Grimleal: Difference between revisions

|purpose=To serve [[Grima (character)|Grima]]  

|appearances=

* {{title|Awakening}}

The '''Grimleal''' (Japanese: {{hover|ギムレー教団|Gimurē kyōdan}} ''Gimurei Sect'') is a religious order centered around the worship of [[Grima (character)|Grima]], the Fell Dragon, and is the state religion of the Theocracy of [[Plegia]].

The Grimleal rose with Grima himself as his supporters and servants, and following Grima's defeat at the hands of [[Founder of Ylisse|the first Exalt of Ylisse]], the Grimleal remnants founded Plegia and established their religion as the religion of the nation, fixated on one day ensuring Grima's return. At some time after the Schism and the breakage of the [[Shield of Seals|Fire Emblem]], Plegia and the Grimleal took possession of the gemstone [[Darksphere|Sable]],<ref>{{Cite|King Validar has extended an invitation. He says Plegia has been guarding Sable, and now he wishes to return it to you.|[[Frederick]]|Awakening}}</ref> which they came to see as "protecting" it from being used to reassemble the Fire Emblem, an artifact with a treacherous reputation to Plegia owing to its role in defeating Grima.<ref>{{Cite|Do you really want it that badly? This concerns me. The Gemstones and the Fire Emblem can be...treacherous artifacts. A fact Plegia and the Grimleal sadly know all too well...|Validar|Awakening}}</ref>

As the state religion of Plegia, Grimleal adherence was mandated by law and every citizen was considered a member of the faith. It is unknown how many legitimately held Grimleal beliefs; King [[Gangrel]] did not and himself later theorized that people were driven to the faith to find solace from his despotic rule.<ref>{{Cite|'''Robin:''' You once worshipped Grima, correct? As a member of the Grimleal?<br>'''Gangrel:''' Pah, those wrinkled old warts with their dusty tomes? I was Grimleal in name only. Course, it was the faith of the realm, so I knew most of its rituals.<br>'''Robin:''' Religion can be a powerful tool for uniting people behind a single cause. I wager Aversa used it to convince your subjects to take up arms?<br>'''Gangrel:''' ...Perhaps. But in the end, I'd say she used me as much as anyone.<br>'''Robin:''' And what did the people of Plegia really think of the faith?<br>'''Gangrel:''' Think? Ha! They DIDN'T think! Between my iron-fisted rule and Aversa's inquisitions, they had no choice about it. ... But as I said, it was a cruel time.<br>'''Robin:''' Your people were cowed by your political might, but the temples offered solace...<br>'''Gangrel:''' Ah, yes. The solace of the damned.|[[Avatar (Awakening)|Avatar (male)]] and [[Gangrel]]|Awakening}}</ref>  In the intervening millennium, the most devout of the Grimleal constantly worked toward breeding [[Holy Blood|a viable human host]] for Grima, with the lineage of the cult's eventual leader [[Validar]] the consistently failed lineage of these efforts, until [[Avatar (Awakening)|Validar's child]] proved a worthy vessel.<ref>{{Cite|The Grimleal have worked for generations to create someone like you... A vessel worthy of our master. Simply having Grima's blood in your veins is not enough... My father was not worthy, nor was his father before him. Even I was not able to accept Grima's most sacred gift. But you? You had all the makings. You were perfection!|[[Validar]]|Awakening}}</ref>

1,000 years after Grima's defeat, Plegia started a war against neighboring [[Ylisse]], using the atrocities of its former exalt as a pretext.  When Plegia lost the war, the subsequent turmoil and despair drove more of its citizens than ever to the Grimleal as a form of solace, resulting in a massive bolstering of the cult's ranks, as planned by Validar.<ref name="chaos">{{Cite|'''Aversa:''' You aren't listening. All of this—every word and action—has been orchestrated... Gangrel held the exalt in contempt, yes, so Validar and I used him. In life AND death. The king's demise threw Plegia into chaos. It drove the people to Grima... Now their life force and rancor can be laid before the fell dragon en masse.<br>'''Chrom:''' You couldn't mean...<br>'''Aversa:''' It is called the Table for a reason, you naive little man. It is where Grima feeds! The Grimleal have gladly offered themselves to him for ages. Even now, they pray for his return... Today the Table overflows with bounty, and their prayers will be answered! |[[Aversa]]|Awakening}}</ref>

In the aftermath of the war between Ylisse and [[Valm]], Validar used his child to wrest possession of the near-completed Fire Emblem from Ylisse's Prince [[Chrom]], after luring him into a trap by offering Sable.  After completing the Emblem himself, he used it to initiate an [[Awakening (rite)|Awakening]] to revive Grima.  All Grimleal adherents, save Validar and [[Aversa]], the directors of the ceremony, were summoned as if by hypnosis to the [[Dragon's Table]] as self-sacrificial offerings to strengthen Grima and fuel his return.<ref name="chaos" />  Though Validar was killed by Chrom's army in an ensuing battle to stop Grima's revival, a power-deprived incarnation of Grima from another timeline appeared to continue the Awakening, consuming the people of Plegia and restoring himself to his full power.

===''[[DLC|The Future Past]]''===

In an alternate future in which Grima successfully dominated the world, the Grimleal mostly no longer existed in light of the near-extinction of humanity, with the majority of Grima's will in the pursuit of survivors performed by Risen.  The few actual humans in his service, including alternate versions of his human host's [[Morgan (Awakening)|biological child]], were still referred to as Grimleal, and he still spoke of the organization as if it existed.<ref>{{Cite|I do not "imply." I have sent the strongest of my Grimleal to dispatch your comrades. They are almost certainly dead by now.|[[Grima (character)|Grima]]|Awakening}}</ref>

{{CharPlace

|portrait1=[[File:Portrait validar fe13.png|75px]]

|char1=[[Validar]]

|description1=A dark mage who wishes to architect the world's end.

|game1={{title|Awakening}}

|portrait2=[[File:Portrait aversa fe13.png|75px]]

|char2=[[Aversa]]

|description2=A cruel, high-ranking Plegian officer with a sultry aura.  

|game2={{title|Awakening}}

|portrait3=[[File:Portrait gangrel fe13.png|75px]]

|char3=[[Gangrel]]

|description3=The self-styled "Mad King of Plegia".  

|game3={{title|Awakening}}

|portrait4=[[File:Portrait excellus fe13.png|75px]]

|char4=[[Excellus]]

|description4=The Valmese Empire's cold and calculating tactician.

|game4={{title|Awakening}}

|portrait5=[[File:Portrait tharja fe13.png|75px]]

|game5={{title|Awakening}}

|game6={{title|Awakening}}

|portrait7=[[File:Portrait chalard fe13.png|75px]]

|char7=[[Chalard]]

|description7=A priest with fanatical reverence for Grima.

|game7={{title|Awakening}}

|game8={{title|Awakening}}

|portraitlast=[[File:Portrait chalard fe13.png|75px]]

|charlast=[[Ardri]]

|descriptionlast=A Grimleal priest who kidnaps and sacrifices villagers.

|gamelast={{title|Awakening}}

In addition, the Grimleal faith encompasses the vast majority of Plegia's citizens as its state religion.  The order also has some control over the [[Risen]], including the [[Deadlords]].

==Etymology and other languages==

|eng-mean=Portmanteau of [[Grima (character)|Grima]], their object of worship, and the obscure English ''leal'', "loyal": <ref>Wiktionary: [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/leal leal]</ref> "those loyal to Grima".

|jap-name={{hover|ギムレー教団|Gimurē kyōdan}}

|jap-mean=Gimurei Sect

[[Category:Groups and organizations in Fire Emblem: Awakening]]