History Sandbox / Koveras

# The '''[[RightfulKingReturns True Heir]]''' is defined by their relation to the Family Fortune or to the Gloomy House: specifically, their claim on these trumps every other Claimant's, once the circumstances and criminal conspiracies to defraud them of it are cleared up. The identity of the True Heir is rarely known from the start (unless they are a Helpless Child), so the fact that they have been the Semi-Outsider, the Loyal Retainer, the Love Interest, or even the Newly Arrived Outsider all along is usually save for the TwistEnding. Examples: [[Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto Theodore]], [[Literature/TheOldEnglishBaron Edmund Twyford]], [[Literature/WutheringHeights Catherine Earnshaw-Linton]].

# The '''[[TheIngenue Naive Bride]]''' is defined by their love for the Master of the Gloomy House, where they move in early on. They are usually shy, inexperienced, poor, socially inept, and lacking in a social security net, and unfortunately for them, the Master often turns out to be a Greedy Villain, an Evil Charmer, an Obsessed Scientist, or a Mentally Deranged Person, so they often end up as a Captive or even Mentally Deranged themselves before long. Examples: Literature/{{Bluebeard}}'s nameless wife, [[Literature/MelmothTheWanderer Immalee]], [[Literature/TheHuchbackOfNotreDame Esmeralda]],

# The '''[[WouldHurtAChild Abusive Guardian]]''' is defined in relation to their Ward, who for one reason or another is unfit to receive the Family Fortune, so the Guardian administers it for them, while secretly planning to take it for themselves, either through [[InheritanceMurder murder]] or by marrying the Ward themselves or to their own child. If the Ward is a Helpless Child or otherwise a minor, the Guardian can be a hired tutor or an actual legal guardian. If the Ward is a Sickly Invalid or an Mentally Deranged Person, the Guardian will use it as a pretext to further isolate them. Examples: [[Literature/WutheringHeights Heathcliff]].

# The '''[[GoodAdulteryBadAdultery Bigamist]]''' is defined in relation to their existing Spouse and to a Pursued character, whom they seek to wed despite already being married, either because they are truly in love or just for the latter's Family Fortune. To this end, they can deny or hide their Spouse (often in an underground chamber or [[MadwomanInTheAttic the attic]] of the Gloomy House), seek to divorce them, if only on paper (often with the help of a Corrupt Priest), or to outright poison them (with the help of a Corrupt Doctor). Alternatively, they can already be widowed, but their Spouse still haunts them or their Pursued as a Ghost. Examples: [[Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto Manfred]], [[Literature/JaneEyre Edward Rochester]]

# The '''[[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]]''' is a literal PosthumousCharacter who haunts the living or the Gloomy House as an apparition. Most commonly, they are the victim or the perpetrator of a murder, a bigamy, or deceit over the Family Fortune and seek {{revenge}}, justice, or [[TheAtoner atonement]]. Alternatively, they are the Keeper of the Guilty Secret and want to [[UnfinishedBusiness see an old wrong righted]]. If haunting the Gloomy House, they can be bound to a specific room in it, such as an attic or a picture gallery. Examples: Literature/{{Hamlet}} father, [[Literature/WutheringHeights Catherine Earnshaw-Linton]]
# The '''[[ClassicVillain Greedy Villain]]''' is defined by their desire to possess something (usually the Family Fortune, which may or may not include the Gloomy House itself) or someone. They are often cruel and abuse their power, but may have some redeeming qualities, especially if motivated by a past injustice or revenge. An Obsessed Scientist may seek to use their invention to reclaim their riches, while an Evil Charmer will manipulate the heir(ess) into falling in love with them, then steal their fortune, while convince everyone of their innocence. Examples: [[Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho Montoni]]
# The '''[[ChildrenAreInnocent Helpless Child]]''' is defined by their young age (they are legally a minor), innocence, and powerlessness. They are often the Ward of an Abusive Guardian, and while they typically exemplify angelic innocence, a common subversion is to make them a CreepyChild or outright [[EnfantTerrible possessed by evil]]. Either way, the Helpless Child is often also a Sickly Invalid or a True Heir. Examples: [[Literature/WutheringHeights Catherine Heathcliff]]

# The '''[[TheIngenue Naive Bride]]''' is defined by their love for the Master of the Gloomy House, where they move in early on. They are usually shy, inexperienced, poor, socially inept, and lacking in a social security net, and unfortunately for them, the Master often turns out to be a Greedy Villain, an Evil Charmer, an Obsessed Scientist, or a Mentally Deranged Person, so they often end up as a Captive or even Mentally Deranged themselves before long.

# The '''[[RightfulKingReturns True Heir]]''' is defined by their relation to the Family Fortune or to the Gloomy House: specifically, their claim on these trumps every other Claimant's, once the circumstances and criminal conspiracies to defraud them of it are cleared up. The identity of the True Heir is rarely known from the start (unless they are a Helpless Child), so the fact that they have been the Semi-Outsider, the Loyal Retainer, the Love Interest, or even the Newly Arrived Outsider all along is usually save for the TwistEnding. Examples: [[Literature/TheCastleOfOtranto Theodore]]

# The '''[[WouldHurtAChild Abusive Guardian]]''' is defined in relation to their Ward, who for one reason or another is unfit to receive the Family Fortune, so the Guardian administers it for them, while secretly planning to take it for themselves, either through [[InheritanceMurder murder]] or by marrying the Ward themselves or to their own child. If the Ward is a Helpless Child or otherwise a minor, the Guardian can be a hired tutor or an actual legal guardian. If the Ward is a Sickly Invalid or an Mentally Deranged Person, the Guardian will use it as a pretext to further isolate them.

# The '''[[GoodAdulteryBadAdultery Bigamist]]''' is defined in relation to their existing Spouse and to a Pursued character, whom they seek to wed despite already being married, either because they are truly in love or just for the latter's Family Fortune. To this end, they can deny or hide their Spouse (often in an underground chamber or [[MadwomanInTheAttic the attic]] of the Gloomy House), seek to divorce them, if only on paper (often with the help of a Corrupt Priest), or to outright poison them (with the help of a Corrupt Doctor). Alternatively, they can already be widowed, but their Spouse still haunts them or their Pursued as a Ghost.

# The '''[[SinisterMinister Corrupt Priest]]''' is defined in relation to their Flock, who put their trust in them as a religious professional (priest, monk/nun, shaman, spiritual leader, etc.), which they then abuse for personal gain. A corrupt Catholic priest will break the seal of the {{Confessional}}, a monk will still from charity, and a cult leader will outright incite their followers to commit crimes.

# The '''[[ManipulativeBastard Evil Charmer]]''' is defined by their demonic charm, likeability, and apparent trustworthiness. They seek to be liked and/or loved by everyone, usually to abuse their trust for personal gain or just to seduce the opposite sex and to ruin them for pleasure. The Evil Charmer is often also the Master of the Gloomy House, a Bigamist, a Semi-Outsider, or a Loyal Retainer.
# The '''[[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghost]]''' is a literal PosthumousCharacter who haunts the living or the Gloomy House as an apparition. Most commonly, they are the victim or the perpetrator of a murder, a bigamy, or deceit over the Family Fortune and seek {{revenge}}, justice, or [[TheAtoner atonement]]. Alternatively, they are the Keeper of the Guilty Secret and want to [[UnfinishedBusiness see an old wrong righted]]. If haunting the Gloomy House, they can be bound to a specific room in it, such as an attic or a picture gallery.
# The '''[[ClassicVillain Greedy Villain]]''' is defined by their desire to possess something (usually the Family Fortune, which may or may not include the Gloomy House itself) or someone. They are often cruel and abuse their power, but may have some redeeming qualities, especially if motivated by a past injustice or revenge. An Obsessed Scientist may seek to use their invention to reclaim their riches, while an Evil Charmer will manipulate the heir(ess) into falling in love with them, then steal their fortune, while convince everyone of their innocence.
# The '''[[ChildrenAreInnocent Helpless Child]]''' is defined by their young age (they are legally a minor), innocence, and powerlessness. They are often the Ward of an Abusive Guardian, and while they typically exemplify angelic innocence, a common subversion is to make them a CreepyChild or outright [[EnfantTerrible possessed by evil]]. Either way, the Helpless Child is often also a Sickly Invalid or a True Heir.

# The '''[[RightfulKingReturns True Heir]]''' is defined by their relation to the Family Fortune or to the Gloomy House: specifically, their claim on these trumps every other Claimant's, once the circumstances and criminal conspiracies to defraud them of it are cleared up. The identity of the True Heir is rarely known from the start (unless they are a Helpless Child), so the fact that they have been the Semi-Outsider, the Loyal Retainer, the Love Interest, or even the Newly Arrived Outsider all along is usually save for the TwistEnding.

# The '''Bigamist''' is defined in relation to their existing Spouse and to a Pursued character, whom they seek to wed despite already being married, either because they are truly in love or just for the latter's Family Fortune. To this end, they can deny or hide their Spouse (often in an underground chamber or [[MadwomanInTheAttic the attic]] of the Gloomy House), seek to divorce them, if only on paper (often with the help of a Corrupt Priest), or to outright poison them (with the help of a Corrupt Doctor). Alternatively, they can already be widowed, but their Spouse still haunts them or their Pursued as a Ghost.

# The '''Abusive Guardian''' is defined in relation to their Ward, who for one reason or another is unfit to receive the Family Fortune, so the Guardian administers it for them, while secretly planning to take it for themselves, either through [[InheritanceMurder murder]] or by marrying the Ward themselves or to their own child. If the Ward is a Helpless Child or otherwise a minor, the Guardian can be a hired tutor or an actual legal guardian. If the Ward is a Sickly Invalid or an Mentally Deranged Person, the Guardian will use it as a pretext to further isolate them.

# The '''Bigamist''' is defined in relation to their existing Spouse and to a Pursued character, whom they seek to wed despite already being married, either because they are truly in love or just for the latter's Family Fortune. To this end, they can deny or hide their Spouse (often in an underground chamber or [[MadwomanInTheAttic the attic]] of the Gloomy House), seek to divorce them, if only on paper (often with the help of a Corrupt Priest), or outright poison them (with the help of a Corrupt Doctor). Alternatively, they are already widowed, but the Spouse haunts them or their Pursued as a Ghost.
# The '''Blinkered Professional''' is defined in relation to some Task which they must fulfill in the plot, before completely withdrawing themselves from the surrounding conflict. Often a doctor or a lawyer.
# The '''Captive''' is defined in relation to their Captor, who keeps them constrained, such as a Greedy Villain or an Obsessed Scientist. The reasons they are locked up (often underground or in an attic) range from knowing the Guilty Secret to generally having an inconvenient existence (such as being a stronger Claimant to the Family Fortune). Examples: [[Literature/TheWomanInWhite Laura Fairlie]], [[Literature/JaneEyre Bertha Mason]], [[Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo Edmond Dantès]].
# The '''Corrupt Doctor''' is defined in relation to their Patient, whose illness they seek to exacerbate despite belonging to a healing profession (doctor, nurse, therapist, etc.), because because they are in cahoots with another villain, to silence the victim, or to claim their Family Fortune for themselves. The Patient is often a Sickly Invalid, a Mentally Deranged Person, a Helpless Child, or an Old Eccentric living in the Gloomy House.
# The '''Corrupt Priest''' is defined in relation to their Flock, who put their trust in them as a religious professional (priest, monk/nun, shaman, spiritual leader, etc.), which they then abuse for personal gain. A corrupt Catholic priest will break the seal of the {{Confessional}}, a monk will still from charity, and a cult leader will outright incite their followers to commit crimes.
# The '''Dog''' is a non-human (specifically canine) character defined by its loyalty to its human Owner. It can serve as a Loyal Retainer to the Master of the Gloomy House, a treasured pet of the Newly Arrived Outsider, or an Obsessed Scientist's test subject. Alternatively, it can be a monster or even a Ghost. Either way, a Dog is usually good at sniffing things out, up to and including the Guilty Secret itself.
# The '''Evil Charmer''' is a ManipulativeBastard defined by their demonic charm, likeability, and apparent trustworthiness. They seek to be liked and/or loved by everyone, usually to abuse their trust for personal gain or just to seduce the opposite sex and to ruin them for pleasure. The Evil Charmer is often also the Master of the Gloomy House, a Bigamist, a Semi-Outsider, or a Loyal Retainer.
# The '''Ghost''' is a literal PosthumousCharacter who haunts the living or the Gloomy House as an apparition. Most commonly, they are the victim or the perpetrator of a murder, a bigamy, or deceit over the Family Fortune and seek {{revenge}}, justice, or atonement. Alternatively, they are the Keeper of the Guilty Secret and want to see an old wrong righted. If haunting the Gloomy House, they can be bound to a specific room in it, such as an attic or a picture gallery.
# The '''Greedy Villain''' is defined by their desire to possess the Family Fortune, which may or may not include the Gloomy House itself. They are often cruel and abuse their power, but may have some redeeming qualities, especially if motivated by a past injustice or revenge. An Obsessed Scientist may seek to use their invention to reclaim their riches, while an Evil Charmer will manipulate the heir(ess) into falling in love with them, then steal their fortune, while convince everyone of their innocence.
# The '''Helpless Child''' is defined by their young age (they are legally a minor), innocence, and powerlessness. They are often the Ward of an Abusive Guardian, and while they typically exemplify [[ChildrenAreInnocent angelic innocence]], a common subversion is to make them a CreepyChild, possessed by evil. Either way, the Helpless Child is often also a Sickly Invalid or a True Heir.
# The '''Inside Confidant''' is defined in relation to a Newly Arrived Outsider and the Gloomy House: specifically, they are a servant or the Outsider's colleague at the Gloomy House, whom the Outsider comes to trust and to confide in. Nevertheless, they are usually too afraid or brainwashed to reveal anything of significance to the Outsider, and may eventually betray them to the Master.
# The '''Love Interest''' is defined in relation to the main viewpoint character and facilitates the RomanceArc.
# The '''Loyal Retainer''' is defined in relation (specifically, their UndyingLoyalty) to their Lord, who is also often the Master of the Gloomy House -- but not necessarily, as a common TwistEnding is them having been loyal to a different Lord all along. The Retainer can be a housekeeper, a butler, a secretary, a lady's maid, perhaps even from a multi-generational LegacyOfService, and they are the most likely candidate to be a Keeper of the Guilty Secret.
# The '''Mentally Deranged Person''' is defined by their madness or, at least, mental instability, be it paranoia, hysteria, PTSD, extreme grief, the sad result of many generations of inbreeding, etc. They may be living in the Gloomy House in voluntary isolation to heal, or kept their against their will by embarrassed relatives, or even as the Obsessed Scientist's test subject. A common twist is to have them been [[ObfuscatingInsanity sane all along]], but either manipulated by a Greedy Villain or a Corrupt Doctor, or haunted by the Ghost.
# The '''Naive Bride''' is defined by their love for the Master of the Gloomy House, where they move in early on. They are usually shy, inexperienced, poor, socially inept, and lacking in a social security net, and unfortunately for them, the Master often turns out to be a Greedy Villain, an Evil Charmer, an Obsessed Scientist, or a Mentally Deranged Person. As a result, they often end up as a Captive or even Mentally Deranged themselves before long.
# The '''Newly Arrived Outsider''' is defined by their relationship to the Gloomy House and to the rest of the cast, namely, by their ''lack'' of preexisting connections to them. Thanks to this outside perspective, they often serve as the main viewpoint character and are commonly also a Naive Bride and/or a True Heir. Examples: [[Literature/TheMysteriesOfUdolpho Emily St. Aubert]], Literature/JaneEyre, [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Jonathan Harker]].
# The '''Obsessed Scientist''' is defined by their relation to a weird technology or science and to the Test Subject they use for their experiments. They can be a scientist, an alchemist, or an inventor, whether amateur or professional, and their research can range from [[ScienceIsGood benign]] to [[ScienceIsBad diabolical]]. Their Test Subject can be a Captive, a Helpless Child, or a Mentally Deranged Person, although sometimes their research is in service of curing a Sickly Invalid. If it takes a toll of the Scientist's own health, they can be a Sickly Invalid or [[MadScientist Mentally Deranged themselves]]. Examples: [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Dr. Victor Frankenstein]], [[Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde Dr. Henry Jekyll]] (you may notice the [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate prevalence of "Dr."s]] here).
# The '''Old Eccentric''' is defined by their advanced age and relation to the Family Fortune. If present in the story (even posthumously, including as a Ghost), a lot of drama often surrounds their LostWillAndTestament, while in life, their eccentricity can often reach the Mentally Deranged Person level.
# The '''Semi-Outsider''' is defined by their relation to the Gloomy House to the family occupying it: specifically, they have a connection to the latter but aren't part of it and don't live in the former (e.g. a distant cousin who visits often). Their loyalties are commonly murky, and they often turn out to be a Love Interest and/or the True Heir.
# The '''Sickly Invalid''' is defined by their severe illness and their reliance on the Caretaker, who is commonly a Corrupt Doctor or an Abusive Guardian. Whether they treat their Caretaker with patience or cranky demands, they need constant care and hence rarely leave the Gloomy House. The Sickly Invalid is often also a Helpless Child, an Old Eccentric, a Naive Bride, a True Heir, a Captive, or a Mentally Deranged Person.
# The '''True Heir''' is defined by their relation to the Family Fortune or to the Gloomy House: specifically, their claim on these trumps every other Claimant's, once the circumstances and criminal conspiracies to defraud them of it are cleared up. The identity of the True Heir is rarely known from the start (unless they are a Helpless Child), so the fact that they have been the Semi-Outsider, the Loyal Retainer, the Love Interest, or even the Newly Arrived Outsider all along is usually save for the TwistEnding.

Hall admits that the above list is non-exhaustive. For example, we could add the Grotesque: a character defined by their deformity that leads to social ostracism and alienation (example: [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein's Creature]], [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Quasimodo]], [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera Erik the Phantom]]). Nevertheless, it is easy to see how Hall's roles combine to produce the most recognizable Gothic archetypes: the Tyrant is the Master of the Gloomy House who is also a Greedy Villain, an Evil Charmer, and often a Bigamist; the Maiden is commonly a Newly Arrived Outsider, a Naive Bride, and a Captive; while the Hero is often a Semi-Outsider, a Love Interest, and the True Heir.

# The '''True Heir''' is defined by their relation to the Family Fortune or to the Gloomy House: specifically, their claim on these trumps every other Claimant's, once the circumstances and criminal conspiracies to defraud them of it are cleared up. The identity of the True Heir is rarely known from the start (unless they are a Helpless Child), so the fact that they have been the Semi-Outsider, the Loyal Retainer, the Love Interest, or even the Newly Arrived Outsider all along is usually save for the TwistEnding.

# The '''Inside Confidant'''
# The '''Love Interest'''
# The '''Loyal Retainer'''
# The '''Mentally Deranged Person'''
# The '''Naive Bride'''
# The '''Newly Arrived Outsider'''
# The '''Obsessed Scientist'''
# The '''Old Eccentric'''
# The '''Semi-Outsider'''
# The '''Sickly Invalid'''
# The '''True Heir'''

# The '''Ally Outside''' is defined in relation to the Newly Arrived Outsider and the Gloomy House: specifically, they are a caring person (colleague, sibling, friend, godparent) who nonetheless cannot join the Outsider, instead providing encouragement, advice, or warning from afar.
# The '''Bigamist''' is defined in relation to their existing Spouse and to a Pursued character, whom they seek to wed despite already being married, either because they are truly in love or just for the latter's Family Fortune. To this end, they can deny or hide their Spouse (often in an underground chamber or [[MadwomanInTheAttic the attic]] of the Gloomy House), seek to divorce them, if only on paper (often with the help of the Corrupt Priest), or outright poison them (with the help of the Corrupt Doctor). Alternatively, they are already widowed, but the Spouse haunts them or their Pursued as the Ghost.
# The '''Blinkered Professional'''
# The '''Captive'''
# The '''Corrupt Doctor'''
# The '''Corrupt Priest'''
# The '''Dog'''
# The '''Evil Charmer'''
# The '''Ghost'''
# The '''Greedy Villain'''
# The '''Helpless Child'''

Scholar and author [[https://thegothicwanderer.wordpress.com/2023/05/21/meet-the-gothic-cast-a-guest-post-by-rayne-hall/ Rayne Hall has argued]] that instead of looking for archetypes, Gothic characters can instead be analyzed in terms of the roles they play in the plot, with the twist that the same character can combine several of these at once. She has identified 23 of these roles, but there are likely to be many more. These roles are often relate to three non-character tropes pervasive in Gothic fiction (and particularly Gothic romance): the [[HauntedCastle Gloomy House]] (which often serves as the main setting has a Master), the [[DarkSecret Guilty Secret]] (which drives the mystery subplot and has a [[SecretKeeper Keeper]]), and the Family Fortune (which is often the ultimate worldly prize and has a designated Inheritor). In alphabetic order, Hall's 23 archetypal roles are:

# The Abusive Guardian
# The Ally Outside
# The Bigamist
# The Blinkered Professional
# The Captive
# The Corrupt Doctor
# The Corrupt Priest
# The Dog
# The Evil Charmer
# The Ghost
# The Greedy Villain
# The Helpless Child
# The Inside Confidant
# The Love Interest
# The Loyal Retainer
# The Mentally Deranged Person
# The Naive Bride
# The Newly Arrived Outsider
# The Obsessed Scientist
# The Old Eccentric
# The Semi-Outsider
# The Sickly Invalid
# The True Heir

!!Network analysis of the ''Three Houses'' support system
!!!Tools and data
For the following study, we have used the [[https://www.yworks.com/downloads#yEd yEd]] free graph editor. All files discussed below can be downloaded [[https://www.koveras.net/files/tvtropes/fe3h_supports.7z here]].

We define the nodes/vertices of our social network as the set of [[Characters/FireEmblemThreeHouses named characters]] of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', including the post-release ones (Jeritza, "Cindered Shadows "DLC), who have support conversations ("supports") with other characters. Excepted from this definition are [[PlayerCharacter Byleth]], because they have supports with every other character and would therefore have an outsized impact on clustering and consequently obscure the underlying network; as well as Sothis and Rhea, who only have supports with Byleth and would therefore be isolated by their removal.

We define the connections/edges as the set of all supports between characters, weighted/labeled by the total number of [[RelationshipValues support conversations]] between any pair of characters. We furthermore normalize the edge weights to the interval [0,1] where the weight of 0, by convention, stands for "no connection/edge", so that C/B supports map to weight 0.33; C/B+ and C/B/A, to 0.67; and C/B+/A and C/B/A+, to 1.00. Furthermore, because yEd does not support undirected graphs, each support is modeled as a pair of directed edges with the same weight/label connecting character X to character Y and vice versa.

The resulting raw data can be found in fe3h_supports_raw.tgf in the downloadable archive.

!!!Analysis
For node sizes, we used yEd's centrality algorithms, specifically Tools > Tools > Centrality Measures > [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank Page Rank]] (with options "Directed" and "Get From Edge Labels" checked), which scaled character nodes according to how "important" they are in the overall network. For node colors, we used a manual coloring according to their respective House/faction's [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience preferred color scheme]]. For layout, we used yEd's Organic layout algorithm with the option for Clustering set to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvain_method Louvain Modularity]] and "Handle Cluster as Substructure" checked.

We observe that [[SixthRanger Jeritza's]] node appears to confuse the clustering algorithm, having an outsized impact on the layout due to his out-group A-supports, despite his overall peripheral position in the network. We have therefore opted to exclude him from further analysis; for the interested reader, the file fe3h_supports_jeritza.graphml contains the untrimmed network. We have also opted not to use yEd's built-in node grouping function to manually cluster members of the same House/faction, because not doing so produced more interesting results. For the interested reader, however, the grouped layout can be found in fe3h_supports_groups.graphml and fe3h_supports_groups_jeritza.graphml.

The final results are thus discussed based on the contents of fe3h_supports.graphml.

!!!Results and discussion
Predictably, members of the same House have been clustered together even when not explicitly grouped, thanks to being [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fully_connected_network fully connected]] within the respective in-group. The only exception is the Church of Seiros faction, which is ''not'' fully connected internally (e.g. Seteth has no supports with Alois). The House leaders (Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, Yuri) all ended up on the periphery of their respective clusters and of the network as a whole, presumably because they have much fewer out-group supports than most of their rank-and-file House members. Their [[NumberTwo right hands]] (Hubert, Dedue) are likewise on the periphery, but have much lower Page Ranks, presumably because, unlike their superiors, they do not have ''any'' out-group supports at all (except with the Church).

TheChurch is the only faction (it is technically not even a House) whose nodes are scattered all over the network, indicating that they generally have more and stronger out-group ties than in-group ones. Shamir and Cyril, in particular, are so strongly associated with the Golden Deer house, they might as well be part of that particular cluster (which makes narrative sense, as their "foreign commoner" identities would pull them towards Claude's House over the others). The remaining Church members cluster around the Blue Lions, reflecting the Church's in-story association with the Kingdom of Faerghus; Gilbert, in particular, may just as well be a Lion (and, indeed, he is only recruitable on the Azure Moon route). Likewise, Alois and Catherine's strong association with the Lions makes sense given their status as Church Knights, whereas Hanneman and Manuela, being of Adrestian descent, gravitate more towards the Black Eagles. Finally, Seteth and particularly Flayn cluster with the Lions but lean towards the Deer -- or rather, away from the Eagles, which makes sense when [[spoiler:Edelgard's intentions for Children of the Goddess]] are considered.

Among the Black Eagles, Caspar is a surprising outlier, as he consistently ends up closer to the Lions than to his own House due to his A-supports with Ashe and Annette and an A+-support with Catherine (who, as noted above, clusters with the Lions). This somewhat reflects his brash, combative personality that rarely gels well with the rest of his House.

The DLC-only Ashen Wolves generally tend to cluster close to, but separately from the Eagles, largely because two out of four (Yuri and Constance) have two A-supports with that House each. Only one member (Balthus) is associated with the Deer, but because ''all'' of his out-group supports are with that House, he ends up as more-or-less as its honorary member, much like Shamir and Cyril.

We define the nodes/vertices of our social network as the set of [[Characters/FireEmblemThreeHouses named characters]] of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', including the post-release ones (Jeritza, "Cindered Shadows "DLC), who have support conversations ("supports") with other characters. Excepted from this definition are [[PlayerCharacter Byleth]], because they have supports with every other character and would therefore have an outsized impact on (i.e. obscure) the underlying network; as well as Sothis and Rhea, who only have supports with Byleth and would therefore be rendered isolated by their removal.

We define the connections/edges as the set of all supports between characters, weighted/labeled by the total number of [[RelationshipValues support conversations]] between any pair of characters. We furthermore normalize the edge weights to the interval [0,1] where the weight of 0, by convention, stands for "no connection/edge". In other words, C/B support paths map to weight 0.33; C/B+ and C/B/A, to 0.67; and C/B+/A and C/B/A+, to 1.00. Furthermore, because yEd does not support undirected graphs, each support is modeled as a pair of directed edges with the same weight/label connecting character X to character Y and vice versa.

For node sizes, we used yEd's centrality algorithms, specifically Tools > Tools > Centrality Measures > [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank Page Rank]] (Directed, Get From Edge Labels). This scales character nodes according to how "important" they are in the overall network. For node colors, we use a manual coloring according to their respective House/faction [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience preferred color scheme]]. For layout, we use yEd's Organic layout algorithm with the option for Clustering set to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvain_method Louvain Modularity]], with the option "Handle Cluster as Substructure" checked.

We observe that [[SixthRanger Jeritza's]] node appears to confuse the clustering algorithm, having and outsized impact on the layout due to his out-group A-supports, despite his overall peripheral position in the network. We have therefore opted to exclude him from further analysis; for the interested reader, the file fe3h_supports_jeritza.graphml contains the clustering featuring Jeritza. We have also opted not to use yEd's built-in node grouping function to manually cluster members of the same House/faction, because this produced more interesting results. For the interested reader, however, the grouped layout is found in fe3h_supports_groups.graphml and fe3h_supports_groups_jeritza.graphml.

Predictably, members of the same House have been clustered together even when not explicitly grouped, thanks to being [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fully_connected_network fully connected]] within the respective in-group. The only exception is the Church of Seiros faction, which is ''not'' fully connected internally (e.g. Seteth has no supports with Alois).

The House leaders (Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, Yuri) all ended up on the periphery of their respective clusters and of the network as a whole, presumably because they have much fewer out-group supports than rank-and-file House members. Their [[NumberTwo right hands]] (Hubert, Dedue) are likewise on the periphery, but have much lower Page Ranks, presumably because, unlike their superiors, they do not have ''any'' out-group supports at all (except with the Church).

TheChurch is the only faction (it is technically not even a House) whose nodes are scattered all over the network, indicating that they generally have more and stronger out-group ties than in-group ones. Shamir and Cyril, in particular, are so strongly associated with the Golden Deer house, they might as well be part of that particular cluster (which makes narrative sense, as their "foreign commoner" identities would pull them towards Claude's House over the others). The remaining Church members cluster around the Blue Lions, reflecting the Church's in-story association with the Kingdom of Faerghus; Gilbert, in particular, may just as well be a Lion (and, indeed, he is only recruitable on the Azure Moon route). Likewise, Alois and Catherine strong association with the Lions makes sense in light of them being Church Knights, whereas Hanneman and Manuela, being of Adrestian descent, gravitate more towards the Black Eagles. Finally, Seteth and particularly Flayn cluster with the Lions but lean towards the Deer -- or rather, away from the Eagles, which makes sense when [[spoiler:Edelgard's plans for the Children of the Goddess]] are considered.

Among the Black Eagles, Caspar is a surprising outlier, as he consistently ends up clustering more with the Lions than with his own House, thanks to his A-supports with Ashe and Annette and an A+-support with Catherine (who, as noted above, clusters with the Lions). This somewhat reflects his brash, combative personality that rarely gels well with the rest of his own House.

The DLC-only Ashen Wolves generally tend to cluster with close to, but separately from the Eagles, largely because two out of four (Yuri and Constance) have A-supports with that House. Only one member (Balthus) is associated with the Deer, but because ''all'' of his out-group supports are with that House, he ends up as more-or-less its honorary member, much like Shamir and Cyril.