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{{Group Infobox | {{Group Infobox | ||
|name=Those who slither in the dark | |name=Those who slither in the dark<br>Agartha | ||
|image=[[File: | |image=[[File:FETH TWSITD banner.png|200x200px]] | ||
|caption=" | |caption=Banner of "those who slither in the dark" | ||
|leader=[[Thales]] | |leader=[[Thales]] | ||
|size=Unknown | |size=Unknown | ||
|base=Shambhala, an underground city near House Goneril territory | |base=Shambhala, an underground city near House Goneril territory | ||
|type=Remnants of an ancient civilization | |type=Remnants of an ancient civilization | ||
|appearances=* {{title|Three Houses}} | |appearances=*{{title|Three Houses}} | ||
*{{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
'' | '''Those who slither in the dark''' (Japanese: {{hl|闇に蠢く者|Yami ni ugomeku mono}} ''those who wriggle in the dark'') are a hidden organization operating throughout [[Fódlan]]. They are the remnants of an ancient civilization known as '''Agartha''' (<!--pronunciation: {{IPA|}}; -->Japanese: {{hl|アガルタ|Agaruta}} ''Agartha''). | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Agartha was an ancient civilization who [[Sothis]] and the Children of the Goddess, also known as | ===Ancient Fódlan=== | ||
Agartha was an ancient civilization who [[Sothis]] and the Children of the Goddess, also known as the [[Nabatea]]ns, shared their knowledge with, allowing their people to create highly advanced technology and architecture. Over time, the Agarthans started to fight with each other and brought destruction across Fódlan, all while wishing to overthrow their Nabatean rulers.<ref>{{cite web|quote='''Kusakihara:''' In that world, originally the race that could change into dragons, the so called citizens of Nabatea, were scattered about Fódlan in the different places/lands as governors (rulers) but, there were the citizens of Agartha who held hatred against the citizens of Nabatea… in other words, Those Who Slither in the Dark wanted to overturn this state of affairs (of the Nabateans as rulers) and as such, they devised schemes.|url=https://serenesforest.net/2020/03/24/three-houses-nintendo-dream-interview-reveals-first-route-claudes-real-name/|title=Nintendo Dream May 2020 Issue|site=translated by Serenes Forest|published=March 21, 2020|retrieved=March 25, 2020}}</ref> According to a text located in [[Abyss]]—heavily implied to have been written by an Agarthan—they also feared Sothis would retaliate against them due to their penchant for carnage.<ref>{{Cite|In the land of Thinis, where the old gods are said to live, the False God has awakened. [...] It will bring extinction to all children of men, and salvation to all beasts of the land, sky and sea. For the children of men who spilled too much of the blood of life, it promises only cruel retribution.|''Romance of the World's Perdition'' in the Shadow Library of [[Abyss]]|Three Houses}}</ref> All of these factors led the Agarthans to create "[[Javelins of Light|pillars of light]]", giant ballistic missiles powered by magic, which they employed to wage war against Sothis. They ultimately lost their battle to impose their hegemony on Sothis' kin. As a result, most of their civilization went extinct at the hands of Sothis in an phenomenon described as a flood called "Despair".<ref>{{Cite|Yet even still, the False God stands. And soon, a flood apty named Despair will drown this world. The children of men fled to the depths of the earth, beyond the sight of the False God, beyond the embrace of the sacred sun, and beyond the reach of the waters called Despair.|''Romance of the World's Perdition'' in the Shadow Library of [[Abyss]]|Three Houses}}</ref> This forced the remaining survivors to hide underground alongside any remains of technology available. The Agarthans soon created their current base of operations, Shambhala, and plotted their revenge against Sothis and the Children of the Goddess for causing their destruction and taking from them what they believed was their right to rule the surface world. | |||
It is speculated by Rhea and Seteth that sometime after this, | It is speculated by [[Rhea]] and [[Seteth]] that sometime after this, the Agarthans allied themselves with a thief called [[Nemesis]], whom they lead to the Holy Tomb where Sothis rested after her battle with the Agarthans. They had him harvest Sothis' remains in order to create the [[Sword of the Creator]] and obtain the [[Crest of Flames]], which Nemesis later used in Zanado to slaughter more Nabateans to obtain more power by collecting more material for the Agarthans to forge into weapons.<ref>{{cite web|quote='''Kusakihara:''' They granted humans the technology to make powerful weapons from the corpses of the citizens of Nabatea, or so was their plan that they enacted, to which they went forward with this plan using the human, Nemesis. As a result, what would happen to humans who gained power... they would want even more power, and find a dragon much stronger to beat in order to collect materials forcefully, in order to make even more powerful weapons... and so that was the cycle that was born.|url=https://serenesforest.net/2020/03/24/three-houses-nintendo-dream-interview-reveals-first-route-claudes-real-name/|title=Nintendo Dream May 2020 Issue|site=translated by Serenes Forest|published=March 21, 2020|retrieved=March 25, 2020}}</ref> These were named the Heroes' Relics, which he later shared with [[10 Elites|his allies]]. After his death at the hands of [[Seiros]], the Four Saints, and the [[Adrestian Empire]] in Imperial Year 91, the Agarthans recovered Nemesis' corpse and hid underground once more. | ||
Many years later, they attempted to destroy [[Garreg Mach Monastery]] with another pillar of light, which the humans from the surface referred to as a "javelin of light". Unbeknownst to them, Sothis had placed a jamming spell on the Holy Tomb, which redirected their weapon into the village of Ailell, consuming it in flames. This created what is known as the Valley of Torment, a place bathed eternally in lava, believed by the commonfolk to be a product of the goddess punishing the sinners who resided in the village. In a burnt report located in Abyss, it is speculated "those who slither in the dark" were involved with with the creation of the [[Holy Kingdom of Faerghus]] by aiding Loog's rebellion, providing him weapons, soldiers and possibly also his strategist, Pan.<ref>{{Cite|...The Faerghus Rebellion. I harbor doubts about the army Loog has raised. How did he recruit so many soldiers without raising suspicions in the Empire? How did he acquire those mysterious weapons, so like Heroes' Relics? What is the rumored identity of Pan, the tactician, rumored to have been integral to Loog's victories? And Those Who Slither In the Dark...|''Burn Remnants of a Report'' in the Shadow Library of [[Abyss]]|Three Houses}}</ref> After Loog's victory over the Adrestian Empire in 751, the Church of Seiros mediated between both sides, granting Faerghus its independence under the condition the Seiros faith would be the kingdom's main religion. Then, the Agarthans vanished again. | |||
===Modern Fódlan=== | |||
During the next twelve centuries, the Agarthan descendants made their way to the surface, slowly replacing and impersonating key people with their own agents, such as Faerghus' Court mage [[Cornelia]], Garreg Mach's librarian [[Tomas (Three Houses)|Tomas]] and Adrestia's regent [[Volkhard von Arundel]]. This let the group capitalize on both the [[Tragedy of Duscur]], acting as instigators of the conflict, and the [[Insurrection of the Seven]]. They infiltrated the Adrestian Emperor [[Ionius IX]]'s repression of the Hrym territory so they could perform test runs of "blood reconstruction surgeries" on the scions of House Ordelia with the purpose of infusing crests into humans. Additionally, they allied with Adrestia's Prime Minister [[Duke Aegir|Duke Ludwig von Aegir]] in order to secure access to the Hresvelg line of heirs, all for the purpose of securing a manipulable vessel they would bestow the Crest of Flames, which would become their ultimate weapon against the Children of the Goddess and those who worship them. Sometime around 1175 to 1180, the only surviving Hresvelg scion, [[Edelgard von Hresvelg]], allied with the group with the intention of using their resources and troops to take down the Church of Seiros and unify Fódlan for her own separate reasons. In return, the Agarthan descendants supported her by providing some of their soldiers and weapons. In spite of this alliance, however, Edelgard planned to dispose of them once she had achieved her goals as revenge for destroying the lives of her family and siblings, as well as for their involvement in the Tragedy of Duscur. Her retainer [[Hubert]], future head of House Vestra, also began researching the group during this period in order to facilitate their eventual destruction for his future emperor. It was in the course of this process that he began using the nickname the Agarthans are known as during the story: "those who slither in the dark". | |||
===''Three Houses''=== | |||
In 1180, "those who slither in the dark" collaborated with Edelgard under the identity of the [[Flame Emperor (class)|Flame Emperor]] to orchestrate several violent conflicts within Fódlan, including an attempt to steal Seiros' remains from the Holy Mausoleum, the abduction of the Nabatean [[Flayn]], the massacre of the inhabitants of Remire Village, the assassination of the Knight of Seiros [[Jeralt]], and an attack on [[Duke Gerth]] of Adrestia in order to steal the [[Fetters of Dromi]]. Their ultimate goal was to use Edelgard to wipe out the Kingdom, Alliance, and Church so they could rule over Fódlan. Eventually, Edelgard led a raid on the Holy Tomb, was exposed as the Flame Emperor, and formally declared war on the Church. | |||
====Five Year War and Downfall==== | |||
When Edelgard declared war on the Church of Seiros, "those who slither in the dark" aided Edelgard during the invasion of Garreg Mach, attaining victory over their enemies. On non-Crimson Flower routes, Archbishop [[Rhea]] was captured during the fight and jailed in a secret chamber in the Imperial Palace, kept alive by Edelgard as a bargaining chip against the Agarthans,<ref>{{Cite|I've got a message for ya... from a dead man. The emperor was keeping the archbishop alive as insurance against those who slither in the dark.|A thief found in [[Abyss]] during [[The City Without Light|Silver Snow/Verdant Wind's Chapter 20/21]]|Three Houses}}</ref> while Byleth was pushed into the depths of a canyon by a blast of Thales' dark magic and went missing for the next five years. Then, they had the agent impersonating [[Cornelia]] overthrow Faerghus' Prince [[Dimitri]] in a coup and turn the Kingdom into the Faerghus Dukedom. The group silently supported Edelgard's army throughout the war by sending some of their troops to key battles, such as the Battle at Gronder (Azure Moon and Verdant Wind), the Resistance Army's/Leicester Alliance's invasion of Enbarr (Silver Snow and Verdant Wind) and during the final battle at the imperial palace. | |||
On the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes, the Agarthans used a "javelin of light" to destroy Fort Merceus in an attempt to kill Byleth/Claude's forces. Hubert used this attack to discover the secret location of Shambhala and exposed them in a posthumous letter, allowing the Resistance/Alliance forces to besiege Shambhala. Facing defeat, the Agarthan leader [[Thales]] used all of his javelins of light to destroy Shambhala, and the Resistance/Alliance only survived thanks to Rhea turning into [[the Immaculate One]]. Only on the Verdant Wind route, the Agarthans resurrected Nemesis and unleashed him on Fódlan in one final act of spite, but he was defeated by the Alliance. The surviving Agarthans (including Cornelia) went into hiding as a result.<ref>{{Cite|Cornelia of the Faerghus Dukedom seems to have disappeared from the palace...and rather swiftly. [Cornelia and Count Bergliez] must have realized that the revival of the old Kingdom was a real threat.|A merchant in [[Garreg Mach Monastery]] during [[The City Without Light|Verdant Wind's Chapter 21]]|Three Houses}}</ref> If Claude marries Byleth, it is mentioned that the Agarthans teamed up with Imperial remnants to attack Derdriu, but were repelled by Almyran forces led by Claude. | |||
On the Azure Moon route, after the Battle at Gronder, Kingdom forces led by Dimitri besieged and liberated Fhirdiad and killed Cornelia. Thales, in his disguise as Lord [[Volkhard von Arundel]], led an attack on the weakened Alliance, but was repelled and slain by Dimitri. Agarthan troops led by the warlock [[Myson]] supported Edelgard in the final battle of the war, but were again defeated, and the survivors were driven back into hiding. | |||
In most of Hapi's character endings, it is mentioned that those who slither in the dark eventually returned to menace Fódlan once again, but were opposed and ultimately defeated. | |||
On the Crimson Flower route, Edelgard worked to minimize the Agarthans' influence within the Empire throughout the war. After the Leicester Alliance was conquered, the Agarthans collected the Heroes' Relics from the former Alliance territories. Edelgard later double-crossed the Agarthans by attacking Fort Arianrhod in Faerghus and killing Cornelia, causing Thales to destroy Arianrhod with a javelin of light in retaliation. Edelgard and the Empire ultimately won the war, reunified Fódlan, and set out to completely destroy those who slither in the dark; multiple character endings confirm the group was eventually wiped out. | |||
===''Warriors: Three Hopes''=== | |||
{{sectstub}} | |||
==Members== | ==Members== | ||
{{ | {{CharPlaceHdr}} | ||
| | {{CharPlaceCell | ||
| | |portrait=[[File:Small portrait thales fe16.png|100px]] | ||
| | |char=[[Thales]] | ||
| | |description=Current leader of "those who slither in the dark". Infiltrated the Adrestian Empire in 1174 after assuming the identity of [[Volkhard von Arundel]]. | ||
| | |game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | ||
| | }} | ||
| | {{CharPlaceCell | ||
| | |portrait=[[File:Small portrait solon fe16.png|100px]] | ||
|char=[[Solon]] | |||
|description=High ranking member sent to inflitrate Garreg Mach Monastery in 1179 under the identity of [[Tomas (Three Houses)|Tomas]]. | |||
|game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}}, {{title|Heroes}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Small portrait kronya fe16.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Kronya]] | |||
|description=High ranking member. In ''Warriors: Three Hopes'' she's stationed in a hidden stronghold in early 1180, while in ''Three Houses'' she's sent to inflitrate Garreg Mach Monastery later in the year under the identity of [[Monica von Ochs]]. | |||
| | |game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}}, {{title|Heroes}} | ||
| | }} | ||
| | {{CharPlaceCell | ||
| | |portrait=[[File:Small portrait placeholder fe16.png|100px]] | ||
| | |char=[[Cleobulus]] | ||
|description=High ranking member sent to infiltrate Faerghus between 1165-1167 under the identity of [[Cornelia Arnim]]. | |||
|game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | |||
| | {{CharPlaceCell | ||
| | |portrait=[[File:Generic small portrait warlock 02 fe16.png|100px]] | ||
| | |char=[[Myson]] | ||
| | |description=High ranking member involved with miscellaneous tasks. Provides reinforcements to Edelgard in the Azure Moon route. | ||
|game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
| | |||
}} | }} | ||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Generic small portrait gremory 01 fe16.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Bias]] | |||
|description=High ranking member in charge of summoning [[Titanus]] in Shambhala. | |||
|game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Generic small portrait gremory 02 fe16.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Pittacus]] | |||
|description=High ranking member in charge of keeping the [[Viskam]] operational in Shambhala. | |||
|game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Generic small portrait great knight fe16.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Chilon]] | |||
|description=High ranking member in charge of guarding Shambhala's center room. | |||
|game={{title|Three Houses}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Generic small portrait dark bishop fe16.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Odesse]] | |||
|description=High ranking member who provides reinforcements to Nemesis in the Verdant Wind route. | |||
|game={{title|Three Houses}}, {{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Generic small portrait dark knight fe16.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Anaximandros]] | |||
|description=High ranking member introduced in ''Warriors: Three Hopes''. | |||
|game={{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Generic small portrait assassin 01 fe16.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Dolofonos]] | |||
|description=High ranking member introduced in ''Warriors: Three Hopes''. Serves Kronya's troops after the timeskip. | |||
|game={{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceCell | |||
|portrait=[[File:Small portrait epimenides fewa2.png|100px]] | |||
|char=[[Epimenides]] | |||
|description=An ancient leader of "those who slither in the dark" who achieved god-like strength as means of opposing the [[Children of the Goddess]]. Fell during the [[War of Heroes (Fódlan)|War of Heroes]], though their consciousness and powers were salvaged and later ended up on [[Shez]]'s body. | |||
|game={{title|Warriors: Three Hopes}} | |||
}} | |||
{{CharPlaceFtr}} | |||
==Flavor text== | |||
{{DescriptionHdr}} | |||
{{DescriptionCell | |||
|game={{title|Three Houses}} | |||
|english=A mysterious group working in the shadows<br>to sway the faith and leadership of Fódlan. | |||
|japanese=フォドラの支配と信仰を揺るがすべく<br>活動する謎の組織。 | |||
}} | |||
{{DescriptionFtr}} | |||
== Trivia == | == Trivia == | ||
* All high ranking members have the | * All high ranking members have names of Greek origin; seven of them are named after the [[wikipedia:Seven Sages of Greece|Seven Sages of Greece]], while Kronya is either likely named after a [[wikipedia:Kronia|Greek festival]] or the nymph [[wikipedia:Clonia (nymph)|Clonia]]. Likewise, all of them—save for Thales under the disguise of Lord Arundel—have [[Agarthan Technology]] as their personal abilities. | ||
** Character data indicates that in ''Three Houses'', Cleobulus (Japanese: {{hl|クレオブロス|Kureoburosu}} ''Cleobulus''), was intended to appear in the game before being [[Unused content in Fire Emblem: Three Houses|cut]] from the final release for unknown reasons. | |||
* In ''Three Houses'', all enemy units identified as Agarthans have pale white skin on their 3D models, but this trait is lost in ''Warriors: Three Hopes''. | |||
== Etymology and other languages == | ==Etymology and other languages== | ||
{{Names | {{Names | ||
|eng-name= | |eng-name=Those who slither in the dark | ||
| | |jpn-name={{h|闇に蠢く者|Yami ni ugomeku mono}} | ||
| | |jpn-mean=Those who wriggle/squirm (i.e. move like a worm) in the dark | ||
| | |span-name=Serpientes de las Tinieblas | ||
|span-name= | |span-mean=Serpents of Darkness | ||
|span-mean= | |fren-name=Serpents des Ténèbres | ||
|fren-name= | |fren-mean=Serpents of Darkness | ||
|fren-mean= | |ger-name=Schattenschleicher | ||
|ger-name= | |ger-mean=Those sneaking in the shadow | ||
|ger-mean= | |ital-name=Serpi dell'Ombra | ||
|ital-name= | |ital-mean=Serpents of Shadow | ||
|ital-mean= | |por-name=Aqueles que espreitam pelas sombras | ||
|por-mean=Those who lurk by the shadows | |||
|kor-name={{h|어둠에서 꿈틀대는 자|eodumeseo kkumteuldaeneun ja}} | |||
|kor-mean=Those who slither in darkness | |||
|ch-simp-name={{h|暗黑蠢动者|Ànhēi chǔndòng zhě}} | |||
|ch-simp-mean=Those who slither in darkness | |||
|ch-trad-name={{h|暗黑蠢動者|Ànhēi chǔndòng zhě}} | |||
|ch-trad-mean=Those who slither in darkness | |||
}} | }} | ||
== Gallery == | ===Agarthans=== | ||
{{Names | |||
|eng-name=Agarthans | |||
|eng-mean=[[wikipedia:Agartha|Agartha]] is a legendary kingdom said to have been located in the Earth's core. | |||
|jpn-name={{h|アガルタ人|Agaruta-jin}} | |||
|jpn-mean=Agarthans | |||
|span-name=Agarthanos | |||
|span-mean=Agarthans | |||
|fren-name=Agarthiens | |||
|fren-mean=Agarthans | |||
|ger-name=Volk von Agartha | |||
|ger-mean=People of Agartha | |||
|ital-name=Agarthiani | |||
|ital-mean=Agarthans | |||
|por-name=Agarthanianos | |||
|por-mean=Agarthans | |||
|kor-name={{h|아가르타 부족|Agaleuta bujog}} | |||
|kor-mean=Agarthan tribe | |||
|ch-simp-name={{h|阿加尔塔人|Ājiā'ěrtǎrén}} | |||
|ch-simp-mean=Agarthans | |||
|ch-trad-name={{h|阿加爾塔人|Ājiā'ěrtǎrén}} | |||
|ch-trad-mean=Agarthans | |||
}} | |||
==Gallery== | |||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
TWSITD | FETH TWSITD banner.png|The banner of "those who slither in the dark". | ||
FETH Shambhala.png|Artwork of Shambhala, the headquarters of "those who slither in the dark". | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
{{Refbar}} | {{Refbar}} | ||
{{Nav16}} | {{Nav16}} | ||
[[Category:Groups | [[Category:Groups and organizations in Fire Emblem: Three Houses]] |
Latest revision as of 17:36, 28 March 2024
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Those who slither in the dark (Japanese: 闇に蠢く者 those who wriggle in the dark) are a hidden organization operating throughout Fódlan. They are the remnants of an ancient civilization known as Agartha (Japanese: アガルタ Agartha).
History
Ancient Fódlan
Agartha was an ancient civilization who Sothis and the Children of the Goddess, also known as the Nabateans, shared their knowledge with, allowing their people to create highly advanced technology and architecture. Over time, the Agarthans started to fight with each other and brought destruction across Fódlan, all while wishing to overthrow their Nabatean rulers.[1] According to a text located in Abyss—heavily implied to have been written by an Agarthan—they also feared Sothis would retaliate against them due to their penchant for carnage.[2] All of these factors led the Agarthans to create "pillars of light", giant ballistic missiles powered by magic, which they employed to wage war against Sothis. They ultimately lost their battle to impose their hegemony on Sothis' kin. As a result, most of their civilization went extinct at the hands of Sothis in an phenomenon described as a flood called "Despair".[3] This forced the remaining survivors to hide underground alongside any remains of technology available. The Agarthans soon created their current base of operations, Shambhala, and plotted their revenge against Sothis and the Children of the Goddess for causing their destruction and taking from them what they believed was their right to rule the surface world.
It is speculated by Rhea and Seteth that sometime after this, the Agarthans allied themselves with a thief called Nemesis, whom they lead to the Holy Tomb where Sothis rested after her battle with the Agarthans. They had him harvest Sothis' remains in order to create the Sword of the Creator and obtain the Crest of Flames, which Nemesis later used in Zanado to slaughter more Nabateans to obtain more power by collecting more material for the Agarthans to forge into weapons.[4] These were named the Heroes' Relics, which he later shared with his allies. After his death at the hands of Seiros, the Four Saints, and the Adrestian Empire in Imperial Year 91, the Agarthans recovered Nemesis' corpse and hid underground once more.
Many years later, they attempted to destroy Garreg Mach Monastery with another pillar of light, which the humans from the surface referred to as a "javelin of light". Unbeknownst to them, Sothis had placed a jamming spell on the Holy Tomb, which redirected their weapon into the village of Ailell, consuming it in flames. This created what is known as the Valley of Torment, a place bathed eternally in lava, believed by the commonfolk to be a product of the goddess punishing the sinners who resided in the village. In a burnt report located in Abyss, it is speculated "those who slither in the dark" were involved with with the creation of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus by aiding Loog's rebellion, providing him weapons, soldiers and possibly also his strategist, Pan.[5] After Loog's victory over the Adrestian Empire in 751, the Church of Seiros mediated between both sides, granting Faerghus its independence under the condition the Seiros faith would be the kingdom's main religion. Then, the Agarthans vanished again.
Modern Fódlan
During the next twelve centuries, the Agarthan descendants made their way to the surface, slowly replacing and impersonating key people with their own agents, such as Faerghus' Court mage Cornelia, Garreg Mach's librarian Tomas and Adrestia's regent Volkhard von Arundel. This let the group capitalize on both the Tragedy of Duscur, acting as instigators of the conflict, and the Insurrection of the Seven. They infiltrated the Adrestian Emperor Ionius IX's repression of the Hrym territory so they could perform test runs of "blood reconstruction surgeries" on the scions of House Ordelia with the purpose of infusing crests into humans. Additionally, they allied with Adrestia's Prime Minister Duke Ludwig von Aegir in order to secure access to the Hresvelg line of heirs, all for the purpose of securing a manipulable vessel they would bestow the Crest of Flames, which would become their ultimate weapon against the Children of the Goddess and those who worship them. Sometime around 1175 to 1180, the only surviving Hresvelg scion, Edelgard von Hresvelg, allied with the group with the intention of using their resources and troops to take down the Church of Seiros and unify Fódlan for her own separate reasons. In return, the Agarthan descendants supported her by providing some of their soldiers and weapons. In spite of this alliance, however, Edelgard planned to dispose of them once she had achieved her goals as revenge for destroying the lives of her family and siblings, as well as for their involvement in the Tragedy of Duscur. Her retainer Hubert, future head of House Vestra, also began researching the group during this period in order to facilitate their eventual destruction for his future emperor. It was in the course of this process that he began using the nickname the Agarthans are known as during the story: "those who slither in the dark".
Three Houses
In 1180, "those who slither in the dark" collaborated with Edelgard under the identity of the Flame Emperor to orchestrate several violent conflicts within Fódlan, including an attempt to steal Seiros' remains from the Holy Mausoleum, the abduction of the Nabatean Flayn, the massacre of the inhabitants of Remire Village, the assassination of the Knight of Seiros Jeralt, and an attack on Duke Gerth of Adrestia in order to steal the Fetters of Dromi. Their ultimate goal was to use Edelgard to wipe out the Kingdom, Alliance, and Church so they could rule over Fódlan. Eventually, Edelgard led a raid on the Holy Tomb, was exposed as the Flame Emperor, and formally declared war on the Church.
Five Year War and Downfall
When Edelgard declared war on the Church of Seiros, "those who slither in the dark" aided Edelgard during the invasion of Garreg Mach, attaining victory over their enemies. On non-Crimson Flower routes, Archbishop Rhea was captured during the fight and jailed in a secret chamber in the Imperial Palace, kept alive by Edelgard as a bargaining chip against the Agarthans,[6] while Byleth was pushed into the depths of a canyon by a blast of Thales' dark magic and went missing for the next five years. Then, they had the agent impersonating Cornelia overthrow Faerghus' Prince Dimitri in a coup and turn the Kingdom into the Faerghus Dukedom. The group silently supported Edelgard's army throughout the war by sending some of their troops to key battles, such as the Battle at Gronder (Azure Moon and Verdant Wind), the Resistance Army's/Leicester Alliance's invasion of Enbarr (Silver Snow and Verdant Wind) and during the final battle at the imperial palace.
On the Silver Snow and Verdant Wind routes, the Agarthans used a "javelin of light" to destroy Fort Merceus in an attempt to kill Byleth/Claude's forces. Hubert used this attack to discover the secret location of Shambhala and exposed them in a posthumous letter, allowing the Resistance/Alliance forces to besiege Shambhala. Facing defeat, the Agarthan leader Thales used all of his javelins of light to destroy Shambhala, and the Resistance/Alliance only survived thanks to Rhea turning into the Immaculate One. Only on the Verdant Wind route, the Agarthans resurrected Nemesis and unleashed him on Fódlan in one final act of spite, but he was defeated by the Alliance. The surviving Agarthans (including Cornelia) went into hiding as a result.[7] If Claude marries Byleth, it is mentioned that the Agarthans teamed up with Imperial remnants to attack Derdriu, but were repelled by Almyran forces led by Claude.
On the Azure Moon route, after the Battle at Gronder, Kingdom forces led by Dimitri besieged and liberated Fhirdiad and killed Cornelia. Thales, in his disguise as Lord Volkhard von Arundel, led an attack on the weakened Alliance, but was repelled and slain by Dimitri. Agarthan troops led by the warlock Myson supported Edelgard in the final battle of the war, but were again defeated, and the survivors were driven back into hiding.
In most of Hapi's character endings, it is mentioned that those who slither in the dark eventually returned to menace Fódlan once again, but were opposed and ultimately defeated.
On the Crimson Flower route, Edelgard worked to minimize the Agarthans' influence within the Empire throughout the war. After the Leicester Alliance was conquered, the Agarthans collected the Heroes' Relics from the former Alliance territories. Edelgard later double-crossed the Agarthans by attacking Fort Arianrhod in Faerghus and killing Cornelia, causing Thales to destroy Arianrhod with a javelin of light in retaliation. Edelgard and the Empire ultimately won the war, reunified Fódlan, and set out to completely destroy those who slither in the dark; multiple character endings confirm the group was eventually wiped out.
Warriors: Three Hopes
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Members
Character | Description | Appears in |
---|---|---|
Thales |
Current leader of "those who slither in the dark". Infiltrated the Adrestian Empire in 1174 after assuming the identity of Volkhard von Arundel. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes |
Solon |
High ranking member sent to inflitrate Garreg Mach Monastery in 1179 under the identity of Tomas. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes, Heroes |
Kronya |
High ranking member. In Warriors: Three Hopes she's stationed in a hidden stronghold in early 1180, while in Three Houses she's sent to inflitrate Garreg Mach Monastery later in the year under the identity of Monica von Ochs. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes, Heroes |
Cleobulus |
High ranking member sent to infiltrate Faerghus between 1165-1167 under the identity of Cornelia Arnim. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes |
Myson |
High ranking member involved with miscellaneous tasks. Provides reinforcements to Edelgard in the Azure Moon route. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes |
Bias |
High ranking member in charge of summoning Titanus in Shambhala. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes |
Pittacus |
High ranking member in charge of keeping the Viskam operational in Shambhala. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes |
Chilon |
High ranking member in charge of guarding Shambhala's center room. | Three Houses |
Odesse |
High ranking member who provides reinforcements to Nemesis in the Verdant Wind route. | Three Houses, Warriors: Three Hopes |
Anaximandros |
High ranking member introduced in Warriors: Three Hopes. | Warriors: Three Hopes |
Dolofonos |
High ranking member introduced in Warriors: Three Hopes. Serves Kronya's troops after the timeskip. | Warriors: Three Hopes |
Epimenides |
An ancient leader of "those who slither in the dark" who achieved god-like strength as means of opposing the Children of the Goddess. Fell during the War of Heroes, though their consciousness and powers were salvaged and later ended up on Shez's body. | Warriors: Three Hopes |
Flavor text
Game | Text (English) |
Text (Japanese) |
---|---|---|
Three Houses | A mysterious group working in the shadows
to sway the faith and leadership of Fódlan. |
フォドラの支配と信仰を揺るがすべく
活動する謎の組織。 |
Trivia
- All high ranking members have names of Greek origin; seven of them are named after the Seven Sages of Greece, while Kronya is either likely named after a Greek festival or the nymph Clonia. Likewise, all of them—save for Thales under the disguise of Lord Arundel—have Agarthan Technology as their personal abilities.
- Character data indicates that in Three Houses, Cleobulus (Japanese: クレオブロス Cleobulus), was intended to appear in the game before being cut from the final release for unknown reasons.
- In Three Houses, all enemy units identified as Agarthans have pale white skin on their 3D models, but this trait is lost in Warriors: Three Hopes.
Etymology and other languages
Names, etymology, and in other regions | ||
---|---|---|
Language | Name | Definition, etymology, and notes |
English |
Those who slither in the dark |
-- |
Japanese |
闇に蠢く者 |
Those who wriggle/squirm (i.e. move like a worm) in the dark |
Spanish |
Serpientes de las Tinieblas |
Serpents of Darkness |
French |
Serpents des Ténèbres |
Serpents of Darkness |
German |
Schattenschleicher |
Those sneaking in the shadow |
Italian |
Serpi dell'Ombra |
Serpents of Shadow |
Portuguese |
Aqueles que espreitam pelas sombras |
Those who lurk by the shadows |
Korean |
어둠에서 꿈틀대는 자 |
Those who slither in darkness |
Simplified Chinese |
暗黑蠢动者 |
Those who slither in darkness |
Traditional Chinese |
暗黑蠢動者 |
Those who slither in darkness |
Agarthans
Names, etymology, and in other regions | ||
---|---|---|
Language | Name | Definition, etymology, and notes |
English |
Agarthans |
Agartha is a legendary kingdom said to have been located in the Earth's core. |
Japanese |
アガルタ人 |
Agarthans |
Spanish |
Agarthanos |
Agarthans |
French |
Agarthiens |
Agarthans |
German |
Volk von Agartha |
People of Agartha |
Italian |
Agarthiani |
Agarthans |
Portuguese |
Agarthanianos |
Agarthans |
Korean |
아가르타 부족 |
Agarthan tribe |
Simplified Chinese |
阿加尔塔人 |
Agarthans |
Traditional Chinese |
阿加爾塔人 |
Agarthans |
Gallery
References
- ↑ "Kusakihara: In that world, originally the race that could change into dragons, the so called citizens of Nabatea, were scattered about Fódlan in the different places/lands as governors (rulers) but, there were the citizens of Agartha who held hatred against the citizens of Nabatea… in other words, Those Who Slither in the Dark wanted to overturn this state of affairs (of the Nabateans as rulers) and as such, they devised schemes." — Nintendo Dream May 2020 Issue, translated by Serenes Forest, Published: March 21, 2020, Retrieved: March 25, 2020
- ↑ "In the land of Thinis, where the old gods are said to live, the False God has awakened. [...] It will bring extinction to all children of men, and salvation to all beasts of the land, sky and sea. For the children of men who spilled too much of the blood of life, it promises only cruel retribution." — Romance of the World's Perdition in the Shadow Library of Abyss, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- ↑ "Yet even still, the False God stands. And soon, a flood apty named Despair will drown this world. The children of men fled to the depths of the earth, beyond the sight of the False God, beyond the embrace of the sacred sun, and beyond the reach of the waters called Despair." — Romance of the World's Perdition in the Shadow Library of Abyss, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- ↑ "Kusakihara: They granted humans the technology to make powerful weapons from the corpses of the citizens of Nabatea, or so was their plan that they enacted, to which they went forward with this plan using the human, Nemesis. As a result, what would happen to humans who gained power... they would want even more power, and find a dragon much stronger to beat in order to collect materials forcefully, in order to make even more powerful weapons... and so that was the cycle that was born." — Nintendo Dream May 2020 Issue, translated by Serenes Forest, Published: March 21, 2020, Retrieved: March 25, 2020
- ↑ "...The Faerghus Rebellion. I harbor doubts about the army Loog has raised. How did he recruit so many soldiers without raising suspicions in the Empire? How did he acquire those mysterious weapons, so like Heroes' Relics? What is the rumored identity of Pan, the tactician, rumored to have been integral to Loog's victories? And Those Who Slither In the Dark..." — Burn Remnants of a Report in the Shadow Library of Abyss, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- ↑ "I've got a message for ya... from a dead man. The emperor was keeping the archbishop alive as insurance against those who slither in the dark." — A thief found in Abyss during Silver Snow/Verdant Wind's Chapter 20/21, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- ↑ "Cornelia of the Faerghus Dukedom seems to have disappeared from the palace...and rather swiftly. [Cornelia and Count Bergliez] must have realized that the revival of the old Kingdom was a real threat." — A merchant in Garreg Mach Monastery during Verdant Wind's Chapter 21, Fire Emblem: Three Houses