User Profile

Character Name: Joshua

Character Series: Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones

Age: None specified, but probably in his twenties. Probably.

Background: Joshua was born the prince of Jehanna, the barren desert kingdom known for its fierce mercenary forces. His father died while Joshua was very young, and requested on his death bed that his wife and queen, Ismaire, assume the throne and rule Jehanna; beautiful and honorable, Ismaire made a sound ruler and won the hearts of her subjects. However, because of her dedication, she had little time to interact with her son.

To fill the gap, Joshua began to learn sword fighting from Carlyle, the kingdom’s top military leader and master swordsman. By the time Joshua had become a proficient swordsman, he had grown tired of the palace life and made plans to leave. And leave he did--taking nothing with him, Joshua shed his title, wrote a brief farewell, and departed. He planned to return one day with a better understanding of people and how to rule them--knowledge he felt he could not glean while trapped in the palace.

After leaving, Joshua roamed the continent, taking jobs when he was able. As he traveled, Joshua developed a deep love of gambling, which began to define him as an individual; through the years, he learned and mastered the many tricks of the trade. He also joined a band of mercenaries, forming a close friendship with an ambitious axe fighter named Caellach. The two fought well together, and their prowess and infamy spread. Once Caellach had a taste of power and fame, however, it was too much for him; he abandoned Joshua and his former band of mercenaries, aiming to satisfy his ambition elsewhere.

Soon after, the mercenary group broke apart, leaving Joshua to return to a solo career. Eventually, after a handful of jobs, he was hired by the Grado army and stationed to defend Serafew, a town on the border of Renais and Grado. There, after losing money at the local arena, he ran into a Cleric of Grado named Natasha who had been branded a traitor. After a brief exchange with Joshua, Natasha fled from pursuing Grado soldiers, stumbling upon the forces of Renais--lead by Eirika--who were about to lay siege to the town and free it from Grado occupation.

In the midst of battle, Natasha once again came upon Joshua. He admitted that he disliked killing women, and made Natasha a deal; he would flip a coin––if Natasha called it right, he would switch sides and fight with her. Already having an unlucky day, Joshua was not surprised to lose the coin toss. Without complaint, he fulfilled his promise and fought under Eirika. Her forces won the day in Serafew, and Joshua accompanied them deeper into Grado territory, where Eirika’s brother, Ephraim, was supposedly captured. The twins were reunited at Renvall, and combined their forces to defeat Grado there. Then, the two, along with their forces with Joshua in tow, returned to Frelia, arriving at about the same time as Innes, Frelia’s prince. A war conference was held, and the three decided to go separate ways: Ephraim to Grado, Innes to Jehanna, and Eirika to Rausten. Joshua, along with a small force, departed for Rausten with Eirika.

Almost immediately, Eirika’s group found trouble in Carcino, a nation thought to be aligned with Frelia. There was an uprising, and Eirika was forced to save Innes who was caught in Carcino. She was successful, and the group was forced into Jehanna after learning that Grado had attacked the palace there. Upon arriving, Eirika and company attempted the retake the hall. They soon learned that Grado was able to occupy it through the help of Carlyle, who betrayed Jehanna for the love of his queen. Joshua was stupefied, and completely baffled with Carlyle’s betrayal--the betrayal of a man who had been a cornerstone of the kingdom.

They did battle in the throne room, where Carlyle recognized Joshua and told him that he is much too late in returning. Joshua killed him, and the group scoured the hall for Ismaire. They found her on her death bed, where she pleaded for Joshua to be by her side. Joshua obliged her request, and Ismaire apologized for being to caught up in her duties while Joshua still lived at the palace, saying that she loved him regardless. She then offered him the two Sacred Twin relics of Jehanna--Audhulma and Excalibur--and died.

After his mother’s death, Joshua swore to become an able king and lead his people well, for her sake. Further, he swore to unite with the four other nations and defeat Grado. However, not long after, the hall was discovered to be covered with oil, and burned as Joshua and company escaped. Once they were flushed out, they found themselves surrounded by Grado’s forces, lead by two of its best generals. Battle ensued, and Joshua came across his old friend Caellach, who had become one Grado’s generals. Before they fought, Joshua accused Caellach of killing his mother. Caellach admitted to the deed, and Joshua--quite calmly--fought and killed him, using Audhulma, the sword given to him by his mother.

The united allies were able then to defeat Grado, and eventually, too, the Demon King.

Personality:

Joshua is characterized mostly by his loose, carefree attitude, which can be seen to clash with the role he must fulfill as king. In reality, however, it does not; because of the impact of his mother’s death, he strives to be an able ruler for her sake, putting everything else aside. Also, whether it be through apathy or otherwise, Joshua is not rattled easily. He can keep his cool in any situation, and becomes angry only very rarely. His poise is portrayed perfectly during his battle with Caellach--here he has a chance to avenge his mother, yet he does not let his emotions get in the way of completing the task at hand. Joshua also appears secure as a person, and his confidence can be seen as borderline arrogance on some occasions.

Important to Joshua are the three things he loves most: sword fighting, women, and gambling. Joshua takes his swordsmanship very seriously, and is always looking to improve his ability, whether it be training to battle mages by sparing with the monk Artur or practicing against other sword fighters such as Marisa. And, although he supports with only two female characters, it is obvious through Joshua’s first conversation with Natasha that he is a bit of a flirt and a lady’s man. Both swords and women, however, fall short of his one true passion: gambling. Joshua is always, always gambling, claiming its what makes his life exciting. Even on the battlefield, Joshua will often challenge his allies to a quick game of chance.

Even more than just a passion, gambling makes up a fundamental part of Joshua’s psyche. He believes very much in importance of luck, saying that no matter how skilled a man is, he can always have a bad day. He values the importance of luck so much that Gerik has to remind him that he shouldn’t blame errors during battle on luck, and offers a counter theory to Joshua’s luck philosophy; Joshua appreciates the validity, but says he’ll stick with his own belief in luck. In the same mold, Joshua is also often found comparing life to a gamble, saying that “you never know what will happen.” Finally, even if he finds himself on the losing end of a gamble over and over, Joshua never quits:

“Don’t worry. I’m feeling lucky.”

Item Lost: Audhulma, the Sacred Twin sword given to him by his mother.

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