For the chapter from Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, see Arcadia (chapter).
Athos and Nergal in Arcadia
Arcadia is a village found in the Nabata Desert where dragons and humans lived together in peace and harmony. The town was discovered by Archsage Athos and Nergal hundreds of years before their bitter enmity began. They studied there together and Nergal used the knowledge he gained from the dragons in order to harvest quintessence and to call forth Nils and Ninian through the Dragon's Gate shortly before the events of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. While the dragon inhabitants are simply referred to as "dragons", The Binding Blade's backstory seems to indicate that most, if not all, of them are Divine Dragons or their descendants. In the Japanese version of The Blazing Blade, Nergal also claims that Athos conspired with the Divine Dragons to defeat him.
Dialogue in The Binding Blade clarifies that Athos played a major role in Arcadia's founding, leading its community to the oasis it's built around, and constructing the Water Temple beneath it. The latter is briefly visited in The Blazing Blade, and is where the Legendary Tome Forblaze is housed after Athos's death.
In The Binding Blade, Roy arrives at Arcadia with the guidance of one of its citizens, and relieves it of occupation by Bern. Here he convenes with the village elder, a Manakete who lost his dragon form to time; the elder insists that he is not a "dragon" anymore, and that there are no "dragons" left in Arcadia, save for an immature Fae. Roy is then sent off without much draconic assistance, though the little dragon follows him out in secret.
Given the Endings of Arcadia's residents, Roy is implied to be the last noteworthy outsider to ever see the village, or the Nabata Desert at all.
Citizens of Arcadia[]
- Athos - The Archsage, temporarily lived in the town
- Nergal - The Dark Druid, temporarily lived in the town
- Hawkeye - Guardian of Arcadia, father of Igrene.
- Igrene - The daughter of Hawkeye and protector of Nabata who although has lost her family, is stalwart in her duty.
- Astolfo - Husband of Igrene, spy for Hector
- Sophia - A half human, half dragon shaman of Nabata who sees the future but has lived a sheltered life away from other people.
- Fae - A surviving Divine Dragon with the nature of a child and very little life experience.
- Idunn - The Demon Dragon, resides in Arcadia when spared by Roy.
Etymology[]
Arcadia is a region of Greece on the Peloponnese. During the golden age of Ancient Greek civilization it was a remote pastoral unknown, as the mountainous terrain isolated it. However, it is linked to several myths; supposedly the Greek gods Hermes and Pan were born here, as was the famous runner and huntress Atalanta. Evander, one of the legendary founders of Rome, was said to be an Arcadian.