Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Garnet Blades

Garnet Blades is a downloadable expansion for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, serving as a fifth route for the game that enables the player to use all playable characters from the base game, in addition to characters who previously served non-playable roles, most notably Jeralt, Rhea, and Sothis.
==Gameplay==
The intention of the gameplay is to be significantly more difficult than the base game, in order to balance the player's access to all three of the house leaders and a much larger army overall. Additionally, the majority of chapters feature unique clear conditions beyond routing the enemy or defeating the boss. Beyond this, gameplay remains the same as the normal game, including all training and reclassing options.
==Story==
The route can be accessed regardless of which house Byleth chooses to teach at the beginning of the game. Once the DLC has been downloaded, Cornelia will pay the monastery a visit during Chapter 7, which will be mentioned to Byleth by the house leader. If spoken with, she will explain that she wants to wish Dimitri luck before the mock battle and begin talking to Byleth about the students. The conversation eventually leads to Cornelia musing that, as future leaders of Fódlan, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude are nigh-destined to oppose each other in the near future. She asks if Byleth agrees with her prediction of the students' future, prompting the game to warn the player that the choice will impact the game. Should Byleth agree with Cornelia, the game will continue as normal. Disagreeing with Cornelia and stating the students can settle their differences peacefully will trigger the new route, although there is no immediate effect evident.
If the player is on the fifth route come Chapter 10, Sothis's dialogue will be slightly different once she and Byleth are banished to the dark realm; in her final speech to Byleth before they merge, she muses on the students and their will to protect Byleth, encouraging Byleth to keep them close even once she is gone.
The plot begins shifting in Chapter 11. When Byleth sits on the Throne of Knowledge, Rhea's line musing that she expected it to work is interrupted by the throne suddenly glowing and the room begins quaking until suddenly Sothis emerges from Byleth (although, notably, Byleth's hair color does not change). Sothis begins to explain that there is a greater threat than any of them were aware of, but is interrupted by the arrival of the Flame Emperor (or Hubert in the Black Eagles route); however, Sothis uses her magic to freeze the army, to Edelgard's shock.
In a cutaway, Thales approaches Cornelia in Fhirdiad to inform her that the goddess has returned and that they must move. However, Cornelia responds that "they" mustn't do anything and suddenly dissolves Thales with her magic and commenting that it's time to take matters into her own hands.
Back in the throne room, Sothis is in the midst of explaining how Those Who Slither in the Dark are being manipulated when Cornelia arrives, revealing true identity as Aesis, goddess of mischief and destruction and Sothis's eternal rival. Aesis summons a horde of warriors in an attempt to wipe out Sothis's allies. Weakened by the magic she used to hold back Edelgard, Sothis asks Byleth and the students to fend the opposing army off.
After her army is defeated, Aesis retreats, promising to return soon with stronger forces. The final battle pre-timeskip is thus against Aesis's forces raiding the monastery; as in all other routes, Byleth is lost during the conflict following the main battle and disappears for five years. However, instead of being awoken by Sothis, Byleth is awoken by Jeralt, who explains that Sothis was able to use some of her power to revive him. Jeralt brings Byleth back to the monastery, where he and Rhea explain that, as Sothis has yet to recover her full power, Aesis was able to use the political positions obtained by Those Who Slither in the Dark to take over the entire continent of Fódlan. Representing the rebel forces against Aesis, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude have taken what is left of their respective armies and joined forces with each other and the Church of Seiros, remaining protected in the Monastery thanks to Sothis. With no way of knowing when Sothis will be powerful enough to face Aesis herself, the army sets about a plan to retake Fódlan by secretly invading the Alliance and the Kingdom to overthrow Aesis's figureheads before finally taking on the Empire, where Aesis herself has claimed the throne.
However, as the campaign progresses, Jeralt brings up some holes in Sothis and Aesis's story to Byleth, as well as other abnormalities in the events going on around them -- including the house leaders' willingness to fight together and Jeralt's own mysterious resurrection. Together, they begin their own secret mission to uncover what is truly going on, identifying more and more discrepancies, culminating in the final confrontation with Aesis: after her defeat, Sothis regains her full power and uses it to return Fódlan to its peaceful state, only for Jeralt and Byleth to confront her. Jeralt accuses Sothis of concocting the entire conflict with Aesis and acknowledges the many inconsistencies he and Byleth had discsovered. Startled by the accusations, Sothis begins backpedaling as reality itself seems to suffer damage, but finally confesses that not only was the battle with Aesis a fabrication, but everything around Byleth is fake, including Jeralt, all of the students, and even Sothis herself -- this "Sothis" is, in fact, a version of Byleth from the future, who was forced to watch the students kill each other as Fódlan collapsed into chaos. Desperately seeking to save them, Byleth used Sothis's powers to travel back in time and craft the fake world, madly insisting that it is better off as everyone gets to be happy. Jeralt argues that artificial happiness can never be enough, begging the present Byleth to stand against their future self. The player is given the choice, where siding with future Byleth ends the game as both Byleths wipe Jeralt's memory and the false "happy ending" begins, while siding with Jeralt causes the future Byleth to completely lose their sanity, transforming into a monstrous dragon form for a final confrontation. Despite not understanding what is going on, the rest of the army pledges their continued service to present Byleth.
Once future Byleth is defeated, they regain their sanity and apologize for the chaos they caused before dying. Jeralt points out that, as the false reality was crafted by them, only Byleth has the power to erase it, leading to another tearful goodbye between father and child. Jeralt suggests that, as the reality's creator, Byleth can still give everyone a happy ending before they leave, triggering the credits and each character's individual epilogues. Once the credits have ended, Byleth is transported back to the throne where everything began as Rhea is lamenting her failure, just as the Flame Emperor's army arrives and Fódlan's conflict begins.
===Paralogues===
Additionally, the DLC includes four paralogues that are unlocked over the course of the plot post-timeskip, where additional characters can be recruited to the army. These paralogues take the place of the normal post-timeskip paralogues, which are unavailable due to the significant difference in the plot. Like most of the paralogues in the base game, each of the paralogues focus on two different characters; if either of the characters has been killed, the paralogue will not be made available.
The first paralogue focuses on Claude and Anna (if her DLC is purchased; otherwise, just Claude). Claude hears rumors that Judith, the Hero of Daphnel, has been taken captive by Aesis's forces and requests that the army investigate them, despite Anna's suspicions. While these rumors turn out to have been a trap set by Aesis as Anna predicted, Judith herself arrives to help save them. Beating this paralogue results in Judith joining the army.
The second paralogue focuses on Edelgard and Jeritza. Edelgard finds evidence that a reconnaissance team to the Kingdom led by Ladislava five years prior may have survived in secret despite the harsh conditions of the continent; while Jeritza believes they have served their purpose and are not worth pursuing, Edelgard insists as Ladislava is a dear friend. The army finds the team just as they are finally captured and works to save as many of them as possible. Beating this paralogue results in Ladislava joining the army.
The third paralogue focuses on Caspar and Rhea. Fleche arrives at the Monastery and reveals that her brother Randolph has been captured alongside several other imperial loyalists and is set to be executed later that day. Rhea doubts the army can spare the resources to save them, but when Caspar offers to try and save them on his own despite his weak relationship with his stepfamily, her heart is changed and she joins him in his efforts. Beating this paralogue results in Randolph and Fleche joining the army.
The fourth paralogue focuses on Ferdinand and Jeralt. Ferdinand learns that his father has allied himself with Aesis and insists on facing him, with Jeralt, Byleth, and other forces tagging along to keep him out of trouble. As they confront Duke Aegir, who has become corrupted by Aesis's dark magic and gone completely insane, they also discover an amnesiac Kronya and learn the truth of her origins as Ferdinand's illegitimate sister. Beating this paralogue results in Kronya joining the army.
==Characters==
All characters from all four routes of the base game are available, including route-exclusive characters, and are automatically recruited starting in Chapter 11 (or 10 in the case of Edelgard and Hubert) if they are not already part of the player's army. Additionally, Yuri, Constance, Hapi, Balthus, and Anna can all be used if they have been purchased; however, they will not join automatically and must be manually recruited pre-timeskip. Jeritza will automatically join after the timeskip, as he does in the Crimson Flower route.
In addition, eight new characters are made available exclusively on the DLC route. Rhea will join the army starting in Chapter 10, while Sothis and Jeralt become available post-timeskip. The remaining five characters can be unlocked by beating their respective paralogues.
*Sothis
*Jeralt
*Rhea
*Judith
*Randolph
*Fleche
*Ladislava
*Kronya
===Supports===
:Main article: Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Garnet Blades/Supports
New supports are also made available. All of the new characters except Sothis are given support conversations with Byleth and a few other characters. Additionally, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude are all given support conversations with one another, while Anna receives support conversations with Byleth and other characters as part of a free update released alongside the DLC.
===Enemies===
New enemy characters are also added.
*Aesis - The god of mischief and destruction and eternal rival of Sothis. Aesis supposedly arrived in Fódlan at the same time as Sothis and desired to destroy the land, but Sothis protected it and seemingly defeated her, though she was able to survive and manipulate the Agarthans in order to enact revenge on Sothis. In fact, Aesis's existence was invented by the future Byleth as an enemy for everyone to band together against. Aesis utilizes a unique class exclusive to her known as The End, wields the unique Reason spell Osiris, and possesses a Major Crest of Flames.
*Byleth - A version of Byleth from the future, seeking to find a happy ending for all of their students. Byleth uses the same name and gender as the player's avatar, but appears in the form of Sothis for most of the story. Shortly after their identity is revealed, Byleth loses all sanity and transforms into a monstrous dragon, seemingly Sothis's true form, forcing the present Byleth and their allies to strike them down. In this form, Byleth appears as a monster class called the Fell Star and possesses a Major Crest of Flames.
*Edmund - Count Gloucester and the father of Lorenz. Edmund had previously sided with Those Who Slither in the Dark to gain enough power that he may take control of the Alliance, and Aesis gifts her power to him so he may serve as her figurehead. Edmund uses the High Priest class and possesses a minor Crest of Gloucester.
*Holst - Duke Goneril and the brother of Hilda. Holst attempted to stand against Aesis and Count Gloucester's takeover of the Alliance but ended up brutalized and brainwashed by the dark goddess. A shell of his former self, he now serves as Edmund's bodyguard. Holst uses the War Master class and possesses a major Crest of Goneril.
*Anselma - The former wife of both Emperor Ionius IX and King Lambert, the mother of Edelgard and the stepmother of Dimitri. Anselma was manipulated by Aesis in the form of Cornelia into starting the Tragedy of Duscur, then whisked away to where she was tortured and experimented on for years by Those Who Slither in the Dark until she was eventually broken down and served as their mindless servant. As such, Aesis places her over the kingdom as her figurehead. Anselma uses the Holy Falcon class and possesses a major Crest of Seiros and a major Crest of Blaiddyd.
*Ionius IX - The emperor of Adrestia and the father of Edelgard. Long suffering from illness, Ionius is kept forcefully alive by Aesis's dark magic and serves as her puppet and guardian. Ionius uses the Holy General class and possesses a minor Crest of Seiros.
*Duke Aegir - The prime minister of Adrestia and the father of Ferdinand and Kronya. Duke Aegir has long sided with Those Who Slither in the Dark for the sake of political gain and is gifted some of Aesis's dark magic in return for his allegiance, which he uses to terrorize the continent. Duke Aegir uses the Grand Marshall class and possesses a minor Crest of Cichol.
==Classes==
New Master Classes are added as part of the DLC.
*Griffon Rider - A flying class that specializes in bows and swords.
*High Priest - A male-only class that specializes in reason and faith.
*Amazon Knight - A female-only class that specializes in axes and brawling.
*Holy Falcon - A flying class that specializes in faith and swords.
*Grand Marshall - A heavily armored class that specializes in axes and bows.
*Holy General - A heavily armored class that specializes in reason and faith.
*Halberdier - A class that specializes in lances and bows.
*Gold Knight - A horseback class that specializes in swords and lances.
==The Edge of Dawn (Seasons of Peace)==
An alternate version of the main game's theme song, "The Edge of Dawn (Seasons of Warfare)", is played during the campaign's credits. This version of the song is performed by Zach Aguilar and Jeannie Tirado, the voices of both genders of Byleth, as a duet. Unlike the original, which is from the perspective of Edelgard, this version is from the perspective of "Sothis"-Byleth, justifying their actions in the story.
===Lyrics===
Reach for my hand
I’ll soar away
Into the dawn
Oh, I wish I could stay
Here in cherished halls
In peaceful days
I fear the edge of dawn
Knowing time betrays
Daylights pass through colored glass
In this beloved place
Silver shines, the world dines
A smile on each face
As joy surrounds, comfort abounds
And I can feel I’m breaking free
For just this moment lost in time
I am finally me
Yet still I hide
Behind this mask that I have become
As darkness falls
Will you blame me if I try to run?
Look in my eyes
See that it’s true
I fight to save our world in all I do
So make your choice
Take it away
Or hide within these walls
Where it’s all okay
Here I stand within the flow
Seeing both sides of time
A kingdom falls, an empire fades 
And an alliance dies
As the cries of life are snuffed
Will it be by your own hands?
Or as the dawn of wartime comes
Will you take a stand?
Sheath your blade
Come with me where blood is never shed
Is it so insane
To find comfort here in your own head?
As kindness dies
Anger prevails
Hatred burns bright
Through diplomacy’s thin veils
Peace is a lie
Comfort it may be
So will you seek the truth
Or stay here with me?
The blue moonlight
Cuts across our sight
As pure and clear as a ringing bell
Reaching for us in the night
As the wind calms my thoughts
I held strong on this terrace
I feel at peace
Carried away by the wind’s song
Take back the keys
End all your sorrow
Lock yourself away
Drown out the calls of your tomorrow
Behind this door
No pain is felt
Why should we ever leave our own hell?
Look in my eyes
See that it’s true
I fight to save our world in all I do
So make your choice
Take it away
Or hide within these walls
Where it’s all okay''
==Trivia==
*The name "Garnet Blades" refers to Jeralt, who fills the role of the lord equivalent to Edelgard in the Crimson Flower route, Dimitri in Azure Moon, Claude in Verdant Wind, and Rhea in Silver Snow, while matching the color-themed names of the houses (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, and Ashen Wolves).
*The sword in the logo is the Falchion, identical to its depiction as the series symbol representing Fire Emblem in Super Smash Bros. games.
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