Cormag

"Ah. You see it now. That's the sad irony of the battlefield. I ride a wyvern and use my spear to bring low men who should be my allies. We each joined this cause in hopes of bringing Grado to its senses. Our country has set the world on its ear, and it's up to us to right things."

- Cormag, talking to Natasha in a support conversation

Cormag (クーガー, Kūgā, called Cugar in the Japanese version) is a playable character in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. He is a gentle, compassionate commander serving in the Grado military and who loves both his country and his Emperor. He also harbors a love for kittens, woodworking and possesses a strong sense of justice, which will eventually lead him to defect and join Eirika or Ephraim following the invasion and conquest of Renais. Cormag can be recruited by Eirika in Chapter 13 of Eirika's path or by Duessel or Tana in Chapter 10 of Ephraim's path.

Profile
Cormag was raised with his older brother Glen in the countryside of Grado. As children, the brothers would labor in the fields of their parents, often having to chase birds and animals from their crops, and therefore becoming quite adept at throwing stones. When, sometime later, an imperial procession would make its way through Cormag's village, both he and his brother watched while situated on top of a tree.

When the boys spotted a dog troubling the horses pulling the Emperor's carriage, they threw objects to drive it away, as they would have done in the fields. In doing so, the brothers accidentally hit some of the Emperor's men, and were themselves arrested for what appeared to be an attack upon them.

Emperor Vigarde, however, personally rescued the boys from imprisonment, and invited them accordingly to a feast. Upon taking note of Cormag's strength of arm, the emperor offers both the chance to join the military.

Alongside his brother, Cormag would eventually rise in fame. Their exploits were told and made famous even in other countries like Renais. Before the events of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, Glen becomes Vigarde's Sunstone general, and Cormag follows in his brother's stead.

Both Cormag and Glen harbor dislike for General Valter, who was once stripped of his rank and exiled for his mistreatment of Grado civilians. This dislike embodies itself fully after Glen sets out to find and kill Princess Eirika, and is subsequently murdered by a bloodthirsty Valter. Valter returns to Grado with Glen's mangled corpse and tells Cormag that Eirika was the person responsible for his brother's death. Cormag becomes instantly bent on revenge and sets out to find Eirika. Eirika convinces Cormag that she had not killed Glen, and had let her go after referring to her as a kindhearted person. Believing in her, Cormag then realizes that the man who must have been responsible for his brother's death is Valter. He then defects from the Grado army and joins Eirika's group.

Alternatively, in Prince Ephraim's storyline, Cormag follows General Selena in executing General Duessel, who has already betrayed his country. Cormag relates how Duessel had always treated him and his brother like his children, and is vexed at which path he should next pursue. Through the heated battle, Cormag meets up with Princess Tana of Frelia or General Duessel of Grado, who convinces him to trust in Duessel, and to protect him until his motives become clear.

In either situation, Cormag can, at the player's discretion, fight with Valter during Chapter 15. If the player took Eirika's route, Cormag asks Valter whether or not he was responsible for Glen's death. Valter, confident in his ability to kill Cormag, replies in the positive. Cormag laughs at the idea of having his revenge and promises Valter a slow and painful death. If Ephraim's route is taken, Valter's murder of Glen is not mentioned, and Valter instead just accuses Cormag of being a traitor.

His wyvern's name is Genarog.

Base Stats

 * -|Ephraim's Route=


 * -|Eirika's Route=

Growth Rates

 * 85%
 * 55%
 * 40%
 * 45%
 * 35%
 * 25%
 * 15%
 * }

Promotion Gains
Promotion to: Wyvern Knight
 * HP: +3
 * Strength: +1
 * Skill: +2
 * Speed: +3
 * Resistance: +1
 * Movement: +1
 * +40 Weapon EXP in Lance.gif Lances
 * Pierce Skill

Promotion to: Wyvern Lord
 * HP: +4
 * Strength: +2
 * Skill: +2
 * Defense: +2
 * Constitution: +1
 * Movement: +1
 * D Rank in Sword.gif Swords

Supports

 * Seth
 * Artur
 * Natasha
 * Tana
 * Duessel

Overall
Like most Wyvern Riders, Cormag has very impressive Strength and Defense, but also comes with above average Speed and  Skill in both his bases and growths, which gives him offensive and defensive capabilities that no other flier can possess. Because of his high mobility and average con, he can also contribute to rescuing and ferrying in addition to his impressive combat while still being capable of wielding most lances without weight issues. Regardless of the route the player takes, he is one of the strongest and most versatile units in the player's roster.

Cormag's main weaknesses are his lackluster Resistance, and his weaknesses to bows. Despite that, his high HP and the use of Pure Water allows him to tank through numerous magical attacks anyway, and his high Defense allows him to survive with ease several effective bow attacks in a row without dying. Even without the Delphi Shield, he is not as vulnerable to effective damage as Tana, Vanessa, or the late joining Syrene, and it and his high Strength are his most notable traits of the four fliers available.

Cormag has two promotion options, Wyvern Lord and Wyvern Knight. Wyvern Lord gives him E sword access and slightly increases his con, while Wyvern Knight increases his Speed significantly and gives him the  Pierce skill. Though both options will work, Cormag has little use for most swords, and the con increase from Wyvern Lord both gives him difficulty in his rescuing ability and does not surpass the speed bonus from Wyvern Knight even with the few lances that can weigh him down. Either way, it is up to the player's discretion, though Wyvern Knight generally fixes his few issues slightly better. The Pierce freezing glitch should be taken into account also for Wyvern Knight.

Battle Conversations
Valter: What now, Cormag? Have you betrayed your oaths and your emperor? Cormag: I have. I can no longer serve Grado. But I must know the truth, Valter, and you will tell me. You're the one who murdered my brother aren't you? Valter: ...Hmph. No reason for lies, seeing as you're nothing but a traitor. You're right, Cormag! I was the one who cut your brother down. He was just like you, a weak, pitiful fool. Cormag: ...... Ha...Ha ha ha... Valter: Why do you laugh, dolt? Cormag: How can I not? I've dreamt of revenge, chased it for days... And now it's here before me. Oh, Valter... Your death will be slow and agonizing.
 * Vs. Valter (Eirika's Route)

Valter: Is that you, Cormag? Even you have turned your back on your emperor? Cormag: ...... Valter: Don't tell me you stand there thinking you can beat me. You're not strong enough. You know this to be true. Cormag: ...... Valter: If you swear fealty to Grado again, I may let you live. You don't want to die an oath breaker, do you? Well? Will you crawl before me and beg for forgiveness? Cormag: ...Yes, I have broken my vows, Valter. And yes, it may be I who falls when we tilt lances... But a dog like you will never see me crawl. Valter: Brave words from a traitor. Let's see if your lance is as sharp as your tongue.
 * Vs. Valter (Ephraim's Route)

Endings
Cormag returns to Grado in order to oversee the reconstruction of his country. Afterward, he leaves by himself to travel the world. He returns later, and rejoins the Grado army not as a knight, but a regular soldier.
 * Cormag, Aloof Lanceman (孤高の槍 Kokō no yari)

Cormag returns to Grado in order to oversee its reconstruction. Afterward, he leaves to travel the world. Meanwhile, Princess Tana looks for him, and eventually finds him. When she does, she persuades Cormag to join the Frelian army; he accepts and she knights him personally.
 * (A Support with Tana)

Quotes
"Blast! My brother would never have gone out like this..."

- Death Quote

Etymology
His name is the Scottish form of the Irish name 'Cormac'. 'Mac' means "son of", but 'cor' or 'corb' is unclear, possibly meaning "wheel" (or "charioteer") or "raven".

Trivia

 * If Neimi reaches an A support with Gilliam, she makes a reference at Cormag, saying that she frightened him. This is a translation error, as Neimi was referring to Colm in the Japanese version.
 * In the prototype version, Cormag had a similar role to Joshua; he was a coin-flipping Mercenary who could be recruited by Natasha in Chapter 5. By the time of the retail version, he replaced Nate's role as the playable Wyvern Rider.
 * Cormag's growth rates are identical to Raven's from Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken.
 * It is possible, if one takes Eirika's route, to never encounter Cormag as a unit, and bizarrely erase him from the game. To do so one must complete Chapter 13 before turn 5, by defeating the boss, as Cormag arrives as a reinforcement. If this happens he simply ceases to exist and is never mentioned again.