Fodlan

As I have several years in the past, the time has come for me, as the original Nationstates Adrestian Empire and founder of this region, to give this speech:

On the Twenty-Second of the Garland Moon, that in the Imperial Year Eleven Hundred and Sixty Two, her majesty, Adrestrian Emperor, unifier of Fodlan, and liberator of the people EDELGARD of the storied imperial house HRESVELG, was born to Emperor Ionius IX and his closest concubine, Anselma of (then respected) house Arundel. Through tremendous adversity and challenge, and the machinations of many entrenched and ambitious powers both within and beyond her political constraints, her majesty stood steadfast behind her most honorable goals and ambitions, taking the decisive action necessary to Fodlan's corrupted society from the many ills and injustices it faced:

the unnatural and inequitable crest system, imposed and maintained upon humanity from on high to divide and control it,
the entrenched noble classes, who had grown corrupt, self-serving, vainglorious, and duplicitous, flagrantly disregarding their responsibilities to the Imperial Throne to exploit the common people and control the organs of state,
the reactionary forces of the false regimes who, under the influence of those outside forces that seek to promote conflict, discord, and division among the single people of Fodlan, had previously broken from the Imperial Government and developed political identities predicated on such inherent injustice,
and of course, the despicable Church, that vile organ that both permits all of the previous injustices and itself insists on interfering-if not directly controlling-both spiritual and temporal affairs of all the land for its own nefarious and ambiguous purposes. It stood as the greatest, but by no means the only organization seeking to subjugate and control the people of Fodlan.

Faced with such injustice and evil pervading her country and land, only Edelgard had the will to use the unparalleled power she has been granted, civil, political, and martial, by those very evils to forge a new future, where the people of this great Empire may live, strive, and thrive in a meritocratic country where people swear fealty to no lord, king, or goddess, but to that nation of which they themselves are a part.
It is for that reason this date is rightfully a monumental one in the chronicle of this Empire and Fodlan alike, for while others may look with doubt at her goals or actions in achieving them, in The Adrestian Empire, our visionary sovereign is respected by all for words, ideals, and deeds alike. When injustice is so fundamentally entrenched within the very fabric of society, those who suffer know there can be no compromise or middle ground in destroying that injustice, ensuring that a new, greater order can be built in its place. But to those who seek to judge the means, seeing the ends as secondary, know that Edelgard proves that there is as much merit in the action as in the accomplishment. Even if those who rise for a just cause fail to achieve their goals, they still know that the ideals and principles that they stood to bring to pass will not so easily be forgotten if they are willing to sacrifice for that vision.

Of course, I would be doing a grievous disservice to Her Imperial Majesty if I were to only remark on the qualities of Edelgard the Emperor, the stateswoman, and warrior, those grand duties that she has selflessly devoted herself to following. Although she serves the people of Fodlan, Edelgard is also a woman who appreciates the natural beauty of her Empire, savoring the peace and serenity of a quiet walk in Fodlan's magnificent woodlands, plains, and mountains. In her free time, she enjoys the company of friends, playfully joking and engaging in spirited and civil discussion on all topics, while also seeking the confidence and intimacy of others. One cannot forget that despite her high station by birth and deed alike, she is very much a woman and person like all others, with human wishes and desires. For all that she has done and can do for her people, her people ought to at least wish for her some of those simple pleasures that she has forgone for their benefit.

And such humble satisfaction, or just a moment of peace and relaxation, that I wish most for our Emperor this special day. For regardless of your opinions on Edelgard or the righteousness of her ideals or actions, I am sure that all of us here can agree that after what she has experienced and the actions she has taken, she certainly deserves a happy birthday.

The empire of adrestia wrote:

It is on this day that Edelgard, the greatest character in the Fire Emblem series was born to Emperor Ionius the IX and Anselma von Arundel of Adrestia. It is my pleasure as the most serious Adrestian Empire on NS to celebrate her.

While my comrade offer a pompous puff piece for our Emperor, one she certainly deserves, I feel the need to provide a more emotional appeal to this character.

Edelgard is a character who can change your life meeting. A fully-fleshed out and endearing arrogant-yet-loving personality full of passion, voiced perfectly by Tara Platt (Who I just found out shares the same birth week on the 19th), Edelgard is the kind of character that comes only once in a while.

She truly changed my life, inspiring me with her radical quest for justice and equality in my own life. I was struggling with an important inflection point when I played Crimson Flower, and it was El's famous words before striking down the villainous Immaculate one "When humanity stands as one..." that gave me the strength I needed.

In some way, the entire game revolves around her actions. Sure, Dimitri and Claude have their own missions in life; but it is Edelgard's actions who causes the pivotal plot point.

Her relationship with her Teacher, should he make the right choice, and stand by her side to the sweet, rose-scented end, is a well-balanced and passionate, but not unrealistic romance that yes, is ten-thousands times better than Twilight or stupid Romeo & Juliet (Come @me Shakespeare). There might be funnier pairs, or more comraderies found elsewhere. But the story of Edeleth, (Regardless of gender) is as a romance, the perfect ending to the bloody struggle, and tortured past both experienced to finally come together. The story of Edeleth is one of impossible fateful meetings: In the first act, A Princess and a Pauper, in the second, a forbidden infatuation, only to in time, be overcome by the passage of time and their own passion for one another. In my headcanon, he awoke after his long absence, hearing her voice. He awoke for El.

It is a romance of equality; while he is Teacher and her Student, she is also Emperor and him Advisor. He shows little emotion, but, should you choose to S-support her, such will come only after a long journey of showering her in gifts, tea, and most importantly, relentlessly choosing her.

For Edelgard's path is a choice. It's the essential truth about her, that many of her detractors never seem to get.

Edelgard never expected anything of you. She never believed she needed you to win her war, even though she'd prefer it. Edelgard is too sure in herself to give up because her beloved Teacher gave up on her.

But she wanted you to stay.

She wanted you to stand by her side, and love her. It's why she has such brilliant, clearly authentic emotional reactions to you choosing her. When El shows joy, anger, and saddness, it is authentic. She wears a mask, but for you, it all falls away. The whole time she was her true self to you, if albeit reserved at the start.

But she never misrepresented who she was. Not really. We are left to interpret or misinterpret her, but El is honest about herself, even if she isn't honest about the details, or how much herself is hurting.

El is no villain, she's a tormented yet phoenixesque woman. In my mind, she's a hero. She is a hero in Crimson Flower, and she seeks to be one in White Clouds.

What makes one a hero, is not perfection, but a selfless heroism. El has suffered, and lost it all. Glory & Empire building give her no great pleasure. She wants to retreat, and be left alone. To ideal with her Teacher.

But she does it anyways, working with those who hurt her, to save Fodlan from the curse of the crests.

Truly an amazing character.

Happy Birthday El. You might only be pixels on a screen, but in our human hearts, when we stand together for a greater cause; you are alive.

A great explanation of Edelgard's character, and probably the best (concise) argument for Edeleth as a ship I've seen. She really is a special character who can stand side by side with other reformist or revolutionary characters, either as a strong deuteragonist or anti-villain, depending on the route. You're right in pointing out that Edelgard's decisions and actions, from the prologue through until the very end of at least half of the routes, Edelgard and her choices drive the events of the game, even if we are following Byleth or any other lord. Despite its complex world and tremendously varied characters, I would argue that thematically, Three Houses is Edelgard's game, and that of her conflict, that of a young generation's struggle to assert themselves against the destructive and unjust socio-historical forces within a realistically flawed society, is the struggle that defines the game's entire cast. Edelgard is an individual for whom the outside pressures are most coercive, the personal costs are especially acute, and whose social responsibility is largest, stands out among them. And to The Adrestian Empire's point, Edelgard manages to simultaneously stand as a distinct individual with fundamental and sincerely felt emotions and desires, while fitting the hopes, horrors, and frustrations of her time and place into the very core of the game's grand narrative as a historical figure.

Three Houses is undeniably the single most personally important piece of media to me. I cannot say that it came into my life at a time of any special crisis or dilemma, but following my somewhat impulsive purchase of the game in August 2019, it quickly stood out to me like no other game or story alike ever had. It quickly obvious to me that Three Houses, quite simply, was the inflection point, and in the years since, the ways that it has shaped it has, directly or indirectly shaped my interests, lifestyle, and mindset has become even clearer. Above all that, Edelgard's story of determination, self-sacrifice, strong social convictions, and powerfully defiant action in pursuit of them has proven to be one of its most direct, personal, and deeply-felt legacies. As long as I live, I will think of her character and story. So, allow me to offer a sincerely felt happy belated birthday to El.

AquilaJordyn wrote:

Announcement.

Edelgard is still my favorite character.

That is all.

Her Majesty Edelgard von Hresvelg remains my favorite character as well!

That is all.

Korean-Joseon wrote:

Announcement: You are all cringe, Gatekeeper is objectively the best character, not just of Three Houses, but quite possible of all time.

That is all.

I'm sorry, Gate Guard who? Do you mean that random guard from Garreg Mach who just stood in place all day in one position, and didn't even have the sense to inspect peoples identification papers, or frisk for illicit material and weaponry?

That side character without even so much as a name?

Your opinion is pathetic.

The only redeemable quality to that man is that he was always so terrible at his job, it was easy to sneak past him at night when I was disguised as the Flame Emperor, or when I wanted to stare into my Teacher's bedroom.

The Noble State of Aegir wrote:

I don't care who your favorite character is, as long as we all recognize that Ferdinand von Aegir is undeniably the most noble.

B*tch you can have that title, I never wanted it. Announcing to the world that you're the most deniable is like being considered the person most thoroughly infected with the black plague.