48. Fran Eruyt
Age: Unknown
Birthplace: Unknown
Though Fran seldom discusses her background, from her remarkable leadership and proficiency as both a tactician and warrior, it is presumed the general of Lente's Tears has many years of experience and most likely an age to match.
She is also believed to be a former member of the Dalmascan peacekeeping forces, which if true, further supports this theory. The organization was primarily charged with protecting the royal family and the capital of Rabanastre, with their jurisdiction limited to the confines of the city. Even among such a specialized group, Fran was assigned to a unit that dealt with organized crime and the most hardened offenders.
Fran and her comrades were known as the Saraab and their operation was completely separate from the rest of the peacekeepers. While the organization as a whole was established specifically to protect the royal family and the capital, the Saraab's activities included maintaining public safety and order throughout the kingdom. Were a threat to the realm to arise, the Saraab had the authority to take any measures necessary, even if said threat involved members of the nobility or the royal family itself.
As such, the Saraab worked in complete isolation, with the identity of its members only known to those belonging to the unit. It is for this reason that even towards the end of the war with Garlemald, members of the royal fusiliers such as Ba'Gamnan and Bwagi never came into contact with Fran.
Fran led one particular group within the Saraab whose duties included protecting designated persons from the shadows, pursuing suspected rebels and cult members, and preventing attempted espionage by foreign nations.
The final task assigned to Fran's group was the “assassination” of Princess Ashelia. In truth, it was a secret mission to fake the princess's death and have her live on in secret, thus protecting the royal bloodline. The plan was a success, with Ba'Gamnan and several other fusiliers witnessing the staged assassination, and unwittingly fulfilling their role of spreading the false news of her death. Even the ones who handled the princess's supposed corpse were Fran's subordinates. The mission was carried out under the permission of Princess Ashelia's twin brother Prince Rasler, who knew that defeat to the Empire would mean the execution of the entire royal family. Were the people of Dalmasca allowed to know that Ashelia was still alive, they would be incensed to fight the Garleans to the last man, despite there being no hope of victory. Rather than watch his people die in vain, he devised a means of spiriting her away, even going so far as to keep his plan a secret from his father, the king. The princess was put into a deep sleep using a method passed down among Fran's kin until the day arrived for the kingdom to be reborn.
When Ashelia finally awoke some thirty years later, many of her memories had abandoned her, but she could still remember her identity and purpose. However, whether it was a result of her induced slumber or because of the emotional scars left by the horrors of war, she would often find herself assailed by images of the past. In the years that had passed, Fran had become a general of Lente's Tears, and she continued in this role while also acting as advisor to Ashelia.
During the events surrounding the mystical auracite, Fran encountered the selfsame former royal fusiliers who had, unbeknownst to them, cooperated in faking the princess's death. To compound Fran's feelings of guilt, their leader Ba'Gamnan had undergone a hideous transformation and was subsequently killed, denying her the opportunity to make amends with him.
Although thirty years had passed since Ba'Gamnan was deceived into believing the princess to have been killed, Fran could not escape the feeling that had she revealed the truth to him, the terrible fate that befell him could have been averted.
Another of the royal fusiliers, Ba'Gamnan's brother Bwagi, eventually became a loyal friend to Fran. While he and his comrades are not aware that Ashelia is in fact the princess herself, they believe her to be a descendant of the royal bloodline. It remains to be seen whether their feelings of joy will be unchanged upon hearing the truth, but when the time finally comes for Fran to explain the events of that fateful day, she is prepared to face the consequences of her actions.
However, that time has yet to arrive. Now that Bozja has shaken off the yoke of imperial rule, the resistance cannot afford to let the opportunity to liberate Dalmasca escape them. Until then, Fran will continue to wear the mask of deception and keep the truth hidden from her allies.