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Mad King Ashnard and his mount, Rajaion watching the events of the war, as seen in the opening of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.
—Soren
The Mad King's War is the name of the war at the center of the story of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. It received its name after the war ended and is recognized as such in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. The war took place around year 646 of the Tellius calendar and spanned roughly one year. Its name is derived from King Ashnard of Daein, who would posthumously become known as Mad King Ashnard for his bloodthirsty and cruel warmongering and despotic rule.
Instigation[]
In the years prior to the war, Ashnard had promoted a culture within Daein in which the strong ruled over the weak, and reinforced racist ideologies toward the laguz. He had also for a time held the Heron princess Lillia captive, who had Lehran's Medallion in her possession. Ashnard believed tales that the medallion held a dark god and had hoped to use Lillia to unleash the power within it. However, Lillia instead gave the medallion to Elena, a priestess that cared for her in her captivity, who subsequently escaped from Daein with her husband Gawain, who at that time was one of Daein's Four Riders, or the four most powerful military officers directly under Ashnard, and went into hiding.
Years later, Ashnard commanded an unprovoked, all-out invasion of Daein's neighboring nation of Crimea under a belief that Lehran's Medallion was somewhere within its borders.
The War[]
The war began with Daein invading Crimea. After the fall of Melior, the Crimean capital, and the death of King Ramon, Crimea descended into chaos. The country's sequestered Princess, Elincia, while escaping from Daein forces was separated from her guard, but was rescued by the ragtag Greil Mercenaries.
With Elincia in tow, the group fled to Gallia, where they found little concrete support. The Princess and her hired escorts decided to escape by sea to Begnion where they would petition for aid against Daein. After completing several tasks for the Apostle Sanaki, Begnion pledged to help liberate Elincia's homeland and provided the Crimean Liberation Army with soldiers and supplies.
Ike, leader of the Greil Mercenaries and eventually the Crimean Liberation Army, set off from Begnion towards the Daein capital of Nevassa. After winning decisive victories at Tor Garen and Talrega, the army cut across Daein and secured the capital. The Liberation Army was disappointed to discover, however, that Ashnard, the Mad King, had abandoned Daein, and set up residence in Melior. With Begnion's General Zelgius guarding their rear in Daein, the Crimean Liberation Army marched into Crimea proper, sweeping across The Great Bridge and killing one of Daein's famed Four Riders, Petrine, dealing a significant blow against Ashnard's forces.
Once within Crimea's borders, the Crimean Liberation Army combines forces with Crimea's clandestine retainers and clashes with Daein regulars. General Ike then moved against Fort Pinell and the second of Daein's Four Riders, Bertram. After besting Bertram in the bloodiest battle yet in the war, the Crimean army gained significant momentum and was next able to take out the enigmatic Black Knight, Daein's third Rider, at Castle Nados.
Against the better judgment of his retainers, King Ashnard split his remaining force in two, giving advantage to Crimea. In order to protect their rear while launching their final attack against Melior, Ike engaged Daein forces south of the capital at Gritnea Tower, where he helped uncover atrocities committed by Daein, specifically against the laguz by means of the feral drug.
At the climax of the war the combined forces of Crimea, Begnion, Gallia, Phoenicis and Kilvas stormed the palace at Melior and confronted Daein's final Rider, Bryce as well as the architect of the war, King Ashnard. After a fierce battle against Ashnard's hand-picked elite guard, the King engaged General Ike. With the blessed blade Ragnell Ike cut down King Ashnard, bringing the Mad King's War to an end.
In the aftermath of the war, Crimea was left in ruins. Princess Elincia was crowned Queen and the reconstruction of the Crimea began. Both Gallia and Begnion assisted in the reconstruction effort, to the displeasure of many Crimean nobles who disapproved of the Queen relying too heavily on foreign aid. As for Daein, the country was placed under Begnion rule, leading to a harsh, three-year occupation that led to many of the events of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Belligerents[]
Daein
- King Ashnard
- General Bryce
- General Petrine
- General Bertram
- The Black Knight
Crimea
Begnion
Gallia
Phoenicis
- King Tibarn
Kilvas
- King Naesala
Goldoa