Ashera

"She is...restriction. Order. Stability. Past. Certainty. Restraint. She is Ashera."

- Yune on Ashera

Ashera (アスタルテ, Astarte) is the goddess of Tellius who is worshipped across the continent. She sleeps in Begnion's Tower of Guidance and is awakened when the war reaches its peak. She is one half of the creator Goddess Ashunera: she is the embodiment of order, stability, and law.

Creation
About eight hundred years before the events of Radiant Dawn, a great conflict arose between the beorc and laguz. Ashunera became distressed by the violent nature her creations, and in a flood of emotion, Ashunera sank most of the world beneath a great deluge, sparing only the inhabitants of the mountainous continent of Tellius from drowning. The widespread loss of life only served to increase Ashunera's distress. Blaming herself, and believing that her emotions (personified as the childlike goddess Yune), were the cause of the disaster, Ashunera cast out her feelings.

Devoid of emotion, Ashunera became Ashera, Order Incarnate; her emotions became Yune, Goddess of Chaos. Ashera discerned that she should rid the world of chaos; she summoned her Three Heroes to seal away Yune in Lehran's Medallion, which would come to be known as the Fire Emblem. Ashera decreed that she would slumber one thousand years, and that if she were awakened by the breaking of the seal on the Fire Emblem, she would pass judgment on the beorc and laguz. She then went to rest within the Tower of Guidance. To prevent judgment day from coming to pass, Ashera's heroes spread legends of the 'dark god' contained within the Fire Emblem to discourage warfare.

Awakening
The mystical seal on Lehran's Medallion was what kept Yune imprisoned and what kept Ashera asleep. As the violence escalated, the seal on the Fire Emblem progressively weakened, threatening to release Yune and awaken Ashera. The seal becomes unstable, and the awakening of Ashera is imminent. Micaiah sings the Galdar of Release, releasing Yune from the Fire Emblem and awakening Ashera. When she awakens, Ashera is disappointed to see that the laguz and beorc broke their promise. Determining that her children were beyond redemption and had more than shattered their covenant, Ashera casts down her judgement, turning nearly all beorc and laguz to stone. Ashera soon discovers that her other half, Yune, had shielded a small faction of warriors from her judgement. To defeat Yune and make her will absolute, Ashera restores life to the loyal members of the Begnion military to fight for her, even going so far as to restore the senators of Begnion, despite their transgressions.

Boss battle conversation
Ashera vs Ike

Ashera: It is tragic that you are too limited to see how hopeless this is. You cannot hope to defeat the divine.

Ike: You're right. We can't hope to defeat you.

Ashera: Then why continue.

Ike: You haven't left us much choice. I'd rather die like this instead of being turned into some mindless statue.

Ashera: Simpleminded fool...

Defeat
With Yune's help, Ike, Micaiah, and their companions are able power through Ashera's forces to make their way to Ashera's dwelling. At the top of the Tower of Guidance, a divinely empowered Ike strikes down Ashera with the divine sword Ragnell. After Ashera is defeated, Yune is able to reunite with her other half, and the Goddess Ashunera is reborn.

Boss Appear

 * Part 4: Endgame Area5

Base Stats
|Order Incarnate |Heaven |20 |120 |8 |15 |40 |40 |40 |35 |50 |7 |87 |0 |Strike - SS Fire - SS Thunder - SS Wind - SS Light - SS Dark - SS |Mantle |Judge

Etymology
Ashera's English name is likely derived from the name of the Semitic mother goddess Asherah. Her Japanese name, Astarte, is the Greek form of the name Ashtoreth, another goddess in Central Asian ancient mythology.