Bethroen (港町ベイセル, Minato-chō Beiseru, Port Town Beisel) is a location from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. During Chapter 10 of his route, Ephraim reunites with his old friend General Duessel in this seaside town in southwestern Grado.
Profile
Bethroen is a small port in the far west of Magvel. It is the southernmost end of a road leading from Castle Frelia, putting it to the south of Fort Rigwald. South of Bethroen is a strait connecting the large bay the town is on to the ocean; all of these water bodies are unnamed. This bay is often covered by fog, prompting the villagers and shops of Bethroen to keep torches on hand. Across the bay sits Taizel, a larger port. Travel between these two cities is frequent as the route from Bethroen to Taizel is the quickest way to Grado Keep from the west, avoiding the many mountains and forests in central Grado.
The port is actually on an island, one of two Bethroen sprawls onto from the mainland. Bridges connect the port to the second island and to the continent. A fort on one of the smaller islands that are not part of the city stands guard against potential attacks from the sea. Sturdy walls protect the people, homes, and businesses of Bethroen; though the walls do not completely encircle the town, they create chokepoints along with the natural geography to effectively control who enters and exits.
Monsters spawn here during the main story and Creature Campaign. The monster commanders that may attack are a Bael, a Mauthe Doog, or a Tarvos.
Story
When Selena informs Duessel that they will be engaging Ephraim's forces, he orders Grado's troops to halt, determined to find a diplomatic solution. Branding him a traitor for questioning the directive of their emperor, Selena orders Cormag to help her cut him down. As Ephraim's group enters Bethroen, they see someone being chased. Recognizing Duessel, Ephraim directs all efforts toward rescuring him. Before Selena can make a move, Valter arrives with the news that she is considered untrustworthy and he has been sent to relieve her of command. Furious, Selena agrees to set sail for the capital, needing to hear the words from Emperor Vigarde's own mouth. With instructions to extend the bloodshed as long as possible, Valter leaves Beran in charge and flies off to find Eirika.
Torn between the chivalric ideals his brother instilled in him and his duty as a knight of Grado, Cormag expresses hesitation about killing Duessel. If Tana or Ephraim speaks with him, they can convince him to protect Duessel instead. As the fighting drags on, Beran decides his life is not worth losing to Valter's wrath and orders his men to flee upon a ship, provided Ephraim or Duessel's forces do not kill him first. After the battle and with the blessing of his troops, Duessel formally sides with Frelia. He reveals that Emperor Vigarde became violent after Prince Lyon and his mages created a "Dark Stone" more powerful than even the Sacred Stones. Myrrh confirms that the evil surrounding the capital could corrupt even the purest soul. When Duessel says that Lyon keeps the Dark Stone on his person at all times, Ephraim resolves to find him so that they may restore the emperor together.
As the Frelian army prepares to depart across the sea, L'Arachel and her companions, Dozel and Rennac, appear and announce the sea is haunted by a phantom ship. She urges Ephraim not to sail until she has purged the sea of its demons, then boards a ship toward her self-proclaimed destiny. Baffled but undeterred, Ephraim sets sail anyway, heading for Taizel on the opposite side of the bay.
Etymology
Beisel is a word for a horse's bridle in Norwegian. "Bethroen" may be a deliberate misspelling of "bethrone", an archaic synonym to enthrone.
Trivia
- If you visit the southern village on the island, you can find Marisa, who will give you a Hero Crest.