Soren

"Curse you! Why can't you leave me be?! I don't have any friends, Ike! I don't have anyone else!"

- Soren to Ike in Path Of Radiance

Soren (セネリオ, Senerio in the Japanese version) is the staff officer and strategist of the Greil Mercenaries. He starts out as a mage. Initially, Soren was suspected to be a Spirit Charmer—one who has made a special pact with the supernatural, but he is actually Branded- someone born with both beorc and laguz blood - and has experienced prejudice from both societies. Because it was under Ike's persuasion that Greil accepted Soren into the Mercenaries, Soren has been rooted to the commander with unwavering loyalty.

In Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, he gives Ike a report of their most recent battle outcomes.

Soren was not raised by his parents, but by an old woman who insulted him often. At a very young age, the lady sold him to an old sage who mistook him for a Spirit Charmer due to the permanent mark on his forehead. The sage taught him the ways of magic, even though he discovered that the symbol was deceitful; it was the mark of a Branded, not a Spirit Charmer. (Soren was to learn this during his later studies at the Mainal Cathedral.) Nonetheless, he continued only because he was nearing death. After the sage died, Soren, ignored by the laguz and beorc, wandered Gallia alone and near-death before eventually being discovered by a young Ike. In a special conversation in the epilogue of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, it is revealed that he, and not Pelleas, is Almedha's son; this means that Soren is Ashnard's son and is therefore the true Prince not only of Daein but also of Goldoa since his mother was Almedha and her older brother, his uncle Rajaion, was killed. Perhaps anticipating the political turmoil such a revelation would cause, Almedha decides not to tell him.

If he shares an A-rank support with Ike in Radiant Dawn, Soren will join Ike as he sets out on a journey from which he never returns. In the conversation that Ike and Soren have in Radiant Dawn when having an A grade support level, Soren vowed to stay by lke's side even if it meant death. By sharing an A-rank support with Ike in both Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, a special "memory" scene for Ike can be unlocked. Fulfilling the criteria for this particular memory scene will also fulfill criteria for unlocking a fragment of the epilogue in which Soren's heritage is realized.

Personality
Soren is typically rude and cold, preferring to be alone than with the rest of the company, and as a result is described as high-strung. Titania thinks that this is actually because Soren is "a very empathetic young man." He acts upon logic and thinks from a cynical viewpoint, putting the feelings or circumstances of others aside if it benefits the mercenaries and suggesting not to help others if it hinders them, although this perspective is ignored by the others' sense of righteousness. In the beginning, he displays a rather obvious dislike for laguz, but, with Ike's assurance, is able to hold back. He despises laguz because when he was wandering the land laguz would scowl at him then walk away as if he wasn't there. He continues to employ a bitter resentment towards these laguz during Radiant Dawn. His personality probably is resultant of his difficult childhood, yet it cannot be ignored that his grandfather, Dheginsea has a very similar personality.

Appearance
Soren is particularly short despite his age, likely because his aging processes only recently began to slow down. He's actually a bit taller than Mist. In Path of Radiance he wears a long grey Mage robe, and later a purple sage robe with tights and high boots as a Sage. Radiant Dawn shows him grown in height, and different dark grey robe (that appears much like a combination between his two classes in Path of Radiance). As an Archsage he wears a greenish-white robe that flows out towards the end. Soren is also paler than most Black Dragons, has dark green hair, and has somewhat lighter red eyes.

Recruitment

 * Chapter 4: Automatically from Start.

Base Stats
|Mage |Dark |1 |18 |0 |6 |8 |8 |5 |2 |7 |6 |6 |7 |Wind - C Fire - D Thunder - D |Adept |Wind

Growth Rates
|40% |25% |80% |60% |35% |35% |25% |70%

Recruitment

 * Part 3: Prologue: Automatically from Base, available in Prologue, Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10. 11 and Endgame.
 * Part 4: Chapter 1: Automatically from Base, available in Chapter 1, 4 and Endgame.

Base Stats
|Wind Sage |Dark |5 |28 |9 |23 |21 |18 |11 |9 |21 |11 |11 |7 |Wind - A Fire - A Thunder - A |Adept | Elwind Thunder Fire Vulnerary

Growth Rates
|45% |25% |80% |60% |40% |30% |25% |70%

Bond Support

 * Ike:5%

Epilogue
Silent Master of Winds (静寂の風使い)

Though his tactical genius was unmatched, Soren never used his talents from anyone but Ike.


 * (A support with Ike)

When peace had settled on the land, Soren packed lightly and set off with the only person he had ever trusted.

Etymology
'Soren' is the German or Scandinavian nickname for the name 'Severino,' which itself is the Italian or Spanish form of the Roman family name 'Severus,' which means 'stern.' Søren Kierkegaard was a nineteenth-century philosopher and theologian whose work was the foreground for twentieth-century existentialism.

Interestingly, there is a Pope Severinus who lived in the seventh century who, when he refused to validate the Byzantine Emperor's latest religious decrees, was besieged by Isaac the Exarch of Ravenna, an ally of the Emperor's.  Later, an attack on the Byzantines by the Lombards, one of the germanic tribes living in northern Italy, probably resulted in Isaac's death.

Trivia
Although Soren's hair appears black its actually a very dark shade of green, much darker than his mother or other relatives. It is possible that this was done to hide his relation to them. It can also be noted that his Branded mark has changed slightly between the artwork of Path of Radiance & Radiant Dawn. In Path of Radiance the sides were curved inward. Yet in Radiant Dawn the sides are straight yet curving outward a little.

It is implied that Soren maybe 15 years old as a branded, but he does age slower than others, so he maybe older or younger than that. This age theory stems from a battle conversation between Izuka and Pelleas.

Pelleas: Izuka! Izuka: Ah, my dear prince Pelleas! Excuse me, King Pelleas! I'd assumed that you had been turned to stone. How nice to see you again! But I am saddened to see that you would betray me and fight alongside these shortsighted fools! I found you and set you on the path to royalty! I served you well, did I not? Pelleas: I know that you've been working for the senate, Izuka. Izuka: So you found out. Very well. At least I don't need to pretend anymore. It isn't like you will spare my life, anyway. Pelleas: With most of Daein turned to stone, the blood pact can no longer harm anyone. But that doesn't change the fact that you tricked me into risking the life of every citizen of my kingdom. Why would you betray me, Izuka? Were you ever loyal to Daein? Izuka: Betrayal? What of your betrayal of me? I remember well how you valued one worthless laguz life over mine! It was your betrayal that forced me to abandon my work! You were supposed to be my puppet, a weakling boy-king that I could control, giving me free reign! Pelleas: What? How could that be... Izuka: Oh, princeling boy, how completely I've fooled you... You are not King Ashnard's son. All I did was look for a boy that could pass for the king's son. Pelleas: But... Mother said... She said she was certain that I was her child! Izuka: Ah yes, Lady Almedha, paragon of sanity! She is certainly fit to identify a boy she hasn't seen in fifteen years. She was so desperate to have her son again that she would have believed anything I told her. Pelleas: No... No! Stop it! Stop talking!

Gallery
Soren