Vestaria Saga I (ヴェスタリアサーガⅠ; Vesutaria Sāga 1), subtitled Knight of the Fallen Kingdom and the Star Priestess (亡国の騎士と星の巫女; Boukoku no Kishi to Hoshi no Miko), was originally a freeware indie game for the PC made by Vestaria Project, which is composed of Shouzou Kaga (the original creator of both Fire Emblem and TearRing Saga) and other volunteers. The game was created using the SRPG Studio engine
. In late December 2019, it was released commercially and internationally under the title Vestaria Saga I: War of the Scions for PC via Steam, and was published by Dangen Entertainment.
Vestaria Saga I tells the story of international conflict between a powerful empire and a small coastal kingdom. When an imperial ship is set ablaze near the port of Meleda, it sparks a cascade of events that thrusts young warrior Zadrian into a war for the future of his kingdom. On the run from a vicious imperial force and short on allies, Zade and his small band of knights must make difficult decisions to ensure that Meleda's princess, and the very future of its lineage, remain intact. However, not everything is as it seems, and forces in the dark corners of the continent conspire. The stage is set, and the pieces have begun to move.
On May 16, 2022, it was announced through the official Japanese Twitter account that an enhanced edition is currently being developed.
On July 28, 2022, the game's first sequel was released internationally: Vestaria Saga II: The Sacred Sword of Silvanister. Continuing where the original left off, Zade journeys with his allies to confront the Margulites that plot to revive their ancient Shadowking and usher in a new age of darkness.
This series contains examples of:
- A Day in the Limelight: Chapter 10, which is focused on Hoelun and Urven as Hoelun works to regain control of the Nyman League.
- Aerith and Bob: Units like Troy, Jean and Ash will fight alongside people named Yaeri, Hoelun, and Jamulan.
- Anti-Villain: Tamthir, who is a brutal man seeking to take control from the legitimate rulers of Solis, but is ultimately driven by a desire for vengeance for the previous khar Halym's wrongs against him (especially abducting his daughter Aynellia for a concubine, then selling her to a brothel).
- Arbitrary Headcount Limit: There are over 35 playable characters, but you can only deploy a fraction per battle. Averted for some chapters, mainly after the route split in Chapter 15x, where all available units in each group can be deployed.
- Can't Drop the Hero: Zade must be deployed in every chapter.
- Escort Mission: Chapter 16 has Athol out of the player's control and walking between the towns of the Veldlands to liberate them. You have to make sure she gets there safely (and, for additional rewards, within a certain number of turns).
- Expy: Several to party members from Kaga's first Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light.
- Alysia to Lena, as a red-haired priestess who serves as your early-game healer.
- Jean and Ash to Bord and Cord as a pair of early-game axe fighters, one more focused on strength and the other on speed.
- Theodel to Merric, as a green-haired mage who is the lord's best friend, is found in a village, and comes with an ice-based tome.
- Cezar to Julian, as a long-haired thief who is your first lockpicker, and who is introduced running away from bandits and towards your forces.
- Zayid to Ogma, as a taciturn ex-gladiator who wields swords and is very strong in the early game.
- Haldyn to Navarre, as a long-haired fast swordsman who starts out working for bandits before joining your side.
- Yaeri and Rubina to Palla and Catria, as a pair of female flying units with blue and green hair. (Yaeri and Rubina aren't related, though.)
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The steppe nomads of Solis are based on Mongols, being a horse-centric culture who dwell in yurts and have titles like "khar" and "noyan". Venecia is based on medieval Venice, as a trading republic whose military force consists of mercenaries called "condotiers", and whose leader is called the "dolge" (a variation on Venice's Doge).
- Greater-Scope Villain: Margul, the Shadowking of ancient times mentioned in the opening crawl, is responsible for most of the issues in the present through his supporters, the Margulites.
- Guest-Star Party Member: There are a few, such as Alysia (joins as part of a group in Chapter 1, but leaves at the end of Chapter 2) and Nina (joins midway through Chapter 5, but leaves at its end).
- The Hero: Zadrian, aka "Zade", is the main protagonist of the story that the other characters rally behind.
- Hero Must Survive: If Zade is killed at any point, it leads to an immediate Game Over. This is also the case for Athol in chapters where she can be deployed, and Cyltan, Hoelun and Lilia in certain chapters.
- Long-Lost Relative: Two sibling pairs among the playable cast - Aynellia and Neira, and Lyttia and Dune, the latter being half-siblings.
- Mutually Exclusive Party Members: Rastelle and Cromwell join automatically on Turn 1 of Chapter 20, but only if Eddard was not recruited or has died/left the party.
- New Work, Recycled Graphics: The game uses many of SRPG Studio's default assets, such as its combat display.
- Optional Party Member: Most units only join under certain conditions, such as visiting a specific village, or talking to an enemy with the correct unit.
- Permadeath: Like its predecessors, anyone but Zade who dies in battle will be gone for good.
- Prestige Class: Promotions for your army's classes, improving their stats, can be performed at any level with the right class change item.
- The Quisling: The Margulites are opposed by Emperor Manneus of Solvia, but some, mainly Therenius, support them for their own benefit. It becomes clear late in the game that several notables in Vestaria - Duke Lagniel of Frist, Queen Syvill of Sphire, King Lucius of Rivelle, and the chancellor of Lestia - are cooperating with the Margulites as well.
- In Chapter 17, Tallan is also revealed as having been leaking information about the party to the Imperial troops, though he was coerced into it with the promise of information on his family.
- Red Baron: Troy is known as "The Winds of Troy".
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Zade and Cyltan form this dynamic, with calm and serious Zade as the blue and passionate, hot-headed and sometimes arrogant Cyltan as the red.
- Relationship Values: Some units have Bonds, which gives a boost to their stats when a specific comrade is at most 3 tiles away. Most of these are pre-set, but some are unlocked after witnessing sub-events.
- Royal Brat: Lyttia. There's rarely a conversation where she isn't lording it over the other party in some way, though she's spoiled rather than malicious and does prove to have a Hidden Heart of Gold.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Cyltan and Hoelun's relationship plays out this way. Though they don't quite get to the "kiss" part in the game's ending, with Cyltan deciding to break off their engagement, believing he can't be a suitable partner to her.
- Status Buff: Siegfried's personal staff Formalinthe boosts all of an allied unit's stats by 3, with the buff slowly fading over the next three turns.
- Utility Party Member: There's a few units who aren't useful for combat or healing applications, but have other uses that make them handy to deploy.
- Cezar is the first unit who can pick locks, and once per chapter, if the party's funds are less than 3000 denarii, he can stand next to Athol to give her a Cezar's Lucre (which can be sold for 1000D). After promotion he can buy items at 75% of the normal price.
- Ma'aya is a mediocre combatant, but can buy items at 66% of the normal price (if she doesn't class change to Dragon Knight).
- Tallan can repair the top item in his inventory (at the rate of one use per turn), has access to the stockpile until Chapter 15x, and can also pick locks.
- Wicked Stepmother: Theodel's stepmother Adelaide, who abused him so badly that he formed a plan with Zade's father to renounce his inheritance to the duchy of Frall and become a member of the church, so that he would be safe from her. She's also in league with Therenius and the Margulites, and conspired with Lagniel to spark a war with Solvia.
