The Kingdom of Bern

The Kingdom of Bern is a custom civilization made by TheMH06

Both *Gods & Kings* and *Brae New World* are required.

***Steam Workshop Page***

## **Strategy**

### **Zephiel**

Zephiel, true to his nature as an ambitious and perhaps crazed king, cares about little else than his ambition. He will actively seek to win the game throughout whatever method possible -- most likely domination -- and will not hesitate to work against those barring his path. However, should you not infuriate the King, he will either remain Neutral, or perhaps even make a good ally.

### **Narcian**

Narcian, to put it simply, is rude, vain, and obsessed with culture and gold; while Zephiel is blunt in his ambition, Narcian is incredibly deceitful and will not hesitate to backstab someone if it will save his own skin. Despite his arrogance, Narcian is a coward and won't go to war unless he has a noticeable advantage, such as allying against a common enemy. Still, watch out, for Narcian's unpredictability is his greatest strength.

### **Guinivere**

Guinivere is the most peaceful and diplomatically-concerned out of the three leaders of Bern. She prioritizes diplomatic well-being above all else and will try to please the needs of her friends and potential allies. Rarely will you find Guinivere to be much of a warmonger, although she's not always a very welcoming and warm leader. Still, make allies with her and you will find yourself with a loyal queen at your side.

### **Guinivere as an Opponent**

In comparison to the other leaders of Bern, Guinivere is far more tame and peaceful; she dislikes warmongering and cares deeply about diplomatic balance. Now saying that, Guinivere is nowhere near as cuddly and friendly as leaders like Nino and Sophia. Guinivere is far more diplomatically mindful and isn’t willing to happily sign Declarations of Friendships with everyone she meets. She is also quite deceptive and isn’t hesitant to denounce and work against those she has problems with (ala Elincia “Your behaviour angers them” Crimea). Guinivere will typically go wide and pump out as much Culture and Production as she can. My advice is to strike her down early game before she has time to snowball.

## **Attributes**

     **Dragon General** (Great General)
* Has 3 Movement.
* Can fly over impassable terrain.
     **Royal Mance**(Aresenal)
* Doubles the yields of mountains.
* +10% Production.
* Provides bonus defense to the city it's built in.

Start bias: Hills

* Ohtz
* Slater
* Flaer
* Raeth
* Pereth
* Gel
* Natalie
* Guinivere
* Aion
* Hellene

* All Luxury resources provide +1 Culture and +1 Gold.
     **Dragon General** (Great General)
* Has 3 Movement.
* Can fly over impassable terrain.
     **Wyvern Lord**(Knight)
* Is able to fly over impassable terrain.
* Deals bonus damage to wounded units.
* Requires Iron instead of Horses.

Start bias: Hills

* Ohtz
* Slater
* Flaer
* Raeth
* Pereth
* Gel
* Natalie
* Guinivere
* Aion
* Hellene

     **Royal Guard (**Knight)
* Cheaper but weaker.
* Can fly over impassable terrain.
* Stronger hte closer it is to the capital.
     **Royal Mance**(Aresenal)
* +3 Culture and Production
* If the Royal Manse is able to be built in a city near a Mountain, you can build a special version that provides a +25% bonus to Great People generation in that city.

Start bias: Hills

* Ohtz
* Slater
* Flaer
* Raeth
* Pereth
* Gel
* Natalie
* Desmond
* Aion
* Hellene

### **Shared**

* Bern
* Edessa
* Bulgar
* Remi
* Carrhae
* Taras
* Vaud
* Aargau
* Berch
* Helvetti
* Bümpliz
* Uri
* Schwyz
* Unterwalden
* Barin
* Berun
* Dietrich
* Etzel
* Dorcan
* Vaidal
* Hartmut
* Shrine of Seals

## **History**

### **Bern**

Located in the mountainous reaches of Eastern Elibe, the Kingdom of Bern was one of the most powerful countries within Fire Emblem 6 and 7. Founded by the legendary hero Hartmut, Bern has played a significant part in the politics and wars of Elibe, perhaps even more so than countries like Lycia and Etruria.

Bern was ruled by King Desmond from an unknown date up to the year 980 at the time of his death. Among Bern's most prominent features are its mountains (which circle the coast of Bern), the Shrine of Seals buried deep within Bern's forests and the Dragon Sanctuary. Among the most prominent figures in Bern at this time were King Desmond and Queen Hellene, the young prodigy Prince Zephiel and, of course, the Black Fang. Founded by Brendan Reed, the Black Fang was created in order to kill corrupt nobles and help the poor whom suffered in Bern. However, the group of assassins was eventually taken over by Nergal in order to harvest Quintessence to unleash dragons onto the world. Some time after the defeat of Nergal, Zephiel was crowned the new King of Bern after the ominous death of King Desmond.

As great heroes like Hector and Eliwood began to grow old and fade away, new figures began to rise within Elibe. Zephiel, the once kind youth that would bring hope to Bern, was ready to usher in a new era of dragon rule now that he had the power of the kingdom available to him. Roughly around the year of 995-999, Bern swiftly conquered the likes of Illia and Sacae, their bordering countries. One of Bern's Dragon Generals, Narcian, was tasked with conquering the States of Lycia, though this operation was quickly shut down by the Kingdom of Etruria. During the Etrurian Civil War, Bern supported the corrupt nobles (Zephiel in particular made an alliance with Roartz and Arcard) in order to overthrow the monarch and seize Etrurian territory. But once again, Bern's plans were quickly shut down by Roy's army. Though the war against Lycia seemed like it would be in Bern's favor, Lycia slowly but surely ripped apart Bern's grasp on Illia and Sacae, eventually charging the capital of Bern Keep. Eventually, all of Bern's Dragon Generals (including Zephiel himself) were slain in combat and Bern was forced to finally surrender after a grueling long war. Seeing as she was the only natural heir left to the throne, Guinivere became the Queen of Bern in the year 1000, ushering in a new age of peaceful diplomacy for Bern. The era of the Bern Empire was finally over, its fall synchronized with the death of the cunning Zephiel.

#### **Zephiel**

As a youth, Zephiel was kind, idealistic and hopeful -- an almost unrecognizable person compared to his adult personality -- who wanted nothing more than his parents to reconcile and to have peace in the world. After the traumatic experience regarding his father -- on top of his years of abuse and neglect -- Zephiel's mindset and personality completely shifted. As an adult, Zephiel becomes a twisted, cruel and incredibly ambitious man. Zephiel's most notable trait, however, is his unshakable belief that humans are malevolent, grotesque beings. His twisted view forged by his years of abuse is what drives Zephiel to begin his plot to wipe out humanity in favor of a world of dragons.

The son of the Etrurian Queen Hellene and heir to the Throne of Bern, young Zephiel had all the makings to become a fine king. It was clear to everyone who knew him that Zephiel was a prodigy -- swordplay, politics, writing, art, just to name a few -- but unfortunately, not everyone was happy with Zephiels talents. His spiteful and paranoid father, King Desmond, was a lackluster man who's legacy was destined to be buried under the future accomplishments of Zephiel. Desmond wanted his favored daughter (and Zephiel's half-sister) Guinivere's future husband to take the throne so his 'bastard-child' Zephiel may never outdo him. Despite Zephiel's wit, he never understood why his father didn't love him and made constant attempts to earn his love.

During the events of Fire Emblem 7, Desmond secretly hires the Black Fang to assassinate Zephiel behing the scenes. However, one of the assassins, the young Nino, sympathizes with Zephiel's prayers for his family's happiness and Zephiel is merely knocked unconscious. Eliwood, Hector and Lyn end up stomping out the remaining Black Fang in Bern Keep and save Zephiel's life from the Black Fang elite, Ursula. With the Black Fang effectively wiped out of Bern and Zephiel still alive, Desmond was livid to put it lightly. In an attempt to deal with Zephiel non-violently, Desmond announced to the public that Guinivere's future husband was to become the heir to Bern's throne, not Zephiel. Though Zephiel didn't mind this decision -- as he loved Guinivere deeply -- the public was outraged with Desmond as they were hopeful of Zephiel's potential and intellect. The spiteful king, out of options and frustrated with the public's hate for him, decided to take matters into his own hands and kill his bright son by poisoning him. Desmond invited Zephiel to "reconcile" at a banquet, only for Zephiel to drink poisoned wine and fall into a deep illness. Zephiel could -- and should -- have died that same night had it not been for Murdock, Zephiel's caretaker and a Dragon General of Bern. Murdock watched over Zephiel and nursed him back to health. Upon awakening, Zephiel learned of Desmond's plan to have his mother and Murdock branded as traitor's and murdered. Utterly traumatized by the sheer hate his father had for Zephiel and those in his life, Zephiel responded by faking his own death with the help of Murdock. A false funeral was arranged, and as Desmond viewed his deceased son in his casket, Zephiel sprung out with a knife in hand and brutally murdered his father, sealing the final nail in the coffin for Zephiel's corruption. During the War against Bern in FE6, Princess Guinivere remarked to Roy that Zephiel never smiled again after that day.

15 years after the defeat of Nergal and the Black Fang, Zephiel travelled to Bern's mysterious Dragon Sanctuary. Using the mystic power of the Fire Emblem, Zephiel opened up the Dragon Shrine and awakened the Dark Dragon, Iduun. He was visited by the elder Fire Dragon, Jahn, asked why he had opened up the 1000-year old Dragon Shrine. Zephiel simply told him that he wished for the world to be given back to dragons, a wish that would shape the future of Elibe.

Five years after the awakening of the Dark Dragon, Zephiel began his conquest of Elibe. The nomadic nation of Sacae was attacked by a force led by Brunnya and the first to fall. Next was the frigid nation of Ilia, with the Bern forces led by Murdock. Then, Zephiel personally came to the nation of Lycia after Narcian's attack on the Lycia Alliance and spoke to the fatally wounded marquess of Ostia, Hector. Hector attempted to ask him why he had launched the war in light of the friendship between their nations, a notion dismissed by Zephiel as a triviality in the face of his goal to liberate the world by placing it under his sole rule. Zephiel's disregard for Hector, a loyal hero who risked his life to save Zephiel and potentially the world from death, in favor of his dream shows how twisted Zephiel had become through his years of abuse and turmoil. Zephiel later forged an alliance with the corrupted nobles of the Kingdom of Etruria, Roartz, and Arcardo, and caused a rebellion there; he personally went to an attack himself with Flaer, Narcian, and begrudged Perceval, and knocked out Cecilia after she lost to him in battle. After the long, grueling campaign of Lycia, Bern's grasp on Sacae, Etruria and Illia was freed and the nations were permanently liberated. Two of Bern's Dragon Generals, Narcian and the beloved Murdock were slain in the campaign, leaving only Zephiel and Brunnya left to fufill Zephiel's dream of purging humanity. The final confontration began in Bern Keep between the twisted Zephiel and the Young Lion, Roy. Zephiel explained to Roy his motivation in full, explaining his disgust with the treachery and immorality of humanity, his intent to restore the world to dragon rule, and that the defeat of the dragons in the Scouring was a mistake he intended to correct as soon as possible. Roy rejected his claims, pointing out that the rule of dragons would differ little from the rule of mankind, and that he, with his faith in mankind, refused to give in to one with no faith in his people or in himself. After a long, gruesome battle between the Lycian Army and Zephiel, the mad king was finally slain.

#### **Narcian**

Under the disciplined rule of Zephiel, one must be an extraordinary soldier in order to become worthy of the supreme title 'Dragon General'. Only a soldier who is truly loyal, patriotic, strong and willing to die for their country may qualify for such an honor. Or...you could be confident. If confidence is king, then Lord Narcian of Bern would be the supreme emperor of such a title. And though the title of Supreme Emperor isn't available in Bern, Dragon General certainly is for a confident, sly, arrogant, vain man like Narcian.

Narcian's most defining character traits by far are his vanity, narcissism and arrogance. Narcian was highly vain and arrogant, considering himself to be a pinnacle of intellectual and martial prowess and handsomeness, and reacting badly to anyone who dared to challenge his mighty opinion of himself. Consequently, he obsessed over his perception among his peers and superiors, interpreting even the unsupervised disasters of his subordinates as having the potential to ruin his own career (concerns which proved to be well-founded). He easily developed grudges on those who stood in his way: he loathed Galle, his rival for the role of Wyvern General, and also quickly came to develop a grudge against Cecilia after her obstruction against him in Ostia, which he freely admitted to Zephiel himself. Despite his arrogance and bloated personality, when the opportunity for power comes up, Narcian reveals how much of a bootkisser he truly can be. When he is stripped of his rank as Dragon General due to his failures, he begs for a second opportunity from Zephiel and Murdock (though his second chance failed miserably, he at least got it). Narcian sets himself apart from the cast in how he is not afraid to rise above another man in order to save his own skin.

In the early days of the Bern campaign against Lycia, Narcian worked with Brunnya in an assault on Araphen, the present meeting place of the leaders of the Lycian League. The two swiftly overpowered and obliterated the League's army stationed there and mortally wounded Hector, bringing him before King Zephiel himself. After Zephiel and Brunnya departed, Narcien entrusted Slater with the guard of Araphen against Roy's band of Pheraean knights. From there, he worked to incite discord across Lycia, convincing Erik to turn on the League and ally with Bern and inspiring Legance to rebel and seize control of Ostia. When these efforts failed and Roy seized control of Ostia, he led a strike against Ostia to corner him but was stopped by the arrival Perceval, Cecilia and the Etrurian army, and was forced to flee.

His next target was Etruria itself. He convinced the corrupt noblemen Arcardo and Roartz to stage a coup d'etat against King Mordred, using him as a hostage to cow most of the Etrurian army - including the generals Perceval and Douglas - into their service as a "revolutionary" force loyal to Bern. He participated in a battle in Missur to apprehend Cecilia, the sole Etrurian general resisting the revolution, and witnessed Zephiel arrive and effortlessly defeat her. He was then tasked with finding and seizing Arcadia and its divine weapon, efforts which failed thanks to Roy.

As a result of the loss of the Western Isles and the failure to seize Arcadia, Narcien was stripped of his Wyvern General title and was succeeded by Galle; however, Murdock offered him one last chance to try to redeem himself by defending Aquleia from Roy's impending army seeking to free the Etrurian capital from the influence of the Revolutionaries. Narcien reluctantly accepted the terms, all the while conspiring to blame his failings on Zeiss under the pretense of him being a Lycian spy. Narcian failed to defend Aquleia and was tragically killed in battle, becoming the first of the Dragon Generals (well..technically not?) of Bern to perish.

Narcian is a classic example of one's ego leading to their ultimate demise. He frequently left his posts in the hands of weaker sub-ordinates (even going so far as to leave his Sergeant Flaer to die in his place), placed himself above those more powerful than him and was downright convinced he was the pinnacle of intelligence, strength and beauty. Confidence, though it can take you a long way, cannot stop a sword from going into your gut or an arrow into your wyvern. Egotistical as Narcian may be, at least he was an entertaining villain.

#### **Guinivere**

"I want to find a peaceful way to end this war... I figured that if I could speak with someone from Lycia, I would find a solution."

Princess Guinivere is the half-brother of King Zephiel and the daughter of King Desmond and an unknown suitor. During the events of Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, Guinivere stole the Fire Emblem and snuck into Lycia to try to find a peaceful solution to the war. It is stated that her mother was King Desmond's mistress. She went to Roy for help when she saw that Zephiel had gone too far. Unlike her older brother, she does not want a war to happen, and she still remembers how well they got along as children, before King Desmond attempted to kill Zephiel.

Together with her lady-in-waiting, the cleric Elen, Princess Guinivere joins Roy early in the game in an effort to stop Zephiel. Eventually, she becomes the queen of Bern after Zephiel's defeat, despite the protests of some aristocrats. She helped to rebuild the fallen Kingdom back up to its former glory, rivaling Etruria's artisan culture rather than towering over it via military and nothing else. Guinivere is usable on the trial maps of Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade once the player has completed the game nine times, and one of them in hard mode.

### **Dawn of Man**

#### **Zephiel**

The pathetic humans of this world tremble before you, King Zephiel of Bern! Founded by the legendary heroes Hartmut and Braimmond, the mountainous Empire has seen many powerful rulers and villains rise and fall within its walls, though none as powerful, cunning and ambitious as you, mighty king. After a life of abuse and neglect by your jealous father, Desmond, you ascended to the Throne of Bern and siezed the likes of Illia and Sacae, eventually seizing temporary control of Etrutria through the Etrurian Civil War. The wicked power of your Manaketes and Wyvern Generals was unlike anything Elibe had ever seen. However, before you could purge humanity for the disgusting, envious, jealous creatures they were, your empire fell into pieces at the hands of the vile Lycians, those doomed to repeat the mistakes of humanity you so aggressively tried to stop.

Oh mighty King Zephiel, the kingdom of dragons lies before you at your beck and call. This world is plagued by horrid, immoral humans who wish to tear the world apart with their greed. Can you liberate this world from this abhorrent race and return it to the rule of the dragons once more? Will you take to the skies with your Wyverns and show your enemies the wrath of Bern? Can you build a civilization that will stand the test of time?

#### **Narcian**

Your feeble enemies tremble before you, oh beautiful Lord Narcian, Wyvern General of the Bern Empire! Your ambition, intelligence and power led you to quickly rise up the ranks of the Bern Army and eventually earn the title of Dragon General, a prestigious honor earned only by few men! You are not only skilled in the art of combat, but also the art of Wyvern Riding, easily earning the respect and command of such untamed, vicious beasts! But not all is well for such a brilliant commander yourself, for fate and luck were jealous of your unparalleled ability. The rise of the Lycian Army led to the weakening of Bern's power, but that would be fine if not for a worser fate. The mad King Zephiel, envious of your brilliance, punished you by stripping you of your well-earned title, a tragic dishonor that was nothing short of heartless. After a long, grueling battle defending the rebels of Etrutria, you somehow were slain in combat, a near impossible feat to achieve. It was your fall that truly lead to the destruction of Bern, not that insane Zephiels.
But what if luck was on your side, oh righteous Narcian? You have been given an opportunity to rule over the mighty kingdom you once loyally served. Can you lead the Wyvern Lords beneath you to glory and power? Can you usher in a new age of prosperity and dominance under your brilliance? Can you build a Civilization that can stand the test of time?[NEWLINE][NEWLINE]Of course you can. You're Narcian.

#### **Guinivere**

Your loyal people forever stand beside you and your great kingdom, Queen Guinivere, ruler of the great Bern Empire. You are the daughter of the former King Desmond and half-sister of one of Elibe's most defining and infamous characters, the crazed Zephiel. During the Disturbance of Bern, you found yourself in the company of the Lycian Army, looking for a way to peacefully resolve the war of Bern and Lycia. Unlike your warmonger half-brother, whos mind was poisoned with anguish and guilt, you were a brilliantly skilled leader when it came to diplomacy and domestic affairs. Rallying the support of those in Bern still loyal to the old crown and against the rule of Zephiel, you helped lead the Lycian Alliance to victory and remove Zephiel from power. Though the guilt of the war weighed heavily in your heart, you took over the throne and rebuilt Bern into one of the great powers of Elibe once again, held high by not just military might, but culturally as well.

Great Queen Guinivere, few leaders have such talent as you for rebuilding kingdoms. But with Bern before you, a humble nation with no former glory to speak of now, can you lead this Bern to glory? Will you establish your kingdom as a magnificent world power once more? Can you build a civilization that will stand the test of time?

## **Music**

### **Zephiel**

* Peace -
* War -

### **Narcian**

* Peace -
* War -

### **Guinivere**

* Peace -
* War -

## **Mod Support**

* Unique Cultural Influence​​​​​
* Civ IV Traits in Civ V -
	+ Zephiel - Expansive, Imperialistic
	+ Narcian - Creative, Imperialistic
	+ Guinivere - Industrious, Financial
* Fire Emblem Leader Affinities
	+ Zephiel - Anima
	+ Narcian - Fire
	+ Guinivere - Light
* Fire Emblem True Start Location - Elibe, Gaint, 5 Continents for all 3 leaders.
* Kiang's Fire Emblem Religion - All three will adapt Church of St. Elimine.
* Weapon Triangle
	+ Zephiel -
	+ Narcian -
	+ Guinivere -

## **Screenshots**

**Zephiel on the "Set-Up" game screen.Narcian on the "Set-Up" game screen.Guinivere on the "Set-Up" game screen.Zephiel's Leader Scene.Narcian's Leader Scene.Zephiel's Dawn of Man Image.Narcian's Dawn of Man Image.Guinivere's Leader Scene.In-Game mountain under Zephiel's Trait.**==