Beorc (pronounced /⁠biˈɔɹk⁠/^[key][1] or /⁠ˈbeɪ.ɔɹk⁠/^[key][2]; Japanese:ベオクbeorc), also known as "humans", are one of the two sapient races that inhabit the continent ofTellius inFire Emblem: Path of Radiance andRadiant Dawn. They are the Tellius equivalent of thehumans of both real-life and in otherFire Emblem games, and for all intents and purposes, they are almost exactly alike to humans.

In Tellius society, beorc have co-existed with thelaguz. While some beorc claim otherwise, both laguz and beorc share a common ancestor race in the Zunanma. Beorc are commonly known as the "children of wisdom", contrasting how the laguz are called the "children of strength". Beorc overcome their often weaker physical stature with their ability to craft and use weaponry, tools, andmagic.

History

For a comprehensive history of Tellius in general, seeTimeline of Tellius.

The distinctionsbeorc andlaguz were created byAshunera in an attempt to quell the conflicts of theZunanma; this proves ineffective to quell the fighting.

Relations between the beorc and laguz have been strained for millennia, owing to years of racial conflict and abuses of the laguz by the beorc. Even the very word "human" is deeply tied to these conflicts: beorc call themselves humans, meaning "the chosen", as a sign of their belief in their own superiority,^[3] while the laguz use the word "human" as an insult toward the beorc.^[4]

On rare occasions, beorc can interbreed with the laguz, often resulting in theBranded. The first child of a laguz and beorc was the child ofAltina andLehran, who was born around the founding of the laguz and beorc kingdomBegnion in theyear -131. It was after this union that Lehran lost hisheron powers, his ability toshift and singgaldrar. Lehran initially hid while he searched for a way to restore his powers, however he was unable to do so. Realizing this, he told Altina to find a beorc husband and claim the child was from the new union. After these events the Branded became stigmatized as "crimes against thegoddess.", and beorc-laguz unions were forbidden, further sundering relations of the two races.^[5]

In the following years many conflicts and societal changes lead to the founding ofCrimea,Daein,Phoenicis,Kilvas, andSerenes, Crimea and Daein being beorc countries. In the year 642 the Begnion apostleMisaha declared theLaguz Emancipation Act, officially ending the slavery of laguz in Begnion. Unfortunately, Misaha was assassinated within the next year by the senate, whom blamed the assassination on the peacefulherons of Serenes. This drew the ire of the Begnion populace, which resulted in theSerenes Massacre, nearly wiping the heron laguz from the face of Tellius, and destroying any fresh goodwill the beorc and laguz had towards each other.

Shortly after this theMad King's War begins by the machinations of Daein's titular Mad KingAshnard. This war lead to the freeing of laguz slaves from Begnion's underground slave economy byIke. After the war Daein is occupied by Begnion, leading toMicaiah'sDawn Brigade alongside PrincePelleas to reclaim control of Daein three years later. At this time Gallia, Kilvas, Phoenicis and theGreil Mercenaries form theLaguz Alliance, and declare war on Begnion in retaliation for the Serenes Massacre, having discovered that the Begnion senators were directly responsible. Even after this war, during whichAshera cast her judgement on all but a few laguz, beorc, and branded, causing an elite group to band together to defeat her, laguz-beorc relations are still strained millennia later.

Characteristics

Differences to humans

The most concrete, and non-cultural, difference beorc have fromhumans in the rest of the series is that the beorc are descended from the ancient Tellian race known as theZunanma.

While Beorc can produce children with laguz, these unions are unlike those betweenmanakete and humans, ortaguel and humans. Human and manakete or taguel pairs produce a child that will sometimes retain physical traits and powers of the non-human parent, the child from a laguz-beorc union looks like a completely normal beorc and lackspowers. Inversely, the laguz parent will actually lose their laguz powers, causing such unions to be incredibly taboo. Sometimes these pairs will produce abranded.

With regards to beorc reproduction, there is also somewhat odd existence ofPriam, whom claims to be descended fromIke, a beorc, and his ability to produce a child withRobin, a human fromPlegia. This implies that humans and beorc can also reproduce, due toFire Emblem Awakening's introduction of a multiverse within theFire Emblem series, though the exact implications of Priam's existence are unknown.

Lifespan

A beorc's average lifespan is about 60 years.^[6] This is somewhat low compared to a modern-day human's lifespan in the real world, but a fairly average age in a medieval setting. All laguz have much higher life expectancy than this.

Combat abilities

Main article:Human#Combat abilities

While laguz fight using their own bodies as their weapons and need nothing else beyond that, a beorc body by itself is poorly equipped to fight. Instead, beorc forge and fight withweapons in place of any natural defenses. Beorc primarily fight with five types of weapon:swords,lances,axes,bows, andknives. Unlike thenatural weapons of the laguz, beorc weaponswear out over time so a beorc army needs a consistent supply of weapons to use.

Some beorc are also capable of the use ofmagic, harnessing the powers ofspirits and other entities for both offensive and defensive purposes.

Flavor text

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

• 
  Elincia, a beorc noble.
• 
  Heather, another beorc.
• 
  Several beorc women and children.

References

See also

• Human
• Taguel
• Manakete
• Laguz