So new FE FW trailer is coming out and we’re getting SOME new information https://youtu.be/Es996rhpqBI?si=jOaJDk2P-gb8wdVr

So let’s get the actual technical facts out of the way first before we get into heavy speculation.

So, as we knew the premise of the game is built around these heroic games in DAGDA of all places. Probably the least expected thing. Though admittedly a lot of the foreign countries in FE3H outside of Almyra were underdeveloped and probably ripe for further expansion.

Now we can clearly see that this will be a game will be built around a single hub world like 3H, however there does appear to be a much more robust map system. Options for your characters to do in between matches and chapters. In fact, it even looks like they are taking the dungeon exploration from FE Echoes of all things.

Now speaking of mechanics, holy shit looks like there will be some time mechanic and calendar system. Now this could mean anything. My hope is they found a way to mitigate the dead air of Garreg Mach weekdays. And it looks like they are offering a lot of options so far.

Now we also have recruitable characters around town. Now there was no clarification if these are characters tied to a certain lord or will this essentially be the entire FE cast that depending on how you want to play it, you can recruit. We will have to see. My hope is that because they are going to be doing a route system, we do have more locked characters to certain routes and written with specific lords in mind.

And now for the thing that's a little vague and I wish we got a further elaboration on. There is going to be four separate routes. This doesn't look like it'll be a Radiant Dawn situation, its Four Houses essentially. Now what will be interesting is how they choose to use those route based storytelling because we see two lord characters being playable on the same time with Cai and Detrich. So is it possible that this is a recruitment thing or does the focus of the story change to fit the lord and the other lords are capable of going along? It is unclear.

HOWEVER, this is where we get into some heavy speculation before we get into that section-while we are shown that you can control these lord characters, it appears we might not be Avatar free. As the art book that FE FW showed off, and the box art highlights this figure in the center similar to Byleth in Three Houses. So, I think it's fair to say there will be some type of Avatar effect on the plot, now doesn't seem to be another Byleth/Robin/Corrin type character seeing as we are controlling the four lord characters, so perhaps this is a Mark situation?

I'll stop with the speculation on that and wait for the future updates. But so far from what we can confirm and what is available to us, this looks so good.

Obviously keep expectations managed, but wow one of my biggest complaints with FE for possible a decade plus is that they don't built on top of concepts they introduce. But now? Fortune's Weave genuinely looks to be taking so many mechanics from like Echoes onwards into making a better FE game. We have potentially a fixed version of the calendar system, a hub world with tons of stuff to do and a plot that seems largely focused around this one area, finally finding a solid middle ground with the 3D character portraits, dungeons and other such free time events outside of the hub world, and a route system where the focus is more on the lords as the protagonists than an Avatar. Now it's possible that when we get the full game there will be issues. Afterall I was hyped for 3H before it released and it had its flaws and I was hyped for Engage and it had its flaws. We just won't know till we go hands on but mark me down as currently optimistic.

Now that was the hard stuff and now it's time for the speculation. Take everything, I say with a grain of salt. And I could totally be wrong here. But after doing some sleuthing I think I noticed a few big things in what we have in store.

The first thing is our seemingly Avatar character Eshmel. Eshmel appears in the trailer in a flash of blinding white light and seemingly stops an invasion of of dark forces. We don't exactly know when this happens relative to the game's time frame, but they seem to be a big deal and have either a male or female gender option.

And... its Byleth isn't it? Like that's the Sword of the Creator. Just tied to a stick. This is Byleth probably on some Lucina shit. Traveling through time to advert some crisis.

Well, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility given their time turner powers.

And speaking of time, what time is it? Well, if you spy in the corner. This Calander says that the year is 1449 and Fire Emblem Three Houses the imperial calendar was 1180. So, this would mean that FEFW is taking around 300 years in the future. Now there are reasons this might not be the case-this could be a Dagda calendar system and its different. Afterall, the imperial calendar system in 3H lore was it was made after the establishment of the Empire and defeat of Nemesis. And Sothis is clearly alive. This leads me to three potential theories

Theory 1: This is the future and regardless of what route you choose in 3H all roads lead to this future. Sothis in the course of that time was reborn or something. Which I personally don't want to be the case as I feel like it guts the impact of 3H's entire story OR this is just one specific route ending which I also don't like the idea of saying "Yeah this is the route we're expanding on."

Theory 2: Is that there is no Fodlan yet and that Sothis and co were living in Dagda before settling in Fodlan. This is the one I'm very unsure of given that Dagda is just kind of an unknown nation, and you could add whatever history you want to it.

Theory 3: This is an alternate universe. Let me cook here. If Eshmel is Byleth who is using time travel, its possible that Byleth went back intime and made sure Sothis never died. In doing so it altered the course of history and resulted in a different Fodlan that may have expanded outwards into Dagda. Now for 1400 years Sothis has remained in control of everything and kept balance in away Rhea never did. So this is a new world where the events of 3H never happened. Its not like FE3H hasn't already made what if spin offs already.

This is of course all hypotheses and perhaps a new trailer or direct will shoot that down, but it does seem like this isn't going to be your average FE sequel or prequel. Now my primary demand though is that like Fire Emblem Awakening, this game does stand on its own and create its own inviting narrative and world that can be enjoyed without needing me to play Shadow Dragon or New Mystery of the Emblem, or Genealogy of the Holy War etc.

Now onto who seems to be our central villain who... is clearly a Nabatean.

Green hair, pointy ears, evil Aversa style sexy dress. Yeah, this is probably a Nabatean bad guy. And given they won't show off their face I'm gonna imagine this isn't just some villain, it's possibly a Nabatean we've met. Prehaps an alternate version of Rhea or Flayn? Or a brand-new Nabatean we've never met?

Again in terms of plot this is all we really have. Which hey, I'd rather they keep it close to the chest then spell it all out. But we will have to see.

MORE RENORA FOR THE SOUL !!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Nora!