Roland

Roland is one of the 8 legendary heroes of Elibe, who fought against Dragons during the civil war between dragons and mankind known as " The Scouring ". He is also the founder of the Lycian League, which is a country made up of a cluster of territories located in the center of the continent of Elibe.

Roland used the blazing sword, Durandal, a divine weapon which is effective against Dragons to fight them during the Scouring. The sword is said to be quite large,even though Roland is a small person in size. Due to his height Athos, another of the 8 Lengendary Heros, called Roland the 'Little Knight'.

In Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken, Eliwood, Hector, Lyn and company enter a cave in the Lycian Territory of Ostia to recover the Durandal to use to fight Nergal. After defeating the ghastly guardians of the blade, they approched where the blade was kept. When they did a ghostly aparition of Roland appeared. Roland's soul has aparently been kept intact within the cave to watch over the Durandal.

Roland's ghost speaks with Eliwood and Athos briefly, and in the conversation it is revealed that Roland's spirit would pass on if the blade was removed from the cave. Despite this however Roland's ghost insists they take the blade, saying that he'd be happy knowing he could help his 'children' as Eliwood was a decendant of Ronald.

It seems most likely that Roland himself was a Paladin or Hero, as Athos refered to him as the 'Little Knight', which would point to either a General, a Paladin, or a Hero. As Generals cannot use swords in both Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi and Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, a Paladin or Hero seem to be the only logical choices.

The name "Roland" is derived from the historical Roland, who was the foremost of Charlemagne's Paladins. He weilded the sword Durandal.