Naesala

Sky's Shadow
Naesala
Species	Laguz (Raven)
Class	Bird Tribe (Raven)
Affiliation	Kilvas
Hair color	Blue
Base	Kilvas
Relatives	Leanne (possible wife)
Debut	Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Naesala is an enemy unit and supporting character in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, who has the potential of being playable for the last chapter, as well as a playable character in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. He is the king of Kilvas and leads the raven tribe inhabiting that nation, and he is the only playable raven in the game.

Background

Naesala constantly sought methods to expand the nation of Kilvas and make it a better place. To these ends he and his fellow ravens acted as mercenaries and would perform any job for money, whether his employers were beorc or laguz, and even if his actions brought harm to other laguz. This caused friction between Naesala and Tibarn, the hawk king, as Tibarn accused Naesala of sacrificing his laguz pride by serving beorcs, but Naesala told Tibarn that he was stuck with outdated customs. He cared for his people foremost, and he often sacrificed his own public image for them.

Naesala’s adviser was an elderly raven, Nealuchi, but Naesala often ignored his advice. Naesala also watched over the heron heirs Reyson and Leanne when they were young, and they formed close bonds. But after Serenes Forest was destroyed in a fire by the beorcs, Reyson and Lorazieh, the only known survivors of the heron tribe, they instead went into the care of Tibarn.

Path of Radiance

Naesala was hired by the Daein forces during their war against Crimea. In "Chapter 12: A Strange Land", he sent his raven underlings to the ship containing Elincia, as well as Ike and the Greil Mercenaries. Afterwards he was first seen in conversation with Norris in "Chapter 13: A Strange Land", when Norris's man wound up accidentally attacking the ship of Begnion's apostle Sanaki due to bad information from Naesala. But Naesala told them that the ship containing the princess was coming to aid them. He also offered to send in his ravens as reinforcements, but Norris refused to raise his fee, so he only sent in a few ravens later on to plunder from the ships. Afterwards, he attended a meeting of the laguz kings in "Chapter 14: Training". He got into intense debate with Tibarn, Tibarn being angry after learning that Naesala had attacked the Crimean forces in his country’s waters.

Reyson then visited Naesala in Kilvas in "Chapter 15: The Feral Frontier" to confront him about his hostile attitude towards Tibarn. In the process, one of Naesala’s customers, the corrupt Begnion senator Oliver, saw Reyson and was fascinated by him. Oliver paid Naesala to bring him Reyson along with rare artwork stolen from another noble. He brought Reyson to the ruins of Serenes Forest under the pretense of rekindling their friendship. He managed to convince Reyson to befriend him again, but he then lured Reyson into Oliver’s villa where Oliver successfully captured Reyson. Naesala rationalized that Oliver would not harm Reyson and he planned to rescue Reyson from Oliver shortly afterwards. But Reyson later escaped, at which point Nealuchi begged for help from Tibarn.

As for Naesala, he wound up aiding the Daein forces in Daein, serving under General Petrine. He usually ensured that beorc soldiers reported failure to Daein, as he knew Petrine had a habit of skewering deliverers of bad news. In Chapter 19: Entrusted, he personally entered the battle under Petrine’s orders to defeat the Crimean Liberation Army. However, the game changed when Reyson turned up among the army’s ranks. Reyson reluctantly decided to forgive Naesala for his betrayal, but as a term of Reyson’s forgiveness Naesala had to retreat from the battle and never enter battle with another laguz again. He also learned that Leanne was discovered to still be alive. Naesala pulled back his forces and left the battle, and he also entrusted Reyson with a Knight Ring as a present.

Tibarn also had made Naesala promise to do a favor for him in exchange for his selling of Reyson. Naesala was called in to accomplish that favor in "Chapter 28: Twisted Tower", when Tibarn sent him to rescue Leanne from Gritnea Tower. Disguised as a beorc guard, he successfully brought Leanne to safety. However, hew refused to help the Crimean Liberation Army another further despite the protests of Reyson and Leanne, until he saw the horrifying remains of the laguz soldiers hidden in Gritnea Tower’s basement. Even Naesala was disturbed by this and so joined up with the Crimean Liberation Army for the final battle against Daein.

In "Endgame: Repatriation", Naesala's forces aided Tibarn's forces in patrolling the skies of Crimea's capitals during the final battle and taking down any airborne soldiers who attempted to escape. Ike could optionally summon Naesala into battle at a certain point as a playable unit, or he could alternately summon Tibarn or Giffca. After the final battle, following Tibarn inviting Ike to Phoenicis, Naesala instead told Ike he didn't have to visit Kilvas because beorcs were not usually welcomed there, unless of course they brought money.

Radiant Dawn

Three years later, Naesala joined up with Tibarn and Caineghis to fight Begnion as the Laguz Alliance. Tibarn fully trusted Naesala, as he felt that Naesala would not betray them again since he cared for the herons and would not see them harmed, and he even believed that the hawks and ravens could live together in brotherhood like their ancestors. However, Naesala was forced into playing the traitor when Lekain threatened to activate the curse of a blood pact which would slowly destroy everyone in Kilvas.

Because of this, Naesala led Tibarn and his men into a trap in "Chapter 2: Stormclouds". They were supposed to raid a Begnion supply unit to stall the Begnion Central Army, but Naesala tipped off the Begnion soldiers beforehand so that they could set a trap. Naesala eventually found a loophole to save him from Lekain by serving Sanaki, as she was the true ruler of Begnion and thus Lekain's master, so Lekain could not activate it as long as Sanaki's orders at least were obeyed. Naesala remained in the shadows watching Sanaki at the behest of the Holy Guards until "Endgame: Daein, Arise!", when Sanaki convinced him to bring her to watch over the battlefield. He was presented as an ally to Ike and the others, and they grudgingly accepted him even though he could not explain his reasons for betraying him.

In "Part 4: Of Gods and Men", Naesala was assigned to travel with the Silver Army. He faced friction with his other comrades, getting into a skirmish with Skrimir in which he was at first willing to give up his life, but after Leanne and Nealuchi got in the way he called off the battle by saying that Tibarn should be the one to finish him since he had more directly offended him. In "Final Chapter: Rebirth", the group killed Lekain, at which point Naesala was able to destroy his blood pact.

Afterwards, Naesala left his people and his nation. He then became a diplomat in order to find atonement in his work. If he had an A Rank Support with Leanne, then the two were married, and the two had a heron girl and a raven boy together.

Trivia

• Naesala also has an inbuilt Support bonus with Reyson which boosts his chances of delivering a critical hit if Reyson is nearby (and vice-versa) in Path of Radiance.
• In Radiant Dawn, Naesala has automatic Bond Supports with Reyson, Nealuchi and Leanne.