Spreading the love for Engage

Alear receives official SOS from the Crown Prince of Firene, Alfred; Alear agrees to go to the Kingdom to fight in their now deceased mother’s stead. After Alear’s battle in chapter 4, one Corrupted appeared and triggered Alear’s 1000 year PTSD, but then a mysterious girl appeared to save them: Veyle.

- Veyle (after shyly walking away from her hiding place after saving Alear from a Corrupted: There’s no need to be afraid. It’s gone.

I love Silver White Heart. It is my favorite non Map OST in Fire Emblem Engage. It captures Veyle’s innocence and kindness perfectly IMO. It’s also as calming as the Atmosphere of Firene, the nation where Alear and Veyle meet for the first time.

It’s a short scene and it doesn’t go anywhere besides introducing Veyle to Alear because the former mysteriously vanished before Alear could properly get to know her. But it does its job as establishing Veyle as a mysterious character we need to know more about.

Alear’s second meeting with Veyle is at a destroyed village where we help Yunaka and get Micaiah’s ring. The conversation here goes on a bit longer this time around, as now we get her motivations outside of being a kind girl who just likes helping others. Out of all Alear and Veyle’s meetings before Chapter 15, this one hits the hardest IMO once we learn more about Veyle and her struggles.

Veyle’s goal is to find her missing sibling. Alear relates to Veyle because he lost his mother not too long ago. People have complained that there wasn’t enough time for Alear and Veyle to become friends before their fallout in chapter 15. I think that’s fair, but the chapters where Alear talk to Veyle are buildup to a something bigger once all of the pieces come together. Alear finally gets to pay his debt to Veyle for helping them (him in this case) back at Flora Mill Town. And this act of kindness is what shapes Veyle into she becomes later.

My argument to what people say about Alear and Veyle’s relationship not getting enough buildup prior to chapter 15 is that Alear has made friends with people like Alfred and Céline in such a short period in time. Alear just has a knack for forging bonds with people in short timeframes. The Divine Dragon’s awakening has him meeting and befriending the Stewards meant to watch over their god until their awakening.

The fact that Alear’s first awakening has them surrounded by kind, if a bit quirky, people; add to the fact that Alear pushed through their fear of the Corrupted to do that right thing shows that Alear being able to shape relationships at a quick pace (however unrealistic that may seem) is in no part because of one simple thing that separates Alear and Veyle from the Fell Dragon Sombron: kindness.

Seeing Veyle react so emotionally to Alear calling her a friend is something that needs to be talked about. Veyle has been chased down and forced into hiding her whole. The fact that Veyle is at a loss for words shows that all Veyle wants is to be loved.

- Veyle: “I’m just so happy to have someone to call a friend. It’s like a dream. I can’t recall the last time I was treated with such kindness.”

The scene ends with Veyle saying goodbye to her new friend. I said it before and I’ll say it again; with everything that happens afterwards, this scene hurts so much. IMO, Fire Emblem Engage’s greatest strength is that scenes that are otherwise seem like bad writing hits a lot harder with later context in mind; I.e. Lumera’s first death.

At the end of Chapter 7, we (the audience, not Alear) see Veyle fighting off the Corrupted by herself. Considering that Veyle was willing to save Alear at Flora Mill Town, it again shows Veyle’s kind nature. The fact that she is putting her goal to reunite with her sibling on hold to fight for others. And after she is done, Veyle is beating herself up saying that she needs to be stronger. A trait that persists even after Veyle has joined Alear and the others.

People who play Alear as Male and Female on both Playthroughs will immediately guess right that Alear was Veyle’s missing sibling all along. And thus, that cutscene with Alear and Veyle last chapter hits even harder than before.

And finally, the end is Chapter 9. Alear (with Alfred and Diamant) meet Veyle at the cold borders of Elusia (amazing how she is not freezing despite walking in the snow barefooted). This is just before the plot twist of destiny. Veyle gives directions to Destinea Cathedral to Alear and friends as thanks for Alear patching Veyle’s ankle, but Veyle notices the Ring of the Hero King. And the moment she does, she begins to act strange. As if she was hypnotized… I love how Veyle’s theme, Silver White Heart, becomes distorted as Veyle begins to act strange and try to steal Alear’s ring. It’s clear that something was unnatural about it.

Once Veyle snaps out of her trance, she leaves. Almost as if she was disturbed by what she was about to do. Alear and the others don’t have time to question Veyle at this point. What with Sombron’s revival being close at hand and all. And the fact that Diamant’s father, King Morion is going to be the sacrifice needed for said revival.

With this Alear and Veyle have interacted three times. Both Alear and Veyle have helped one another and have begun to see each other as friends. Veyle in particular is grateful to even have such a thing, considering most of her life.

In some cultures, 4 means death. Four is considered to be an unlucky number. Alear and Veyle have interacted three times prior to the reveal.

And thus, we get to the end of Chapter 10. After Sombron kills Hyancith (Hortensia’s father) and the hooded figure (who is responsible for the death of Alear’s mother: Lumera) scoffs at his demise, Hortensia unhoods the hooded figure in fury. And it is revealed that the girl in the hood and Veyle are one and the same.

One of the things about Veyle that love is her voice acting. Voice performances does a lot to describe a character. Megan Taylor Harvey (Towa Hershel, Sophia/Sophie from Persona 5 Strikers, Ringo from Soul Hackers 2, etc.) and Reina Ueda (Miyo Saimori from My Happy Marriage, Kanao from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Ganyu from Genshin Impact) both did an excellent job of displaying Veyle’s kindness and innocence, and her evil self’s cruelty and sadism.

Black Silver Devastation, which serves as a direct Parallel to Veyle’s “Silver White Heart” describes how Alear feels after Chapter 10. Alear is “devastated” to know the sweet, innocent girl they consider to be her friend turned out to be their mother’s killer all along.

And to make matters worse; this means, unbeknownst to Alear at the time, Veyle was responsible for the initial attack on Firene, destruction of Lythos and the abduction of the rings their, as well as an accomplice to Sombron (murderer of two fathers and kings).

Things are only going to get worse from here… As Veyle takes all of the Six Rings Alear and friends have retrieved thus far and the Draconic Time Crystal while Alear was distracted. As a result, Sombron uses his Invocation power to take control of the Emblems and strip them of their free will. Leaving Marth, Sigurd and the other Emblems we became friends with as the Fell Dragon’s personal pawns and weapons. The end of chapter 10 is the breaking of bonds and relationships with both the Veyle we thought was our friend and the Emblems we fought together with. This is best symbolized with the theme that plays in Chapter 11: Broken Bonds.

It not only symbolizes that the bond between Alear, Marth and all of the other Emblems have been severed, but this also applies to Alear and Veyle too.

Though Alear and their friends live to fight again (thanks to Ivy), the damage these chapters did to Alear and Veyle’s relationship has already been done. It’s going to take more than just getting more Emblem Rings to heal the emotional wounds these chapters caused.

Speaking of “Veyle,” we the audience get a reveal on Veyle that changes our perspective of her in a big way. “Veyle” is in Solm monitoring Alear and the others from the shadows. But “Veyle” enters sleep mode. And when she wakes up, Veyle’s personality changes. Out with the sadistic and cruel girl who revels in the death of others, and in again with the kind and innocent girl that Alear was acquainted with.

Veyle wakes up and finds herself surrounded by sand instead of snow and doesn’t what’s happening to her.

And very soon by the end of the next chapter, things are going to go straight to hell for poor Veyle.

The end of chapter 15 has to be analyzed from two different angles: From Alear’s (and the Royals) perspective, and Veyle’s perspective.

In Alear’s eyes, when they meet Veyle (as her usual, good self) again in chapter 15, they see someone who can think they can just walk up to them with a chatty expression after stealing the Emblems (the Rings and the souls within) from them, on top of being responsible for the death of Lumera, and conspiring with her father who aided in the deaths of Morion and Hyacinth (the fathers of the Brodian and Elusian royal families). Alear has every right to be ticked off with Veyle.

Now put yourself in Veyle’s shoes for a moment: imagine that you have made a real friend for the first time in who knows how long; then the next time you meet, said friend all of the sudden turned on you for being the child of the parent that wronged you. All the while, said person calls you out for crimes you unwittingly committed. And with no memory of it happening, no less. That’s what Veyle is going through right now. And it’s going to get worse from here.

Once you realize how much Veyle has suffered from persecution just because she was Sombron’s child, this makes this entire scene of Alear and their friends looking down on Veyle hits even harder.

Veyle suddenly has to feel the weight of her evil self’s actions without even knowing how it came to that. And when Veyle later tried to explain to Alear she doesn’t know what they’re talking about, Alear and the others don’t bother to hear her side of the story.

This scene is also an indirect consequence of Sombron being a bond destroyer as a result of his corrupting influence. Just as Sombron tore the bonds Alear had with the Emblems apart with his powers, his actions have the same effect with his children.

The final nail in the coffin is Alear disowning Veyle as a friend. Those last words were enough to drive Veyle away. Veyle’s first real experience at friendship was short lived. As Alear, like many before them, sees Veyle as nothing more than Sombron’s child.

Just so as we are clear, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF VEYLE’S SUFFERING! And again, we already knew going into this chapter that Veyle had a spilt personality. But neither Alear and Co. nor even Veyle herself for that matter is aware of the truth. So Chapter 15 was a bad day for everyone involved.

After the falling out, Veyle is trying to process everything that is happening and she doesn’t have time to because Griss appears.

Unfortunately, Veyle is ignorant on how insane Griss is.

- Veyle: I’m not going back, no matter what you say. Papa will just make me do something cruel. When he awoke, I thought we could finally spend time together. But no. Always telling me to kill the Divine Dragon or attack so-and-so’s castle. Well, I don’t want to! I’m not an evil person. Despite what all those people said. Even the Divine Dragon was angry with me. And I thought we were friends…

Look back at the end of Chapter 6 and 7. Those brief moments with Veyle is already enough to tell us that she has lived a lonely life up till now. The fact that she is rarely treated with kindness (if ever), and is obsessed with becoming stronger. All of this is because of how Sombron treats his kids. And from this chapter onwards, we see how his poor parenting plays a role in making Veyle’s life a living hell.

Griss gaslights Veyle into believing that Alear and the others just misunderstood Veyle (which sadly, isn’t completely wrong; that’s what makes it worse).

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaslighting

Chapter 16 will involve the Hounds attacking Firene (Alfred’s home nation) next as per their plans. So judging by this, it almost seems like Griss is potentially using the attack on Firene as a setting point to drag Veyle down into despair to ensure EVeyle will take Veyle over permanently. Or they wish to kidnap Queen Evé (like they attempted to before) so that Sombron can feast on her blood, with using the attack to drive Veyle to despair as a bonus. Sure enough, that was Zephia’s idea too. Both of them never had Veyle’s best interest at heart. Veyle was just another tool to both Zephia and Sombron.

And Chapter 17 is around the point where Veyle was becoming my favorite character in Engage, and in all of Fire Emblem. Chapter 17 is my favorite chapter in Engage for many reasons, but that would take another post entirely to explain.

But before I do talk about Veyle’s role in chapter 17, I need to talk about the Four Hounds. Say what you will about them, but they play a crucial role in Veyle’s character and motivations. I don’t doubt that having to fight them over and over is annoying. But IMO, they are supposed to serve as foils to the four royals.

If Alear and the Four Royals are of the Five Man Band trope, the Four Hounds and Evil Veyle would be the Psycho Ranger counterparts to them. Both teams fight in order to claim the Emblem’s power and change the world. Both the Royals serve each dragons, which they revere as gods. And said dragons follow the footsteps of their predecessors.

The major difference between both teams is their relationships between each other and the dragons they serve. The Four Royals (Alfred, Diamant, Ivy and Timerra) all indeed serve Alear because he is the Divine Dragon, the one who can save the world through the power of Emblems. But however, the Four Royals come to see Alear for who they are as individuals and they view each other as friends. The Four Hounds, on the other hand, with the exception of Mauvier, only serve her out of obligation at best or for their own selfish purposes at worst.

Zephia, more than anyone else, sees Veyle as nothing more than a “defect.” Zephia is devoted to Sombron above everything else, and thus if Sombron sees Veyle as worthless, so will Zephia. Add Zephia’s twisted idea of love to the mix, and Zephia is just an abusive stepmother to Veyle.

Griss is Zephia’s favorite younger brother/son in the family that gets ALL of Zephia’s affection for being the most obedient towards her. And like Zephia with Sombron, anything Zephia does, Griss will agree with. On top of that, because of Griss’s devotion to the Fell Dragon faith, Veyle not having Sombron’s qualities will naturally make Griss feel inclined to agree with the notion Zephia and Sombron have.

To Marni, Veyle (or rather EVeyle) like with Zephia was just a gateway to earning more praise that her mother never gave her. Because the Real Veyle never gave Marni praise as far as we know, she dubs her the “boring one.” Marni kills in Zephia and EVeyle’s names to get praise from them to validate herself.

And Mauvier (despite his best intentions) serve Veyle under obligation as a knight to dragon royalty. It takes until Mauvier and Veyle’s B support for Mauvier to make an effort to actually be a friend to Veyle rather than just another servant like how Sombron would see everyone.

This is where Alear and the Royals succeed at being a successful surrogate family where the Four Hounds fail. And this is why once Veyle (and Mauvier) are free of Zephia and Sombron’s influences are going to be MUCH happier people at Alear’s side.

Chapter 17 shows the true disgusting nature behind the “family” that is the Hounds. As per “Veyle’s” orders, we begin Chapter 17 with Florra Port set ablaze. Zephia and Griss arrive on the scene to make mockery of the “light” work that they caused. And Veyle is here with them, still as her real self. Alear, still violently angry towards her, begins to once again (rightfully) accuse her for the destruction of Florra Port. Alear confirms to the unsuspecting Veyle that they are here because they saw the Elusian Army making headway to attack Firene (Florra Port being the first victim). And again, with Chapter 15 in mind, this is what Zephia and Griss were counting on.

Alear (while angry still, is at least more rational than before) begins to question how Veyle (whose father leads the army responsible for this) doesn’t know about her father’s army’s actions. This leads Veyle to finally put two and two together, and it’s all downhill from there. And the gaslighting continues. Griss deliberately deflects the blame from the pain that he himself likes to cause others onto the person who gave him the orders to do so. When realistically, if Griss wanted to, with/without EVeyle’s orders, would have done so anyways… or at least on Zephia’s orders. And then Zephia finally drops the bombshell to Veyle.

- Veyle (angrily): What monster told our forces to attack a town of innocent people?

- Zephia: Why, it was you.

- Veyle: Wh…what?

So… to recap, NOT only did Zephia and Griss gaslit Veyle into believing Alear’s accusations were false, they also flat out lied to her about their reasons for coming to Firene. And as they’re revealing the truth to Veyle, they pinned all of their crimes onto her!

Things get worse from here, as Marni and Mauvier arrives and the former promptly announces that she’s ready to kill in Veyle’s name. Veyle is disgusted by this and calls her out for it, leading Marni to realize that the “Veyle” that gives her praise isn’t here and is replaced by “the boring one.” With this, Zephia finally decides to spill the beans on everything that has been going on with Veyle.

This moment here confirms what we the audience already figured out ourselves, we knew that Veyle had a split personality, but Alear and the others didn’t until now. Mind control is a “difficult” thing to talk about when it comes to Fire Emblem. Speaking of which, now would be a good time to talk about another victim of Zephia’s manipulation to talk about it in earnest. Let’s go back to Chapter 14 for a moment.

In order for Zephia’s mind controlling powers to work, Zephia needs her victim to be at their lowest point both mentally and emotionally. This is why Zephia decides to tell Veyle the truth of EVeyle’s actions. To emotionally and mentally break her down. As seen with Hortensia.

Hortensia’s reason for attacking Solm Palace in the first place was to take Alear’s rings and use them to bring her father back to life. Zephia is using that desire to control Hortensia. People may say, “but Jared, Alear was able to calm Hortensia down from killing Seforia…” It was Ivy, at Alear’s behest, to comfort Hortensia. Ivy doesn’t get the chance because Zephia interfered at the cusp of Ivy trying to calm her down.

This is not helped by the fact that not long after she arrived, Zephia announces that Rosado and Goldmary (Hortensia’s retainers and friends) have been punished. This gives the poor girl even more reason to be on edge, they were her only friends at that point. Zephia used that emotional vulnerability as well as her desire to bring her father back, which was already still there mind you, to complete her spell on Hortensia. And thus Alear and Ivy are forced to fight her.

Everything that happened with Hortensia can be described with these words from Maleficent in KH: BBS…

“You speak as if I pulled some invisible strings. No, you couldn't be further from the truth, child. I simply whispered to the darkness you already held inside.”

As Zephia explained it, EVeyle was an another personality she created within Veyle to be the perfect embodiment of what Sombron wants her to be. An obedient pawn and a violent Fell Dragon bent on destruction. The very things Veyle never wanted to be.

So this reveal leads me to believe that EVeyle is Veyle’s Shadow. If anyone has played Persona 4, Shadows are based on the concept coined by Carl Jung. “The Shadow self can be described as highly emotional, driven by primal instinct, often violent, and usually concealed from the social world by the conscious mind.”

The reason why I compare EVeyle to shadows in Persona 4 is because just like them, and Hollow Ichigo/Zangetsu from Bleach, etc. EVeyle is all of Veyle’s fears and insecurities made manifest. EVeyle is EVERYTHING that Veyle doesn’t want to be. A demon that follows Sombron’s will.

After the truth is revealed, Veyle is on the verge of a meltdown. It physically hurts my soul watching this scene. It was bad enough seeing Alear and the others accuse Veyle for her evil self’s actions, but to have them be comfirmed to be true right in her face… poor Veyle…

I have to reiterate this to make you understand: Veyle’s only real (former) friend in Alear turned their backs on her and accused her blissfully ignorant self on all the terrible things “she” did. And is once again judged for being the Fell Dragon’s daughter.

Griss and Zephia gaslights Veyle into believing that Alear and the others were lying while acting outwardly friendly, only to be plotting to erase her personality behind her back just because Sombron wants an obedient, villainous daughter over her. And then, said fake friends reveal the truth just so that they can mock you over the whole ordeal to break you down so that her evil sister can kill and replace her.

And all the while, said fake friends pins EVERY single action they did ON YOU! Needless to say, I was pretty heartbroken watching Chapter 17 the first time. And I still get heartbroken watching it even now.

Oh, and for the cherry on top, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!

- Veyle: Zephia, Griss, Marni, Mauvier… you weren’t my friends! I’m alone! I’ve always been alone! I… I…

While I’m once again letting my inner Dimitri show as my hatred for Zephia rises again, I once again need to give my praises to Megan Taylor Harvey and Reina Ueda respectively for their performances in this chapter, especially the latter, her vocal cords must have snapped… This scene really does hurt me… Veyle has been betrayed by her so called friends, disowned by Alear, mistreated by humans and her father only sees her as a disposable pawn. It really is a miracle she didn’t turn evil willingly after all of that.

After which, Zephia uses her spell to reawaken Veyle’s evil personality: EVeyle (as I usually like to call her). The look of fear on Veyle’s face as Zephia is about use her powers to reawaken the evil in her is truly heartbreaking. And it demonstrates Zephia’s ability to instill fear into her, Marni and Mauvier… and as Veyle is replaced with her evil self that I like to dub EVeyle (not my idea though), the shift in Megan Taylor Harvey and Reina Ueda’s voice as Veyle’s personality switches is astounding. It highlights the difference between both versions of Veyle.

While I’m not good with the different Japanese text as @FairyAngelbel is, I do find EVeyle’s tone of voice and mannerisms (especially with Reina Ueda, Veyle’s Japanese voice actress) is eerily similar to Zephia. It IMO, adds more to this plot than just simply boiling it done to ordinary mind control. As later supports with Veyle show, the Real Veyle likes spicy food, while EVeyle likes sweets.

If what happened with Veyle is any similar to what Zephia did to Hortensia or Sombron using invocations on the Emblems, Veyle, just like the examples here, would be stripped of their free will (or agency) and are any orders they follow are compulsory.

Moreover, Fire Emblem Heroes shows that EVeyle is more than capable of acting on her own. Just because she wishes to follow on Sombron’s will doesn’t mean EVeyle is mindless about it. If EVeyle was like Hortensia or the Emblems when they were controlled, she wouldn’t be able to have her own feelings.

The most important aspect of EVeyle is that she wants to live up to Sombron’s expectations. She keeps referring to herself as Veyle, the one true Veyle. The one with the rights of being Sombron’s daughter. This is a trait we will see again in chapter 21 and the Fell Xenologue.

It also shows one of the king things that make Veyle and Alear similar to each other. To add to this, EVeyle has Marth (still corrupted) ready for the battle. Because “Veyle” is supposed to be a dark counterpart to Alear, using Marth, Alear’s first Emblem and friend makes the most sense. It’s worth noting that in Chapter 11, Alear uses Emblem Lucina in Marth’s place. Lucina, like Alear, takes after Marth (mainly in Lucina’s case because she is his descendant). So thematically speaking, Emblem Lucina has to fight up to the person she looked up to.

To further the point of EVeyle being everything Sombron wishes the real Veyle was, EVeyle decides to pull out good ol’ Hyacinth, back from the dead as the one of the Corrupted. Unlike with Morion, however, Veyle (EVeyle) has the ability to make more advanced Corrupted that keeps their normal appearances. Veyle always had this ability, but EVeyle uses her powers here to use Hyacinth as a weapon against Ivy, Alear and the others. Although this isn’t stated in their support, this gives Hortensia even more of a reason to hate Veyle’s guts.

It’s also important that I bring up Emblem Byleth’s boss dialogue with Alear. As it will be important later on. As it is crucial to how this factors into Veyle’s abilities and how she chooses to (not) handle her powers. With great power comes great

- Byleth: Depending on the wielder, power can be used for good or evil with equal ease. That's why the heart of the one controlling the power is important.

The power here is mostly used for evil, and this no exception. EVeyle is, as said before, using Hyacinth against Ivy has payback for her defiance back at chapter 11. A far more personal attack on Ivy rather than what happened with Morion because he was needed to revive Sombron. And another thing to keep in mind with the “Veyle is just being mind controlled,” EVeyle corrupted Hyacinth for the sole purpose of emotionally attacking Ivy. I’m sure she did not need Sombron or Zephia to tell her to do this act. The only sense of “control” I get from EVeyle’s mindset is that many of her mannerisms barely similarities to Zephia, the person who created EVeyle to replace the real Veyle in the first place.

For example, when EVeyle fights Alear in this chapter and chapter 21 with Mauvier, EVeyle savors mocking the two of them.

- EVeyle: "Hehehe, I'm so glad you came. Quite a backdrop, isn't it? Florra looks much prettier up in flames. I knew you'd come if I set it ablaze. And the Corrupted that frightened you so much... They're not so scary this way, are they?"

- Alear: "Are you talking about King Hyacinth?"

- EVeyle: "Yes. I thought seeing him would make you smile. We are friends, after all! Oh, but we had a falling out, didn't we? The other Veyle must be simply heartbroken."

- Alear: “…”

Just like Chapter 14 with Zephia vs Alear, EVeyle brings up Alear’s fear of the corrupted, which as we later learned, this fear exists for a reason. She even calls them Lumera’s “pet” and a “whimpering, pathetic worm,” probably mirroring how the haters see Alear… To add insult to injury, EVeyle brings up Alear’s fallout with “the other Veyle.” Unlike in Chapter 14 where Alear was enraged with Zephia when mocking them about the Emblems, Alear has no retort. It hurts because Alear knows that they messed up…

What makes EVeyle a Dynamic character with what little time we have of her is that her personality is Sombron and Zephia if they had a child, her desire to be the real Veyle, how she is born from Veyle’s inner darkness, her desire to be in Sombron’s favor. Fun fact, one of her unused Victory quotes includes “I did it father.” For all EVeyle’s grandiose personality of wishing to be this evil world destroying Fell Dragon, at her very core, she is just like Veyle. A little girl who desires her father’s praises.

After chapter 17, all of the Hounds, EVeyle and Corrupted Hyacinth have been defeated (with the Ring of the Sage Lord reclaimed from the latter). The Hounds have suffered their first major defeat, but “Lady Veyle” has a plan…

Veyle orders Zephia to give her the Ring of the Holy Knight (the ring that once belonged to Lumera before her death at EVeyle’s hands).

We get a brief pause at Veyle’s face before her eyes shine purple, living proof of this being the real Veyle… this is my favorite cutscene in the game. And it’s one where, when you really think about it, was the turning point in Alear’s battle against Sombron.

- Veyle: Please, take this! (Veyle throws the Ring of the Holy Knight over to Alear)

- Alear: But why?

- Veyle: I know you can’t forgive me…for all the things I’ve done. But still… You must know… I need you to know that even though our friendship was brief… it meant everything!

For as much as this cutscene succeeded in making me hug my Switch and Phone, and made me want to choke the life out of Zephia, that cutscene with Veyle is very crucial to Alear’s development, because Sigurd gets his Paralogue after Chapter 17. Sigurd in his Paralogue teaches Alear a valuable lesson about one truth not being the bigger picture.

- Sigurd: Now, the moment of truth. Do you wish to avenge the death of your mother, Lumera?

- Alear: When I lost her, I was sad...and angry. I thought I could never forgive the one who took her life. But you asked me if I'd want revenge...and...I don't know anymore.

- Sigurd: I know well the meaning of grief. As well, I know there is no single truth.

Veyle’s heroic act gave Alear perspective. Not only that, but considering the reveal they got hit with in Chapter 20, Alear’s resolve took a hit (Alear is Sombron’s other remaining child and Veyle’s last remaining sibling that she was looking for) If not for Sigurd and the others reminding Alear of Lumera’s sacrifice and reasoning behind it, all hope would have been lost. And furthermore, by learning that they are Sombron’s child, as well as Veyle’s past, Alear is given the resolve to save Veyle, forgive her, and be the friend and hope that she needed…

- Alear: I'd like to support her like my friends here have supported me.

Veyle’s actions are also a key player in why Mauvier would eventually turn coat and join Alear’s army. As Alear realizes that Mauvier is the only one who cares about Veyle. Thanks to him revealing Veyle’s past, Marni, who had been nothing but brat, finally realizes that the “boring version of Veyle” is a lot like her.

It isn’t until Marni learned of what Veyle was going through with Sombron that she finally saw the error of her ways. As said before, EVeyle was just there to shower her with her desires, she never cared about who the real Veyle was so long as she got what she wanted.

Once Marni finally saw things from the real Veyle’s perspective, and realized that they were alike, Marni understood what Zephia was doing was wrong. If she had tried to talk to the real Veyle sooner, she would have realized what it actually meant to have a good relationship.

Alas, Marni wasn’t able to (completely) destroy the helmet and her reward for her finally gaining a conscious was to be stabbed by her evil adoptive mother. And all the while, her former “family” members and EVeyle look upon her soon to be corpse with smiles on their faces. Afterwords, Mauvier disowns Zephia in response and joins with Alear, Alear wastes no time accepting his offer to join the fight to save Veyle.

Despite everything Alear inadvertently but Veyle through, and Vice Versa, Veyle’s choice to help Alear was a crucial factor in Alear’s victory over Sombron. Even if she didn’t realize it at the time, her bravery and act of kindness proves why she is stronger than Sombron will ever be.

However, this didn’t mean that it was a path without pain. Veyle is stated to be the one “most able to withstand pain.” But she, like any other human being, has a breaking point.

After Alear defeats EVeyle in Chapter 21, Marni’s attack on the helmet did ultimately matter after all. Veyle is freed, and she willing hands the Ring of the Hero King back to Alear. With this, we now have all 12 Emblem Rings! That is until Sombron appeared to ruin everything.

Veyle, for the first time since the very start of this debacle, is confronted with her father as herself. From the very start, Veyle just wanted her father to… well… be a good father. But she is about to learn the hard way that her hopes were a lost cause… The reason Sombron kept Veyle alive was because she was too young to fight in the war 1000 years ago. And because she needed her evil self to work to revive him.

Veyle failed to realize that Sombron saw her as a pawn, not as his child. And this costs her dearly…

- Sombron: Heed me well, O defective daughter of mine.

- Veyle: Papa…

- Sombron: My goal is so close, I can taste it. But their kindness makes you weak. Now go, and reclaim my Emblem Rings at once!

- Veyle: I won’t!

- Sombron: So I see. That is a shame. Well then, there is nothing more you can do for me, and I have never been in the habit... of keeping that which has no value.

Veyle is powerless to do anything as the friend that her evil self wronged in the past takes a fatal blow that was meant for her. It’s very telling that even as Alear apologizes to Veyle with their dying breath, all Veyle can think about is not wanting Alear to die. Alas… they die in her arms.

I love how this cutscene gives us the sense of powerlessness Veyle must be feeling. Not only does her abusive father try to kill her for not following through with his demands, but her only friend, that she hurt unknowingly, dies in her place… and it only gets worse…

The Fell Xenologue officially confirms (even if the main game hints at it) that yes, if a Dragon in the world of Elyos dies, their Dragonstone is destroyed. Meaning that Alear is, in fact, dead. And for the final kick to the already broken Dragon… Sombron reveals the truth…

The very sibling she has been looking for all this time, one person that saved her from her loneliness. As well as the Alear, of whom she had killed their mother, that died protecting her a few moments ago. They are in fact one and the same.

Think all the way back in Chapter 7, if you play Alear both as male and female at the same time, you would already have learned that Alear is Veyle’s missing sibling. Which means the entire time, we the audience already knew the truth, but Veyle and Alear didn’t…

Veyle’s reason for searching for Alear was because they were the only person that ever treated her with kindness to still be alive. Her siblings and mother died, Sombron was evil and sealed away, she was forced into hiding and outlived her followers… Veyle was happy to reunite with her father, only for him to mistreat her and have Zephia create EVeyle so that she could use her to aid in Sombron’s return to power…

Veyle ends up meeting Alear (unknowingly fulfilling her dream) and becoming friends with them. Then all of the sudden, Veyle’s new friend (her missing sibling mind you) disowns her all because of the crimes she committed unbeknownst to her…

Even Veyle’s followers (The Hounds) have been plotting behind her back, gaslighting her into believing Alear was lying, only for Zephia to reveal the truth and pin EVERYTHING that happened in the entire game up to that point on to her in order for get rid and replace her.

Veyle had suffered ALL of this heartache and pain all in the hopes of reuniting with the person that was giving her the strength to endure. It isn’t until that person died protecting her that she learns the truth, but it’s too late…

This is what drives Veyle into despair. Her last sibling sacrificed themselves to save someone who killed their mom and hurt so many people… with her last hope in the world gone, Veyle loses her will to live…

- Veyle: Huh? No... But the stone shouldn't break... The stone shouldn't shatter unless... All the time... you were my brother... I found you... I finally found you! Please, don't be gone-I need to talk to you! I don't understand why you would sacrifice yourself for me!

It’s hard for me to not praise Megan Taylor Harvey (voice of Sophia from Persona 5 Strikers and Towa Herschel from Trails of Cold Steel). She did an excellent job playing as Veyle, and it’s not hard to sympathize with Veyle just off of her performance alone. Same with Reina Ueda (Miyo from My Happy Marriage) as this is my favorite role from her.

Getting back to the matter at hand; The rest of the Chapter precedes as follows: Sombron gains the power of the 12 Rings and escapes, the helmet reactivates and EVeyle takes control of Veyle again, and the rest of Alear’s allies are surrounded by the Corrupted with no way to escape.

Divine Dragon Alear is dead. The Emblems have been rendered useless. And without Alear, they can’t be summoned back. All hope is lost… how can Alfred and the others survive? Like I said before, there is only one person who can give everyone the fighting chance they need… Veyle.

Yes, the same Veyle who was inadvertently responsible for most of everything that took place during the entire game and is currently in limbo in despair is the same person that can turn this situation around. But she needs a little push to do it…

Veyle and Alear are both in heaven/hell limbo right now, contemplating everything that has led to this moment. But the difference between the two is that Alear still wants to fight the good fight Lumera left in their hands, Veyle, on the other hand, has given up completely.

Although, both Alear and Veyle are dragons born from Sombron, the lives that these two dragons have lived up until now couldn’t be more different. Alear met and bonded many different people up until now, while Veyle was limited to just Sombron and all whom aligned with him.

Alear woke up with no memories of their time as Sombron’s child, as the blank slate they initially were, Alear have met various people. Through the kindness and guidance of Alear’s new friends, they grow to become the Divine Dragon everyone believed them to be.

Veyle woke up in the present day already knowing all that she endured already, and in the present day, Sombron and Zephia have used her as a sleeper agent and enforcer to carry out their plans. Veyle is forced to live with wrong crowd because her status as Sombron’s daughter.

Alear’s first real experience with love is with Lumera, who saved Past Alear from their lives as Sombron’s slave. There was no one to save Veyle from Sombron’s influence, and it resulted in Zephia using her spell to create her evil personality that was bends to Sombron’s will.

So while Alear was able to grow to be a hero of their own free will, and have friends who love them for who they are, Veyle to Sombron and Zephia was another Fell Dragon and a defect who was to be used as a tool until she was no longer required.

Veyle only had two things keeping her going; wanting Sombron to love her, and to reunite with Alear. That was all that mattered to her. Alas, being nearly killed by Sombron and watching Alear die for them even after everything was the last straw for her…

- Veyle: I tried so hard. I wanted Papa to look at me and not see a defect. I wanted him to forget about the other worlds and just be with me. I'd always think, 'If only I tried harder...' But it never mattered! I kept getting crushed over and over... I'm so tired. If I have to die again and fail once more... I'd rather it just end here-with you.

Veyle has nothing left to live for, and if she has to die, at she got her wish to reunite with Alear. That’s enough for her… I could definitely scream “poor Veyle” right about now, but Alear is going to make sure this is not where either of their stories end.

Everything from Chapter 17-21 has been leading up to this. Veyle doing the right thing in the midst of her despair. And Alear learning about themselves and her. All of this was leading to Alear becoming Veyle’s hope like everyone else was for them.

Remember when I said to remember Emblem Byleth’s words to Alear? About how power is good or evil based on the heart of its wielder? This boss dialogue can act as foreshadowing for what’s about to happen here.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say. Alear asks Veyle to turn them into a Corrupted. You know, the very same Zombie creatures that Morion and Hyacinth turned into, the same monsters that traumatized Alear…? yeah. Talk about a gambit.

When EVeyle revived Hyacinth, it was like he never died to begin with. The only difference between Hyacinth and what’s about to happen with Alear is that EVeyle made “adjustments” to get Hyacinth to fight for her. Veyle on the other hand, can simply choose to not do that.

Veyle is still unsure and concerned about the outcome. Alear, on the other hand, resolved to win, save the world and fulfill Lumera’s wish no matter what. That is the choice they decided as a result of the journey that led them to now.

Now, this is Veyle’s chance to, for the first time in her 1000 year long life, be able to choose. Who is Veyle? What does Veyle want to do with her life? Who and what does Veyle want to be? Sombron’s actions denied her the chance to think for herself, but now, this is her chance.

- Alear: Veyle… What do you live for?

- Veyle: What do you mean?

- Alear: My friends told me it doesn’t matter where you’re from. What’s important is how you live. How you live and what you do shape your future. So… who do you want to become?

- Veyle: I’ve never thought about that. But if it were possible for me to change now, I suppose… I’d want to be like you. I’d want to become a dragon who saves the world.

Veyle is more than just a Fell Dragon, she is a dragon who wants nothing more than to be just like the very person who gave her a reason to live. Veyle is a fell dragon who wants to save the world. Alear themselves expressed this wish to Lumera just before they “died” and was reborn into the world as the Divine Dragon, not realizing that their dream was already fulfilled.

Take note that the song that plays in this cutscene is “a dragon who saves the world.” This theme plays at the end of Chapter 11, 20, the beginning of this chapter (22) and the end of Fell Xenologue 6. It perfectly symbolizes despair becoming hope…

Veyle was this close to throwing away her life when Alear died. Alear was Veyle’s hope and driving force to moving her forward. In the end, Alear truly did became the hope Veyle needed. And it was because Alear themselves needed everyone else’s support to become that hope.

Alear and Veyle both dreamed of being heroic dragons who save the world. Lumera became Alear’s hope, and now they have become hope for Veyle. Veyle may have been the last unit of the game, but everything that she has endured, and Alear has learned has led to this moment.

Now Veyle, after everything she (inadvertently) to did Alear and their friends, and have been nothing but a harbinger of despair for them, this is Veyle’s chance to prove them, Zephia and Sombron wrong. As Veyle went from being the Divine Dragon’s greatest enemy to be their most valuable ally, friend and most importantly, sister.

Veyle succeeds in destroying the helmet and freeing herself from her evil personality. During which, the song Engage was playing, the same theme that played when Alear awakened Emblem Marth for the first time. I love it because it perfectly symbolizes the fact that Alear and Veyle are siblings.

As much as I kind of wish Veyle and EVeyle split apart and was fought one last time, I do say EVeyle’s death here was well deserved! One of the reasons why EVeyle is my favorite antagonist is because she doesn’t get a sympathetic death like Zephia, Griss and Sombron.

After all of that, Veyle revives Alear as a Corrupted, and the others are naturally worried about this. What with what happened with Morion and Hyacinth and all. But (Corrupted) Alear needs to reassure their friends that they are still themselves.

I do love how this moment of doubt (the only time Alear’s friends truly doubt Alear) as it heads to the fear factor of Veyle’s Corrupted abilities. And it takes fighting this chapter together with Alear and Veyle that Alfred and the others’ worries are laid to rest.

It’s worth noting that Alear only can summon the Fell version of the Emblems like Marth, because of Veyle’s powers. Alear is currently a reanimated corpse using Veyle’s fell dragon power to summon the Emblems. Another case of evil powers being used for good in this case.

Chapter 22 for Veyle and Alear (the Fell and the Divine), this chapter is a matter of hope for them, and the trust they have to earn. From both the units and the Emblems. It’s Alear’s resolve and Veyle’s wish that earns the trust of everyone… And just when it seems like Alear is once again going to meet their end because their Corrupted body is about to give out… The 12 Emblems in response to Alear’s bravery and resolve grants Alear the power of the miracle. This brings Alear back to life as the 13th Emblem. The Fire Emblem.

If not for Alear restoring Veyle’s hope, she wouldn’t have been able to help Alear summon the Emblems, and the Emblems themselves wouldn’t have entrusted Alear with their power to fully restore them to life and restore the Divine Dragon’s power.

One of the reasons Chapter 22 is aptly titled “the Fell and the Divine” is that it symbolizes the restoration of Alear and Veyle’s relationship. And it symbolizes their desire to be dragons who save the world. The last few chapters are both of them resolving to do just that.

After all of the torment Veyle has gone through, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally beginning to show itself to Veyle. Sombron still has to be stopped, and the consequences of losing to him are still there. But once he is defeated, it will all be worth it.

- Veyle (in the Japanese version): “Finally, I can live as myself.” Translated by Hawlo

We are, I believe, halfway through this character analysis. I want to talk about Veyle’s supports, Somniel dialogue, wake up events and more. But I actually want to first start with how Alear and Veyle foil each other in their designs and weapons.

Obscurité is a Fell Dragon tome that serves as the French word for darkness. Alear represents the light while Veyle is the darkness. It also derives from the word “obscure,” which describes something as unknown or a mystery, fitting for Veyle’s role in the story.

Veyle’s exclusive dagger, the Misericorde is Latin for “act of mercy” and in real life, are knives used in the Middle Ages to end the suffering dying soldiers by mercy killing them. It characterizes Veyle’s kind hearted nature despite being a Fell Dragon.

Veyle’s name takes after the Eastern River in France. While I can’t find any symbolism of the river itself, a river can symbolize a flow through life, a spiritual journey. Even if Veyle isn’t the main character of the story, it does make sense in that Veyle is a dragon that has a longer lifespan than humans. Thus, her struggle in life flows seemingly without end.

Veyle and Alear both have red, blue and white in their designs. While Red and Blue (Engage’s color scheme) is the main focus in Alear’s design, Veyle mainly focuses on white and silver (mainly the later, because both Veyle and her evil personality have Silver in their character theme names), the slight red and blue and her purple eyes are meant to symbolize Veyle being Alear’s sister.

Purple is the mix of red and blue, and Veyle’s purple is used to describe good Veyle, while EVeyle’s eyes are red to ahow her evil self as the devoted servant of Sombron. Purple with Veyle describes her good hearted self to contrast Sombron.

And above all else, the colors white and silver Despite being a fell dragon, white and silver serve as Veyle’s main color scheme. Bonus points for her character theme, Silver White Heart. 🤍 it represents Veyle’s pure kinded hearted personality.

And for the elephant in the room, the chains on her ankles… my opinions on the controversy aside… the chains are used to represent two things: restraint and control. And the difference between the good and bad aspects of those words.

As stated by Veyle herself, the chains on her legs are meant to control her Draconic impulses (the same thing Zephia weaponized to create her other self). Normally, a dragon would need a stone or the Fire Emblem shield to stop degeneration, the chains serve as a replacement…

The chains also uses to symbolize herself being trapped in her abusive relationship with the Hounds and Sombron. Veyle feels trapped by the persecution she suffered for being Sombron’s child, but it’s her longing for love that she wil never get that was “chaining” her to him.

EVeyle is Veyle if she didn’t accept the fact that Sombron never had and never will love her. Not as his daughter or as (more importantly) an individual. Thus, the chains that Veyle needed to break was more metaphorical, the chains on her legs are used to characterize Veyle here.

And above all else, Veyle’s personal skill is the opposite of Alear’s. Alear’s Divinely Inspiring skill allows for more damage, while Fell Protection lessens damage for Veyle’s adjacent allies. Alear allows Veyle to do more damage, while Fell Protection protects Alear. Knowing that their skills parallel to one another, there is another thing that I love about Alear and Veyle’s relationship. Alear and Veyle for the rest of the game, especially with their pact Ring support, treat each other as equals.

Veyle is the Sixth/11th hour ranger to Alear and the Royals’ five man band. Much like other Sixth Rangers like the trope namer Tommy Oliver, Veyle was an antagonist against her will that joins an already established team.

Speaking of Power Rangers, I want to take note of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. Both Geki (Red) and Burai (Tommy’s counterpart) (the 6th Ranger) are also brothers. Just like how Veyle and Alear are related to each other. Difference being that Burai dies while Veyle lives.

To add more Sixth Ranger comparisons, Veyle’s personality and story role, Veyle reminds me of Trent from Dino Thunder, where Trent suffers from an evil split personality from the Dino Gem rather than actual mind control and has a focused relationship with his dad (who is suffering from the same affliction as he is the also the main antagonist Mesogog). Trent and his father eventually patched things up, in contrast to Veyle and Sombron.

That being said, because of Veyle’s joining lategame, it does being to mind Trent’s Japanese counterpart: Mikoto Nakadai/Abarekiller, where he was evil for most of the story and only officially joins the Abarangers in the final few episodes.

And finally, Veyle also brings Go-Onger/RPM to mind where Miu Sutou who currently serves as the only female Sixth Ranger. And she also has the color Silver, a common Sixth Ranger color. And we know that Silver is Veyle’s color’s motif.

Speaking of team dynamics, let’s talk about Veyle’s supports: There are three important aspects to each of Veyle’s supports: learn more about Veyle’s feelings about being a Felll Dragon, her love for spicy foods, and above all else, atoning for her sins as EVeyle. Veyle has supports with all of the Four primary Royals (Alfred, Diamant, Ivy and Timerra) just as they do with each other.

Starting with the spicy foods, as this is a character aspect of Veyle you won’t see in the main story. And the C support with Alfred also demonstrates her more playful sides she doesn’t show normally (as in the actual plot). Diamant also helps Veyle be more free to express her love for spicy food by making into a contest for the Brodians she wish to help.

Spicy foods are a means to further characterize and differentiate herself from her evil counterpart. And it shows that EVeyle actually had a personality, and wasn’t just a mindless puppet.

As a lover both spicy and sweet foods myself, I find this to be a relatable and interesting way to further characterize Veyle without shoving it into the last few chapters of the game (which are the most serious moments in Engage).

And for the people give the of Engage’s cast crap for being one noted trait characters, all of Veyle’s supports (save for Alear) don’t focus on Alear, they focus on Veyle doing her best to live out the new life of which she went through so much to earn.

If anything that the early cutscenes with Veyle showed me, it’s this. When it comes to Veyle and wanting to find Alear, Veyle is actually very capable of taking care of herself at her age (physically 16). It was Sombron’s influence that was tying her down.

Veyle puts a lot of pressure on herself to be strong and to do the right thing. And that’s all because of what she went through in her life. Veyle’s independence is a huge strength to Veyle’s character that needs to be talked about more.

One of Veyle’s critical hit quotes is “I’m more than just a Fell Dragon.” Veyle, for her entire life, has been met with hatred for being a Fell Dragon (like the other evil examples being Grima and Sombron). This is another part of Veyle that’s explored in her supports.

Hortensia is the member of Alear’s army (at least among the people Veyle can support) who outright despises Veyle. Having your father EATEN ALIVE right in front of you, having said guy get mocked for his death and later be turned into a Sombron… yeah, I would hate Veyle too…

I bring up this support specifically because it ties with the second aspect about Veyle’s character in support chains. It’s her opinion about her life as a Fell Dragon. Much like her sibling Alear, Veyle too also wishes that they could live the life of a normal human being.

For example Alear’s B support with Chloe. Chloé idealizes the life that Alear leads, but from the perspective of someone “special,” living a “normal life” sounds better. Alear was Sombron’s child as much as Veyle was. Both Alear and Veyle feel this way for different reasons.

As a dragon, let alone a Fell Dragon, Veyle outlives human beings. As a Fell Dragon and Sombron’s child, she is met with hate and contempt from people who have suffered because of Sombron’s actions (just like how Hortensia here). Veyle hates being a dragon, and for good reason.

Mauvier had an already explained Veyle’s backstory before, but Veyle’s B support with Hortensia shows her backstory from her POV. And considering how much of a jerk Sombron is, it’s possible Sombron forced the relationship so that he can make children soldiers. Being associated with Sombron is pretty much a death sentence and marital license affairs. It’s not pretty…

This is the support that truly expresses Veyle’s reasons for why she hates everything relating to her status as the Fell Dragon. Veyle doesn’t hate Sombron himself (even after everything), she hates what being related to him has done to make her life miserable.

Like Alear, Veyle also struggles with all things related to worship. Citrinne’s B support with Veyle ends on a sour note because Veyle fears that she was being handed offerings. Same ones tied to Sombron is worshipped as a god.

This is one of the reasons I love Veyle’s support with Pandero. And Pandero is one of my favorite of retainers in Engage. His free spirited take on worship is healthy and allows others to feel, how should I put this, worshipping is special.

Maybe that wasn’t the best way to put it, but Pandero helps Veyle feel more comfortable around humans who do worship her. Not every human who worships “x” has to be crazy, violent, or overzealous. They can just offer you compassion and love. So we get a wholesome Veyle and Pandero A support that allows Veyle to truly be happier around some actually kind and sane worshippers. Also shout out to her VA’s Awooo.

And finally, we have to talk about the dragon loving maniac herself. Merrin. There is one thing I worry about with talking about this support. And it’s Merrin’s motivation to get Veyle to accept herself as a dragon.

That’s not to say I think what Merrin says to Veyle is poor worded, but I think it’s an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed about Veyle and her status as a dragon in the fandom.

And this the inability to transform into a dragon. Veyle’s bond conversation with Emblem Dragon (a fellow dragon) reveals that Veyle abandoned her dragon because she never wanted to transform into a dragon. Leaving the chains as the only way to not lose control of herself.

An interesting aspect about Alear and Veyle is that they feel more human in terms of design and character. While other dragons like Zephia and Sombron have more Draconic features and are more like evil. But their villainy comes from the actions, not from their status as dragons.

And Zelestia, looks like Zephia in (almost) every way, Zelestia is genuinely a kind hearted person who wants nothing than the best of those around her. And just like Veyle herself, Zelestia has to earn Veyle’s trust through her actions.

It can be very easy to write this off as “Veyle abandoning her Dragonstone was a mistake.” Really, all it is other people telling Veyle how she should use her powers, and to me, that mentality is no better than how Sombron and Zephia treated Veyle.

- Veyle: ... Um, Merrin... I wonder, do you only find me...cool because I’m a dragon?

- Merrin: Oh! No, Lady Veyle, not at all! I think you’re cool because of who you are. I really do. But I have to ask, do you feel ashamed that you’re a dragon?

- Veyle: Yes, of course I do. My whole life people have hated me because of it.

- Merrin: That’s not your fault. That their fault. They hated you without really knowing you.

- Veyle: But I must have some bad qualities for people to hate me that much.

- Merrin: Nobody is perfect—nobody. And you can’t change the fact that you’re a dragon. You have to embrace who you are and what you are. You’re a dragon, and that’s wonderful.

- Veyle: Wonderful?

- Merrin: Exactly. Dragons are unusual and unique and wonderful! You should take pride in that!

All Merrin is trying to tell Veyle being born a dragon isn’t a sin. What Veyle chooses to make of those words is all on her. If she chooses not to transform, that is her choice. It doesn’t mean that she is weak or incapable without transforming. And another thing, in a world that revolves around Fire Emblem characters slaying dragons, being a dragon is not the end all be all of what it means to be strong.

Alear and Veyle are strong because of who they are as people. And these individuals are shaped by the people they have met and the experiences they have gained until now. So if anything, saving the world without transforming can be another sign of strength that most can’t see…

And by the end of her support with Merrin, Veyle may still need time to accept her “individuality,” but it’s a first step in Veyle’s healing process. Learning to love herself is another step for her to become a heroic Fell Dragon.

Speaking of healing process, we still have the most important part to Veyle’s character. Her redemption arc. The Atoner is one of my favorite tropes in fiction. I saved this part for last to tie this in with the final chapters of the game (especially Chapter 25).

Ivy and Veyle’s supports as well as the latter’s support with Mauvier (who also has supports with Ivy) is crucial because both Ivy and Veyle were enemies of Alear fighting for their fathers but are now fighting to atone for their actions. While Hortensia has a hard time accepting Veyle, Ivy herself completely understands and forgives Veyle. Knowing that Ivy too has suffered mistrust from Alcryst as well as the fact that she too was Alear’s enemy, gives Ivy a reason to understand Veyle.

Not just for Veyle’s sake, but for Ivy herself, she out of all of the royals needed to have this talk with Veyle. This and Ivy’s supports with Mauvier really show how far Ivy herself has come as a former enemy of the Divine Dragon she worships.

In the case of Mauvier, he too wishes to atone for his actions as one of the Four Hounds. But Mauvier has known Veyle longer than most of the army. As her knight, not only does he feel the need to protect her, but it also means making sure Marni’s sacrifice isn’t wasted.

But here lies the conflict of this support, both Veyle and Mauvier need to trust each other. Veyle needs to trust that Mauvier wants to help Veyle. Mauvier on the other hand needs to treat Veyle as a friend, rather than some Royal that he has to protect out of duty…

- Veyle: …

- Mauvier: Lady Veyle seems safe enough. For the time being anyway. I must not be noticed following her. I will stay back and observe without being seen. I cannot imagine explaining to Marni that I allowed harm to befall Lady Veyle.

- Veyle: Mauvier! I see you following me.

- Mauvier: Lady Veyle!?

- Veyle: So, you don’t think I can take care of myself? Is that what this is?

- Mauvier: No. Or, rather, yes. I mean, I know you are very capable. But I also worry. It is my duty as a knight to keep you safe.

- Veyle: You’re not just a knight, you’re also my friend. Instead of worrying about me, try trusting me.

- Mauvier: A friend? I did not know. If that is the case, please tell me why you walk through town alone. As your friend, I am concerned for your safety. I want to understand why you would do that.

- Veyle: ... I do it to atone for my sins. A lot of people were hurt because of me. I need to find something good I can do for this town.

- Mauvier: Lady Veyle... Since that is the case, it is important that I be by your side. As one of the Four Hounds, I also committed sins for which I must atone. You are not alone in your feelings...or your goal.

- Veyle: You have such a good heart, Mauvier. And I’m lucky to have you as a friend. So, will you help me? Can we find something good to do for this town together?

- Mauvier: Of course, Lady Veyle...

It’s Marni’s change of heart (however too late it was) and sacrifice is what gave Veyle and Mauvier the chance they have right now to better themselves as individuals. It’s a long road, but they gotta be the ones to make that journey mean something.

In Marth’s Paralogue, Veyle has a boss dialogue with Emblem Marth (an Emblem used by her evil self). And as Marth himself puts it in this battle, Veyle’s journey is about being more than just Fell Dragon and puppet that Sombron created…

- Veyle: Marth? Do I really have to fight you? I...I don't want to hurt any of my friends.

- Marth: I am of no consequence to you. The battle is about conquering oneself.

- Veyle: Conquering oneself... Ah, I understand. I must conquer the Veyle I used to be!

- Marth: Now, raise your chin. You are not alone anymore. Remember that, and triumph!

From here on until the final chapter, Veyle takes up most of the cutscenes because Veyle’s story ties with Alear the most. As both of them are fighting to save the world and to free themselves from their shackles. Alear and Veyle’s support ties in with the plot too.

From Alear’s perspective, this support is about them helping Veyle be the support system she needed her whole life. From Veyle’s perspective, her support with Alear is about atoning for the past and to be a hero with Alear.

This one of the main reasons why Alear and Veyle’s support is my favorite support in Fire Emblem Engage, and is one of my favorite Fire Emblem supports of all time. It’s a support where Alear and Veyle can be comfortable around each other. Alear doesn’t have to be exasperated by a character trait and Veyle’s “trait” of wanting to atone fits with the story in question.

This support also continues Alear’s development in the main story (which I mainly attribute to Veyle after the first half of the game). From the end Chapter 10 to 17, Alear’s anger towards Veyle for being Lumera’s killer was something that clouded their judgement.

It takes learning the truth about Veyle’s affliction, and that they are Veyle’s sibling (as well as Sigurd’s Paralogue in my headcanon) for Alear to completely forgive Veyle.

It takes learning the truth about Veyle’s affliction, and that they are Veyle’s sibling (as well as Sigurd’s Paralogue in my headcanon) for Alear to completely forgive Veyle. And for Veyle’s part, she can truly begin to make things right with Alear and begin her dream of becoming a heroic dragon in earnest. And most of all, the game doesn’t make this feel like incest at all compared to Fates with Corrin and all of the major characters in the game. Alear and Veyle’s bond is built on mutual trust and understanding.

And this best shows in chapter 23 as we reach the final showdown against Zephia and Griss. In my Alear analysis, I call the final chapters of the game as “The Separation” (a reference to Bleach TYBW). As Alear and Veyle divorce themselves from their past to move forward to the future. So in this chapter; The Four Hounds, Veyle is cutting off Zephia and Griss from her life; permanently.

Chapter 23 focuses solely on Veyle, Chapter 24 focuses solely on Alear, while 25 and 26 focuses on them both (but mainly focuses on Alear).

The Four Hounds are some of the most controversial aspects of Fire Emblem Engage’s story and gameplay. And while I grown to like them more, I can understand why people hate them. Still, they are crucial parts to Veyle’s character.

I keep treating the Four Royals and Alear as family, but the story itself never does that, or at least never states it flat out. But when all is said and done, from everything we have seen of the Hounds in comparison to Alear and the others, the Hounds are only family in name.

And while they do ultimately have a dynamic at all, it’s an unhealthy one. The Hounds (excluding Mauvier) only see Veyle as a means to fulfill their desires, Zephia’s wanting of Sombron, Griss wanting more pain and Marni wanting praise…

Zephia and Griss in particular just hates the prospect of treating Veyle as a person. Using terms like “Defect” and the like (coined by Sombron). And even Zephia and Griss’s boss dialogue with Veyle show that even EVeyle was no exception… I will get into that later.

Alear and their friends never express their “family” dynamic outright, but they don’t need to. Battling together, learning to understand each other through supports, that is how Alear, the Royals and eventually Veyle grow to be a real and healthy surrogate family.

The most telling part about Zephia’s abuse over Veyle is very similar to how she was with Marni before chapter 21. Zephia fed both of them with everything they wanted to hear, but the moment they did something Zephia didn’t agree with, her first instinct is to attack/kill them.

Zephia’s love is basically “I give you everything you want, and thus you must give me everything I want in return (in her case, obedience).” And once Zephia gets something that perceives as defying her wishes, she responds in kind.

This belief of what love means all started with Sombron. Sombron expects absolute devotion from his children. This, coming from the guy who had no problems with killing Veyle (which would kill EVeyle too) for not obeying him. Sombron sees his children as pawns at best.

The twisted idea of what love is and clinging onto bad influences for said love is one of the most telling aspects about the Engage antagonists. It all starts with Sombron and Zero Emblem, then to Zephia, Griss and EVeyle, Marni and Mauvier. It’s a chain of bad influences.

In the case of Griss, he attached himself to Zephia because she was the only one to “befriend” him during his time as a worshipper of the Fell Dragon. Griss was already losing his sanity from the start, being in contact with Zephia (servant of the Fell Dragon) added onto that.

Now in chapter 12, when EVeyle and Zephia were praising Marni, he was smiling here. I could be reading too much into this, but if genuinely felt like he was in a family with the Hounds, this smile, may or may not have been genuine.

With that being said, as we already saw before, Griss is a master of gaslighting. When he brings up Marni (killed by Zephia) and Mauvier (betrayed them after the fact), Veyle shuts the accusations down by deeming them as her true knights who fought for her sake.

Griss is the yes-man to Zephia. If Zephia follows Sombron, he will follow suit. If Sombron sees good Veyle as a “defect,” then Zephia sees her as the same thing, as will Griss. Griss is a blind follower of the Fell Dragon, and Zephia even moreso…

After Marni dies for trying to save Veyle, Griss simply reacts by spitting on her corpse (figuratively) just like Zephia. For this very reason, Mauvier deems Griss as responsible for Marni’s demise as Zephia herself.

The true reason why the Four Hounds was an unhealthy family dynamic all stems from being in the wrong crowd that all started with Sombron. Zephia’s selfish idea of love is what destroyed the “family” she wanted to create. Another thing that kept Veyle trapped in her bird cage.

Zephia being in league with Sombron is the reason why Veyle was still trapped by Sombron’s chain of abuse. And it took Marni and Mauvier breaking free and Alear helping Veyle that she was able to do the same. Veyle gets them to back out, but that wasn’t going to happen…

- Veyle: We have to stop Papa. That means I have to put them behind me. It’s… about time I do.

I can’t speak for the people who had to go through what Veyle did, but even then, these final words from Veyle still hit close to home…

Say what you will about the Hounds as characters and how Zephia and Griss was handled in this chapter in particular, but IMO, this chapter has some of the best boss dialogue in Fire Emblem Engage, this is ESPECIALLY true for Veyle vs Zephia!

Starting with Griss:

- Griss: So, Lady Veyle! Where's my reward?

- Veyle: Reward?

- Griss: The real Lady Veyle promised me all the agony my heart could want. I was really looking forward to it! The cold, the severity... But in the end, nothing. Not even a scratch.

- Veyle: That Veyle…She’s gone now.

- Griss: Yeah, 'cause you killed her! So you can't be all bad. Now, you tell me—how are you gonna do it? Kill me, I mean.

- Veyle: I'll never forgive you, Griss. But I never hated you, at least from the start. I think I understand why you were with the Hounds. Why you're you. But I'm not cruel. None of this will be... a reward.

Griss really followed Veyle (EVeyle) so that he could get pain as offering to the Fell Dragon. It now makes sense why Griss was following Sombron and EVeyle and considers her good side to be a defect. Just Sombron and Zephia, Griss was forcing his expectations onto her.

Veyle is known as the “Gentle Dragon”, And even though Griss does reveal to be faking his death after the chapter, eventually Griss will lose all of the pain and future pain he could have suffered. After all, death can be an act of mercy.

And now, It’s finally time for Veyle to put Zephia down once and for all. This is my favorite boss dialogue in the entirety of Fire Emblem Engage and one of my favorites in the franchise. And nothing is more satisfying than Veyle killing Zephia. Especially with Bond Blast!

- Zephia: Ah, Lady Veyle. You mean to kill me, do you?

- Veyle: That’s right!

- Zephia: Those eyes... So like your father's. You really resemble him, you know. Far more than the other Lady Veyle did.

- Veyle: You don't see me, do you, Zephia? You see me and you think of Papa. Or that other me. When we met, you seemed so kind. I really liked you.

- Zephia: Really? I hated you. No, that's not right... I was indifferent to you.

- Veyle: …

- Zephia: Lord Sombron's puppet. That's all you were. A thing to be used and cast off. Yet somehow...I knew this day would come.

- Veyle: The day I would kill you? No wonder you didn't like me.

- Zephia: Well... You finally have my undivided attention.

If Zephia’s words about Good Veyle resembling Sombron more than EVeyle or admitting that Veyle was a disposable tool is any indication; then just like our Veyle, even EVeyle was no different, she too was a pawn in Zephia’s game. It’s actually a little sad in a way. Regardless, with one/two final Bond Blast(s), Zephia and Griss are defeated and will reunite with Marni in the afterlife.

I won’t say anything about the ending of this chapter in greater detail, because I do somewhat agree that this was the biggest low point in Engage’s writing, and deserves its own post. Regardless of how everyone feels about the “Time Travel” mechanic for chapter 24, or how Veyle feels about the Hounds even after everything they did to her, how Veyle chooses to cut the abusers out of her life is her choice.

As for Zephia herself, just doing this at the last minute to ensure she gets the last laugh on Sombron also shows that Zephia wasn’t seeking redemption. So Zephia and Griss’s deaths were meant to be tragic, but not sympathetic. There is a clear difference between the two.

Zephia’s words, now that I am doing this analysis, makes me believe that she says these words to Veyle because Zephia herself realizing that Sombron was never going to grant her wish, and never understood why. Her reason for helping Alear and Veyle was just to get back at him.

Veyle, on the other hand, chooses to remember Zephia. Maybe not as fondly as Veyle used to, but IMO, it’s a reminder that Zephia, for better or worse, is the reason why she is fighting to atone for her sins. Veyle is making a choice that Zephia never would or will choose.

As someone who has a decent enough relationship with my parents, or not, it’s not for me decide how Veyle should be best handle her abusive relationships. Whether it was right or wrong, I can’t say. As long as Veyle has learned something from it, then that’s for the best.

- Veyle: Goodbye, Zephia. … Thank you… for everything.

- Zephia: You are too kind, child.

I have made my peace with the Four Hounds overall as characters, to me, they were the perfect foils to Alear and their team IMO. And even though, this is the end of their story, Veyle and Mauvier will have to learn how to cope with the Four Hounds another way.

And this is through their alternate universe counterparts: The Four Winds. Zelestia, Gregory and Madeline are the good and alive counterparts to Zephia, Griss and Marni respectively. And they all have supports with Veyle and Mauvier. Also fun fact, with the DLC Supports in mind, I believe Veyle has the most supports out of all of the Engage units not named Alear.

IMO, these supports do an excellent job at expanding Veyle and Mauvier’s characters, it also adds more weight to Alt. Mauvier’s death too. The Four Winds were deeply impacted by the death of their comrade and he is the reason the Winds wanted to interact with Veyle to begin with.

A common theme with the Fell Xenologue is learning to overcome the pain of loss as well as learning to see someone for who they are, rather than seeing just someone else in them. This is actually a huge focus in the Veyle vs Zephia boss dialogue.

Zephia and Griss only really saw Veyle as an extension of Sombron and/or EVeyle. So the real Veyle not embodying what they believe to be in nature for Fell Dragons leads them to treat Veyle like how Sombron sees his other children, as defects.

When it comes to Zelestia, she is doting to a fault. But at the least, she is very earnest and open about her feelings. In comparison, Zephia was unwilling to express love or seek out connections. And this lead to the destruction of the family she wanted to create.

What I love about Veyle’s supports with the winds is that it gives Veyle a new challenge to overcome. She has to overcome the lingering effects of her former abusive household. The wounds that she suffered from her relationship with the Hounds have yet to heal.

The most telling part about Veyle’s support with Zelestia is that Veyle doesn’t go over all of the abusive things Zephia did to her. There’s a lot of interpretation that go into that. But Veyle only told Zelestia what she needed to know on her side of the story.

The twist here is just as Veyle has been wrongly judged for being Sombron’s child, she is (albeit unintentionally) assuming the worst of Zelestia and Gregory. That’s what makes this an interesting development for Veyle despite having no plot relevance in the Fell Xenologue.

Much like Veyle herself, Zelestia and Gregory have to take time to earn Veyle’s trust and to prove to her that they are more than just Zephia and Griss lookalikes. They are their own people and genuinely have Veyle’s best interests at heart.

These supports are the best way for Veyle to truly help her overcome her past. She had to come face to face with it through different people, yes. Even still, what helped Veyle get through the process is that Zelestia and Gregory are actually good hearted people.

Veyle sees Marni as her knight who gave her life to save her. But unlike with putting Zephia and Griss behind her, Veyle really never got the chance to truly cope with the lost of Marni. Cue her support with Marni’s Wind counterpart: Madeline.

- Madeline: Lady Veyle, forgive the interruption, but I’d like to formally introduce myself.

- Veyle: Huh? Marni, is that you?

- Madeline: Madeline, actually. Pleased to make your acquaintance.

- Veyle: Oh... Yes, of course. Nice to meet you.

- Madeline: And you. I swear, as a knight, I will do all I can to support you in battle. You know, Mauvier told me about you... He said you were strict but kind and noble.

- Veyle: Mauvier? You must mean…

- Madeline: Sorry, yes. The one from my world. But from fighting by your side, I believe you’re quite similar to the Veyle he spoke of.

- Veyle: Thank you. Really, that’s kind…

- Madeline: Is something wrong? The way you’re looking at my face... Oh no! Do I have something in my teeth? Excuse me while I find a mirror.

- Veyle: No, it’s not that... You just look like someone I used to know. Your smile... It reminds me of hers. She had such a lovely smile.

- Madeline: How kind of you to say so. My parents liked to say that one’s face reflects one’s inner self. So in complimenting my smile, I feel as if you’re praising my very soul. Not that praise is what ultimately matters. As a knight, I care only about doing what’s right.

- Veyle: You don’t...care about praise... (crying)

- Madeline: Oh dear! I meant no offense. Really, I did appreciate the compliment.

- Veyle: It’s not that. You’ve been perfectly kind. This is my fault. Please, excuse me. We’ll have to chat some other time.

- Madeline: Of course, Lady Veyle... I look forward to it.

Once again, Megan Taylor Harvey does such an excellent job at conveying Veyle’s emotions… Madeline’s supports with Veyle and Mauvier are some of my favorites supports of the DLC. Like I said before, it’s thanks to Marni that Veyle and Mauvier have a second chance at life.

The difference between Veyle’s DLC supports with Zelestia and Gregory in comparison to Marni is this. Zelestia and Gregory resemble Veyle’s abusers who she had to kill. Madeline resembles someone who ultimately changed her ways and tried to save Veyle. But it cost Marni her life.

Marni was initially serving Veyle (or her evil self) because of her selfish desire for acknowledgement. Had Marni tried to understand who the real Veyle was sooner, maybe Marni could have lived and become Veyle’s knight.

From Marni’s perspective, she too also lost a friend (her Mauvier) out of a sacrificial act. Alt. Mauvier was Madeleine’s mentor and was one of the people she saw as an ideal knight. And though his sacrifice pains her, she understands it was a knightly thing to do.

What if it was Madeline, or any o the winds that wasn’t Mauvier who died protecting their family in the Fell Xenologue? If it was the other way around, they would have died with no regrets so long as they did it to protect the people they loved.

Veyle has every right to be upset at Marni’s death. However, had things been different and Veyle gave her life for Marni instead, would she have died with a smile on her face the way Marni or even Alear did? Who knows…

By the end of their support Madeline says to Veyle that “she did well.” Which was her Hound counterpart’s final words. And these words are said because Veyle endured all of the loneliness and pain without giving up hope…

At last, the DLC helps give Marni’s death and Veyle’s reaction to it the resolution it rightfully deserves. This is something the main story never got the chance to tackle. But I am glad that Veyle got closure on this. This support does end on a slightly bittersweet note. Madeline offers to be a knight for Veyle, but she refuses.

Veyle’s support with Madeline has given the perspective she needs to truly call Marni her knight and get closure on her sacrifice. IMO, I think this is one of the reasons Veyle doesn’t accept Madeline as her knight. That’s how I see it anyway.

Veyle instead asks Madeline to be her friend, of which, the latter happily accepts. It perfectly foils with Veyle’s relationship with her Mauvier. Veyle had initially wanted Mauvier, a Royal Knight, to be her friend. Mauvier opted to be her knight instead.

All Veyle ever wanted right from the start was real friends to share her life with. Not just mere servants devoted to her cause. This is something Mauvier needed to learn their support. But this is Veyle’s chance to have her offer for friendship to be accepted.

Veyle is finally making steps in making new friends and moving forward and beyond the past. Even if her relationship with the Hounds were unstable, unhealthy and irreversible, Veyle was able to find a healthier relationship to help her move on from the pain.

The Winds may not be a replacement for the Hounds and their unrepairable relationship, but they serve to help Veyle and Mauvier (and even the Winds themselves) move on from their circumstances. To find new perspectives and hopes for the future.

With the Hounds and the Winds out of the way, we can get back to the main story (for the most part). Chapter 24 is where Alear confronts their past self. While this chapter does focus on Alear more than Veyle, there are a few key details about Past Alear is worth mentioning:

It’s how Past Alear serves as one of the key components to Veyle’s desire to be strong. As shown at the end of chapter 7, the desire to be strong was there LONG before her redemption arc. Veyle wants to be strong, just like Alear (or rather, Past Alear) was.

Where does Past Alear get all their strength from? Simple. It’s the fear of death. Although Alear wasn’t evil, the source of strength they were drawing from prior to meeting Alear was unhealthy, destructive, and is built upon by fear.

Another thing worth mentioning real quickly is the difference between how Sombron’s abuse affected both Veyle and Alear. It’s all a matter of different methodologies that goes into how they were affected by said abuse.

EVeyle is basically meant to be Sombron’s perfect daughter. This is a Jekyll and Hyde story. Veyle is considered a “defect” for not having the normal evil qualities of the Fell Dragons. Sombron and Zephia’s goal was to replace the “defect” with someone more to their liking.

It’s similar to Miklan and Sylvain in a way. Miklan was thrown to way to the wayside as heir to his household because he didn’t bear a crest. Sylvain is basically EVeyle to Miklan’s Veyle. Replacing one child for another because they didn’t have the qualities his dad wanted. As Past Alear puts it, many of Sombron’s children were either killed by him or the Corrupted because they were “defects.”

Keep in mind what Past Alear says; “Defects are disposed of.” This is another thing that proves my point on why EVeyle is more than just your everyday mind control story: EVeyle is a evil twin sister in Veyle’s mind trying to KILL AND REPLACE Veyle. Emphasis on kill and replace.

Contrast to Veyle, who is deemed a “defect” for being “soft” and not being able to summon Embelms; Alear has been threatened to be killed for even showing any emotion at all. Sombron most likely used Alear’s siblings as an example of those who don’t live up to his expectations. Thus Alear follows orders out of fear.

I know many people wish that the split personality story didn’t happen so that Veyle can be “evil” of her free will and break free without it. IMO, however, Past Alear is a tool for (one of many) purpose(s) of foiling Alear and Veyle’s characters. Alear and Veyle’s stories of how they were abused by Sombron while similar in theory, are very different in practice. Veyle was going to be replaced by a “perfect” version of her. While Alear was forced to do evil out of fear.

And while EVeyle showed various emotions when you actually realize that, Past Alear was never allowed to show emotion. EVeyle is a shadow of the darkness that living in Veyle’s heart. Past Alear was a slave that sealed their emotions away through the abuse they endured.

And as far as “acts of villainy” are concerned, in contrast to EVeyle, the most evil thing Alear was doing was collecting the Emblem Rings. Even if we are shown that Past Alear killed people, I’m sure they never would have done so if they had the choice not to.

But alas, choice was a non existent thing for both Alear and Veyle. Both forms of Sombron’s abuse towards would never allow them both the chance to determine their own lives. And they needed a guiding light and warm hand to free them from his abuse.

Back to what I was saying before about Veyle wanting to be strong like Alear. It is possible that I may be wrong about this, but if Veyle wanted to be strong like Alear, it means two possible things that could have impacted her mentality.

Take note of Veyle’s win quotes. Some of them emphasizes her kindness, while others represents her wanting to do well.

This means A. Veyle wants to be kind like Alear. Or B. Be strong enough to beat any enemy.

However, neither side that Veyle chooses is necessarily wrong. Veyle learns that she can be both by her own strength of will without discarding who she is. It’s a strength she was able to find by breaking free from Sombron and her evil self.

Alear, however, learns that their emotions and vulnerability doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Sombron sealed those emotions away because he considers them to be a sign of weakness. But Alear’s story is them acknowledging their weaknesses to be another sign of strength.

This all comes ahead in possibly the longest Boss Dialogue in the game. Veyle finally confronts the Alear that became her hope. The main purpose of this battle IMO is for Veyle to understand just how evil her father really is, which I will get to later on.

- Past Alear: Veyle? Is that you?

- Veyle: What?

- Past Alear: No... Veyle is younger than you are. Forget what I said.

- Veyle: Are you...related to Veyle?

- Past Alear: She is my youngest sibling and littlest sister. I had many sisters and many brothers. Most of them have been killed. In awful ways. Will Father dispose of Veyle too? If I think about that, it makes me sad. I would like to stand beside my sister. Always. An ally. A friend.

- Veyle: She's that important to you.

- Past Alear: You look too much like her. It bothers me. I'll defeat you now. Whoever you are, you are not my little sister.

- Veyle: You're right. I'm not your little sister. Still, I'm glad I was here with you to...hear all of that. Thank you, Brother/Sister.

It’s thanks to Alear’s friends, the Emblems and Lumera most of all that Alear becomes a true role model that Veyle could look up to. And Alear was able to save Veyle from Sombron’s abuse and become her hope, just Lumera did for them all those years ago.

In Alear and Veyle’s B support, the latter expresses just how much Alear’s actions meant to her. A few of Alear’s supports revolved around them being hope for them even if they never realize it. We also see this in Veyle too.

Both Alear and Veyle’s stories have shown that they both were in need of experiencing a real sibling relationship. Which becomes a focus in her support with Clanne (who has a twin sister in Framme). And Vander is a parental figure in his own right.

Veyle was alone for most of her life. On top of losing her siblings too, Veyle would place great stock in familial bonds. It’s something that she was deprived of for so long. That’s why finding Alear has been her goal for most of the game.

And this leads into Veyle’s other DLC support with Nel. Nel is a Fell Dragon from another world who also suffered from abuse at the hands of her Sombron. And here lies Major Fell Xenologue spoilers; not that there already wasn’t that to begin with.

I was initially going to save Nel and Veyle’s support until I talked about Nel directly. Mainly because of the controversy between her relationship with Alear. But this is the only other support Veyle has and it’s important to both of their motives in said support.

Nel and Veyle are both legitimately happy to speak with one another at first, until Veyle brought the idea of being “siblings” up. Nel’s reasoning for being uncomfortable with the idea is explained later. But it does show the difference between Nel and Veyle.

Nel’s life with Alt Sombron is her family wanting to kill her and her brother for the sake of being Sombron’s true heir. And we don’t know if the same can be said in the main Elyos, we know that EVeyle definitely wants Alear and Veyle dead so that she can be Sombron’s only child.

And to make matters worse, even the very brother who she wanted so desperately to protect also wanted to take her life. While we don’t know much about Alt. Veyle, she too also died during the war in Alt. Elyos. Nel like Alear, have witnessed the death of their siblings.

Alear never knew their siblings at

first, but they did see their siblings die in front of them because Sombron had no use for them. Nel’s rage killed her own siblings, and she and her brother knew that their siblings die every day, with her brother fearing to be next.

Much like Veyle herself, like I said before, Nel is also someone who could benefit from having a healthy sibling relationship. Regardless of if it counts considering their from alternate worlds. That’s why this support with Nel and Veyle works for them.

And above all, while Alear wears their emotions on their sleeves, Nel is someone who struggles to express herself. Nel fears that Veyle being her “sibling” will mean going back to her past. Be it with her other siblings, or her struggles with Rafal.

Fortunately, by Veyle’s A support with Nel, Veyle is able to give her new Alternate Fell Dragon sister some new perspective. One that could better her life and relationship with Rafal going forward. If Nel is free to defy her relationship, then she should decide what having a sibling means.

Remember that Alear and Veyle were forced to fight each prior to either of them learning the truth that they were siblings. It took Alear learning this truth for them to understand and forgive Veyle. As a result, the two of them really did become siblings.

Nel and Rafal fought each other as well. But Nel already knew for Rafal for who he was. And it isn’t until Nel gave her for life for his sake that he opened his eyes. Nel giving her life for her brother foils Alear doing the same for Veyle. It was quite the healing process (quite literally in some cases) for these dragon children, but that healing process is why they are the people that they are today. Be it, Veyle, Nel and Rafal, and yes, even Alear.

Thanks to Veyle’s kindness and persistence, Nel is finally ready to treat the Veyle of this world as her other sibling. This means Veyle will be much less lonelier than ever now, and Nel gets another chance at a heartwarming sibling relationship. Which makes me all the more annoyed that she doesn’t have a support with Rafal.

Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be lucky enough to have the opportunities that Veyle was given… and as the next main chapter shows, there is still more of the past that she is going to have to face to move forward. Ever since the end of Chapter 24, Veyle has been acting strangely. I wonder what she sensed protecting the Dragon Shard?

I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. Veyle is probably just tired and imagining things. I mean she did have to kill Zephia and Griss, meet Zephia again and was forced to fight her sibling. That would tire out anyone…

But Veyle wishes to spare Alear and everyone from some evil force, but again, I’m sure we can just take it down and move on right? But the question is, how are you going to fight something or someone that resembles someone close to you? Or in Veyle’s case, someone who had hurt inadvertently?

Enter: Corrupted Lumera.

This chapter focuses on two things: 1. Corrupted Lumera is Alear’s challenge to prove themselves ready to face Sombron. 2. It’s for Veyle to face the consequences of her actions and to prove why she is far beyond the person she was before.

This is just Sombron rubbing salt in Alear and Veyle’s wounds. And worst of all, considering Sombron’s dialogue in the final chapter, this was made to keep Alear trapped. And we know that Lumera doesn’t intend on leaving anyone, but Alear alive…

Alear and co. have no choice but to put the newly Corrupted Lumera down. It’s the one thing that stands between them and their final confrontation with Sombron. Alear and Veyle are both ready to do what it takes (especially the latter to fault).

I’m not sure how a lot of people feel about this next cutscene, but I rest my case. This was one of the cutscenes that truly established Veyle as my favorite character in the game. 1. It shows that Veyle isn’t perfect. And 2. It also furthers my opinion on the EVeyle plot point.

Whether it’s out of guilt, obligation or some other reason, Veyle is always doing what she feels is right. Never once does Veyle herself or the story try to sweep all that happened with Veyle under the rug. This cutscene is Veyle’s resolve…

- Veyle: “I know that it’s my fault. The fact that you died… All of this. Even though I was a puppet, I killed you, I stole the rings. My actions led to this.”

And yes, Veyle’s plan (naturally) fails, but again, no one is perfect. It’s just a reminder that Veyle shouldn’t have to carry her burdens alone. In fact, the fact that she was willing to carry the burden of (willingly) killing Lumera again is noteworthy in and of itself.

Like I said before, Chapter 23 and 24 focuses on Alear and Veyle individually. Here, Chapter 25 focuses on them both, but still mainly focuses on Alear. Regardless of what Alear thinks, both of them have to fight together if they want to beat Sombron and save Elyos.

Despite everything, Veyle is still doing her best to change her future. The effort of proving to herself and the world that she is more than just Sombron’s child isn’t easy. It’s thanks to her sibling and her friends that Veyle can fight for the right cause.

- Corrupted Lumera: Here to kill me. Again. Why another attempt? You must know the result will be the same.

- Veyle: I still have to try. No matter how many times I fail, I'm not going to give up. My brother/sister taught me I can shape the future for the better!

- Corrupted Lumera: Ah, my child taught you that? How I envy you. That memory... That time together... Everyone, it seems, has a future. And hopes and dreams too. Why should you get such treasures, while I'm denied them?! It's not fair! Be gone, once and for all! Away with you!

And after the battle is over and Lumera is freed, Veyle doesn’t get the chance to bury the hatchet with Lumera properly. But even then, Veyle still thought about Alear rather than herself.

All of the pain staking battles Veyle is going through is for the sake of creating a better future for those around her. She can’t dwell on her failures forever. Regardless of whether or not Lumera got to see the real Veyle, we know who Veyle really is. That is enough

And as we reach the final chapter of Engage, Veyle is finally truly ready to put her father behind her. Veyle had to learn to accept the truth that her father never truly loved her. The true love that she needed was something he was never going to give her.

- Veyle: I was so lonely, I couldn’t admit it, but… he stopped being my father long ago. There’s no bond left to break.

All of Fire Emblem Engage’s antagonists have one thing in common: it’s clinging onto bonds in an unhealthy manner. Both Veyle and Alear were at risk of becoming like these Evil Veyle, Zephia, Corrupted Lumera, and even Sombron if not for the lessons they had learned throughout the story.

Just look at Ivy and Hortensia as well. They were followers of Sombron once because of their father. And everything they did, they did for him, despite not being in his right mind. And it takes his death, among other things, for them to realize the error of their ways.

The other Veyle only cared about being Sombron’s one and only daughter. Little does she know that Sombron wasn’t opposed to disposing her too alongside the real Veyle if she was “malfunctioning…” And as Veyle puts it later, Sombron wasn’t coming to save her.

If Zephia was never under Sombron’s influence herself, maybe she, the rest of the Hounds, and Veyle could have been the family that Zephia herself claimed them to be. Her obsession with winning Sombron’s favor destroyed that chance. As for the other Hounds, the same applies with them towards Zephia. And only Mauvier is the one who got to live and change his ways. Griss chose not to, and Marni died for her change of heart.

And all of this chain abuse started with Veyle’s father Sombron. He clung onto his lost/non existent relationship with Zero Emblem. Sombron represents what Alear and Veyle would have become if they to relied on bad influences like Sombron to “cure” their loneliness.

And we also see Sombron’s ideology forced onto Lumera. Twisting her loneliness to transform her into something that she isn’t. Corrupted Lumera cares about keeping Alear to herself, everything else be thrown in damnation.

Even if Veyle was focused on finding Alear, Veyle always treasured making new friends everywhere she went. She wasn’t so desperate to find Alear that she threw away any desire to make any bonds between others. That’s the main difference between her and Sombron.

An underrated aspect about Veyle is that Veyle’s entire character doesn’t revolve around just Alear. Most of her supports don’t even have Veyle mentioning Alear often or at all. As I mentioned earlier, Veyle is far more independent than most may think.

Veyle is a strong person, even more so than she may think. Even one of her Ally Notebooks state that she can withstand pain the most. Granted this can be taken in multiple ways, but it’s a subtle, yet still an effective way to characterize Veyle.

And now, we have reached the final part of Veyle’s story, let’s talk about the rest of her support with Alear. Much of the A support is already conveyed in Chapter 25, but the twist here is that like with Zephia and Griss, Veyle can’t bring herself to completely hate Sombron even after everything he did to her and so many others

That being said, Veyle is not hesitant to stop him anymore. That’s what really matters. And this also fits with her conversation with Corrupted Lumera. Veyle remembered the promise she made to her mother to stop Sombron, and that’s what she plans on doing.

And of course, the Pact Ring support… the first thing that I want to say: THERE IS NO INCEST IN THIS SUPPORT! ALEAR AND VEYLE SEE EACH OTHER AS SIBLINGS! I already have my opinion about it and what the Pact Ring represents in my Alear analysis.

Let me tell you a story about why I chose Veyle as my Pact Ring option (my first no less). Once upon a time, when I was playing the game and got to point, I had heard that many of Alear’s Pact Ring supports were Platonic (some of which were for good reason).

My top 3 Pact Ring choices were Chloé, Ivy, and Yunaka. And I gave the ring to Alfred on my second run with Female Alear. I was initially annoyed at most were platonic, so I didn’t know which to choose at the time. And that’s when a thought crossed my mind…

The whole point of the Pact Ring is not just an act of marriage. Fire Emblem Engage has taught me that we choose to defy what are relationships are. Lovers, friends, family, etc. the fact that we hold each other close to our hearts. That is enough.

IMO, Alear and Veyle’s relationship is the main selling point of Fire Emblem Engage. The best part is, unlike with Corrin and the Hoshidan and Nohrian nobles, Alear and Veyle are allowed to be genuine siblings! It is for this reason, among many others is why Veyle and Alear’s support is my favorite support in Fire Emblem Engage.

For the final chapter, I won’t go over Sombron’s backstory with Zero Emblem, but I will focus on another aspect about this story with Sombron. Sombron is what Veyle could have been if she had never taken responsibility and owned up to what happened.

Sombron is someone who chose to forgo making relationships and making new bonds in a delusional belief of Zero Emblem’s MO. EVeyle was also someone who disregards bonds. This is another aspect of EVeyle. She is Sombron’s dogma forced upon Veyle. And for all of Sombron’s talk about bonds meaning nothing to him, he still clings to the “bond” he had with Zero Emblem. Just as EVeyle and Zephia did with Sombron. As a result, it created a chain of abuse that would hurt everyone around them.

Even if Veyle had no control of her actions at the time, Veyle still chose to atone. She didn’t hide behind EVeyle’s actions. Sombron did everything willingly and he chooses not to atone. Even after he is defeated, he still doesn’t consider how his actions affect others.

And one other thing that separates Veyle from Sombron that I realized. Sombron has been all about taking revenge and his hate out on others. Veyle never once does that. Veyle never truly hated anyone for lashing out at her (like what happened after Chapter 15).

Veyle has just as much as stakes in this battle as much as Alear does. Depending on who you ask, maybe even more. Sombron is the root of all of the problems she and all of Elyos had to face. He embodies what she could have been. This is Veyle’s chance to prove him wrong. And above all else, if she and Alear fail to beat Sombron; not only all of Elyos and many other worlds will be doomed, but she and Alear will be Sombron’s unwitting tools for the many, MANY years to come.

And as much as Alear rallying his friends despite losing the Emblems briefly is Alear’s crowning moment, Veyle deserves special mention. She is the first person to readily stand by Alear. Up until now, Alear has been the one person giving Veyle the will to live. Here, Veyle is returning the favor.

Veyle wanted to be like Alear: A kind Fell Dragon who saves the world. And that time is now. Everything since they say they met in Chapter 4 has been leading up to this. Veyle was an unwitting pawn against Alear, but now, she is Alear’s most trusted ally and friend!

- Veyle: As your sister and fellow dragon, I’ll do whatever it takes to help you stop Papa.

11 chapters ago, Alear and the Four Royals treated Veyle as their enemy. And she was, for the most part. But now in this moment in time, Veyle stands to together with her long lost sibling, and all of their many friends ready to take down Sombron together!

There is NOTHING more satisfying than having the very same “defect” Sombron used to cause so many problems (the same “defect” that can’t transform, can’t summon Emblems, and is too kind to hate even him) be the one who, together with another “defect,” be the ones to kill Sombron!

- Veyle: With the Divine Dragon!

- Alear: Engage Blast!

No matter what anyone may say about Engage, NOTHING will ever change my opinions on Veyle. She is my favorite character in Engage. IMO, she is the best written character in Fire Emblem Engage. And above all else, I wouldn’t have love the story of Engage if not for Veyle.

Veyle’s story is all about overcoming her abusers in a healthy manner, forgiveness, taking responsibility, fighting for what you believe in, finding worth in one’s self, and finding family that love you for who you are. That is Veyle’s story.