The Valiant is the third chapter in Final Fantasy Tactics, which depicts Ramza Beoulve's attempts to stop the War of the Lions. Chronologically, it takes place three months after "The Manipulative & the Subservient".
Story[]
Ramza and his party go to speak with his brothers, who are occupying the Royal City of Lesalia along with their Order of the Northern Sky army. On their journey they meet Orran Durai, adopted son of the Order of the Southern Sky's fiercest commander, Count Cidolfus Orlandeau, known as the "Thunder God" for his strength in battle. Orran is threatened by a group of bandits, and is thankful when Ramza's party saves him, but continues on his own afterwards. Ramza reaches Lesalia and tries to convince Zalbaag Beoulve that someone is orchestrating the war, but Zalbaag refuses to listen.
As Ramza prepares to leave the city, inquisitors from the church confront him, led by Zalmour Lucianada. Ramza has been branded a heretic for his role in the death of Cardinal Alphonse Delacroix. He refuses to cooperate and they attempt to take him by force, but Ramza, his party and his younger sister Alma defeat the confessor. Ramza intends to go to the Orbonne Monastery to find the auracite there before the church can. Though Ramza fears for her safety, Alma demands to go with him.
When Ramza's party reaches Orbonne, the Knights Templar are already there, led by Wiegraf Folles and Isilud Tengille. Elder Simon, the monk who runs the monastery and a tutor to Alma, is injured, but offers what help he can. Isilud retreats by capturing Alma as leverage. Wiegraf is mortally wounded, but the Aries auracite in his hand, given to him by the Knights Templar, speaks to him, promising to save him from death. Wiegraf takes the offer, transforms into the Lucavi demon Belias, the Gigas, and teleports away. Before Ramza leaves, a barely-living Elder Simon gives him a book he has spent his life translating: the Scriptures of Germonique.
Germonique is the disciple who supposedly betrayed Saint Ajora. Ajora is held by the Glabados Church to be a child of the gods, but Germonique's account is nothing like the story Ramza knows. The scriptures claim that Ajora was not a holy man, but a revolutionary working to undermine the Holy Ydoran Empire, and Germonique was a spy for the empire who sold Ajora out. Ajora had no connection to the Zodiac Braves, but did search for the auracites for an unknown reason. With this artefact in hand, potentially disastrous for the church, Ramza goes to rescue his sister.
Ovelia trusts Delita.
The Order of the Southern Sky places Delita in charge of Princess Ovelia's protection and he begins to soften up to her. Delita promises to protect her and states his ambition to destroy the corrupt powers that rule Ivalice and rebuild it with a new order—all for Ovelia's benefit, he claims. Delita saves Ovelia from an assassination attempt by Northern Sky agents, bringing her closer to him.
Ramza finds Rapha Galthena being chased by her brother, Marach Galthena, and a group of Barrington's men. Rapha is a deserter from Khamja, a group of assassins under the command of the powerful Grand Duke Gerrith Barrington, who has captured Isilud along with the auracite and Isilud's captive, Alma. Rapha fled from her master after he raped her, but never told her brother. Seeing that Rapha is in danger, Ramza helps her and she joins his party. Marach survives the battle and, speaking through a toad, tells Ramza that if he fights the Grand Duke, his sister will be killed.
At Barrington's stronghold of Riovanes Castle, Folmarv Tengille, leader of the Knights Templar, Isilud's father and the mysterious man who told the princess she is an impostor, meets with the Grand Duke in negotiations. Wiegraf is with him. Barrington attempts to use his leverage against Folmarv to create an alliance with the Templars, whom he considers the strongest power in Ivalice. Folmarv is not interested in compromise and orders Wiegraf away to settle his score with Ramza. Folmarv transforms into a Lucavi, kills everyone in the room, and fatally wounds his own son for his weakness. Alma escapes from her cell and runs into Isilud just before his death. After their conversation, Folmarv returns, human again. He senses that Alma is to be the new host for his "master" and, hoping to complete his plot, carries her away.
Outside, Rapha and Marach leave to finish their personal feud. Within the castle, Wiegraf attacks Ramza alone. Though Ramza tries to reason with him, the former leader of the Corpse Brigade announces he no longer cares for the peasant revolution or his sister's death, and only wishes to bring destruction to humanity. Ramza defeats Wiegraf's human form in a one-on-one duel, and Wiegraf turns into Belias just as Ramza's party arrives. Together they destroy it.
On the roof of Riovanes Castle, Rapha confronts the Grand Duke. Barrington admits to raping Rapha, making Marach realize he has been fighting on the wrong side. Barrington kills Marach and Ramza's party arrives, along with the Marquis Elmdore and two assassins, Celia and Lettie. Ramza remembers that the marquis had died in battle and realizes that Elmdore too must be a host for a Lucavi. Despite the debt he owes Ramza for saving his life years ago, Elmdore and his servants attack, but retreat when one of them is near defeat. Rapha stands over her brother's corpse with an auracite in hand and hears a voice from the stone. Ramza fears that it will take control of Rapha like it did Wiegraf, but instead of an evil power it returns Marach to life with a holy light, and the Galthena siblings join Ramza's party.
The slaughter becomes known in taverns across Ivalice as The Horror of Riovanes.