Stefanosphere :U
“Have I violated the goddess's laws? Have my parents? No. Whatever happened was done by some forgotten ancestor. My parents are beorc, as were their parents before them. I do not know who is responsible for what I am. But now, after many generations, their sin has appeared in me. I bear no guilt, but the badge of impurity is mine to wear.”
— Stefan to Mordecai in a support conversation
******Stefan (ソーンバルケ, Sōnbaruke?) is a skilled swordsman who resides in a colony of Branded in the Grann Desert. It is strongly implied that he is descended from Soan, one of Ashera's Three Heroes; his Japanese name is very similar to Soan's, and his character ending describes him as "Lion-Blooded".
* * * * * *Stefan is a loner, and his life as branded has shaped his personality. The Branded often have capabilities far exceeding that of any beorc. In Stefan's case it is his prowess with the blade. He knows much about swordsmanship and can judge another's prowess very well, as in Path of Radiance he offers to teach Ike some, as he can tell by watching that Ike's style is powerful, but incomplete (the result being getting an occult scroll). The conversation appears canonical though, in Radiant Dawn it says he taught Ike further mastery of the blade. In a special conversation in the battle with Homasa, Stefan reveals that he is very confident in his abilities and has respect for the lives of other fighters, in the conversation Homasa recognizes Stefan's skill as a fencer, but Stefan suggests that Homassa steps down and not fight because his skill level is much lower then Stefan.
In supports with Soren it is revealed that Stefan dislikes both Beorc and Laguz because they shun the Branded, stating that the Beorc fear the Branded for their power. He also says that the Laguz are the worst when it comes to dealing with the Branded, as they ignore them completely like they don't even exist. He believes this to be the fate of all Branded, and he believes they should become independent (although orginally he believed it might of been possible to live with Crimea and Gallia), hence he and other branded reside in the Grann Desert and Stefan acts as a hermit.
Because of this distaste for most of the people of Tellius, the guise of the hermit was perfect as it allowed him to be a loner. He never made true connections with others in Path of Radiance, only acting as a teacher for Ike, a guide for Soren, and an exchanger of ideas with Mordecai, the one he becomes closest with. In Radiant Dawn, he can become friends with another character, something he finds odd as he never truly cared for another as his life was full of hate.
The isolation that being Branded caused him to understand things much better, and question normal thought. In his conversation with Mordecai in Path of Radiance, he questions if the goddess' laws are really what they interpret them to be. He interacts with Yune who doesn't understand what he is, as being Branded is not something the goddesses predicted, and Yune thought at first Micaiah was the only one, but then caught on that there were more. Stefan then laughs when Yune says there are no 'Goddess' Laws' saying that Beorc and Laguz cannot have children, which Stefan takes as a sign that all the pain and suffering was for nothing.
Stefan also said that the Laguz can sense Branded and feel uneasy when they are around. Saying even if the Laguz don't know it directly they will still feel odd when around them and they will be shunned.
talk to Hermit |3
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