A prologue consisting of four parts has been added in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. It chronicles the fall of the kingdom of Altea, prior to Prince Marth's departure to the island of Talys where he appears to be in Chapter 1: 'Marth Embarks' (and the beginning of Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi and Fire Emblem: Monshō no Nazo). This set of scenarios is only available in Normal Mode, however, and will automatically be skipped should the player choose to play the Hard Mode.
The basics of combat are explained throughout the prologue if the player opts to enable the in-game tutorial. Also, two of the Shadow Dragon exclusive characters, Frey and Norne, can only be recruited in the prologue chapter.
Introduction
"Long ago, Medeus, king of the dragonkin, conquered the continent of Akaneia beginning an age of fear and despair for all its people. That tyranny was broken, however, thanks to a miracle. A young man hailing from the Altea region appeared with a divine blade in hand. He stood against the Shadow Dragon, and struck him down. For some time after, the land enjoyed an age of peace. However, after a century's passing, the Shadow Dragon returned. He forged an alliance with a fiendish sorcerer who sought to rule the world, and their combined might toppled kingdom upon unsuspecting kingdom.
Again, darkness threatened to engulf the continent. It fell upon the king of Altea, sole descendant of the dragon-slayer hero, to 'sally forth with the divine blade and fulfill his blood destiny. His son, Prince Marth, remained at home with the boy's mother, his elder sister, and a garrison manned by Altea's neighbor and ally, Gra'. Thus the boy applied himself to the ways of both pen and sword, until one day..."
Prologue I
—Marth to Gra soldiers
Synopsis
At the dead of night, Prince Marth is shocked to find himself surrounded by Gra soldiers in his own castle's corridor. He soon learns of his father's defeat at the hands of Gra, his own allies, and is implored by his sister, Princess Elice, to flee the fallen castle ahead of her.
Battlefield Data
- Enemy number: 4 (Gra)
- Enemy types: 2 Fighters and 2 Soldiers (one of them occupying the yellow tile).
Prologue II
—Elice to Malledus
Synopsis
Marth is joined by two Altean cavaliers, Frey and Abel. Together, they head towards the gate to meet up with Sir Jagen, and the cavalier Cain who had accompanied the fallen king's entourage on that fateful day. Meanwhile, Elice orders Malledus to catch up with the young prince and accompany him as his advisor.
Battlefield Data
- Enemy number: 6 (Gra)
- Enemy types: 1 Fighter, 2 Archers and 3 Soldiers (one of whom occupies the yellow tile).
New Units
- Frey - Cavalier
- Abel - Cavalier
- Jagen - Paladin (Since he joins at the end of the battle, he cannot be used before the next part)
- Cain - Cavalier (Since he joins at the end of the battle, he cannot be used until the next part)
Prologue III
—Cain
"Thus Prince Marth escaped Altea Castle with Sir Jagen and company at his side. However, this success would mean little to him once he learned the cost.
The boy's woes were just beginning."
Synopsis
Cain delivers to Marth the king's final request: Marth must rise as Falchion's remaining heir and restore peace to the continent of Akaneia. After a brief skirmish with GRa soldiers, Malledus arrives to join Marth (as a NPC) and explains to him Elice's decision to stay behind to ensure the boy's safety. She, too, believes that only Marth can save the land.
Battlefield Data
- Enemy number: 10 (Gra)
- Enemy types: 4 Soldiers, 2 Archers and 2 Mages (one of them occupying the yellow tile).
- Residence: 5 houses. (Each with a resident offering gameplay advice.)
Prologue IV
—Malledus to Marth
"Marth and his knights took refuge in a forest near Altea's borders, lying low while they waited for the right chance to escape the kingdom. Before long, the enemy grew less watchful: the time to slip away had come.
Still, the prince could not quell the sadness in his heart for his sister Elice."
Synopsis
Malledus tells Marth that Elice wanted him to seek refuge in the island of Talys, and so they must pass by a prison in order to reach the docks. At the prison, Marth meets the Altean archer, Gordin, who was being held captive and forced to dress up as a Gra soldier. Before the group manages to make it to the docks, however, they find themselves surrounded by Gra forces from all sides, one of them led by King Jiol of Gra himself. At this point, Malledus suggests sending out one of Marth's knights as a decoy to mislead Jiol's troops, if Marth is to have any chance of survival. Despite Marth's protests, one of the five Altean units volunteers to carry out Malledus's plan and thus supposedly perishes after fulfulling the task.
An alternative scenario occurs if Marth actually mistakes Gordin for an enemy and kills him off. In that case, Jiol's troops will not show up, and instead, the enemy Captain will have the door opened to lure Marth in and finish him off himself.
Battlefield Data
- Enemy number: Several (Gra) enemies from the start. Pegasus Knights will appear as reinforcement at the fort if any of the player's units moves close to the village. Somewhere in between (if the player does not kill Gordin as an enemy), Jiol's troops will emerge from the south, but at this point in the game, they appear to be impossible to defeat.
- Residence: 2 houses and 1 village (no thieves).
- Items: Iron Bow (dropped), Steel Bow (village)
New Units
- Gordin - Archer (Talk with Marth)
- Draug - Knight (Cannot be used in this battle as he joins at the end.
- Norne - Archer (If two or more ally units are gone by the end of the prologue; decoy included. She cannot be used in this battle as she joins at the end)
The Decoy
Jagen, Frey, Abel, Cain or Gordin can act as the decoy. The player should take extra care in choosing who to sacrifice, as the sacrificed unit will never make it back (not even with the Aum Staff).
Jagen
More often than not, Jagen has the least potential of becoming a powerful unit later on in the game, due to the fact that he is pre-promoted and has poor growth probability. Nonetheless, players new to the series may find him helpful for taking damage in early chapters. Even then, it's not recommended to give him any kills. (See Experience Stealing)
Farewell, my prince. Live, and grow strong...”
—Jagen as the decoy
Frey
Due to Frey's absence in the original game and the Hard Mode of Shadow Dragon, it is speculated that he is the story's chosen decoy. However, it should be noted that he usually can become a very good unit, especially when reclassed.
Live, sire, and grow strong...”
—Frey as the decoy
Abel
Like Frey, Abel normally has good growth probability and can make a good unit especially when reclassed.
Farewell, sire. Fortune protect you...”
—Abel as the decoy
Cain
Like Abel, Cain normally has good growth probability and can make a good unit especially if reclassed.
Farewell, sire! Fortune protect you...”
—Cain as the decoy
Gordin
Gordin is the archer of choice for many players who prefer not to use the reclassing system. Though he has the potential to become a decent unit when trained, his growth rates are usually not very high. His defence gain, though, tends to be higher than the average archer's.
Fortune protect you, sire...”
—Gordin as the decoy
Note: For a better evaluation of each unit, refer to the respective character's page.
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