Alear is the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Engage and is called the Divine Dragon, or the Divine One, as soon as they awake from a 1,000-year slumber. It is clear from very early on in Engage that the status and title of Divine Dragon are akin to being a God.
Divine Dragons have appeared in almost every Fire Emblem game, becoming a recurring staple of the series. In Fire Emblem, Divine Dragons hold immense power and can transform into majestic dragons. They are tremendously powerful beings with extraordinarily long lifespans. While Alear has no dragon form, they still bear the title Divine Dragon.
Warning: There are end-game spoilers discussed in this article.
Alear, Lumera, And The Divine Dragon
Elyos was once a land filled with dragons, one of which was Fell Dragon Sombron, and the other was the Divine Dragon Monarch Lumera. The Divine Dragon, as explained in a cutscene, is a member of a royal family of dragons who are worshipped as deities. This places Lumera at the head of the Divine Dragon royal line and the ruler of the Holy Land of Lythos.
1,000 years before the events of Engage, Lumera aids humanity in a war against Sombron, who is determined to destroy the land of Elyos. Sombron, along with his armies, succeeded in killing every Divine Dragon on Elyos, save for Lumera.
As far as we know, Lumera and Alear are the only Divine Dragons alive in Fire Emblem Engage when the game begins. However, it is revealed that Alear is not truly a Divine Dragon, but they are the child of Sombron.
During the war with Sombron 1,000 years ago, Lumera finds Alear when they are a general in his army, but Lumera talks sense into the conflicted Alear. Through showing kindness and compassion to Alear, Lumera convinces them to turn on Sombron and join her in an attack against him.
During the prologue of Engage, we see what could be interpreted as Alear's skewed perception or dream of killing Sombron. Alear thought they killed Sombron, but when they turned their back to him, he fired a spell that nearly killed Alear. Lumera finds the wounded Alear and spirits them away to the Somniel, a holy place above Lythos.
Using the Emblem Rings, it is explained that Lumera sealed Sombron away after Alear seemingly killed him.
With that, Alear falls into a deep slumber on the Somniel for 1,000 years.
When Alear wakes up, they have amnesia. The game begins with the Stewards of the Dragon finding Alear awake and rejoicing the Divine Dragon has finally awoken. Lumera assures Alear she is their mother and convinces them they are a heroic Divine Dragon.
We can only speculate as to Lumera's reasonings for this. Lumera withholds this information because she truly considers Alear to be her child, and the fact they are a Fell Dragon doesn't matter to her. Or, she might be worried about what that revelation would do to Alear.
Lumera decides it's better to keep this from Alear, letting them believe they are a Divine Dragon.
The Role Of Divine Dragons
Engage implies that Divine Dragons are responsible for keeping the world in order. Lumera takes it upon herself to lead the charge against Sombron, and she has the power, along with the Emblem Rings, to seal the Fell Dragon away. We know this because Lumera mentions these things as the duties of the Divine Dragon in various conversations with Alear.
Every 1,000 years, the Divine Dragon must travel across the land of Elyos to collect all 12 Emblem Rings. Each ring belongs to different nations of Elyos, so it is akin to a pilgrimage. The Divine Dragon must summon all the heroic Emblems to ensure the seal that locks Sombron away will last another thousand years.
Throughout the game, it is painfully clear that Alear cannot transform into a dragon.
It is heavily implied that if Alear is truly Lumera's child and a Divine Dragon by blood, they would have this power as all Divine Dragons seem to do.
Believing themselves to a royal Divine Dragon, Alear is forced to accept this quest after Lumera is killed by a hooded figure working for Sombron.
As Alear travels the land, it's clear that every nation is aware of and regards the Divine Dragon as a deity. Alear is welcomed and praised at every turn, worshipped by many and seen as a heroic figure throughout the land.
They pledge themselves to Alear's quest and support them without question as a Divine Dragon. The only exception to this is the nation of Elusia and its ruler Hyacinth, who has become corrupted by Sombron's influence. Due to this, he balks at the Divine Dragon's authority and tries to free Sombron.
The Difference Between Fell And Divine Dragons
In Engage, it doesn't seem like there is much difference between Fell Dragons and Divine Dragons. Excluding the DLC expansion, the only dragons we know that can transform from human to dragon form are Lumera and Sombron.
Lumera has no biological children, and Sombron's children – including Veyle and Alear – cannot transform into dragons. Despite this, Fell and Divine Dragons have extraordinarily long lives spanning thousands of years. None of them is invincible, as we see when Lumera dies and how Alear can die in fights.
Even after Alear's true nature as a Fell Dragon is revealed, their allies do not lose faith in them. While it is clear they value the title of Divine Dragon, Alear has proven to them that their actions are what makes them worthy of their lofty esteem.
It turns out that Divine Dragons and Fell Dragons can summon and harness Emblems. However, being a Divine Dragon isn't required to be able to kill a Fell Dragon. Even though Alear is a Fell Dragon, they defeat Sombron once and for all with the help of the 12 Emblems.