Athos

The Archsage
Athos
Species	Human
Class	Archsage
Affiliation	Eight Legends
Hair color	Gray
Age	Over 1000
Weaponry	Forblaze
Base	Nabata Desert
Debut	Fire Emblem

Athos is one of the Eight Legendary Heroes from the backstory of Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsuguri and Fire Emblem. He is also playable in the Final Chapter of Fire Emblem. He was a powerful magic user who was somehow capable of living for centuries.

Background

One thousand years ago, Athos fought as one of the Eight Legendary Heroes in the war between humans and dragons known as The Scouring. The Divine Weapon he used was the Anima spellbook Forblaze. The Heroes were successful in chasing the dragons away from Elibe and driving them into another realm. Athos then spent several centuries wandering the Nabata Desert searching for enlightenment and the answers to life's mysteries.

Five hundred years later, Athos met Nergal, a fellow seeker of truth. Being equal in power and knowledge, they became fast friends and traveled together through the Nabata. Eventually they discovered a wondrous village where humans and dragons lived together in harmony, a village that would later be known as Arcadia. Athos and Nergal used their powers to create a barrier and an oasis to protect the village. They then spent the next two hundred years living there in peace and studying in the dragons' libraries. However, Athos and Nergal both formed different ideas during their time in Arcadia. Athos wanted to share the wisdom of the dragons with the outside world. However, Nergal was using the dragons' knowledge to steal quintessence from living beings, to be converted into power. When Nergal started draining the essence of humans, Athos was forced to act. Athos and the elders united their powers, and they were able to defeat and exile Nergal, scarring Nergal's right eye in the process.

Athos later created a sandstorm to conceal Arcadia from the outside world. Athos thought that Nergal would eventually move on to stealing dragon quintessence, and that he would take it from Arcadia. Athos hid in the underground ruins, hoping to battle Nergal when he arrived and lure him into the sandstorm, where Nergal would die. But Nergal never came. Athos kept himself aware of most events that went on Elibe. One of his companions was Hawkeye, the guardian of the Nabata who served Athos. Athos also was friends with Pent and Louise of Etruria, as Pent was a fellow practicer of magic.

Pent and Louise were visiting Athos when he was first seen in "Living Legend" (Eliwood Chapter 22, Hector Chapter 23 of Fire Emblem). Louise stayed with him while Pent was searching the desert for an ancient artifact. Louise was concerned when Athos wasn't eating any meals, but Athos found great humor from her company. Eventually, Pent and Hawkeye returned with Eliwood and his company, who sought a method of defeating Nergal. Athos told them that first they had to travel to the Shrine of Seals in Bern. He entrusted them with Afa's Drops and was able to teleport them to Pherae. He also sent Hawkeye to accompany them (and Pent and Louise joined in as well), and gave Hawkeye a Heaven Seal to give to Eliwood when Hawkeye felt he was ready for it.

Although he could have teleported to the Shrine of Seals, Athos felt that getting there themselves would help Eliwood's company to believe in their own abilities so they could wield the Divine Weapons. When the group arrived at the Shrine of Seals in "Cog of Destiny" (Eliwood Chapter 28, Hector Chapter 30), Athos teleported to them. He showed them to the basement of the Shrine of Seals where Bramimond, another of the Eight Legends (he and Athos being the only ones still alive), resided. Together they convinced Bramimond to lift the seals over all of the Divine Weapons. He then helped them to find two of the Divine Weapons, in case they were needed to battle Nergal or dragons, although Eliwood and Hector returned their weapons after Eliwood accidentally killed Ninian with Durandal. Athos also told the group about his background with Nergal in "The Sands of Time" (Eliwood Chapter 29, Hector Chapter 31). At one point he battled Nergal again, only to see that Nergal had grown much more powerful and was nearly impervious to his Forblaze.

He then left to seek Bramimond's help (and managed to obtain another divine weapon, Aureola, in the meantime), leaving Eliwood's company to continue on their own in their final battles against Nergal. He rejoined them in "Final Chapter: Light", when he delivered the Legendary Weapons Durandal, Armads and Aureola to the group, as well as a Sol Katti for Lyn. This time he actually fought alongside them. After the battle was complete, Athos's energy was exhausted and he began to die. In his dying words he said he had no regrets and decided to give them a prophecy of the future as a parting gift. He told them of a dark star that would rise in Bern and cause another bloody catastrophe (predicting the events of Fuuin no Tsurugi). He lamented that neither he nor Bramimond would be around to help them in the future, but he did say that hope would again come from Lycia. At that moment he died, and those observing his face noted that he seemed to be smiling, and he looked like he had finally found true peace.

Following Athos's death, Pent took up his studies, and Forblaze was hidden in a temple near Arcadia until it was found again in Fuuin no Tsurugi.

Trivia

• Athos is the only playable unit in Fire Emblem who is incapable of having Support conversations with other characters (not counting Nils).