Marscal Godwin

Marscal Godwin (マルスカール・ゴドウィン, Marusukāru Godōin) is a central antagonist in Suikoden V. Marscal is the leader of the powerful Godwin Faction and a believer in Falena's cultural supremacy.

Biography
Marscal Godwin was the leader of the Godwin Faction one of the two power blocs that influenced policy within the Queendom of Falena. Compared to the Barows Faction, Marscal was very much a hardliner and a believer in Falena's right to use military force to secure her prosperity. He was married to Rosalind, whom he loved dearly, and was the father of Gizel.

Early Plots
During the Royal Family Succession Conflict, Rosalind would be killed by the Nether Gate assassin, Michafute. Although Marscal's cousin Mardas was married to Shahrewar, his faction was not unduly punished once Falzrahm claimed the throne. Instead, all faction influence in the Falenan Senate was heavily curbed until her early death.

Two years later, after Falzrahm's unexpected death and the ascension of her daughter, Arshtat Falenas, Marscal began laying the foundation of his later plans. He secretly reformed Nether Gate shortly after its official dissolution by Arshtat. In fact, he did this with the help of Michafute, whom he took in despite his role in the assassination of his wife. It seems that around this time, Marscal began plotting to take control of Falena as he travelled to the northern continent and recruited Lucretia Merces as his strategist.

However, in 447, when Marscal began plotting to steal the Sun Rune from Sol-Falena, Lucretia went behind Marscal's back and warned Queen Arshtat of his plans and advised her to bear the rune upon her person. After the Lordlake uprising, Marscal imposed as many harsh measures against Lordlake as he could, including the building of Hatred Fortress, which also functioned as a dam, in order to eliminate any chance of the truth being revealed.

Despite his position as head of the Godwin Faction, it seems that as his son, Gizel, matured, Marscal left much of the actual planning of their schemes to him, preferring instead to offer advice and comment from the sidelines. He often criticised Gizel's methods, regarding them as dangerous and risky. Still, Gizel's machinations which he planned without any goal in mind, did secure the Godwin victory in the Sacred Games thanks to the use of another former Nether Gate member, Childerich. This victory gave Marscal the chance he needed to commit a coup on the Sun Palace later that year.

The Godwin Reign
Marscal remained very much on the sidelines, instead letting Gizel take center stage as the Commander of the Queen's Knights and Queen Lymsleia Falenas' husband. It seemed his 'official' position in the Sun Palace was that of an adviser. However, it is known that he involved himself with devising military strategies along with Gizel as the two attempted, with little success, to suppress the Falenan Prince's Imperial City Recapture Army which had been gaining support in the south-eastern reaches of Falena.

Regarded as highly xenophobic, Marscal had no respect for what he termed "the lesser demi-human races" in Falena. In fact murder of demi-humans in Stormfist was common as everyone knew that there would be no investigation into such crimes due to Marscal's influence. This racist point of view manifested itself in the Sun Rune War with his plots to commit genocide on both the beavers and cave dwarves. These genocides were only narrowly avoided thanks to the efforts of the Recapture Army.

Although the House of Godwin had staunch support in Stormfist, the rest of Falena had little trust in the administration. This lack of trust cost the Godwin faction a number of territories, including Lelcar and Doraat. Even the 10-year old Lymsleia noted that the Prince's forces were able to take advantage of the people's lack of trust in the Godwins. Eventually, the Godwins were left with few other choices but to ally with the New Armes Kingdom, much to Marscal's distaste.

Defeat
This alliance soon collapsed, however, after initial success gave way to several embarrassing defeats. Eventually, Doraat fell once again and the head of the Falenan Royal Navy, Bahram Luger, fell in battle. Even Stormfist, the Godwin family stronghold, fell to the Recapture Army, along with Marscal's most loyal general, Dilber Novum, as well as Childerich. Once the Loyalist Army began to bare down on Sol-Falena, Marscal fled from the capital, along with his loyal Nether Gate officer, Dolph.

The two eventually made their way to the Sindar Ruins in the Ashtwal Mountains in the Land of the Founder; the Prince and his entourage pursuing him. Confronting each other at the end of the ruins, Marscal maintained that everything he had done was to make Falena a greater and more prosperous nation. By using the Sun Rune, Marscal became an incarnation of its power and attacked the Prince's entourage. After his defeat, Marscal perished and repeated that everything he did was done for the sake of Falena.