I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the lords of Grannvale. Obviously the situation in Gen 2 of FE4 isn't quite what they had hoped for. Looking at the world from beyond the grave, what do they think of the world they have created? I may do later stories for the other lords, but for now, we have Lombard.
I'm using all the new names from the Heroes poll, so we have
Lombard- Langobalt
Iuchar- Johan
Danann- Danan
"His qualities being at this poor price, I need not ask you if gold will corrupt him to revolt."
REPENTANCE- LOMBARD OF DOZEL
Grann Year 760
It was only a matter of time now. 3 years, it had been, since the Isaachian war began. Three years since Reptor had masterfully crafted a sweeping conflict out of a simple misunderstanding.
Duke Lombard stood at the gates of Lubeck, looking not eastward to Isaach, but westward- where Sigurd was now marching. Where Lex, his own son, now marched against him! The nerve of that damn boy, siding with the Chalphys. He had always been rebellious, that one. This rebellion would be his last.
He wandered by the walls of Lubeck, thinking. Slayder had been sent to engage the enemy, and Andrey was marching on Zaxon too. After the rebels were dealt with, Andrey would be invited back to Lubeck for celebrations- and promptly executed. After all, the man had no qualms with killing his father- someone so morally bankrupt would never do. Jungby would be given to some distant cousin; the most suitable sycophant. Yes, Lombard would enjoy life as the second most powerful man on the continent. And once the rebels were dispatched, what could stand in his way?
It was time to retire, he realised as he watched the sun set. He would order an extravagant dinner tonight- he rather felt he had earned it.
Lombard rose at normal time, and took breakfast alone as usual. No servants or messengers interrupted him- and this was the most curious thing. Slayder was supposed to send word as he engaged the rebels at the break of day. Regardless of the progress of the battle, a herald should have delivered the details. So why had nothing happened?
A servant entered the room to clean up, and was met with a furious glare. He did not ask why- any servant in the employ of Lombard knew not to speak out of turn. As he left the room, however, the sound of fingers snapping rang out. "You there!" The servant braced himself and turned to face his master. "Why have I had no word from my messengers?"
"I saw the messengers arrive, milord. I assumed they went to speak with you immediately. Was that not so?"
Lombard frowned- something was amiss. Whatever had happened would've been made so much worse by this indolence! What were the messengers thinking? "That was not so indeed. Fetch me the messengers, and tell them they have compromised everything!"
When the messengers arrived, Lombard glared the same glare as before. The messengers shuddered and looked downwards, afraid to face their lord.
"Out with it. What has happened?" One man recoiled at the sound of Lombard's enraged voice. "You have kept me quite long enough. Speak, you fools!"
"Slayder and Andrey are dead, milord. The rebels are coming this way, and we are quite unprepared." Lombard instantly threw the Helswath onto the floor with an almighty crash, and the two messengers cowered in the doorway. Lombard picked up his holy axe and held it to their throats.
"You buffoons! This is a crisis, and because of your meddling it is too late to act! I could have sorted this mess without a sweat, but now you've doomed us!" The men did not respond. "It looks like I'll have to cut down Sigurd and my idiot son myself." He pulled back the Helswath, and marched out of the door. "We shall welcome them here in Lubeck." He was taking a dangerous risk, and he knew it- but what choice did he have, anyway? It wasn't planned- if Slayder hadn't proven so useless this problem wouldn't even exist! And if those messengers had saw sense, he could have dealt with it regardless!
Duke Lombard looked again westward from the Lubeck gates. This time, over the crest, he could see the banner of Chalphy. Bearing the flag was Lex, his own foolish son. And since his men had proven so often that they could not be trusted, the only way to stamp out the shame of Dozel would be to kill Lex himself. The engagement came quicker than expected, for riding at a speed greater than Lombard had ever managed came Lex, axe raised high in the air. The rider stopped aside his father and swung his axe in an instant, causing Lombard to fall back slightly.
"Impertinent child! Stand down, or you risk sullying our good name forever!" Lex laughed at this- a bitter laugh.
"Father, you are beyond forgiveness! How many lives have you taken, these past three years?"
"You will be the first." He drew the Helswath, and swung with the ferocity of Neir. Lex dodged backwards, more agile than his aging father.
"Ah, but that's not true, is it? You brought about the Isaachian war. You and Reptor killed King Mananan, Prince Mariccle, Prince Kurth and Duke Byron. You brought a nation to ruin- and for what!?" Lombard noticed- and how unusual this was!- that Lex seemed to genuinely care for the people of Isaach. As he spoke of Isaach, genuine rage seemed to power his every swing.
Lombard countered the attacks until Lex struck suddenly at his head, and the older man lost his balance as he fell backwards- barely staying on his feet. He could not contain his anger. "House Dozel will enjoy greater power than ever, boy! I will be the second most powerful man in the world! And what are the lives of those imbeciles compared to that?" Lombard swung Helswath furiously- but with none of Lex's youthful energy, his every attack was easily avoided.
"And the Isaachian people? Have you forgotten what you did to them all?"
"Why should I care for scum like Isaachians?"
A new fury seemed to find Lex, and he charged with his full strength into Lombard. The Duke fell onto his back, and dropped the Helswath. He moved to stand, but Lex placed his foot firmly on his father's stomach, pinning him down. This was it. Lombard struggled, but as Lex raised his axe he became still. He knew he had been bested.
"Rest in peace, father. I pray that fate finds no room for forgiveness." And the axe came down.
Duke Lombard was not given the dignity granted by a proper burial.
Grann Year 777
Iuchar woke with a start, and instinctively reached for his axe. Failing to find it, he scanned the room, and realised where he was. He was home, in Isaach castle. There was no way he could be under attack unless his guards had been taken out. And surely nobody had done so! He looked around again, yet saw nothing.
"My grandchild..." It was nothing louder than a whisper, and yet Iuchar was sure he had heard it- whatever it was. A voice, perhaps? A divine call, the Crusader Neir beckoning him? Or perhaps his dear Larcei, sighing for his company so far away in Tirnanog?
"Listen, Iuchar, you fool boy!" No, it was not lovely Larcei, but still it was too faint to know what it was or where it was coming from. He sat again on his bed, quite shaken and indeed quite disappointed.
"Iuchar!" The voice now was loud enough that Iuchar recognised it- or was fairly sure he did. "Father? What are you doing so far from Rivough?"
The voice now roared. "No, foolish child! I am your grandfather!" Iuchar was taken aback- this voice was the voice of a man long dead. Its form became almost corporeal, and its identity revealed.
"Surely you cannot be- dear grandfather?"
Lombard chuckled quietly. He disliked the "dear", considering he never knew Iuchar in life, but something about his grandson amused him still. It had been so long since he had spoken with anyone! And yet he knew that spilling all his thoughts to a grandson who barely knew him would only obscure his message. "I am, dear Iuchar. I am your grandfather."
Iuchar's face lit up. "Oh, dear grandfather! I never in my wildest dreams thought I would meet you! I thought you were dead! We thought you were long dead!"
"I was." Iuchar turned silent, perplexed. "I died seventeen years ago. And it was not a death worthy of Neir's must not die the same death!"
"My good lord grandfather, your killer is dead. Lex the traitor was dealt with by my own father. Your one true son avenged you!" Lombard grimaced. This would not be an easy discussion. It had been a long time since he had thought of his other son. His dead son. It was such a pity that he did not see things Lex's way until now.
The dead duke cleared his throat, and prepared to speak. This was it- if he could not get through to his grandson, all would be over for Dozel. "Lex had only stood up for what Neir had, for Goodness's sake! And he suffered for it, and ultimately died for it. When Lex and I met on the battlefield, Lex his been fighting for Dozel's honour." Just as with Arvis, Lombard no longer could bring himself to be angry. Lex had killed him and Arvis had undone all of his work, but he couldn't in good conscience blame them for it.
Iuchar did not respond. Lombard took this as an invitation to continue. "Lex betrayed me, that much is true. But your father and I betrayed Neir. Lex was in the right. Think of Loptyr! The Dark Lord should be our family's greatest enemy. And yet your father allows the Empire to do as they please! Tell me, Iuchar. What would Neir think? Of the empire, and of Isaach's occupation?"
"Our treatment of the Isaachian people is a disgrace, lord grandfather. I discovered some documents in this very castle that proved the Isaachian royal family were innocent. We invaded and subjugated them for nothing. We didn't know, of course, when we invaded 20 years ago, but we can't treat them like this!" Lombard looked away; he could not bear to tell Iuchar about that. We sacrifice their beloved children, offer up their very souls to the scourge of humanity!"
Iuchar was the same as Lex, it seemed. They both felt the same fury at the treatment of Isaachians. Iuchar deplored the child hunts with all the fervour of the Crusaders, as Lex no doubt would. But they were also loyal, unquestioning. It would take something significant for them to switch sides. And Lombard knew the only revelation that could shake Iuchar, that could convince him not to follow his family's path. He realised that he would have to reveal the truth of the Isaachian war- that he had known Isaach was innocent, and destroyed therm anyway.
Lombard spoke again- but not yet of Isaach. He recognised that it was necessary, but still he hesitated with the thought of laying bare his greatest sins. And so he spoke of his son instead. "Danann has become the opposite of all we are, a vassal of the Dark Lord, because to do so offers him power. Loptyr was the natural enemy of our noble bloodline! Nothing could be more disgraceful than letting the Dark Lord return to power. Danann has sacrificed all that the family stood for."
"What do I do, lord grandfather? Can I get him to change his ways? Is it too late?"
"There was never a chance. For all the nobility of our blood, there is also depravity. Apparently, casting aside all empathy for personal gain is the way of Dozel. I know that despite everything I would do the same. There is a reason the world looks on House Dozel with scorn. Outside of Dozel territory we are hated, and it is because there is something despicable in our blood. House Dozel consists of conquerors and villains."
"Lord grandfather, that is not true! You did nothing wrong!" Iuchar was not angry as he had been before, but more...upset, even melancholic. Perhaps he knew how very wrong his words were- if not, Lombard would have to make him see the truth.
"You are lying to yourself, Iuchar. Have I not told you that Lex was in the right? Consider that. Iuchar, I murdered Prince Kurth. I murdered Duke Byron. I murdered Mariccle and Mananan of Isaach. I invaded Isaach on false pretenses, knowing full well they were innocent. Lex knew the truth, and ultimately was killed for it." No response- what Lombard wanted. This was his greatest line of attack. Only by understanding the extent of his predecessor's crimes could Iuchar be compelled to action.
"We planned to betray Andrey, to execute him. Just as Arvis planned for us. I justified it by his act of patricide, and yet I would have done exactly what Andrey did! Lord Ring was a wonderful man and a genuine friend- he did not deserve to be killed by his own son. But I would have killed him a thousand times if I could profit on it. You must know this; you must understand. Danann and I would kill anyone if we could gain from it."
Iuchar grew impatient. "What's your point? You lecture me on morality, and then tell me that you never heeded such advice!"
"By Neir, boy, if you could only understand! Invading Isaach 20 years offered me power, and when power was in my grasp I always found it impossible to resist. Danann is doing the same. Something must be done, or else our bloody legacy is the legacy of all Dozel. Know that all the luxuries the Empire provides come at a heavy price in blood, and reject them. You must fight your own father, just as Lex did."
"I don't see how I can stop him. Surely it can't be done! These lands are my father's lands. My men are his men. I can't do a thing!"
"Lex was in the same situation and yet he did not falter. He fought with Sigurd, who fought for justice against our evils. When the time of revolution comes you must stand at Seliph's side. If you do not, Dozel is nothing."' Lombard stood once more and walked towards the door. Iuchar was quiet, and Lombard wasn't surprised. To be visited by a dead man was a shock enough; to be told to reevaluate everything was quite another.
" I don't know if I can do that! What if I end up the way you did- the way father did? What if I can't resist the call of power?"
"Think of Larcei, then. If the thought of her is what it takes for you to join Seliph, so be it." Iuchar turned bright red, but Lombard pretended not to notice. "You are Dozel's only hope now. You must prevent this perversity of ours from tarnishing Dozel forever. Please, my boy, you must do this! At least one of you must restore Neir's good name. Fight the second Holy War."
Lombard disappeared as suddenly and inexplicably as he had arrived.
All fell silent, and Iuchar returned to his bed. He did not understand what had happened, or how it was happened. He did not know how he could join Seliph, nor how he could prevent the luxuries of the Empire from getting to him. Yet he knew he must- for his grandfather's sake, for House Dozel's sake, and for the sake of the world.
"Dozel is in your hands now. Jugdral is in an another age of darkness, but the light of the past has not died; some have inherited it. All I can hope is that the axe of Dozel and the spirit of Neir will be with them."