"Fae isn't my real name, you know! It's actually— Oh, right. You can't hear it! Well, it's really, really long!"
Fae: Divine Dragon description |
A surviving Divine Dragon with the nature of a child and very little life experience. Appears in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. |
Starting Class | Affinity |
---|
Manakete | Light |
Level | HP | Str | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Con | Mov |
1 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
Weapon | Starting Items |
---|
Dragonstone | Divinestone |
Growth rates
HP | S/M | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
130% | 90% | 85% | 65% | 150% | 30% | 50% |
(Shamelessly ganked from wiki)
5★ LV. 40 conversations
Fae: Divine Dragon
Ha ha! I'm having so much fun here, getting to play with everyone!
Every day, all the time! Play, play, play, play, play...zzz...
Zzzzz... Oh, what? Sorry— getting sleepy. Is it nap time yet? Nap time, nap time, nap...
zzzzzz.
Fae: Holiday Dear
Hey, guess what! I got A LOT of presents from SO MANY people!
Toys, books, shiny stones...all kinds of stuff!
But you know what? What I like the best is seeing how happy everybody is.
When everybody's smiling, it makes me smile too. I just feel so...so warm inside!
You know, winter isn't cold—it's warm! Oooh, is it too early to start planning for next year's festival?
Idunn: Dragonkin Duo
Idunn: The more of the festival I see, the less I understand. Why do people behave in such ways?
Fae: I don't know! But it's fun!
Idunn: But to what end? What is the purpose of it?
Fae: Well, look! Everyone is smiling! Doesn't seeing everyone happy make you feel...warm inside?
Idunn: I think...I understand. I will help everyone to smile then. And perhaps I will even be able to smile myself...
Fae: Yeah! I know just where to start... C'mon—let's go join the others! This will be FUN!
Fae: Childlike Dragon
♪Hmm-hm-hmmm♪ Oh! There you are, [Summoner]!
You aren't busy...right?
Then how about a pat on the head?
Heehee! You're the best, [Summoner]!
With head pats like these, I might just have to stick around forever!
(I know I'm missing her Meet the Heroes blurbs, but she has four alts currently... Don't want to make this more bloated. Maybe some other time.)
Why?
In 2015, I played Blazing Blade and Binding Blade in that order. It was a really interesting but awkward experience, in a gameplay and meta-sense. Blazing Blade is technically a prequel to Binding Blade, but was chronologically released afterward, so it leaves more questions than answers on half of the entire plot. I speculate that Blazing Blade's existence was an afterthought, since Binding Blade was well-received in Japan enough to make a prequel-sequel. Anyway, I initially didn't have an opinion on Fae, her appearance in Blazing Blade is just a cameo. In Chapter 22 of Eliwood's story and Chapter 23 of Hector's story, you find her in a house where she alerts you to treasure that can be found somewhere on the map.
Fae: You know what? I'm watching the house all by myself. Do you know how to do that? You have to sit and be good. So that's why I'm here. What are all of you guys doing? Are you hunting for treasure, like that other guy? Let me tell you a secret. There's something good buried near the bones. I know stuff like that.
If Hawkeye visits the house, there's an easter egg dialogue.
Fae: Ah! It's you, Hawkeye!
Hawkeye: What are you doing, Fae?
Fae: I'm watching the house!
Hawkeye: Is that so?
Fae: Oh, guess what! A man came to see me earlier. So I told him a secret. I told him something good is buried near the bones. Yup! He looked pretty happy!
Hawkeye: Is that so…
Fae: That's all you ever say, Hawkeye! "Is that so?"
Hawkeye: Is that so?
Fae: See! You said it again!
Hawkeye: Is that—sorry.
Okay, weird. Not really interesting. This exchange probably made zero fucking sense to 99% of Western players.
Then I started Binding Blade. It's extremely rough around the edges gameplay-wise, but I found it kind of fun. Several maps made me want to tear my hair out, the growths are unfair, Roy fucking sucks for a lord, and I utilized emulator save states constantly. When I finally finished it, I didn't even get the good ending and I had to sacrifice characters I liked as cannon fodder to get to that point. But my life wasn't great in the 2010s and playing the ROM on my phone sometimes made things more tolerable. It ended up becoming my favorite GBA-era Fire Emblem game, and I think it deserves second chance in the form of a proper remake bundled with Blazing Blade.
I became obsessed with Fae the moment I finally saw her in action... Her dragon form was so cute, and she was a good (albeit fragile at times) unit I carried until endgame. She actually got hit with a berserk staff in the last chapter and I had to load a save state so she wouldn't get permadeath'd. That's just how dedicated I was to keeping her. Fae is required to bring with you to get the good and best ending, too.
Unfortunately, I held off on making this page for awhile because I haven't replayed either Elibe game since 2015 (do the math). Maybe I'll get to play both again someday. Blazing Blade has been consistently rereleased on Virtual Console and is currently available on Nintendo Online, keep circulating the tapes because the eShop for the newest console won't be around forever. I wrote this when the Wii U eShop was online and you could buy in on there, but now it's gone. Also Nintendo Online is just basically renting the game, fuck that. The ROM for both games is really not that hard to find.
If you want to give Binding Blade a chance after finishing it's prequel, this is a pretty good fan translation, and this is the same but uses the localized names in Heroes. Project Ember is a rebalanced patch that allegedly fixes my complaints about the awful growths, but I haven't played it yet.
Support log
Binding Blade appears pretty boring to most Western players because a lot of its plot points and character archetypes are recycled from Shadow Dragon and Mystery of the Emblem. But I think Fae was among the characters that had a decent amount of depth and depressing subtext. Her support pool is a good example of quality over quantity, since I think all 5 of them are pretty good.
Igrene
This one is my personal favorite, so I'm mentioning it first. Igrene is terribly underrated and a pretty tragic character for an otherwise light game. The easter egg exchange in Blazing Blade makes a lot more sense if you're aware that Igrene is Hawkeye's daughter and becomes Arcadia's Guardian in his place after he dies.
Fae: Yes! ... Igrene, is Fae gonna get pretty?
Igrene: Yes. You have such lovely hair... You'll become very beautiful when you grow up.
Fae: Like you?
Igrene: Well... I suppose.
Fae: Yay! Hey, Igrene?
Igrene: Fae, hold still.
Fae: Okay.
Igrene: ......
Fae: What's wrong? Do your hands hurt?
Igrene: Oh, I'm sorry... I was just remembering my daughter. She was a very attractive little girl, much like you.
Fae: What happened to her?
Igrene: She's gone... She went to a faraway place.
Fae: Igrene!
Igrene: Yes, Fae?
Fae: You were talking about your little girl the other day.
Igrene: Yes.
Fae: Fae knows her.
Igrene: What?
Fae: She used to come play with Fae. When Fae was all alone in her room, she came with Sophia to play and tell Fae about the outside.
Igrene: ......
Fae: She said you were the "Guardian."
Igrene: I see...
Fae: But... She stopped coming to play with Fae. Fae asked Sophia about her, but she wouldn't tell. Is it Fae's fault? Was Fae a bad girl to her? Did Fae make her get angry and go to the faraway place?
Igrene: No...that's not the case. She was never mad at you, Fae. She just can't play with you any more. But... She'll always be very fond of you, Fae.
Fae: Really?
Igrene: Yes... Of course.
Fucking ouch. In Igrene's other supports, you find out that rescued an amnesiac man and they fell in love when she took him back to Arcadia and nursed him back to health. They were married and had a daughter together until bandits attacked the village and he left to fight them off. He never came back and their daughter died some time after this. In Igrene's support chain with Saul, she lost her faith after this. When you realize that this man is Astolfo, Fae likely really does resemble Igrene's late daughter...
Unlike Tiki who appears as an adult in Awakening and had to live with seeing her mortal loved ones die, we only see Fae as a child. It hurts to see Fae still not be able to grasp the concept of death and mortality... It's sad that the "thousand year old child/teen" trope is used for creep fodder when it has a lot of tragic potential; Nowi in Awakening tried to touch on similar themes but it flopped (IMO) because of her design...
Sophia
Speaking of that, Fae's support with Sophia demonstrates this well too.
Sophia: Fae? ...What are you looking at...?
Fae: You grew a little.
Sophia: R-Really...?
Fae: Yeah. Why, why? Fae always stays the same! You were the same as Fae before!
Sophia: Yes... I am half Dragon...so I grow slowly... But you...grow even more slowly than me...
Fae: Why does Fae stay little? Why doesn't she grow up like you?
Sophia: You are a full-blooded Dragon... A Dragon's lifespan...is close to eternity... I have human blood in me...so I grow faster than you... Do you understand...?
Fae: No...
Sophia: You'll understand...when you grow up...
Fae: When will Fae grow up? Soon?
Again, ouch. The fan translation is a bit rough here (sorry lol) but I get the point being made. Sophia is said to "just" be centuries old, but looks like a young teenager and has an identical portrait in her Blazing Blade cameo. Being half-human makes her age slower, but faster than a full-blooded dragon. Sophia is older and younger than Fae at the same time. (Fun fact, Roy could be a quarter-dragon if you believe Ninian is his mother. Too bad this can't be explored in-canon...)
Fae: Hmmm... Sophia, when is Fae gonna grow up?
Sophia: Well...
Fae: Fae's not growing at all... Fae wants to be a grown-up!
Sophia: But... You can live...for a very long time... Even when I become old and die...you will still live on...
Fae: ...!? No! No no no! You won't die! Nooooo!
Sophia: ...
Fae: Waaaaah...
Sophia: Fae...I'm sorry... Don't cry... I feel the same way you do... But... That is what it means...to live for eternity...
Like Tiki, Myrrh, Nowi, and Rhea, Fae is going to slowly grow up and see the mortals around her die while society progresses. Fae is going to outlive Sophia and is the last Divine Dragon in Elibe. She already lost Hawkeye and Igrene's daughter, among many others. (Especially since old Fire Emblem has permadeath... Fun fact, Igrene died in my playthrough.) But as we saw earlier, she doesn't fully understand that loss yet. She's probably not going to even fully get it until she physically ages...
Fae: Fae was scared that you would grow up and not want to play with her anymore... Fae always wants to be with you! Fae wants to play hide-and-seek and tag and lots of other fun games.
Sophia: Fae... Don't worry... I'll always...be your friend... I'll always be with you...all right...?
Fae: Really!? Yay!
Sophia: Yes... We'll always be together...
Elffin
I benched Elffin in my playthrough and don't find him interesting, but there are some interesting tidbits in this chain.
Elffin: Ah, the cute little lady from the other day. Hello.
Fae: ... Fae's name's not "cute little lady!"
Elffin: Oh, pardon me. Then...shall I call you Miss Fae?
Fae: Fae's name's not "Miss Fae"! It's Fae!
Elffin: As you wish, Fae. Fae...the name has a unique feel to it. Is it your real name?
Fae: No, Fae's real name is verrry long. But they say that it's a sound that humans can't hear. Fae's the only part that you can.
Elffin: I see.
Fae: But maybe you could hear it, Elffin! You make so many pretty sounds, maybe you could hear Fae's real name!
I wonder what Fae's real name is? Not that I would be able to hear it...
Sue
I also benched Sue and don't find her terribly interesting, but I also noticed something that made me sad...
Fae: La la laaa ... Oh! It's Sue!
Sue: You look like you're having fun, Fae.
Fae: Yes, Fae's having lots and lots of fun! Fae gets to play outside, now!
Sue: Is that what's fun?
Fae: Yeah. Fae was never allowed to play outside before.
Sue: Never...? You always stayed indoors?
Fae: Uh-huh.
Sue: I...see.
Fae: La la la laa...
Sue: Always inside... She never knew the blessing of the Sky or the warmth of the Earth...
I can imagine why Fae was kept indoors, but it makes me wonder how long that happened. This makes her dialogue in her Blazing Blade cameo about having to "sit and be good" in the house make more sense. Being kept inside so much is probably why Fae acts more sheltered and clueless than the average child her (physical) age.
Niime
Again, another character I never found interesting and benched even though she's pretty novel (a playable 70 year old granny? In MY JRPG?).
Fae: La la laaa... Oh... a flower!
Niime: So that's a Dragon... mankind's archenemy... But something's... strange... The Dragons in the ancient scrolls weren't like that at all. They were much more...ferocious, and inhuman.
This is in-character since Niime studys dark magic, but it's also kind of meta, isn't it? Fae's dragon form is so different wildly compared to the other Manaketes! She rivals Lilith's koi fish dragon form in Fates.
Niime: Fae.
Fae: Granny Niime!
Niime: Granny, eh... You're actually several hundred years older than I am.
Fae: ...?
Niime: Well, no matter... Here, Fae, take a look at this gemstone.
Fae: What is it?
Niime: Once upon a time, humans and...demons lived in this land. The demons used their immense power to destroy the humans. The weak humans could do nothing but watch as the bodies piled up... And then one day... Eight bright columns of light were born that would defeat the demons.
Fae: Were they pretty lights?
Niime: Yes. ...The humans used the lights to fight the demons. After a long and devastating battle...the demons were finally defeated. But that wasn't the end...
Fae: Mmm... ...Fae's all sleepy now...
Niime: So... This is the enemy of mankind, eh? She doesn't seem to have a worry in the world... ...How cute...
Imagine trying to explain complex history to a literal 5 year old...
Fae: Granny Niime.
Niime: Ah, hello, Fae.
Fae: What's wrong?
Niime: Hm... Do you remember the story I told you the other day of men and demons?
Fae: Um... Yeah! The pretty lights!
Niime: To tell the truth... I was afraid of those demons. After I studied dark magic and mankind's history... Only then did I discover just how powerful and terrifying the demons were.
Fae: Yeah.
Niime: But... After meeting you, my fear seems to have gone right out the window.
Fae: ...?
Niime: It's nothing. Well, my long stories must be boring you. Here, go play with this.
Fae: Yay!
Niime: What a fool I was... I was willing to do terrible things to an innocent little girl for peace and the safety of our race... What was I thinking... There's no point in peace obtained through such hideous means.
Fae is the last Divine Dragon in this game; All the other ones seen besides Sophia are not painted in a positive light. I think seeing Fae would give anyone who was prejudiced towards dragons a change of heart...
Firestone Glitch
Fae's Divinestone is limited to 30 uses, but a glitch can have her use a Firestone with infinite uses. How? In Chapter 23, you can get a berserk'd thief to steal a Firestone from a Manakete enemy. Sounds extremely risky and supid, doesn't it? That's why I just used a cheat to put it in her inventory. Be careful when trying this, my emulator crashed twice while attempting it. It also causes graphical glitches in action, but it's still interesting to see.
Gif from wiki of Fae fighting Idunn with a Firestone. Epilepsy warning.
Heroes
I was ecstatic when Heroes was announced and I saw her in the trailer! It took a long time to finally summon her, but even getting a three star made me happy and I leveled her up to a five star! However, gacha is a sin, so I currently have Heroes uninstalled and can't take screenshots. Oops! It's nothing fancy (not optimized), I rarely use her anyway.
(my NEET ass 2017 screaming over this)
I currently have every Fae alt, except the Resplendent. Because I'm not that dedicated to my chicken to spend real money on a glorified .png. Here's her official art in Heroes anyway.
Funny story, I took a hiatus from August 2019 to April 2022 due to circumstance. But when I saw the spring alt with Idoun Idunn, I temporarily reinstalled and kept rolling until I got it! I immediately uninstalled the moment I got them. The devil game can't tempt me longer. This is a recurring trend with me and this game.
Three alts and a paid reskin is pretty good, but what I want to see the most is some kind of AU alt similar to what other characters have gotten. I'd love to see an adult Fae, or even a corrupted Fell Demon Dragon version. Who knows if that would happen though...
Popularity
Fae is arguably a somewhat popular character! Maybe not to the degree of others, but her placement in the first Choose Your Legends to the second was a significant jump. Going from 194th place with 1,332 votes to 66th place and 3,521 votes is a lot! Her placement and amount of votes went lower since then, likely due to her home game not being localized and being overshadowed by major characters in English releases... Oh well... It's just a gacha popularity poll.
Speaking of gacha popularity contests, Fae has been in the Voting Gauntlet a few times. ...And lost every one. Womp womp.
In Japan, Fae is the 13th most popular character in Binding Blade. The male/female ratio of fans is equal. This was back when the game was released, though.
Cipher
Fae got some pretty good cards for Cipher! I...know nothing about Cipher though, besides it's a now-dead TCG. I just liked looking at the scans of the cards...teehee.
(Click for image sources)