguz…”

Nailah:
“Not just a laguz. He is a black dragon. The black dragons are the strongest of all the laguz tribes. We have a chance.”

Micaiah:
“If Queen Almedha’s brother is a black dragon…that means the queen herself must also be a laguz!”

Sothe:
“Seems like a complicated mess to me. Just the same, he is a powerful ally.”

Micaiah:
“You’re right. If we can stand our ground, there will be hope for another day. Each day that Daein survives is another day we’ll have earned for it!”

 

An alternative reason is that if the entire Daein army is killed, the Apostle's army can advance to Begnion to finish off the senate and this would prevent the blood pact from being invoked because at that point, technically Daein didn't violate the terms and conditions. This way while the entire Daein army as well as a ton of Ike's forces will be sacrificed, at least the country of Daein can live on. Though the writing with the blood pact is poor so this is more of a speculation than concrete fact. 

Spoiler

Final Chapter

Zihark talks to Micaiah

Zihark: Micaiah! Pull back your troops! We don’t want to fight you. There’s got to be a way to stop all this!
Micaiah: I can’t, and there isn’t. We have to keep fighting. Until the last of us falls, we have no choice.
Zihark
: What’s happened to you all?! Why get yourselves into such a hopeless war? Why did you do those horrible things in the valley? I know all of this must have a reason! Please tell me… Tell me how my country lost its soul.
Micaiah: I’ve nothing to say to you.
Zihark: I see. No words to waste on a deserter like me, is that it? I’m sorry I wasted your time.
Micaiah: Zihark–
Zihark: No, please… Just know that I could never draw steel against you. Good-bye, Micaiah.
Micaiah: I… I’m so sorry, Zihark. I can’t get you involved in this, too.

 

Summary of Part 3

Many people think Micaiah's character is inconsistent between the two parts but in reality there is a clear logical progression. At the end of part one, Micaiah realizes that the only one the Daein people rally behind is herself, not Pelleas. So it is quite fitting for her to obey Pelleas' request because she knows very well that Daein will militarily and politically crumble without her lending support to Pelleas. She's very politically pragmatic and clearly not stupid. Another inconsistency people have is that Micaiah is too ruthless especially in regards to the oil and fire scene but in reality, at the end of part one, Micaiah learned that she has to become decisive and suppress her merciful nature when she chose to spare Jarod so it makes sense she'd become a ruthless commander because her first mistake costed the lives of many citizens of Nevessa but now the stakes are much higher so she can't afford to make the same mistake. This goes to show Micaiah learns from her mistakes. We also see that Micaiah is a much better tactician than she was in part 1 which makes sense because she has a lot of battle experience. Furthermore, she has warmed up to Ike despite being at war with him. We see that Micaiah's ideals and worldview are challenged immensely. A motive for Micaiah in part one was that people saw her as a hero which made her feel nice about herself but now she has to come to terms with the fact that people will see her as a villain. Her views on Ike were challenged and changed as well as her perspective on what it means to be just. 

 

Part 4

Chapter 4P

Now that the environment is calm, we finally see Micaiah's sassy banter again and it simply isn't true that the only time she was sassy is when she said the infamous "father of Sothe's children" line. In a peaceful environment, she loves fooling around with Sothe and I personally love these lines. More importantly, Micaiah says that their first goal is to save the world implying that saving Daein is a side objective, albiet very important. The reason I'm emphasizing this is because Micaiah haters love to misconstrue Micaiah's ideology as some hardcore Daein nationalist who's willing to let the entire world crumble just to save Daein. 

Spoiler

Sothe:
“Yune?”

Micaiah:
“No, it’s me again. Disappointed?”

Sothe:
“Never. But I do wish she had at least let me thank her.”

Micaiah:
“It just would have embarrassed her. You know, you two are very much alike. You’re both very stubborn.”

Sothe:
“…”

Micaiah:
“I’m just teasing you, Sothe. Anyway, did you hear what the enemy said before the battle?”

Sothe:
“Yeah… They called out Lekain by name. No mistake about it. That means he’s still alive, and probably not petrified, since they said he was their leader. I suppose we’ll run across him once we get closer to the tower. That’ll be our big chance.”

Micaiah:
“Right. We must break the blood pact. No matter what it takes. Of course, our first goal is to save everyone from the goddess’s judgment. But we have to break the pact while they’re all stone. If we don’t, we may save the world, but still lose Daein.”

 

Chapter 4-3

Micaiah shows us that she's confident with starting a conversation with Sanaki, despite Sanaki being jealous of her, a powerful authority figure and the same girl she tried to kill. This is in spite of being extremely introverted. Very different from the beginning of part one where Micaiah needed Leonardo to speak to Nolan before getting the confidence to do so herself. Basically this shows a change in behavior when it comes to dealing with others which is nice and subtle character development. 

Spoiler

Before battle (Grann Desert)

Micaiah:
“Empress Sanaki.”

Sanaki:
“The Silver-Haired Maiden…”

Micaiah:
“Yes, it’s me, Micaiah. Um… May I sit next to you?”

Sanaki:
“What? Oh… Uh…”

Sanaki:
“…Of course you may.”

Micaiah:
“Thank you. …This is awkward. I’m sorry. I know that you are not very fond of me, but I wanted to talk to you.”

Sanaki:
“It’s not that. I like you just fine. It’s just that…you make me feel inadequate.”

Micaiah:
“It’s because I can sing the galdr of release and hear Yune’s voice, isn’t it?”

Sanaki:
“How…did you know?”

Micaiah:
“I can sense the flow of people’s thoughts. By seeing the movement of a person’s mind, I can usually deduce what the person is thinking…”

Sanaki:
“You can read minds?! What a boon that would be to running a country… If I could read people’s minds, I could tell what the nobles and senators were thinking behind their smiles. I wonder why the goddess didn’t bless me with such power?”

Yune:
“Micaiah was born with her power. We didn’t give it to her.”

Sanaki:
“Ah! Is that you?! The dark g– No, I mean…the goddess of chaos, Yune? Let me ask you one thing, Yune. Why was Micaiah able to sing the galdr of release, but I wasn’t?”

 

Also, Micaiah is willing to talk to strangers about their romantic interests as well as her own. Previously, she'd mention her relationship with Sothe in a platonic fashion so it goes to show just how open Micaiah is now compared to before. 

Spoiler

Naesala (***)

Micaiah: King Naesala. You are by yourself today?
Naesala: Yeah. How about you? Where’s that stone-faced sidekick of yours?
Micaiah: He’s just hesitant to show his emotions.
Naesala: I’m only joking. Don’t get so defensive.
Micaiah: Then don’t insult my family.
Naesala: Hmph. You say he’s your brother, but there’s as much resemblance between you two as between me and Skrimir.
Micaiah: We’re not related, but we’re very close. Perhaps like you and Princess Leanne.
Naesala: What?! You didn’t–
Micaiah: Yes, I can sense your emotions. I also know that you just closed up to keep me from looking in.
Naesala: You possess the same power as the herons? How stupid of me to let my guard down.
Micaiah: I’m sorry.
Naesala: What else did you sense?
Micaiah: Excuse me?
Naesala: Did you find out anything else about me?
Micaiah: No! I didn’t try to read your mind intentionally. I just felt that your feelings for Princess Leanne were very warm, and that’s all I saw.
Naesala: You’re sure? Fine. You’re a lot like me. I’ll let you off the hook this time.
Micaiah: What do you mean by that?
Naesala: You’ll see when the time comes.
Micaiah: King Naesala!
Naesala: I almost forgot. Here, this is for you.
Micaiah: This is a tome of light…
Naesala: We need you to stay alive, all right? See you later.
Micaiah: Naesala…

(Obtained Nosferatu)

 

Endgame

Micaiah is now capable of having deep conversations even with Ike, who was just recently a hated enemy. Remember how Micaiah was planning to leave the Daein army at the end of part one after a few years. Finally she has gained the resolve to go back to Daein forever. This would happen even if Micaiah and Ike don't have this deep conversation, which is only possible with an A support with Sothe, so it's not like Ike was needed to convince Micaiah that she should go back to Daein. It can be said that her experiences in being with Daein despite the awful circumstances in part three strengthened her feelings to Daein even more than at the end of part one. 

Spoiler

Endgame-3

Micaiah (***)

(Sothe is alive and has an A Support with Micaiah)

Sothe: Are you all right, Micaiah?
Micaiah: Yes, I’m fine. How about you, Sothe? Are you all right? You’re not hurt?
Sothe: I’m not a child, Micaiah! When are you going to start treating me like an adult?
Micaiah: Show me your hand.
Sothe: What?
Micaiah: Look at your hands. They’re so big… They were so small when we met.
Sothe: Micaiah…
Ike: Ahh… Sorry. Am I interrupting something?
Sothe: C-Commander!
Micaiah: It’s all right, Ike. How can we help you?
Ike: I was scrounging around in my stuff and found some extra medicine. I figured I’d ask around and see if anyone needed it.
Sothe: …I need to go get ready.
Ike: Hey, there’s no rush. We still have… He didn’t catch a word of that, did he?
Micaiah: I’m sorry about that.
Ike: How long have you been with him?
Micaiah: …A long time. I met him when I was hiding out in the back alleys of Nevassa, over ten years ago. He was so skinny, but his gaze was so piercing… I wondered how such a young boy could look like that. One day, I noticed he was standing close to me, just watching. He continued like that for a few days. One day, I held out my hand. He was suspicious of me, but came over anyway. He looked like a scared animal. Then his little hand slipped into mine. It was shaking. His fingers were so thin and frail. I couldn’t let go after that.
Micaiah: After that, we traveled together all over the continent. No matter where we went, we were always together.
Ike: The first time I met him, he’d hidden on a ship we were taking. He mentioned he was looking for someone who was like family to him. It was you he was searching for, wasn’t it?
Micaiah: I…I tried to leave him behind. When we went to Crimea, I split off from him and took a ship to Begnion. But when I reached Begnion, war had broken out between Crimea and Daein. I knew I had to return to Daein to look for him. I couldn’t find him, so I went to Crimea. But I still couldn’t find him… We found each other again after the war, in Daein. In the back alleys of Nevassa, where we first met.
Ike: You took routes opposite to each other.
Micaiah: When I told him why I’d disappeared, he got so angry… I’d never seen him get so emotional before.
Ike: I can’t say that I blame him. I’d be pretty furious if I heard someone that I loved was wandering around two countries at war. Besides, I’m sure he’d hidden his feelings about being abandoned until he saw you again.
Micaiah: I thought I was reaching the limit of how long I could stay with him. He grew each and every day, but I remained the same… I didn’t want him to be harmed by the curse I lived with. Can you imagine how hard that would have been on him?
Ike: You mean the blood of the laguz?
Micaiah: So you knew. Did you find out from the boy who’s always beside you?
Ike: Soren. Yeah. I guess you both know how to recognize people with a similar nature.
Micaiah: Yes. He and I are both Branded.
Ike: …Don’t use that word. You and Soren are both people. Just like me and everyone else.
Micaiah: People. You’re just like Yune. You call both laguz and beorcs people.
Ike: Why should I care about the color of your hair, eyes, and skin? Or your ears, wings, or tail? No matter how long you live or what powers you possess, we’re the same. At the end of the day, we’re all people.
Micaiah: … Sothe talks that way, too. His time with you changed him. Thank you, Ike. I’ve made up my mind.
Ike: About what? I didn’t realize we were doing anything but talking.
Micaiah: I thought I might travel to a far-off place after all of this was over. But I won’t. I’ll go back to Daein. No matter what happens, I’ll have Sothe by my side. I have nothing to fear as long as he’s with me.
Ike: It seems the feelings between you two run both ways. But that’s probably the wisest choice for Daein, and Sothe too. Anyway…
Micaiah: Oh, um… May I have some medicine?
Ike: Oh! Yeah, I almost forgot. Survive, Micaiah. We need you, and the goddess you host, to save the people of Tellius.
Micaiah: Yes. I know.

(Obtained Elixir)

 

Epilogue

Well Micaiah becomes Queen of Daein regardless of whether Pelleas survives or not. Bare in mind that Micaiah doesn't have Daein royal blood so she's the only FE lord, to my knowledge, that leads the country despite not having the proper noble blood. In case you suggest that being the Princess of Begnion allowed Micaiah to take the throne, well think again. It's not common knowledge that Micaiah is the Princess of Begnion and she's too humble to spread this information to the general populace. Furthermore, why would she be made the Queen if she has the royal blood of Begnion which has nothing to do with the royal blood of Daein? If anything, it would make them less fond of Micaiah since Daein and Begnion have had bad blood over the years. I like that Micaiah becomes Queen on her own merit and not because of birthright. In a sense, Micaiah fulfills Ashnard's only good ambition where he desired that power be given to those worthy and not based on inheritance. Also, the story of a street-dwelling peasant from an oppressed minority becoming Queen is a heartwarming rags to riches story. Finally, I like how Ike and Micaiah both fulfill part of Altina's responsibilities. Ike is basically the warrior half of Altina because it is Ike to lend the final blow on the goddess. On the other hand, Micaiah is the ruler half of Altina. Micaiah starts her own dynasty much like Altina, not because of noble blood but because of their heroism giving them the admiration of the people to rule over them.

Spoiler

Priestess of Dawn – Micaiah

Crowned 15th queen of Daein at her subject’s entreaty. Micaiah ushered in a new era of prosperity and peace.

 

 

This next point is very important because now I have to refute this criticism of Micaiah being a Daein nationalist. How can you make such a claim when Micaiah allows Talrega to gain more authority at the expense of the Kingdom of Daein? She may be fond of Daein, but it doesn't stop her from sacrificing a part of Daein's national authority to let others be happy. 

Spoiler

Mistress of Wyverns – Jill

Queen Micaiah ceded Talrega to Jill. Bearing her father’s ideals, she made her land and people prosper.

 
Edited by Icelerate
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30 minutes ago, Icelerate said:

This next point is very important because now I have to refute this criticism of Micaiah being a Daein nationalist. How can you make such a claim when Micaiah allows Talrega to secede from Daein?

Um, don't you mean Marado here? *Opens the spoiler* Whoops. Although I'm not sure if "cede" here necessarily means full independence, or any independence at all (Marado being autonomous within Daein). Why could it not just informally mean "let them be the governor of" here? I'd like a review of the Japanese please!

 

Nationalism didn't exist back in the Medieval period, well maybe in some rudimentary or undefined measure which you could find Hundred Years' War England or Reconquista Christian Spain. But nationalism in a formalized sense with the actual word did not come into being until the late 1700s (1789 being the French Revolution, after which the Nation explodes into popularity for the next two centuries). Medieval and Early Modern kingdoms were commonly multinational and not built around clear ethnic and national boundaries. How else to explain the existence of the Holy Roman Empire? Or why Spain and the United Kingdom have had secessionist issues? 

FE is admittedly not always period appropriate in its themes (or character designs) though. As I don't think anyone in the Middle Ages actively pushed for multiculturalism, which Tellius does with the Laguz and Beorc trying to live together in harmony. If FE was totally rooted in the Medieval worldview, well it would be much less exciting and appealing for modern audiences, who would also call misogyny on the lack of fighting women. So does it really matter if nationalism is an anachronism here?

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2 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Um, don't you mean Marado here? *Opens the spoiler* Whoops. Although I'm not sure if "cede" here necessarily means full independence, or any independence at all (Marado being autonomous within Daein). Why could it not just informally mean "let them be the governor of" here? I'd like a review of the Japanese please!

 

Nationalism didn't exist back in the Medieval period, well maybe in some rudimentary or undefined measure which you could find Hundred Years' War England or Reconquista Christian Spain. But nationalism in a formalized sense with the actual word did not come into being until the late 1700s (1789 being the French Revolution, after which the Nation explodes into popularity for the next two centuries). Medieval and Early Modern kingdoms were commonly multinational and not built around clear ethnic and national boundaries. How else to explain the existence of the Holy Roman Empire? Or why Spain and the United Kingdom have had secessionist issues? 

FE is admittedly not always period appropriate in its themes (or character designs) though. As I don't think anyone in the Middle Ages actively pushed for multiculturalism, which Tellius does with the Laguz and Beorc trying to live together in harmony. If FE was totally rooted in the Medieval worldview, well it would be much less exciting and appealing for modern audiences, who would also call misogyny on the lack of fighting women. So does it really matter if nationalism is an anachronism here?

Well autonomy and succession are mutually exclusive. If nationalism doesn't exist in the Medieval period, that would further my point. A review of the Japanese would be delightful. 

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If Talrega had really become its own nation, I'd think it would be mentioned the same way Stefan turned the Grann Desert into one, despite being Begnion territory (did Sanaki agreed on that?). As such, I think it means ceded as in ceded governorship. Jill was not stated to want the area leave Daein, but being her hometown and daughter of the previous guy in charge of it, it would make sense if she was granted the area in reward for all she did to the country and the continent during the course of the game.

But yeah, I guess knowing what the Japanese text meant would be ideal.

Edited by Acacia Sgt
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18 minutes ago, Icelerate said:

Well autonomy and succession are mutually exclusive. If nationalism doesn't exist in the Medieval period, that would further my point. A review of the Japanese would be delightful. 

And yet the source you cite autonomy is not sovereignty, which is to say complete freedom, autonomy still has some strings attached. I could also use the case of modern governments, such as in the United Kingdom example with Scotland, or perhaps Canada with Quebec, where you increase autonomy by devolving more power onto the smaller unit in contention, whilst hoping doing this quells their desire for outright independence. Whether devolution of power is a tool of a nationalist or not is debatable I guess, a multinationalist for sure, but some nationalists would call devolution too soft.

But I'm only the average middling intellectual with cocktail party knowledge, enough to understand something of any conversation and appreciate it, whilst not being a specialist on more than a couple topics if that. Is there a Poli Sci Major in the Forest?

Er- where was I going with this?:blink:

 

Didn't mean to distract too heavily. Your encomia of Micaiah is good. Plenty of text citations, rich with detail. And I do hope she does well in the CYL poll. Just how long did it take you to write this? A sign of devotion indeed.

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There were a couple parts where I think you stretched or over-analyzed, but overall I think this was a really great write-up, so good job! Micaiah became one of my favorite characters very quickly when I played Radiant Dawn the first time and it pained me to see people hating on her all the time back then, but lately there's been a lot more support for her.

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That was a really well written essay. I found your take on the character fairly interesting, so kudos for the time and dedication you put into this.

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I was requested to look into the Japanese epilogue for Jill, so here it is:

「ミカヤからダルレカ任される。亡き父の理想と想いを胸に住民と協力し領地を豊かに発展させた。」

"Micaiah entrusted [Jill] with the territory of Talrega. She kept her father's principals and ideals close to her heart and developed the territory to prosperity."

Note that with Haar's A support the keywords above don't change.

I bolded some parts of interest above. In Japanese the verb is "entrust," and Talrega is referred to as a territory. The second territory that appears above, specifically, uses the word "領地" which usually refers to a feudal-style territory in the sense of a "fief."

I'm not too familiar with how the feudal system itself works, but I'm sure there's an expert on the subject here somewhere who can use the above wording to work out what the Japanese meant in terms of whether the territory was truly independent or not.

i hope that helps!

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On 1/22/2018 at 11:20 PM, Florete said:

There were a couple parts where I think you stretched or over-analyzed, but overall I think this was a really great write-up, so good job! Micaiah became one of my favorite characters very quickly when I played Radiant Dawn the first time and it pained me to see people hating on her all the time back then, but lately there's been a lot more support for her.

Yeah I think I probably did do some over-analyzing or speculation at times. Do you have any particular examples in mind because I could edit them? I've only recent became an FE fan but I did do some searching of RD discussions from several years ago and I do think that she has a lot more fans and a lot less haters than when FE10 was first released. 

4 hours ago, Kirokan said:

I was requested to look into the Japanese epilogue for Jill, so here it is:

「ミカヤからダルレカ任される。亡き父の理想と想いを胸に住民と協力し領地を豊かに発展させた。」

"Micaiah entrusted [Jill] with the territory of Talrega. She kept her father's principals and ideals close to her heart and developed the territory to prosperity."

Note that with Haar's A support the keywords above don't change.

I bolded some parts of interest above. In Japanese the verb is "entrust," and Talrega is referred to as a territory. The second territory that appears above, specifically, uses the word "領地" which usually refers to a feudal-style territory in the sense of a "fief."

I'm not too familiar with how the feudal system itself works, but I'm sure there's an expert on the subject here somewhere who can use the above wording to work out what the Japanese meant in terms of whether the territory was truly independent or not.

i hope that helps!

Thanks so my interpretation was wrong. This translation seems better because why would Jill suddenly want to rule her own country independently? I think Talrega becomes like Monada which means Jill exercises authority independently but the region is still nominally considered part of Daein. It still supports my point even though my interpretation was off.

On 1/22/2018 at 10:52 PM, Interdimensional Observer said:

And yet the source you cite autonomy is not sovereignty, which is to say complete freedom, autonomy still has some strings attached. I could also use the case of modern governments, such as in the United Kingdom example with Scotland, or perhaps Canada with Quebec, where you increase autonomy by devolving more power onto the smaller unit in contention, whilst hoping doing this quells their desire for outright independence. Whether devolution of power is a tool of a nationalist or not is debatable I guess, a multinationalist for sure, but some nationalists would call devolution too soft.

But I'm only the average middling intellectual with cocktail party knowledge, enough to understand something of any conversation and appreciate it, whilst not being a specialist on more than a couple topics if that. Is there a Poli Sci Major in the Forest?

Er- where was I going with this?:blink:

 

Didn't mean to distract too heavily. Your encomia of Micaiah is good. Plenty of text citations, rich with detail. And I do hope she does well in the CYL poll. Just how long did it take you to write this? A sign of devotion indeed.

That's what I meant, the epilogue seemed to imply straight up succession, not autonomy which is why I was saying they are mutually exclusive. But from Kirokan's translation, I'm pretty sure I was wrong. Makes sense that I was wrong because what advantage does Talrega have of being independent? I had a head canon that Jill was upset with Micaiah's actions in part three and didn't want to serve underneath her hence why she petitioned for independence. Haar also encouraged this because he hates Daein, hence why he didn't help Jill liberate Daein but was willing to help Ike and Elincia despite him being closer to Jill. 

Why aren't you voting in CYL? All it takes is a couple of minutes. You can get Sephiran up a few ranks because he'll have so few votes that your votes can actually push him up. 

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Wow Icelerate! This was even better I was originally expected, I praise your dedication for our beloved priestess.

Thanks for all your effort!

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2 hours ago, Troykv said:

Wow Icelerate! This was even better I was originally expected, I praise your dedication for our beloved priestess.

Thanks for all your effort!

Thanks for reading!

Would you mind sharing it ASAP? It might help with CYL2? I probably wouldn't have posted it right now but Micaiah being more successful in that poll would be a good thing for various reasons. 

Edited by Icelerate
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/17/2018 at 7:06 PM, Rose482 said:

So glad i read this <3

Thanks.

So far the only people who have read and commented seem to like this thread.

Where is everyone who think Micaiah is a poorly written character who makes no sense, gets zero development and is plagued by plot induced stupidity, etc? If any of you are reading, feel free to rip apart this thread because I'm genuinely curious what arguments people will come up with. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow, what a post!

As someone else who loves Micaiah dearly, it was wonderful to see someone analyse her so deeply and refute all the hate she gets. Thank you so much!

I also completely forgot the part of her conversation with Naesala where she directly compares his feelings for Leanne with her own for Sothe (which is funny because I remember reacting to that when I played the game); it helps to show that their marriage at the end isn't out of the blue as many say.

And looking at just the script for the Endgame conversation highlights how Ike basically ruined their one romantic moment in the entire saga, complete with a "...oh yeah, that's why we're talking in the first place!" from both parties at the end, so thanks for that too xD

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Regardless of how well written she may or may not be, I still can't get past that 35% Speed growth, and I will hate her regardless.

Also, I'm not voting for her in the poll.

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  • 1 month later...

Wow, this was huge. 

Yet, another solid analysis. You showed no mercy in annihilating the 'Micaiah is a marysue' argument. I doubt they even know what marysue stands for as Micaiah is highly flawed. As much as I hate to admit it, Radiant dawn really does hate Micaiah, it's kinda apparent.

-Sigh-

I really wanted to vote 'Hero'...because in Daeins perspective, she really is the one who struggled to bring it to glory. Hence a heroic thing to do. But taking in account the entire continent, Micaiah just screams anti-hero. Especially as she implied it herself. If i remember correctly, She said something along the lines of 'I'll bring Daein back to it's former glory even if the entire world views me as Ashnard....' something like this, anyway. I Love how Micaiah and Ike complement each other so well. Ike, being the hero type keeping everyone's welfare in mind while Micaiah's more of a semi-hero type. Her human embodiment is the reason she'll always stay as my favourite female Lord, along with Celica. 

Looking forward to Pelleas.

Take care~

Edit: Cyl is long gone but I assure you 2 out of the 7 votes were for her. The remaining 5 were for Kurth, Zihark, Takumi, Seph and Soren.

Edited by Skyla
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On 24/04/2018 at 12:54 PM, DefyingFates said:

Wow, what a post!

As someone else who loves Micaiah dearly, it was wonderful to see someone analyse her so deeply and refute all the hate she gets. Thank you so much!

I also completely forgot the part of her conversation with Naesala where she directly compares his feelings for Leanne with her own for Sothe (which is funny because I remember reacting to that when I played the game); it helps to show that their marriage at the end isn't out of the blue as many say.

And looking at just the script for the Endgame conversation highlights how Ike basically ruined their one romantic moment in the entire saga, complete with a "...oh yeah, that's why we're talking in the first place!" from both parties at the end, so thanks for that too xD

Thanks for the compliment even though its been a long time since you posted. 

True, I also like that conversation because it subtly coveys in the fact Micaiah is a morally grey character much like Naesala so if people are troubled by her actions, that's not necessarily bad writing since that's supposed to be the point. No one says Naesala is a bad character just because some of the stuff he does pisses people off. 

Spoiler

Naesala: You’re sure? Fine. You’re a lot like me. I’ll let you off the hook this time.
Micaiah: What do you mean by that?
Naesala: You’ll see when the time comes.
 

 

I like that conversation because it shows that Micaiah doesn't get embarrassed as easily as Sothe despite Sothe having more interactions with Ike than herself. It goes to show she's become a lot more confident and less shy compared to in part one. 

6 hours ago, Skyla said:

Wow, this was huge. 

Yet, another solid analysis. You showed no mercy in annihilating the 'Micaiah is a marysue' argument. I doubt they even know what marysue stands for as Micaiah is highly flawed. As much as I hate to admit it, Radiant dawn really does hate Micaiah, it's kinda apparent.

-Sigh-

I really wanted to vote 'Hero'...because in Daeins perspective, she really is the one who struggled to bring it to glory. Hence a heroic thing to do. But taking in account the entire continent, Micaiah just screams anti-hero. Especially as she implied it herself. If i remember correctly, She said something along the lines of 'I'll bring Daein back to it's former glory even if the entire world views me as Ashnard....' something like this, anyway. I Love how Micaiah and Ike complement each other so well. Ike, being the hero type keeping everyone's welfare in mind while Micaiah's more of a semi-hero type. Her human embodiment is the reason she'll always stay as my favourite female Lord, along with Celica. 

Looking forward to Pelleas.

Take care~

Edit: Cyl is long gone but I assure you 2 out of the 7 votes were for her. The remaining 5 were for Kurth, Zihark, Takumi, Seph and Soren.

Thanks again. 

Well I really like Micaiah as a character because the game actually challenges her physically, mentally, emotionally and ideologically pretty ruthlessly. Most FE lords don't really get challenged all that much by the story. That is also the reason why RD is my favourite story by far. A story that challenges the protagonist as opposed to making the protagonist super awesome who isn't challenged much is better. 

Did you watch Ghast Station's support science on Celica? It was really good. 

I'm doing things quite slowly nowadays so don't expect him any time soon. Maybe in July. 

Those are some nice choices for votes. I was uncreative and dumped them all into Micaiah. Though if I were creative, I think it would go like this.

1. Micaiah (favourite character)

2. Tauroneo (2nd favourite)

3. Kurth (3rd favourite)

4. Deghinsea (4th favourite)

5. Pelleas (6th favourite; I like Lloyd more but he's already in the game)

6. Edward (I was bummed out that the DB didn't show up)

7. Nolan (The DB were not only shafted in RD, but also in Heroes)

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I always roll my eyes when ever i see someone calling her a "Mary-Sue", I find her easily to be one of the best written main characters in this game, I sometimes hope we get another main character who will end up being a grey character like her, but I doubt it, but hey that means Miciaiah would forever stand out, she already stands out easily for being a magic user, and her story just makes her even better tbh.

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On 14/06/2018 at 1:26 AM, Icelerate said:

Did you watch Ghast Station's support science on Celica? It was really good. 

Yess, despite me not being super interested in Fire emblem YouTubers. Ghasts support science is something I tend to enjoy as I love in-depth analysis. He did Celica Justice.

On 14/06/2018 at 1:26 AM, Icelerate said:

6. Edward

Good taste. Radiant Dawn was my first Tellius game and I absolutely adore the Dawn brigade. I was Extremly pissed that Edward and Leonardo were skipped. I do hope they make their appearance with Micaiah's alt or something. 

I actually wanted to vote for a lot of different characters from my fav games but my Tellius bias kicked in and....

Rd's story is my favourite as well. Along with the gameplay, map design, the mechanics, skill system and everything relevant in a fire Emblem game, minus support conversations. XD Rd, honestly, is such an amazing game.

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2 hours ago, Skyla said:

Yess, despite me not being super interested in Fire emblem YouTubers. Ghasts support science is something I tend to enjoy as I love in-depth analysis. He did Celica Justice.

Good taste. Radiant Dawn was my first Tellius game and I absolutely adore the Dawn brigade. I was Extremly pissed that Edward and Leonardo were skipped. I do hope they make their appearance with Micaiah's alt or something. 

I actually wanted to vote for a lot of different characters from my fav games but my Tellius bias kicked in and....

Rd's story is my favourite as well. Along with the gameplay, map design, the mechanics, skill system and everything relevant in a fire Emblem game, minus support conversations. XD Rd, honestly, is such an amazing game.

Other than Ghast's support science, do you watch Mangs' character spotlights? He has two on Ike. 

What was your reaction to Zelgius taking a spot on the banner? I like Zelgius a lot as a character but he wasn't even wearing his crimson armour and took a spot that should have gone to Edward. 

Other than Tellius, which games do you think have the best cast of characters. For me it is Blazing Sword. 

I think you'll love these custom fan made support conversations between Ike and Micaiah (c)(b)(a). They feel like so canon and natural. Furthermore, certain plot elements which were rushed or overlooked in RD were brought up and expanded upon. Hopefully, King Bahamut makes some more. Which characters would you like to see supports from? I'd like to see one between Micaiah and Soren, Micaiah and Elincia, Pelleas and Micaiah, Edward and Leonardo, Tauroneo and Fiona, etc.

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On 16/06/2018 at 11:46 PM, Icelerate said:

Other than Ghast's support science, do you watch Mangs' character spotlights? He has two on Ike. 

I did watch his spotlight for Ike, Soren, Tibarn, Sanaki, Leo and Takumi. They may not be that compelling but I do enjoy them nonetheless.

On 16/06/2018 at 11:46 PM, Icelerate said:

What was your reaction to Zelgius taking a spot on the banner? I like Zelgius a lot as a character but he wasn't even wearing his crimson armour and took a spot that should have gone to Edward. 

I really really love Zelgius but honestly, I felt rather cheated. I was expecting the entire DB with Micaiah. I waited for Edward, Leonardo and Nolan for an entire year. T-T...Zelgius is lucky I love him so much. Ironicly enough, I was more pissed at Oliver. 

Ed and Leo will be added one day. I just gotta wait. And hope. 

On 16/06/2018 at 11:46 PM, Icelerate said:

Other than Tellius, which games do you think have the best cast of characters. For me it is Blazing Sword.

That's a tough one.....um...it'll have to be Shadow of Valentia then Genealogy of the holy war (I haven't completed the game, only played up to chapter 3 but did watch an entire play through). After that it's Scared stones, Fates( First game bias or not, I honestly love a lot of characters from Fates.) And then Blazing sword. I'm not the biggest fan of Elibe. But I do love Blazing sword.

I don't like the cast of Binding blade, Archanea or Awakening.

On 16/06/2018 at 11:46 PM, Icelerate said:

Which characters would you like to see supports from? I'd like to see one between Micaiah and Soren, Micaiah and Elincia, Pelleas and Micaiah, Edward and Leonardo, Tauroneo and Fiona, etc.

Honestly, there are so many I would love that it'll be rather annoying listing them all so I'll go with my most wanted.

I'm dying for a support conversation between Soren and Ranulf, Soren and Skrimir. Also Ikesoren.

Micaiah and IKE!! Honestly, they are the Protagonists, WHY don't they have more base conversations?? Other then him, I would love to see her support with Edward, Leo and Nolan. Reyson, Elincia, Pelleas, Stefan, Tibarn and Naesala.

Elincia and Ranulf, Tibarn and Reyson, Tibarn and Ranulf. Zihark and Micaiah, Jill and Zihark, Jill and Micaiah, Ike and Tibarn. Shinon with both Ike and Soren because he's rather amusing. These are at the top of my head right now but honestly there are so many.

Radiant Dawn is structured in such a way that it'll be extremely difficult to implement supports between characters of different armies but they could've given us more base conversations. Idk...

On 16/06/2018 at 11:46 PM, Icelerate said:

I think you'll love these custom fan made support conversations between Ike and Micaiah (c)(b)(a). They feel like so canon and natural.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THESE. SHHXUXDBSJJSJDJXJJ These felt so genuine. I read them twice actually.

Maybe I should start searching up Fe stuff on YouTube. These were so well done. I'm glad their A-support wasn't Out of character or romantic. That was what I feared. Hahaha.

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13 hours ago, Skyla said:

I really really love Zelgius but honestly, I felt rather cheated. I was expecting the entire DB with Micaiah. I waited for Edward, Leonardo and Nolan for an entire year. T-T...Zelgius is lucky I love him so much. Ironicly enough, I was more pissed at Oliver. 

Ed and Leo will be added one day. I just gotta wait. And hope. 

I'm actually saving up orbs for a DB banner. I have over 430 orbs in my inventory. BTW what's your friend code in Heroes? 

 

13 hours ago, Skyla said:

That's a tough one.....um...it'll have to be Shadow of Valentia then Genealogy of the holy war (I haven't completed the game, only played up to chapter 3 but did watch an entire play through). After that it's Scared stones, Fates( First game bias or not, I honestly love a lot of characters from Fates.) And then Blazing sword. I'm not the biggest fan of Elibe. But I do love Blazing sword.

I don't like the cast of Binding blade, Archanea or Awakening.

I'm in a similar boat to you as well when it comes to FE4. I only beat chapter 1 and prologue but watched an LP up to chapter 3 and parts of 4. 

 

13 hours ago, Skyla said:

Honestly, there are so many I would love that it'll be rather annoying listing them all so I'll go with my most wanted.

I'm dying for a support conversation between Soren and Ranulf, Soren and Skrimir. Also Ikesoren.

Micaiah and IKE!! Honestly, they are the Protagonists, WHY don't they have more base conversations?? Other then him, I would love to see her support with Edward, Leo and Nolan. Reyson, Elincia, Pelleas, Stefan, Tibarn and Naesala.

Elincia and Ranulf, Tibarn and Reyson, Tibarn and Ranulf. Zihark and Micaiah, Jill and Zihark, Jill and Micaiah, Ike and Tibarn. Shinon with both Ike and Soren because he's rather amusing. These are at the top of my head right now but honestly there are so many.

Radiant Dawn is structured in such a way that it'll be extremely difficult to implement supports between characters of different armies but they could've given us more base conversations. Idk...

Considering how many interactions Ike and Soren already get in both games, I don't think that support will be very interesting. 

The support possibilities are endless. Despite the structure, I think it is possible to integrate support conversations. Supports build up pretty fast in RD so it is possible to build one up from nothing to A in the tower. 

13 hours ago, Skyla said:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THESE. SHHXUXDBSJJSJDJXJJ These felt so genuine. I read them twice actually.

Maybe I should start searching up Fe stuff on YouTube. These were so well done. I'm glad their A-support wasn't Out of character or romantic. That was what I feared. Hahaha.

I like how it sheds insight into Ike's character with his own struggles. The A rank support's explanation justifies Ike leaving Tellius IMO. If this support was included in the actual game, some of the controversial aspects of both characters wouldn't be taken so badly such as Micaiah disliking Ike or Ike leaving Tellius. 

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