Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (ファイアーエムブレム 聖魔の光石, Faiā Emuburemu: Seima no Kouseki) is a Japanese tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It is the 8th game of the Fire Emblem series, and the second to be released in North America.
| Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Intelligent Systems |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release |  October 7, 2004 May 23, 2005 November 4, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Campaign (Single Player), Link Arena (Multiplayer) |
The game builds on the game mechanism created for Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi and Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword but has a completely separate storyline. Set in the world of Magvel, it tells the story of twins Eirika and Ephraim and their quest to uncover the intentions behind a sudden attack by a neighboring country and the reappearance of vile monsters on their continent.
Gameplay mechanics
The Sacred Stones introduces several new concepts, as well as revives some old ones used in previous Fire Emblem games. However, most gameplay remains unchanged from its Blazing Sword incarnation.
One notable way this game differs is the return of Fire Emblem Gaiden's World Map concept: instead of only training and buying items during battle, players can train units, purchase weapons and manage units, all on the map screen. Traversing on the world map between story chapters allows the player to enter 'Skirmish' battles against generic monster-type enemies. This system introduces new aspects into the game's strategy as it is possible to have characters attain their maximum level earlier than halfway through the game. The introduction of extra maps is believed by some to be an improvement - in the previous game in the series, many players found it extremely hard to train low-level characters during battle. However, this training takes considerable time and also drastically reduces the difficulty level.
The game also allows purchase of basic iron weapons and low-level tomes at an inflated cost from the armory in the supply caravan before battle, and lets players take items from supply during battle if they are near their lord.
Sacred Stones introduces a branched promotion system - units are still promoted using specific items (the standard system in most Fire Emblem releases), but it is now possible to choose what the unit promotes into. The only units that do not have a branched promotion are the Lords, Eirika and Ephraim, who both promote into their own unique Great Lord class (not related to Hector's class from the previous game).
A rudimentary skill system was also reintroduced, which gives some classes unique skills. For example, the Bishop class' "Slayer" skill triples a weapon's might when fighting monsters.
Like the previous game in the series, Sacred Stones suffers from a few minor and harmless glitches. This game, however, also has a harmful glitch which causes the game to freeze when a Wyvern Knight uses the "Pierce" skill with a ranged weapon such as the javelin or spear while the animation for that character is on. Another glitch from the previous game in the series also reappears, allowing the player to control enemy units in the map, albeit being harder to perform.
The Sacred Stones carries over the multiplayer Link Arena from the previous game with no changes whatsoever, apart from different music.
Story
"In an age long past... evil flooded over the land. Creatures awash in the dark tide ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. In its despair, mankind appealed to the heavens, and from a blinding light came hope. The Sacred Stones. These five glorious treasures held the power to dispel evil. The hero Grado and his warriors used the Sacred Stones to combat evil's darkness. They defeated the Demon King and sealed his soul away within the stones. With the darkness imprisoned, peace returned to Magvel. But this peace would not last..."
In the Year of the Stone 803, the Grado Empire, a long-standing ally of Renais, launched a surprise attack on Renais, ordered by Emperor Vigarde. Renais is unable to mount resistance against such a swift and forceful attack. Prince Ephraim of Renais is nowhere to be found as Grado sweeps through territory after territory. King Fado of Renais orders his trusted general, Seth, to take his daughter Princess Eirika to safety in neighboring Frelia while he stays behind in order to discover the motives behind Grado's sudden attack. King Hayden of Frelia suggests that Eirika remain until Prince Ephraim returns, however she is determined to find him and goes to Grado. Aided by several of Hayden's retainers, Eirika travels towards Grado where her brother was last seen. Passing through Renais once again, they see first-hand the devastation caused by the war. Even more troubling is the appearance of foul undead creatures throughout the world. In the village of Serafew, Eirika encounters a former Grado cleric called Natasha. She tells Eirika of Emperor Vigarde's plan to destroy the Sacred Stones that safeguard the land from evil. Meanwhile, Prince Ephraim has been causing havoc in Grado territory. As part of his guerrilla campaign to disrupt Grado's military efficiency, he decides to capture the strategic Fort Renvall. However, after a brilliant tactical victory, he is forced to flee by Grado's army. After recovering Eirika's bracelet from a mysterious man, Seth reveals its true importance; along with Ephraim's bracelet, they open the secret door to Renais's Sacred Stone. Eirika presses on to Fort Renvall, hot on Ephraim's trail. Inside, she finds Orson, one of Ephraim's guards who offers to lead her to Ephraim's prison cell. However, Orson turns out to be a traitor and traps Eirika inside the fort. During the battle, Ephraim arrives and with their combined strength, they seize the fort. After their reunion, they return to Frelia to plan their next move. They wonder what happened to the peace-loving Prince Lyon of Grado who would surely disapprove of his father's war.
Eirika's Quest
Eirika and Ephraim decide to enlist the help of the other nations in combating the global threat posed by Grado's aggressive campaign to destroy the Sacred Stones. To save time, they decide that Eirika will sail to warn Rausten, Prince Innes of Frelia will go to warn Jehanna and Ephraim will attack Castle Grado directly. At the port, no ship will sail because of a ghost ship that terrorizes the seas. She has no choice but to take the overland route to Rausten, which goes through the Republic of Carcino. Eirika finds Prince Innes under attack by Carcino armies lead by Councilman Pablo, who has allied with Grado. They forcibly restore Carcino's more sympathetic leadership and move towards Jehanna, the object of Innes's mission. Along the way, they are joined by a zealous monster-hunter called L'Arachel. To avoid conflict, they take a mountainous route through the secluded village of Caer Pelyn, lead by a young mage called Ewan. Once the army makes it to Caer Pelyn, Ewan's mentor Saleh offers to guide them to Jehanna. When they recapture Jehanna Palace from Grado allies, Eirika discovers the Queen Ismaire of Jehanna, mortally wounded by the axe of Grado's General Caellach. Even worse, Jehanna's Sacred Stone has been destroyed. With her dying breath, Queen Ismaire calls to her child, Joshua, the Prince of Jehanna. While these events took place, enemy soldiers had set fire to the palace. Barely escaping with their lives, Eirika finds herself trapped between the forces of two of Grado's generals: Caellach and Valter. Ephraim rushes to her aid and the joined quest begins.
Ephraim's Quest
After splitting up with his sister, Ephraim ventures to Grado. During this journey, he finds Grado forces commonplace, with mercenary groups attempting to catch Prince Lyon. First, in Fort Rigwald, Ephraim finds Tana, the princess of Frelia, and frees her from her kidnappers. Next, he recruits Duessel, a general in Grado's army and the man responsible for Ephraim's weapon training, who is dubious of the intentions of Emperor Vigarde. Duessel mentions a "Dark Stone" to Ephraim. In the same battle in which Duessel switches allegiances, Duessel encounters Cormag, a Wyvern Rider whose brother, Glen, has been murdered. Duessel convinced him to join Ephraim. Ephraim takes a sea route to Grado, but is hindered by a ghost ship said to be sinking any ships it encounters. After he arrives in Grado, Ephraim defeats General Selena Fluorspar, receiving a dragonstone from which his friend Myrrh draws power. Ephraim arrives in Grado Keep and annhiliates Emperor Vigarde, who bizzarely cannot speak. Following the battle with Ephraim, Vigarde crumbles to dust. Lyon appears to Ephraim, and Ephraim learns the secret of the Dark Stone (also known as the Fire Emblem) from Knoll, a researcher of ancient magic. Ephraim then learns of his sister being ambushed by Caellach and Valter at Jehanna Hall. He rushes to meet her and the two are rejoined.
Joined Quest (15- Epilogue)
Ephraim meets up with Eirika in the desert, and they defeat Caellach and Valter. When Ephraim and Eirika reunite their forces, they find Renais in a state of chaos, and must defeat the person assigned to guard Renais, the traitor Orson. After securing their homeland, Renais' legendary weapons Sieglinde and Siegmund, and their Sacred Stone, they decide to head to Rausten to secure the last remaining stone. As they continue, they are supposed to meet up with Frelian reinforcements, but all are killed by Grado remnants apart from Syrene, their commander, who then joins Ephraim and Eirika's army. The twins meet Lyon, who has radically changed from the friend they once knew. He leads them into a trap, intending to defeat them with Gorgons. However, the army is victorious, and one of the twins goes to confront Lyon. When following Ephraim's quest, Ephraim approaches Lyon, who freezes Ephraim, takes the Sacred Stone, and crushes it. Ephraim argues with him and asks whatever happened to him. Lyon says that the possessed form is a drama and that everything he had done had been under his own free will, but the Demon King controls him as he says that. Along Eirika's journey, Lyon is completely possessed by the Demon King, and manipulates Eirika into giving him the Sacred Stone which he then crushes. Lyon says that he will be in Darkling Woods, and teleports away. Eirika and Ephraim take time to rest at Rausten Court and to obtain Rausten's Sacred Stone, the only surviving one. Rausten Court is invaded by the last Grado General, Riev, who seeks revenge for his exile years before. After repelling the attack, the army give chase to Darkling Woods to stop Lyon from performing a ceremony which he believes will stop a natural disaster from occurring in Grado in the future. He is gravely mistaken, however, and the ceremony only leads to the resurrection of the mastermind behind all of these events... Formortiis, the Demon King. Formortiis will then try to wipe out the army. However, Erika and Ephiram are able to defeat Formortiis due to the help of their friends and the five countries sacred twin tomes. Formortiis will dissapitate, captured in the remaining sacred stone.
Characters
Although seemingly large, The Sacred Stones has a relatively small cast of characters compared to other Fire Emblem games.
Magvel
Magvel is the continent which The Sacred Stones takes place on. It is home to six countries that enjoy relative peace from international strife.