Orson

Orson
Species	Human
Class	Paladin
Affiliation	Grado Empire
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Base	Renais
Relatives	Monica (wife)
Debut	Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Orson is a temporarily playable unit in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones who turns traitor and winds up serving as a boss later in the game.

Background

Orson orginally was a loyal knight of Renais. He was known for his love and devotion to his wife, Monica. However, Monica passed away six months before the War of Stones. This crushed Orson's spirits, although he continued his service of Renais normally. When the War of the Stones broke out with Grado's invasion of Grado, Orson was one of the few knights left under Prince Ephraim's command, along with Kyle and Forde. Ephraim lead them on a series of guerrilla attacks against Grado forces. At some point, Riev and/or Lyon approached him, offering to use the power of the Dark Stone to revive his wife if Orson would betray Renais for them. Orson accepted out of desperation.

In "Chapter 5x: Unbroken Heart", Ephraim's group sieged Castle Renvall after Orson reported that Grado forces had recently dispatched from there, leaving its guard down. Orson was injured from a previous battle but was able to carry on for the chapter. Ephraim won that battle, but they were then surrounded by Grado forces lead by Valter, possibly due to Orson's treachery. Ephraim, Kyle and Forde were able to escape. However, Orson was able to work with Grado to form a trap by claiming that Ephraim's group had been captured. This lured Princess Eirika's group to Renvall, so that Grado could attempt to wipe them out and claim her bracelet, which was needed to acquire Renais's Sacred Stone.

Orson was dispatched to meet with Eirika during her siege of Renvall from the end of "Chapter 7: Waterside Renvall" into the beginning of "Chapter 8: It's a Trap!". Orson claimed that he had just barely been able to escape the cells where they were held and that he was forced to leave Ephraim behind. He claimed to have heard no news during his imprisonment and acted dismayed when Seth informed him of King Fado's death was well as Renais's fall. Orson then began encouraging Eirika to entrust her bracelet to him in order to keep the Sacred Stone safe. Eirika accepted him at his word, but Seth then stepped in, having been suspicious of him the whole time, and he pointed out several flaws in his story: the idea that Orson would escape his cell but leave Prince Ephraim behind; the fact that Orson should not know about the connection between the twins' bracelets and the Sacred Stone; and the fact that he had a blade concealed on his person. Tirado stepped in and told Orson he had done well, then sent him away to return to his wife.

Even though he had actually failed in acquiring Eirika's bracelet, Orson was then left in charge of Castle Renais. Lyon used the Dark Stone to revive Monica. She was revived as an empty shell of her former self who only seemed capable of saying "darling" over and over again. Orson was deluded enough that he did not see the difference and spent nearly all of his time with her while Renais suffered from his neglect. Ephraim and Eirika's forces eventually arrived at the castle in "Chapter 16: Ruled by Madness". Orson was seemingly oblivious to this while he spent time with Monica until Lyon and Riev appeared. They gouded him into combat (Riev doing all the talking in Eirika's route while Lyon was the assertive one in Ephraim's route) by reminded him of how badly he would be punished for his treachery if the twins won this battle. No one he battled could make him see reason, and he was eventually slain. Ephraim then slew Monica's shell, as she was no longer truly alive.