A Tactician's Testimony
is a Fire Emblem fanfic written by Naryfiel Lilith.
The fic is a novelization of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, told from the perspective of the Tactician, here a girl named Katarina (Katri for short).
The fic also contains a sequel by the name of "A Tactician's Legacy" that is a novelization of Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, told from the perspective of Irene, Katri's daughter.
The fic has two prequels: "A Thief's Testimony", told from the perspective of Amanda, an assassin in Ostia, and "A Thief's Legacy", told from the perspective of Hilda, Katri's distant ancestor.
A Tactician's Testimony contains examples of the following tropes:
- Adaptation Expansion: The fic reveals the details of what occurred during the one-year Time Skip between Lyn and Eliwood's stories, focusing on Katri's exploits during that time; among other things, she assists Wallace in wiping out the Taliver Bandits.
- Anti-Climax: After 45 chapters, Katri finally realizes her feelings for Rath… and immediately continues working as if nothing happened. Lyn lampshades it in the next chapter, even noting that Lyn: You just… You just 'poof!', accepted it? No drama, no freak out? No talking it out with someone? No revelation from someone else? This is so anti-climatic!
- Anti-Hero: Katri isn't exactly morally pure at first, being prejudiced against Sacaeans and largely only helping Lyn get to Caelin because she she wanted Marquess Hausen indebted to her. She gets better.
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Despite knowledge of such things as magic and healing staves, in "Sword of Spirits," Katri is in complete disbelief that the Mani Katti is sentient and chooses its owner. This is especially notable, as even after finding out about the existence of dragons, meeting Athos, and finding out about the dragons being scapegoats for the Scouring, she still doesn't buy the concept of sentient weaponry.
- Ascended Extra: The tactician, as per usual for The Blazing Blade adaptations.
- Game-Breaking Injury: Early on, Katri suffers an injury to her right leg, which constantly reopens until Serra heals it. Nonetheless, Katri suffers from a limp from that point on. In "False Friends," the issue is partially resolved when she receives a leg brace.
- "It" Is Dehumanizing: Lyn has no remorse for killing bandits in cold blood, openly telling Katri that "bandits aren't people." While somewhat justified, since Lyn's family and tribe were slaughtered by bandits, her attitude nonetheless unnerves Katri quite a bit.
- Jerkass Realization: In "Blood of Pride," Katri recognizes that her prejudices against the Sacae were wrong when she sees Marquess Araphan openly badmouthing Lyn for being Sacaean, calling her a "nomadic mongrel." The realization that she used to think the same as such a Jerkass leaves Katri remorseful and feeling sick to her stomach.
- Lemony Narrator: Katri often makes snarky comments in her narration, and reveals such things as her disbelief in the Mani Katti's power.
- Noble Bigot: Early on, Katri is prejudiced against Sacaeans, but nonetheless makes friends with Lyn and helps her out of gratitude, since Lyn saved her life. After the events of "Blood of Pride," in which Marquess Araphan refuses to help them against Lundgren out of Fantastic Racism and openly demeans and dehumanizes Lyn to her face, Katri is disgusted that she used to think of Sacaeans the same way as him and does a complete 180.
- Oblivious Guilt Slinging: In "Footsteps of Fate," Lyn recalls that many people are prejudiced against Sacaeans due to their ways of life, and tells Katri she's glad she isn't like that and is so kind. Unbeknownst to Lyn, Katri is prejudiced against Sacaeans, and remarks in her narration that she's never felt so guilty in her life.
- Running Gag:
- Eliwood sighing, to the point that Katri started keeping a tally of his sighs over the course of the campaign. By the time she gives him the final tally at Hector's coronation, there's a small stack of nothing but tallies.
- Characters teasing Katri about Rath, and Katri being oblivious.
- Katri going "What." in her narration.
- Wham Line: In "Genesis", after the fight, Katri starts to question Athos about the events of the Scouring, as the journal she found on Valor Isle and what she learned about it conflict with each other. Athos cuts her off with this line:Athos: Those were doctored after her death. The dragons were scapegoats. They were always scapegoats.
