#fe-oc-week

Kitt Burgess, Ward of the Church - Part II A few years before 1180, the Church of Seiros was alerted to suspicious activity in the Oghma Mountains. When Seteth and Flayn arrived at the village of Annwen to investigate, they discovered a burning ruin filled with its former inhabitants, either lying dead or transformed into rampaging Demonic Beasts. It was there that Kitt, the sole survivor of the disaster, was discovered in a death-like state with a damaged Crest Stone embedded in the back of their neck.

Sensing signs of life, Flayn attempted to heal Kitt, but was unable to stabilize the corrupting influence of the Crest Stone. Seeing that the convulsing Kitt was in danger of transforming into a Demonic Beast, Flayn begged Seteth to intervene. Together, they enacted a ritual sanctioned by the Archbishop Rhea and performed a heavy transfusion of blood. This miraculously succeeded in halting the transformation - if only for the time being.

Kitt was brought to Garreg Mach Monastery, where they spent a year in recovery adjusting to the blood in their veins and beginning a new life under the watchful eye of the Church. Though the transfusion was enough to save their life, it was not enough to fully neutralize the danger posed by the Crest Stone, nor are they yet visibly able to manifest the necessary Crest. As such, they are subject to violent attacks and transformations on occasion. The ordeal also seems to have affected their memories. They struggle to recall key events and figures in their past, and yet the memories they are able to recall seem 'impossible', as though they belong to someone else.

For a time, they were cared for by Seteth and Flayn, who welcomed them into the fold as though they were family. However, Kitt eventually grew suspicious of Seteth, Flayn, and the Archbishop Rhea, sensing that there was more behind the calamity at Annwen and the Crest Stone in their neck than the three were willing to disclose. The church's politics and secret-keeping only compounded their suspicion further. As a result, Kitt has ceased to trust their new family and has had a falling out since.

But perhaps the reason behind this quarrel runs deeper below the surface. Perhaps Kitt glimpsed something in the memories imbued by the Crest Stone - some terrible truth that Flayn and Seteth tried to conceal from them. Or perhaps something even more terrible happened to the three of them, such that it was enough for them to sever ties.

It is said that the Archbishop Rhea is unable to look at Kitt directly in the eye. Yet, she is the one who declared Kitt a protected ward of the Church of Seiros, and that their safety and well-being in Garreg Mach was to be ensured without question.

Gwyn, the Unsung Hero - Part I It is said that the warrior Gwyn first appeared at Lake Annwen, deep in the Oghma Mountains, when Nemesis began his bloody campaign to conquer Fodlan. When refugees, deserters, and defectors fled into the mountain wilderness, Gwyn took these people under their wing and declared Annwen a sanctuary upon which none will suffer persecution from the church nor conquest from Nemesis. Over time, a small city was built - one that mirrored the now ruined Zanado, defended alone by Gwyn, who was soon revered as a hero by the people they safeguarded.

The growing settlement and the seemingly inhuman strength of their founder attracted the attention of the Seiros Army. However, Gwyn refused to entreat them until Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann appealed to the warrior directly. Gwyn at last agreed to offer up their strength in service to Seiros, though only after forcing Saint Cichol to swear that the people of Annwen would be kept safe from all harm and allowed to live their lives in peace. As a show of goodwill, the Saints gifted Gwyn the sacred axe known as Canopus to wield in the oncoming battle.

This was the first - and only - manifestation of the Crest of Gwyn known to history.

Gwyn was instrumental in defending Enbarr against Nemesis and his Elites. Though they emerged from the siege heavily wounded, their actions allowed the Army of Seiros to push back and gain a foothold northward. On the day of the founding of the Adrestian Empire, Gwyn returned the Axe of Canopus to Saint Cichol, intent on leaving for Annwen. When Emperor Wilhelm I asked if Gwyn would accept a reward for defending the capital, the hero responded that they only wished for the people of Annwen to live well and in peace for all their days.

When offered a place among the Saints, they refused. And so, from that point on, they faded away from history. Some say that Gwyn perished shortly from their wounds and was laid to rest. Others say they simply fell into a deep sleep at an unknown location and remains so to this day. Others claim that Gwyn lived the rest of their life in full among the ordinary people of Annwen.

After the Battle of Tailtean, Fodlan was unified, bringing an age of uncertain peace to the land. The population of Annwen soon dwindled as its inhabitants began to leave the remote sanctuary to start their lives anew in Adrestian society. Though the city was soon forgotten over the ages, a dedicated few remained to form a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Gwyn. Living quiet lives away from main society, they continued to honor the hero and safeguard the mysterious stone they had left behind, along with the promise that they would one day return.

The Capricious One - Part I 'Capricious' is the name of the Nabatean whose tale is a blemish upon their people's history.

In ancient times, they wandered the land and walked freely among humans, refusing to be tied to such a place as Zanado where their own kind dwelled.

They harbored a mutual disdain for the other Nabateans, including their own family, but deeply venerated the Goddess Sothis.

They were said to be closely related in blood to the Nabatean known as The Hammer of Judgment, he who would later take up the name Saint Cichol. It is speculated that the two were like siblings. Though they confided in one another, their opposing natures often put them at odds.

Theirs was the Sign of the Mist Dragon.

They were notorious amongst other Nabateans for their tempestuous personality and acting upon a wicked whim, true to their name. Whispers of ancient history suggested that they were capable of both limitless kindness and unimaginable cruelty, of great contempt and greater love, as greedy as they were generous, known to show astonishing mercy and yet hold everlasting grudges.

Though these qualities made them wildly unpredictable, they always heeded the wisdom of the Goddess, and would on occasion show deference to their counterpart - The Hammer of Judgment.

Whenever they took their escapades too far, the Immaculate One would often be called upon to reprimand them, which resulted in a growing tension between the two.

Some said they reveled in causing trouble. Others said they simply saw the world differently, and had only the best of intentions.

Even before the fall of Zanado, to whisper their name was to invite shame and sorrow.

…Not because of the unfathomable deeds they committed, but for the horrific fate they suffered as a result.

The Burgess Family It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the family of Burgess arrived at Annwen, though in likelihood they appeared some time after the defeat of Nemesis, and well after Gwyn was laid to rest. Though they claimed to be a family of merchants, many suspected that they were refugees from remnant factions of the now dismantled Agarthan empire. Gwyn, the founder of the original city of Annwen, had been known to take in defectors of Agarthan origin. And so, in following the example of their departed hero, the people of Annwen accepted the merchant family into the fold, sheltering them from the Church of Seiros.

They settled in without trouble, bringing with them ancient artifacts stolen from the underground caches of their former civilization. These they offered up to the people of Annwen for safekeeping and communal use. Mostly, they included crafting implements that were used to forge armor, weave garments, and polish stones.

Among the artifacts was a curious knife, ordinary-looking in all appearances yet strangely versatile in various applications of craftsmanship. Villagers would often remark on how it would subtly change in appearance over time, but not in a way that signified normal wear and tear. There were times when it appeared to shift and transform before their very eyes, though many dismissed this as a trick of the light. Others believed that the knife was magical. But whenever the people of Annwen used it for their own purposes, there was never any trouble.

In any case, these artifacts enabled the people of Annwen to thrive independently, away from the Church and the Empire, as well as the Kingdom and the Alliance when they each formed years later. These contributions cemented the Burgess family's place in the village for ages thereafter, even enabling them to take on leadership and guidance roles within the village from time to time. Eventually, enough time passed such that not even their present day descendants could remember their Agarthan ancestry…

The Village at Lake Annwen - Part II Many followers of the Church of Seiros wondered why certain remote settlements were allowed to exist in Fodlan away from the enlightenment of Seiros' teachings. The village of Annwen, which Gwyn held sacred, was one such example before its destruction. In particular, Saint Cichol was known to forbid anyone from interfering with the affairs of the village by order of the Church. Even in recent years, Seteth has remained adamant on this stance. Only a handful of scholars and researchers have been allowed to visit on a provisional basis, on the condition that there was to be no proselytizing.

That was not to say that the people of Annwen did not pay respects to the Goddess - only that Seiros and the Four Saints were less prominent in their worship. Even the hero Gwyn, despite not trusting Seiros and her followers, had been known whisper prayers to the Goddess Sothis. And so, in following the example of their hero, the villagers of Annwen honored the Goddess in a manner wholly unique from the Central, Eastern, and Western Churches. For some reason, the Central Church has decided not to object to this, and allowed the people of Annwen to live peaceful lives of their own choosing. Such was the promise sworn by Saint Cichol to the hero Gwyn.

Perhaps this was one of the factors that led to its destruction, for it left the Church unaware and unable to intervene when mages from a more sinister faction began to make frequent visits, making their ill intentions known only once the people of Annwen were fully accustomed and trusting to their presence. Disguised as humble scholars, they were determined to retrieve the fabled Heart of Annwen for their own dark purposes. In a sudden and coordinated attack, they struck down any who dared stand in their way, burning the village to the ground in the process.

One can only imagine the wrath they would have faced if Gwyn were to witness the crimes inflicted upon their beloved village and its people. Perhaps this was why the survivors who managed to escape the initial attack decided with heavy hearts that the time had finally arrived to enact the Rite of Awakening, even at the cost of their own lives.

Though the Rite of Awakening was meant to revive Gwyn from their endless sleep, it is speculated that something more ancient and terrible was summoned forth instead. But what could have gone wrong? The only evidence is a peculiar knife that was found at the scene of the ritual. At first it was ordinary and innocuous in appearance. But once placed in Kitt's hands, it transformed into weapon resembling a Hero's Relic. As its power awakened, so did the rage and torment of the demonic creature whose bones and blood were used to forge it.

But as the legend goes, both hero and demon are one and the same - thus it can be argued that perhaps in some unrecognizable shape and form, Gwyn did return to life.

Kitt Burgess, Ward of the Church - Part I Kitt is a mysterious orphan who was taken in by the Church of Seiros at the behest of Seteth and Flayn. Though they are enrolled as a student at Garreg Mach, they have yet to officially join a house. Prior to arriving at the monastery, they lived in a remote village deep within the southern Oghma Mountains. Today, that area is but a burnt ruin, infested with Demonic Beasts.

Though outwardly polite and accommodating, they are known to be elusive, especially when asked to speak about themselves and their past. They are reluctant to use their full strength in combat, yet show an unsettling sort of enthusiasm when fighting monsters. They harbor a mutual distrust towards various members of the Church of Seiros, due to the latter's politics and secret-keeping. However, they seem to like the Professor well-enough and view them as a calming presence. They have an interest in superstition and local folklore, especially with matters concerning fate. They spend much of their time exploring the wilderness, investigating any reports of monsters or other unusual activity.

Should they be recruited, they will gladly follow Byleth to the end in any of the four routes. Otherwise, they will remain with the Church of Seiros.

Carnwennan, The Illusory Blade A forgotten relic associated with Gwyn, the Unsung Hero. The history of its usage and origins are unknown to Fodlan at large, as it has been discovered only recently by the Church of Seiros. However, the nature of its very creation is suspected to be 'monstrous beyond comprehension'.

It has the shape of a short blade, though it has the ability to suppress its own relic powers and take on the appearance of an ordinary knife. This would be explain why it has been highly difficult to track throughout history. Its true form is yet unknown. How it ultimately came to be in the possession of one Kitt Burgess is a story that they refuse to tell.

Despite taking the shape of a knife, it can be equipped as a sword.

Requires the Crest of Gwyn/Sign of the Mist Dragon to properly wield.

Chance of inflicting Silence on each attack.

Exclusive Combat Art: Spectral Sword - Might increases based on user's Resistance. Effective against Dragon foes and Mage-type units

Canopus, The Blessed Axe A sacred axe crafted by Saint Macuil, at the commission of Saint Seiros. Its powers are intended to be awakened when wielded by someone bearing the Crest of Gwyn. Because the 'true' bearer of the Crest of Gwyn has been lost since ancient history, Saint Macuil required the assistance of Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann in order to correctly calibrate the weapon.

vs transformed Miklan (Conand Tower, White Clouds):

Kitt: "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this… But that's why I'm here."

Kitt: "Listen, Professor. If you can crack its armor, I'll make quick work of it."

Kitt: "But if you want to give your students an impromptu lesson on how to fell a Demonic Beast… I won't object."

If ordered to attack transformed Miklan: Kitt: "Fine, then. Allow me to show you how it's done."

vs Edelgard:

(Battle of Garreg Mach, pre-time skip)

Edelgard: "You and I are not so different, Kitt. I know you wish to be free of the Church's machinations. We might have walked this path together, had you trusted me."

Kitt: "This is rich, coming from the Flame Emperor herself. Your entire reign is built on lies and secrets. I can't trust you any more than I can trust the Church."

Kitt: "And as they say, better the devil you know…"

(Battle at Enbarr, Silver Snow/Verdant Wind)

Kitt: "Edelgard. Let Rhea go. I don't know what you have planned for her, but she and I have a score to settle."

Edelgard: "I am not concerned with vendettas of the ancient past, nor will they have a place in Fodlan's new dawn."

Edelgard: "You of all people should understand what it's like to be powerless, to have all control over your own fate wrested away by the likes of Rhea and her ilk."

Edelgard: "Knowing that, how can you truly wish for her to walk free?"

Kitt: "Because no one deserves to be buried underground, sealed away from the rest of the world and forgotten, left to the mercy of their jailers."

Kitt: "Believe me, I do understand."

(Battle at Enbarr, Azure Moon)

Kitt: "That's quite the transformation, Edelgard. Well done. You've already mastered what I've had to practice in secret for years."

Kitt: "But surely you must know what happens to monsters like you and me. I'll cut you down, same as all the rest.

Hegemon Edelgard: "You are welcome to try."

vs Seteth:

(Battle at Garreg Mach, pre time-skip, Crimson Flower)

Seteth: "Of all people, I thought you would have learned not to repeat the mistakes of the past."

Seteth: "Stand down, lest I be forced to repeat some mistakes of my own."

Kitt: "Seteth. Didn't you promise long ago that the people of Annwen would suffer no harm under your protection?"

Kitt: "I've been meaning to talk to you about that. But for now, it looks like we'll have to fight each other instead."

(Battle at Garreg Mach, post time-skip, Crimson Flower)

Kitt: "Hello, Seteth. You've quite the nerve to show your face around here."

Seteth: "You took the words out of my mouth."

Seteth: "To think, after everything we've tried to do for you, you would once again betray our trust and bear teeth against your own family."

Kitt: "Ha. You're one to talk about trust or family. Even that kid you called 'sister' was getting tired of your never-ending charade."

Seteth: "You will not drag Flayn into this! No matter who you are, know that I will destroy you to safeguard her if I must!"

Kitt: "Then you should have thought about that before bringing her here."

(If Kitt defeats Seteth)

Kitt: "Take Flayn and leave Garreg Mach - now - before I end your life. This is the only chance I'm giving you. I suggest you take it."

Seteth: "I… I understand. We will not meet again."

Seteth: "Regardless of everything else… I am grateful for your mercy. It is certainly more than we have shown you, and more than either of us deserve."

Kitt: "Don't come back."

vs Flayn:

(Battle at Garreg Mach, pre time-skip, Crimson Flower)

Flayn: "Kitt, what are you doing? You cannot truly mean to fight us! We're your family!"

Kitt: "You and I seem to have wildly different ideas about how this 'family' is supposed to work."

Kitt: "For example, if you get to call Seteth 'brother'… where does that leave me?"

Flayn: "I… That's not…"

Kitt: "Not what? Not fair?"

Kitt: "I'll tell you what else isn't fair - being treated like some lost broken toy you can fix and heal until I'm good as new. Better than new. Until there's nothing left of the old me."

Kitt: "Why couldn't you just let me stay asleep forever?"

(Battle at Garreg Mach, post time-skip, Crimson Flower)

Flayn: "Why are you doing this, Kitt?"

Kitt: "Not one step closer, Flayn."

Flayn: "Tell me, I beg of you! I wish only to understand! In what way have I done you wrong? What must I do to make amends?"

Kitt: "Enough! I know you only have the best wishes at heart, but I won't serve as a vessel for your good intentions."

Kitt: "And unlike you, I refuse to spend the rest of my life hiding behind a web of lies and secrets."

Flayn: "Kitt… I know not what to say. To think that it should come to this…"

(If Kitt defeats Flayn)

Kitt: "Find your father and go. Leave this place and never come back."

Flayn: "I… Yes. I will do as you say."

Flayn: "I wish you nothing but happiness for the rest of your days. Good-bye, Kitt."

Kitt: "…Good-bye, Flayn."

vs Rhea:

(Final Battle, Silver Snow)

Kitt: "This is just like what happened at Annwen… and the day I was struck down."

Kitt: "Rhea. This disaster is of your own making. But to suffer like this is too much for anyone to bear - even you."

Kitt: "Like all the beasts I've felled before, I'll put an end to your pain."

(Battle at Garreg Mach, pre-time skip, Crimson Flower)

Rhea: "I see you are determined stand against me here once more, after all the mercy I've shown you, after every second chance I've given. You truly are the capricious one, aren't you?"

Kitt: "I discarded that name long ago. It's just Kitt now."

(Battle at Tailtean, Crimson Flower)

Seiros: "You. I know what you are. I've seen your true face, for it has haunted me since that day I struck you down."

Seiros: "I did everything in my power to make amends, to restore you to full glory, just like she bade me. And yet once more, I must destroy you where you stand."

Kitt: "You still haven't figured it out, have you? She set you up with an impossible task. It was never in your power to reverse the deeds of the past."

Kitt: "No matter how hard you try, some things can never be fixed, nor healed, nor restored to what they once were. She was trying to teach you a lesson."

Kitt: "But it's fine. I've moved on from that. And so can you."

Seiros: "You know I cannot. I was never as quick to change as you are. Nor will I stop trying to bring her back, even if you are determined to betray her memory time and time again."

(Battle of Fhirdiad, Crimson Flower)

The Immaculate One: "You! Miserable, conniving serpent who dares hide itself among the flock!"

The Immaculate One: "You are not worthy of her blessing! Not worthy of her blood! I should have sealed you in your own grave while I had the chance!"

Kitt: "Yes, you should have. But don't be sad. The moment you're gone from this world, I won't be far behind."

As enemy, if not recruited:

(Battle at Garreg Mach, post-time skip, Crimson Flower, if Kitt not recruited)

Kitt: "It's a shame we can't catch up, for old time's sake. Too bad I must ask you to move."

Kitt: "…Or by all means, keep on testing me. You're not going to like what happens next, and neither am I."

If defeated:

Kitt: "Into the dark, once more. Maybe this time…forever."

vs Byleth:

(Battle at Garreg Mach, post-time skip, Crimson Flower, if Kitt not recruited)

Kitt: "Professor. Did I ever tell you? How much you remind me of someone I once knew?"

Kitt: "Long ago, she told me that the moment I've decided who my people are, I must fight to protect them with everything I have. Even if it means defying the Goddess herself."

Kitt: "…I suppose you don't know or remember, do you? Yet here you are, following in her example, just as I am doing now."

TWISTD Members:

vs Solon

(Remire Village)

Kitt: "I should have known it was you. You're the one who started all this. First my village, and now…Remire."

Solon: "So now you know who I am, Ghost of Annwen. But if you think I'm but simple prey for you to hunt down, you are gravely mistaken!"

(Sealed Forest)

Solon: "Take not one step closer, Demon of Annwen! Lest your weakness for these beasts prove your undoing!"

Kitt: "What's the matter, Tomas? I thought you always dreamed of finding out how the story ends."

vs Kronya

Kronya: "You don't scare me. You're nothing but a stupid ghost story! I'll send you back to the filthy grave you crawled up from, you little freak!"

Kitt: "So you've heard of me from your darling bedtime stories. I guess I won't have to explain what happens to you next."

vs Cornelia

Cornelia: "Well now. This really won't do. I'll have to put an end to you quickly."

Kitt: "And I'll be sure to end you slowly."

vs Thales

Thales: "You insatiable wretch! That you would choose to menace me now, here, of all places!"

Gwyn, the Unsung Hero - Part II Though the story of Gwyn is little known in Fodlan society, one tale that has recently surfaced from obscurity is that of the Ghost of Annwen.

Legends say that the spirit of a fallen warrior sleeps for a hundred years at a time, deep beneath a lake hidden in the Oghma Mountains. When it wakes, it shows one of two faces - that of a great hero or a terrible demon. None may know which face it will show when it awakens - only that the world will be forever changed. Even in sleep, it guards the mountains, ensuring peace and order, answering the prayers of those who are in great danger. However, those who dare incite violence and tragedy within the ancient sanctuary will be hunted down without mercy by the Demon of Annwen.

There was a time in ancient history when it brought unfathomable destruction and chaos to Fodlan, and was condemned to death for its misdeeds.

And yet, there was another time when it saved Fodlan from certain doom, sacrificing itself in the process.

The hero is just and fair as much as the demon is cruel and wretched, so says the tale. So different in their natures, yet they are bound together, trapped to wander this mortal realm in a hopeless, never-ending search for salvation. But what is the true meaning of the 'salvation' that it seeks? How does one grant salvation to that which is already dead?

Once there was a scholar who penned this tale in full, even citing evidence that attributes this tale to Gwyn, the Unsung Hero of Annwen. However, this script has since been struck by the Church, under the orders of Seteth. How strange that such a simple tale would be condemned as blasphemy under the eyes of Seiros.

Supposedly, the librarian Tomas took such an interest in the tale that he traveled to the Oghma Mountains for months at a time to visit the village of Annwen, hoping to learn more. In recent years, he seems to have returned to his duties working at the Garreg Mach library full-time. When asked of his research, he said that his efforts bore little fruit - it seems that the so-called 'Ghost of Annwen' is little more than a fanciful story.

These days, it seems more and more likely that no such spirit exists today - for Demonic Beasts now roam and rampage the once tranquil mountainside where Annwen formerly stood, and there is neither a hero nor a demon present to keep the peace. And yet, those brave enough to venture into the forbidden wilderness will find it mysteriously strewn with corpses - that of both monsters and sinister mages garbed in masks and dark robes.

The Capricious One - Part IV Of all Nabateans, the Capricious One was said to be the most talented in their ability to shapeshift and transform.

They even had the ability to suppress the power of their Nabatean blood, hiding their Crest in order to better assume the guise of a common beast or a human.

Some said they were the weakest amongst their family. Others said they simply preferred to keep their true strengths hidden, and were not to be underestimated.

Little did the Children of the Goddess know, that so great was their power to transform that they could split their physical forms voluntarily, with each part fully alive and able to act independently of the other. But to do so repeatedly and for extended periods of time would invite confusion. Changes in personality. Distorted memories. A loss of self. And eventually, madness. Thus, whether in form or in spirit, all parts must one day rejoin, lest existence itself become unbearable.

The only one who knew of this power was the Hammer of Judgment. When the two were younger, he saw that the Capricious One was eager to test their limits, and so asked his sibling, "Do you not fear losing yourself forever?" The Capricious One laughed at this and answered, "To remember who I am, I need only to look towards The Beginning."