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The Merchant's Tale

2026-03-06T11:42:10Z

Psike: Added Little Mermaid drop to Darya chest

{{see also|The Merchant's Tale (Advanced)|Another Merchant's Tale}}{{DISPLAYTITLE: ''The Merchant's Tale''}}{{Duty infobox
| name = ''The Merchant's Tale''
| description = Your latest odd job commission brings you together with one Y'nazqha, a gleaner who finds herself in possession of an unusual book inherited from her father and mentor. It contains a rendition of ''The Merchant's Tale'', a fable passed down through generations in Corvos. While the beautifully illuminated pages of the manuscript set it apart from common storybooks, its most singular feature is the enchantment which can pull the very mind of its readers into the story.

And so it is you are thrust into the role of bodyguard for Y'nazqha, who becomes the eponymous merchant while journeying within the tale. Together you must travel through a world steeped in folklore and find a treasure of immeasurable worth─treasure grand enough to stir even the most hardened heart.
| descripion-source = [https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/dawntrail/patch_7_4/ Patch 7.4 Special Site]
| image = The Merchant's Tale.png
| type = Variant Dungeon
| level = 90
| level-sync = 100
| ilvl = 0
| ilvl-sync = 765
| size = flex4
| time-limit = 90
| duty-finder = V&C Dungeon Finder
| roulette =
| unsync = n
| tomestones = 40 mathematics + 25 mnemonics
| entrance =
| entrance-coordinates =
| req-quest = A Spellbinding Read
| patch = 7.45
| release = dawntrail
}}
{{TOC limit|3}}
==Level Sync==
Unlike the three previous variant dungeons, ''The Merchant's Tale'' allows players to level to up to 100.

The level of all participants will be adjusted upwards to 100, and item level will be adjusted upwards or downwards to 765. Gear is not item level synced; instead, players are given fixed stats (per equipment slot) appropriate to their job. This also means [[materia]] bonuses will be ignored, regardless of the item level of gear affixed with materia. Please ensure that a full set of gear is equipped, as empty equipment slots will provide no stats.

Experience will be gained based on a player's unsynced level and rewarded to the class or job equipped upon defeating the boss and completing the duty. Players with an unsynced level of 100 or above will receive Allagan tomestones as a reward.

==Objectives==
The party may unlock up to one entry in the [[Corvosi Folklore Record]] per instance.

The left path is the first answer option (residential area), the middle path is the second (great gate), and the right path is the third (marketplace).

{| {{STDT|sortable pve align-left}}
! #
! Icon
! Name
! Path
! Solution
|-
| 1 || [[File:TMTRecord1.png|40px]] || '''A Land of Abundance''' || Left || After the first boss, interact with the damaged fence next to the personal spoils coffer. Wait by the bird nest for the [[Willful Wind]] to spawn and attack it before it finishes casting Flee.
|-
| 2 || [[File:TMTRecord2.png|40px]] || '''A Carpet Soars''' || Left || After the first boss, interact with the damaged fence next to the personal spoils coffer. Ignore the Willful Wind and allow it to steal the apple. Continue normally.
|-
| 3 || [[File:TMTRecord3.png|40px]] || '''A Foe of Flame''' || Left || After the first boss, take the main path through the gate and allow the Wisp to hit you with its AoE while standing next to the damaged stone railing on the left side. Take the path through the now broken railing.
|-
| 4 || [[File:TMTRecord4.png|40px]] || '''Fragrant Fruits''' || Left || After the first boss, take the main path through the gate and continue forward without any interactions.
|-
| 5 || [[File:TMTRecord5.png|40px]] || '''The Sunlit Expanse''' || Right || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "The seaweed won't steer us wrong." Allow the goobbue to cast Inhale and swallow the 4 clusters of colorful rocks around the island. No more interactions.
|-
| 6 || [[File:TMTRecord6.png|40px]] || '''Treasure at the Ocean's Floor''' || Right || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "The seaweed won't steer us wrong." Kill the goobbue without it swallowing the rocks. Interact with the bottle on the next island.
|-
| 7 || [[File:TMTRecord7.png|40px]] || '''Ruler of the Radiant Sea''' || Right || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "I'd fancy a stroll on the beach." After killing the first pack, interact with the Giant Conch Shell.
|-
| 8 || [[File:TMTRecord8.png|40px]] || '''The Ocean's Bounty''' || Right || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "I'd fancy a stroll on the beach." Do not interact with the Giant Conch Shell and continue to the boss.
|-
| 9 || [[File:TMTRecord9.png|40px]] || '''Valley of Extremes''' || Middle || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "Let the mushrooms guide us true!". The [[Stone Puppet]] (golem) will cast Magentic Rock, a small AoE around the main threat. Have this AoE hit the three large rock clusters around the cave.
|-
| 10 || [[File:TMTRecord10.png|40px]] || '''A Blade Engraven''' || Middle || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "Let the mushrooms guide us true!". Kill the Stone Puppet normally without lighting the rock clusters.
|-
| 11 || [[File:TMTRecord11.png|40px]] || '''Master of the Unyielding Blade''' || Middle || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "Floating rocks warrant a closer look." Stand near the three large rocks protruding from platforms until they start to glow. Note: There is a path to the west side of the room to get to the upper rock.
|-
| 12 || [[File:TMTRecord12.png|40px]] || '''In a Harsh Nature''' || Middle || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "Floating rocks warrant a closer look." Do not stand near the large rocks.
|-
| 13 || [[File:TMTRecord13.png|40px]] || '''The Eye of the Beholder''' || Right || After the first boss, tell Y'nazqha "The seaweed won't steer us wrong." Once you reach the altar prior to the seaweed barrier, perform <code>/bow</code> Then, in say chat, say <code>I am returned!</code> Five shapes will appear - stand on four of them, each in order: Coral - Conch - Starfish - Pearl.
|-
|}

==Enemies==
===Left Path===
* [[Hungry Jackal]]
* [[Tree Spirit]]
* [[Furball]]
* [[Red Bomb]]
* [[Sweet-rat]]
* [[Bandari Weed]]
* [[Great Unweaver]]
* [[Shrouded Lady]]
* [[Grapevine Vagabond]]
* [[Well-fed Wolf]]
* [[Airy Wisp]]
* [[Will of the Wind]]

===Middle Path===
* [[Thief]]
* Hungry Jackal
* [[Sunken Spirit]]
* [[Unsettled Spirit]]
* [[Shamshir-arm]]
* [[Stone Puppet]]
* [[Seeing Stone]]
* [[Ferocious Ferrobeast]]

===Right Path===
* [[Restless Crab]]
* [[Blue Bomb]]
* [[Water-dreamer]]
* [[Shell-dweller]]
* [[Yawning Maw]]
* [[Sea-sweeper]]
* [[Div's Perfume]]

==Bosses==
Failing any boss mechanic will result in a {{status effect|vulnerability up}} '''[[Vulnerability Up]]''' debuff.

===[[File:Aggressive difficulty r5.png|32px|link=]] [[Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)|Genie of the Lamp]]===
First boss, found on the left and right paths. The right path is guaranteed to lead to the Genie, while the left path will lead to this boss if the party did not go down the path with apples. On the right path, the boss's mechanics will change depending on whether the Self-destruct AoE from the [[Blue Bomb]]s (used upon death) hit the large blue rock formation directly to the right of where the bombs spawn.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Fabulous Firecrackers'''
|The boss will brandish cannons on both arms. The glowing side will be hit with a late-telegraphed half-room cleave, while the non-glowing side will be hit with a smaller, 60 degree cleave originating from the boss.
|-
|'''Parade of Wonders'''
|Party-wide magical damage.
|-
|'''Spectacular Sparks'''
| A set of cannons will appear on the east or west wall, followed by a second set on the opposite wall. These will do late-telegraphed line AoEs in the order they spawned, leaving alternating gaps in between to dodge.
|-
|'''A Sailor's Tale'''
| Spawns three lanes on the arena and three [[Airship (The Merchant's Tale)|Airship]]s at the start of each lane. Parts of each lane will glow purple, and the lanes will also be joined. The glowing regions will denote where the airships will late travel through as a line AoE (wider than the size of the lane). Initially, there will be two safe spots.
|-
|'''Chart Course'''
|The boss will tether one of the levers near each lane connector, causing the airship on that lane to travel straight instead of switching lanes. This leaves only one safe spot for the '''Voyage''' line AoEs.
|-
|'''Explosive Ending'''
|Party-wide magical damage.
|}

The battle then diverges depending on which path this boss is fought or previous interactions.

<tabber>
|-|Left path=
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Pyromagicks'''
|Spawns three "exaflare" markers on one wall, leaving gaps, followed by two markers in the previous safe zones. Another two sets of exaflares will spawn in the same pattern. An easy way to avoid these is at the wall where they spawn.
|-
| '''Lamp Lighting'''
| Immediately before the third set of exaflares start resolving, the boss will face a random player and used a telegraphed frontal line AoE.
|}
|-|Right path (rock formation hit by Self-destruct)=
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Aetherial Blizzard'''
|Several [[Dousing Spirit]]s will spawn on adjacent walls, then each begin casting a late-telegraphed line AoE in front of them. Each wall will have two gaps, creating four small square safe spots.
|-
| '''Lamp Oil'''
| The Dousing Spirits will respawn in a different pattern and use the same attack, which is combine with five circle AoE telegraphs (one middle and on each corner), which limits the number of safe squares down to two.
|}
|-|Right path (rock formation not hit)=
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Rainbow Road'''
|Spawns two large adjacent circle AoE telegraphs. After these resolve, a rainbow will originate from them and end on the location where a follow-up late-telegraphed AoEs of the same size will resolve. The follow-up AoEs will always be adjacent to each other.
|-
| '''Fanning Flame'''
| The '''Rainbow Road''' sequence repeats again but is combined with this attack, which are four alternating conal AoE telegraphs, followed by another four telegraphed AoEs in the previous safe spots. This require the party to dodge the second set of cones after the final circle AoEs resolve.
|}
</tabber>

The rest of the encounter is shared between the paths.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Fanning Flame'''
| Four alternating conal AoE telegraphs, followed by another four telegraphed AoEs in the previous safe spots. Used immediately after the second '''Chart Course'''.
|-
|'''Spectacular Sparks''' + '''Fabulous Firecrackers'''
| A fast combination of both previous attacks. '''Fabulous Firecrackers''' resolves immediately after the second set of cannon AoEs.
|-
|'''Supernatural Surprise'''
| Party-wide magical damage.
|-
|'''Rub Burn'''
| Telegraphed physical tankbuster.
|}

===[[File:Aggressive difficulty r5.png|32px|link=]] [[Rukhkh]]===
First boss, found on the left and middle paths. The middle path is guaranteed to lead to the Rukhkh, while the left path will lead to this boss if the party went down the path with apples. On the middle path, the boss's mechanics will change depending on whether the Water III AoE from the [[Unsettled Spirit]] hit the bombs in the left room, immediately before the boss.
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Sphere of Sand'''
|Spawns three untargetable sand balls in an equilateral triangle around the center.
|-
|'''Sandplume'''
|Two sets of telegraphed conal AoEs with gaps in between. Two of the sand balls will be hit and enlarge, indicatred with {{combat message|The spheres of sand grow massive in size...}}
|-
|'''Sand Burst'''
|Each sand ball will release a late-telegraphed point-blank AoE ('''Sphere Shatter''') around itself. The ones from the larger balls will be much larger. Melee range is not safe.
|-
|'''Sphere of Sand''' + '''Banishing Mist''' + '''Sandplume''' + '''Sand Burst'''
|Spawns another triangle of sand balls, but one will disappear after a few seconds ({{combat message|The spheres of sand fade out of sight...}}). The rest of the mechanic resolves as before, but players will need to remember where the invisible sand ball is and whether it is hit by a cone find the safe spots from '''Sand Burst.'''
|-
|'''Banishing Mist'''
| The boss will disappear, begome untargetable, and leave behind moving white particle effects, denoting where it will emerge a few seconds later and use a massive, late-telegraphed point-blank AoE.
|}

The battle then diverges depending on which path this boss is fought or previous interactions.

<tabber>
|-|Left path=
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Windborne Seeds'''
|Summons 8 seeds in a 3x3 grid, leaving one cardinal empty. The boss will use '''Banishing Mist''' to make the seeds disappear. Players must remember the area without a seed for later.
|-
|'''Dry Typhoon'''
|Spawns several conal AoE telegraphs in a rotating pattern around the arena. Dodge into the first telegraph after it disappears, then run around the middle back to the starting spot, because another set of telegraphs will spawn in the same order and location.
|-
|'''Seedsprout'''
|The seeds will become visible again and each use a late-telegraphed point-blank AoE, then withdraw. Dodge in the area without a seed.
|}
|-|Middle path (bombs hit by Water III)=
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Beaksbane'''
|The thieves from earlier will reappear and spawn three circle AoE telegraphs, followed by another three circles in the previous safe spots. Being hit by these will inflict a 15-second cleansable {{status effect|poison}} poison.
|-
|'''Biting Scratch'''
|Another two sets of circle AoEs will spawn. The boss will also face a random player and use a late-telegraphed wide frontal conal AoE. Get behind while avoiding the poison bombs.
|}
|-|Middle path (bombs not hit)=
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Big Burst'''
|The thieves from earlier will reappear and spawn three bombs, each of which do telegraphed proximity AoE magical damage.
|-
|{{combat message|A deep rumbling sound comes from the cliffs...}}
|Arrows will spawn from the slope in the background, indicating that half of the arena will be hit by rolling boulders.
|-
|'''Biting Scratch'''
|Another 3 lanes of arrows will spawn, leaving safe gaps in between. The boss will also face a random player and use a late-telegraphed wide frontal conal AoE. Get behind while being in a safe lane.
|}
</tabber>

The rest of the encounter is shared between the paths.
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Sphere of Sand''' + '''Banishing Mist''' + '''Sandplume''' + '''Sand Burst'''
|Similar as before, but all three sand spheres will disappear. Two will still be hit by cones and emit much larger AoEs later.
|-
|'''Streaming Sands'''
| Party-wide magical damage.
|-
|'''Banishing Mist''' + '''Biting Scratch'''
| Similar to before with the boss disappearing, but will immediately follow the large point-blank AoE with '''Biting Scratch'''.
|}

===[[File:Aggressive difficulty r6.png|32px|link=]] Bewitching Flame: The [[Pari of Plenty]]===
Second boss of the left path. Shortly after pulling the boss, the arena will be surrounded with a dangerous AoE that inflicts {{status effect|debuff|bleeding}} bleeding.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Heat Burst''' || Party-wide magical damage.
|-
|'''Flying Carpet''' || Spawns an untargetable [[Flying Carpet]] that is used for mechanics throughout the fight.
|-
|'''Fireflight''' || Briefly shows three lines with magic carpet symbols, indicating the trajectory of the boss as three sequential late-telegraphed line AoEs ('''Carpet Ride''').
|-
|'''Sun Circlet''' || After the boss finishes charging, it will use a ''very'' fast cast of a donut AoE. Determine the boss's ending position when it shows the line trajectories and get close to it at the end.
|-
|'''Left/Right Fireflight: Two Nights''' || The boss shows a narrow line AoE telegraph, followed sequentially by two rotation indicators (blue for counterclockwise, orange for clockwise), which indicates how the initial AoE will sweep to make a half-room cleave. To solve:
* Go opposite the line AoE telegraph and preposition to the first safe half away from where it initially rotates.
* If the second arrows are the same color as the first, then swap sides after the first cleave.
* If the second arrows are the opposite as the first, then stay on the same side after the first cleave.

The name of the cast indicates the location of the initial AoE telegraph: "Left" for west and "Right" for east.
|-
|'''Charming Baubles'''
|Spawns a red gem on a tile that will use a telegraphed plus-shaped AoE. This is combined with '''Fireflight''', during which two more gems will spawn and resolve in order. The third gem's AoE will bisect the safe spot of the '''Sun Circlet''' donut.
|}

The fight then diverges based on the route.

<tabber>
|-|Route 1 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Gale Force''' || Five untargetable [[Capricious Chambermaid]] adds will spawn and travel to the corners and centers of the arena, each using a large telegraphed point-blank AoE. The telegraphs will initially cover all of the arena.
|-
|{{combat message|A massive bird seems to be fighting on your behalf!|color=dodgerblue}} || The [[Legendary Bird]] from before will use a line AoE through one diagonal that will defeat three of the adds and leave two opposite corners safe from their AoEs. The remaining two adds will reposition and cast '''Gale Force''' again, but the bird will defeat them before they go off.
|-
|}
|-|Route 2 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Transcendent Flight''' || An untargetable [[Capricious Chambermaid]] adds will spawn and then be targeted with a large circle AoE telegraph, also spawning the [[Legendary Bird]] from before. The bird will tether the chambermaid and pounce on it four more times as large, late-telegraphed circle AoEs. The chambermaid will reposition each time it is pounced on, so take note of where it is.
|}
|-|Route 3 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Strong Wind''' || An untargetable [[Summoned Spirit]] add will spawn and use a massive telegraphed circle AoE on one area, with arrow indicators denoting where it will move later. The AoE will spawn a tornado that will move there. This attack is then repeated but combined with two plus-shaped AoEs from '''Charming Baubles'''.
|}
|-|Route 4 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|Four Magic Carpets || Spawns four untargetable [[Flying Carpet]]s.
|-
|'''Charming Baubles''' || Spawns three red gems on different lanes, leaving one lane safe.
|-
|'''Thieves' Weave''' || The magic carpets will cover each gem, with one magic carpet covering nothing. The magic carpets will then exchange places three times. Players will need to keep track of which carpet does not have a gem within, as they will use '''Unravel''' and the gems will immediately resolve as late-telegraphed plus AoEs.
|}
</tabber>

Afterwards, the following mechanics are shared regardless of the route.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
| '''Left/Right Fireflight: Three/Four Nights''' || Similar to before, but now has three or four half-room cleaves instead of two (based on the cast name). Stay or swap sides after each one as necessary.
|-
| '''Spurning Flames''' || Party-wide magical damage and gives the boss a {{status effect|buff|File:Fury icon2.png}} '''Fury''' buff (mostly for flavor).
|-
| '''Impassioned Sparks''' || Spawns four sets of expanding circle AoE telegraphs, each centered on random tiles. The AoEs will resolve once they become slightly larger than the size of the tile.
|-
| '''Scouring Scorn''' || Party-wide magical damage and removes the '''Fury''' buff.
|}

===[[File:Aggressive difficulty r6.png|32px|link=]] Fang of the Lion: The [[Lone Swordmaster]]===
Second boss of the middle path. Shortly after pulling the boss, the arena will be surrounded with a dangerous AoE that inflicts {{status effect|debuff|bleeding}} bleeding.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Malefic Quartering''' || Gives each player a 33-second {{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic N icon.png}}{{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic E icon.png}}{{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic S icon.png}}{{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic W icon.png}} '''Malefic N/E/S/W''' debuff and draws four sectors around their character, one of which is red. Being hit with certain directional attacks from a red sector will deal heavy damage. The orientation of the sectors is fixed and does not change based on where the player faces (unlike with the more well-known ''Analysis'' mechanic in previous encounters).
|-
|'''Vanishing Horizon'''|| Two opposite telegraphed 90 degree cleaves, then two more telegraphed cleaves hitting the initial safe spots.
|-
|'''Will of the Underworld'''|| The arena will be split in half, one half being hit with an eastward-directed AoE, and the other westward-directed. Players must go to the half that prevents their vulnerable sector from facing the AoE origin, or they will take much greater damage.
|-
|'''Crusher of Lions'''|| The arena will be split into four quadrants, each being hit with a directional AoE from the center. Players must go to a quadrant that prevents their vulnerable sector from facing the AoE origin.
|-
|'''Earth-rending Eight'''|| Two telegraphed circle AoEs near opposite corners, immediately followed with telegraphed 8-way "starburst" line AoEs in the same locations.
|-
|'''Waiting Wounds'''|| Spawns three vertical sets of three circle AoEs, each covering a little over a third of the arena. Start in the third set that spawns and dodge into the first.
|-
|'''Heavens' Confluence'''|| Marks a player for a spread AoE, which is combined with a telegraphed point-blank into donut AoE (or vice versa).
|-
|'''Malefic Quartering''' || Now gives each player a 48-second {{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic NE icon.png}}{{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic SE icon.png}}{{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic SW icon.png}}{{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic NW icon.png}} '''Malefic N-E/S-E/S-W/N-W''' debuff, causing two adjacent sectors to be unsafe from directional attacks instead of one.
|-
|'''Unyielding Will''' || Each player is targeted with an L-shaped AoE. If the AoE will hit a vulnerable sector, they should move through the AoE telegraph (flipping the L) so it hits the opposite (safe) side. Prior to the AoE resolving, each player will be {{status effect|debuff|bind}} bound for 2 seconds.
|-
|'''Steelsbreath Release''' || Party-wide physical damage. Combined with several additional effects based on the route (see following).
|}

The fight then diverges based on the route.

<tabber>
|-|Route 9 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Negative / Positive Charge''' || Each player will be inflicted with a 34-second {{status effect|debuff|File:Negative charge icon.png}} '''Negative Charge''' or {{status effect|debuff|File:Positive charge icon.png}} '''Positive Charge'''. In addition, the arena will be divided into quadrants (2 diagonally opposite with positive charge and the others negatively charged). Players will levitate when they are on a quadrant that matches their charge debuff.
|-
|'''Concentrativity''' || Physical damage and a telegraphed knockback from the boss. If the player is standing on a quadrant opposite their debuff, the knockback will be very weak. However, if standing on a quadrant matching their debuff, they will be knocked into the wall. This knockback can also be prevented with knockback immunities, but since this attack is used twice in proximity, it will only work for one.
|}
|-|Route 10 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Plummet''' || Multiple sets of smaller and larger circle AoE telegraphs will spawn at random locations. This is combined with '''Heavens' Confluence''' and ends with a proximity AoE centered on one corner.
|}
|-|Route 11 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Negative / Positive Charge''' || Each player will be inflicted with a 15-second {{status effect|debuff|File:Negative charge icon.png}} '''Negative Charge''' or {{status effect|debuff|File:Positive charge icon.png}} '''Positive Charge'''.
|-
|'''Magnetic Rock''' || Magnetic Rock adds will spawn on each corner. Two will be positively charged, while the others will be negative. Each player will be tethered to one random add, and then either be pulled towards it (if the player's and rock's charges are opposite) or pushed away (if the charges are the same). Players will be {{status effect|debuff|stun}} stunned for 3 seconds after being pushed/pulled.
|-
|'''Concentrativity''' || A telegraphed radial knockback from the boss, which ''cannot'' be prevented with knockback immunities. Players should position so they end up near the center of the arena when being pushed/pulled from the magnet tethers and positioned to be knocked back towards a corner.
|}
|-|Route 12 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Malefic Quartering''' (on boulders) || Four circle AoE telegraphs will appear, each spawning a rock. Each one will have a weak sector on either its east or west. In addition, players will be given a 20-second {{status effect|debuff|File:Malefic EW icon.png}} '''Malefic E-W''' debuff, causing two opposite sectors to be unsafe.
|-
|'''Vanishing Horizon''' || Opposite conal cleaves that spawn two directional AoEs. Due to their '''Malefic''' debuff, players will be unsafe from these AoEs if by themselves, so they will need to stand behind a rock to block them. Only rocks that do not have a red sector facing a line AoE origin will be safe; the others will be destroyed.
|}
</tabber>

Afterwards, the following mechanics are shared regardless of the route.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''Maw of the Wolf''' || Telegraphed 180 degree frontal cleave aimed at one corner.
|-
|'''Will of the Underworld''' x2 || The arena will be divided into quadrants, each with two directional AoEs 90 degrees apart. Players must stand on the safe quadrant that prevents both of their vulnerable regions from being hit.
|-
|'''Sting of the Scorpion''' || Telegraphed physical tankbuster.
|-
|'''Crusher of Lions''' + '''Unyielding Will''' || Players will be given a single-direction '''Malefic''' debuff and must position for both of the these attacks in sequence. There are a few seconds to adjust if needed after '''Crusher of Lions''' resolves.
|}

===[[File:Aggressive difficulty r6.png|32px|link=]] Shattering Siren: [[Darya the Sea-maid]]===
Second boss of the right path. Shortly after pulling the boss, the arena will be surrounded with a dangerous AoE that inflicts {{status effect|debuff|dropsy}} dropsy.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''WIP''' || WIP
|-
|}

The fight then diverges based on the route.

<tabber>
|-|Route 5 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''WIP''' || WIP
|-
|}
|-|Route 6 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''WIP''' || WIP
|-
|}
|-|Route 7 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''WIP''' || WIP
|-
|}
|-|Route 8 =
{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''WIP''' || WIP
|-
|}
</tabber>

Afterwards, the following mechanics are shared regardless of the route.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''WIP''' || WIP
|-
|}

===[[File:Aggressive difficulty r6.png|32px|link=]] Midnight Maw: The [[Deadly Dandan]]===
Secret second boss of the right path.

{| {{STDT}}
!width=200px|Mechanic
!Description
|-
|'''WIP''' || WIP
|-
|}

==Loot==
This duty uses '''personal loot''', so players must interact with and loot each coffer by themselves. If the party chooses the same starting path as the NPC, they will receive a bonus personal spoils coffer immediately prior to the final boss.

===[[File:Silver Coffer (small).png|32px|32px|link=]] [[Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)|Genie of the Lamp]]===
{{Drops table header|show-levels=n}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Potsherd}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Parasol}}
{{Drops table row|Magic Lamp}}
{{Table footer}}

===[[File:Silver Coffer (small).png|32px|32px|link=]] [[Rukhkh]]===
{{Drops table header|show-levels=n}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Potsherd}}
{{Drops table row|Little Mermaid}}
{{Table footer}}

===[[File:Gold Coffer (small).png|32px|32px|link=]] [[Pari of Plenty]]===
{{Drops table header|show-levels=n}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Potsherd|2}}
{{Drops table row|Pari of Plenty Card}}
{{Table footer}}

===[[File:Gold Coffer (small).png|32px|32px|link=]] [[Lone Swordmaster]]===
{{Drops table header|show-levels=n}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Potsherd|2}}
{{Drops table row|Lone Swordmaster Card}}
{{Table footer}}

===[[File:Gold Coffer (small).png|32px|32px|link=]] [[Darya the Sea-maid]]===
{{Drops table header|show-levels=n}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Potsherd|2}}
{{Drops table row|Darya the Sea-maid Card}}
{{Drops table row|Little Mermaid}}
{{Table footer}}

===[[File:Gold Coffer (small).png|32px|32px|link=]] [[Deadly Dandan]]===
{{Drops table header|show-levels=n}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Potsherd|2}}
{{Drops table row|Deadly Dandan Card}}
{{Table footer}}

===[[File:Bronze Coffer (small).png|32px|32px|link=]] Personal Spoils Coffers===
{{Drops table header|show-levels=n}}
{{Drops table row|Magicked Prism (Ribbons)}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Parasol}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Crystal}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Fan}}
{{Drops table row|Corvosi Sofa}}
{{Drops table row|Green Corvosi Carpet}}
{{Drops table row|Imitation Corvosi Shisha}}
{{Drops table row|Purple Corvosi Carpet}}
{{Drops table row|Little Mermaid}}
{{Drops table row|Magic Lamp}}
{{Table footer}}

==Achievements==
This duty is associated with the following [[achievements]]:

{| {{STDT|mech1}}
{{achievement table header}}
{{achievement table row|Through the Carpets and Flames}}
{{achievement table row|Singing with the Fishes}}
{{achievement table row|Master of Masters}}
{{achievement table row|The Strife Aquatic}}
{{achievement table row|A Storied Collection}}
{{achievement table row|Mapping the Realm: The Merchant's Tale}}
|}

==Music==
{{music table header}}
{{music table row|Main|Worthy Pursuits}}
{{music table row|Mid-Boss|On Blade's Edge}}
{{music table row|Final Bosses|Finality}}
{{music table row|Secret Final Boss|???|roll=n}}
|}

==Images==
===Reward Images===
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
The Merchant's Tale 7.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 8.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 13.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 14.jpg
</gallery>

===Dungeon Images===
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
The Merchant's Tale 3.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 4.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 5.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 6.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 9.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 10.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 11.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 12.jpg
</gallery>

===Other Images===
<gallery mode="packed" heights=200px>
The Merchant's Tale 1.jpg
The Merchant's Tale 2.jpg
</gallery>

==Dialogue==
<tabber>
|-|Start=
{{Dialogue|<nowiki>
Y'nazqha: Now, let our adventure begin!
Popup: ''With the foremost bodyguard of Corvos by his side, the young merchant set out on his journey.''
Y'nazqha: The colors are breathtaking!
Y'nazqha: A beautiful place, to be sure, but sprawling. Perhaps the locals can help us catch the scent of treasure, eh?
Y'nazqha: This must be the heart of the city. We've many roads to choose from. Do any pique your interest?
Question: Our first fork in the road. Where should we go?
> Surprise me!
Y'nazqha: You're fine with me making the choice? Well, my gleaner's intuition is pointing me...this way!
> Let's go left, into the residential area.
> Let's to straight, toward the great gate.
> Let's go right, into the marketplace.
---
The party has 30 seconds to vote on a response.
System: The route [route] has received the most votes.
>If the party chooses the same path as the NPC
Y'nazqha: Ah, I see we think alike! Let us proceed.
>If the party chooses a different path
Y'nazqha: Oh? ''That'' way? Well, I'm not one to gainsay an adventurer's intuition, so lead the way!
---
</nowiki>}}
|-|Left Path=
{{Dialogue|<nowiki>
Popup: ''Among the many paths before him, the merchant chose the backstreet, lined with homes.''
Popup: ''What awaits at road's end?''
Y'nazqha: What are those!?
Y'nazqha: Beasts, here!? It looks like they're attacking someone─we must help, [Forename]!
Y'nazqha: Are you hurt?
Pursued Peasant: I'm...I'm unharmed, thanks to you. Just who are you, anyways?
Y'nazqha: I'm but a humble merchant, and this is my trusty bodyguard. We are searching for treasure said to be of value immeasurable.
Pursued Peasant: Hmm... Perhaps you'll find what you seek in the plains to the west. There lies an old abandoned palace, said to house a veritable mountain of treasure.
Y'nazqha: An abandoned palace? Why, that sounds perfect! Thank you, kind sir.
Pursued Peasant: It's the least I could offer. Safe travels.
Y'nazqha: And the story unfurls further!
Y'nazqha: What could be in an abandoned palace but abandoned treasure? Let our search begin in earnest!
x@Unnamed Man A: I could go for a cup of tea...
x@Unnamed Man B: Phew... I think a quick break is in order.
Popup: ''The young merchant and his bodyguard reached a green expanse, the gentle breeze carrying sweet scents through the air.''
Y'nazqha: There's nothing like the gentle caress of the wind! And that smell...something sweet is in the air!
Y'nazqha: That tree...
Y'nazqha: If you don't mind!
Y'nazqha: So that was the scent of apples! I thought so. The orchard keeps going in that direction, it seems.
Y'nazqha: These apples were grown by a caretaker's hand. Beyond the orchard we might find a settlement!
Question: Which way should we go?
> Let's follow the fruit.
Y'nazqha: If there's a settlement nearby, someone might be able to point us towards the nearest treasure.
Y'nazqha: This is no time to be staring at apples trees, Nazqha!
Y'nazqha: Even the beasts have a sweet scent about them!
Y'nazqha: This tale has no shortage of danger!
Popup: ''Standing in their path was a monstrous bird with an appetite for flesh.''
Popup: ''Yet the sight did not perturb the bodyguard, who stood steadfast and dauntless.''
Y'nazqha: Get your weapon ready!
Y'nazqha: Where have I seen this before...? Careful─it appears to be in a foul mood!
Popup: The spheres of sand grow massive in size...
Popup: The spheres of sand fade out of sight...
Y'nazqha: What? It disappeared? There ''was'' a ball of dirt over there, right?
Y'nazqha: Wait, the balls are still here, we just can't see them! Remember their position before they turn invisible!
Y'nazqha: It must still be here somewhere! Look carefully for traces of its passage!
Y'nazqha: It can turn the seeds invisible too!? Remember where they are!
Y'nazqha: Exactly the outcome I expected! Even an invisible enemy is no match for your cunning, [Forename]!
Popup: ''Though the bird was laid low, the path ahead was treacherous still.''
Y'nazqha: Are those...grapes!?
Y'nazqha: Mmm... They are! Slightly bitter, but delightfully sweet!
Y'nazqha: You know, we have selectively bred grapes in Labyrinthos.
Y'nazqha: Oh, and here I was hoping for a feast!
Y'nazqha: Eyaaah! Apologies, but combat is not my specialty!
Y'nazqha: What wondrous sights await us, I wonder?

> I have a good feeling about the other way.
Y'nazqha: I see your thinking: where there's fewer people, there's more hidden treasure to be found!
Y'nazqha: I leave the combat to you!
Y'nazqha: Those appeared to be naught but seedlings... I shudder to think what they might grow into.
Y'nazqha: I didn't expect to see bombs here...
Y'nazqha: We should get to a safe distance before they explode.
Popup: ''From the lamp before them emerged a grinning genie.''
Y'nazqha: Do you see that, [Forename]!? It's almost as if...it's beckoning us forward.
Popup: ''The bodyguard readied his weapon, eager to prove the truth of his fierce reputation.''
Y'nazqha: Is that a magic lamp I see!? Just how long was it waiting for us?
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Welcome, welcome! The guests of honor are here at last!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: The curtain rises on the big show! Dare not look away, or else!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Now we turn up the heat! Do make sure not to get burned!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Splendid! Look how they dart about! Be aware that I take no responsibility in case of grievous injury!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Let us end on a high note! An ''explosive'' note!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: That was only the opening act! Keep your eyes peeled─you won't want to miss this next part!
Y'nazqha: Keep your wits about you and your eyes sharp! An opening will present itself!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Now for the part no one expects─the encore! Can you keep up the energy for just a little longer?
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Oh ho, you really know how to put on a show! But I can't let my own guests upstage me!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Bang! Boom! And a blast for good measure!
Y'nazqha: I must say, that was a grand display! If that genie wasn't trying to kill us, I would certainly watch it again!
Popup: ''Although their foe lay defeated, their journey was far from over.''
Y'nazqha: Ah, look! Could those be...
Y'nazqha: I knew it! This singular blend of bitter and sweet...
Y'nazqha: You know, we grow these in Labyrinthos as well─ [Forename], watch out!
Y'nazqha: Those grapes almost took a bite out of me!
---

Y'nazqha: The horizon stretches as far as the eye can see! Oh, is that...? Why, I think it's the palace!
Y'nazqha: Now how do we get down there...

> Interacting with the damaged fence
Y'nazqha: [Forename]!? Are you... Oh, can I get down from over there!?
Y'nazqha: Here I go!
Y'nazqha: I made it! And I didn't even trip! ...Hm?
Y'nazqha: What have we here...?
Y'nazqha: Is that a bird's nest? Those look like chicks.
x@Legendary Bird Chick A: <chirp>
Willful Wind: Hehehe! I'll be taking this!
x@Legendary Bird Chick A: <squeak> <chirp>
x@Legendary Bird Chick B: <chirp> <chirp>
x@Legendary Bird Chick C: <chirp>!
Willful Wind: Hahaha!
>> Attacking the Willful Wind
Willful Wind: Ouch!
Willful Wind: How dare you!
Willful Wind: Grrr! Now you've made me mad!
Y'nazqha: That...doesn't look good!
Willful Wind: Ungh... You'll regret this!
Legendary Bird: <screech> <screech>
x@Legendary Bird Chick A: <squeak>! <squeak>!
Y'nazqha: It sounds grateful that we protected its chicks!
>> Not attacking the Willful Wind
Willful Wind: See you never!
Y'nazqha: It stole their food!
---
Y'nazqha: Although our goal is in sight, we mustn't let our guard down!
Y'nazqha: There's treasure here, I can feel it!
Popup: ''At last, the merchant and his bodyguard set foot inside the palace, its ornate entrance hinting at bygone resplendence.''
Y'nazqha: Friends of the spirit we encountered before?
> Ignoring the damaged fence and going left on the path
Y'nazqha: Here we are! I expect we'll be accosted soon enough, so be careful!
Y'nazqha: Ah, I saw these flowers in a field guide! I believe they're used to make honey.
Y'nazqha: Oh my, they taste sweet as the summer sun! And that smell─absolutely heavenly!
Y'nazqha: I think I've seen those in a picture book somewhere...
>> Destroying the damaged railing with the wisp AoE
Y'nazqha: Are you alright, [Forename]!? The railing broke!
Y'nazqha: Are you hurt? To think we would find a path here of all places...
Popup: ''Yet the treasure seekers believed that even greater riches awaited in the palace's depths.''
Y'nazqha: I wonder if such a palace actually existed long ago.
>> Not destroying the damaged stone fence, going through the main entrance
Y'nazqha: It's beautiful! I wonder what lies behind the other entrances.
Popup: ''Gems were piled about the palace chambers, filling the space with glittering light''
Y'nazqha: All piled up without a care...yet they all seem so immensely valuable.
---
---
Y'nazqha: <gasp>
Popup: ''In the bowels of the ancient palace, they encountered a foe unlike any other.''
Y'nazqha: It would take a lifetime to count all this!
Y'nazqha: Hm? I thought I saw flames...
Pari of Plenty: <sigh> What a chore. Must you soil the floor of my paradise?
Pari of Plenty: Sigh...
Y'nazqha: Why, she hasn't even bothered to get up! Does she consider us beneath her, or is she just lazy?
Pari of Plenty: Time to wake up, you dusty things.
Pari of Plenty: Put those tattered threads to use!
Y'nazqha: It seems the carpets do her bidding... Heavens forfend she lift a finger herself!
Pari of Plenty: Ah, I see we're going this way now.
Pari of Plenty: This is taking too long...
> Route 1 (destroy the fence, hit the Willful Wind)
Popup: A spirit draws near, eager to work mischief...
Capricious Chambermaid: You got in the way of our fun, and now it's time to pay the price!
Pari of Plenty: Another nuisance... Well, go on. Kill each other.
Popup: A massive bird seems to be fighting on your behalf!
Y'nazqha: Is that the bird from before!?
Capricious Chambermaid: Ouch!
Capricious Chambermaid: That hurts!
Capricious Chambermaid: How dare you!
Capricious Chambermaid: You will rue this day!
Capricious Chambermaid: Play with us again sometime!
Y'nazqha: It helped us! Perhaps as a show of thanks for before?
> Route 2 (destroy the fence, do not hit the Willful Wind)
Popup: A spirit draws near, eager to work mischief...
Capricious Chambermaid: Get away, you blubbering bird! Stop nipping at my heels!
Pari of Plenty: Ugh. Their voices grate on the ears.
Capricious Chambermaid: Eeek!
Capricious Chambermaid: Greedy bird! I only stole a few snacks!
Capricious Chambermaid: Big dumb bird! And slow, oh so slow!
Legendary Bird: Grrr... Grraaah!
Capricious Chambermaid: Hahaha, too slow! That food was delicious, by the way! Until next time!
Legendary Bird: Gyah! Gyaaah!
> Route 3 (main path, destroy the stone fence with the wisp AoE)
Popup: Drawn by the scent of chaos, a spirit wanders into the bedchamber...
Pari of Plenty: A spirit come to join the fray? Good, good. The lighter my burden, the better.
Pari of Plenty: Even they tire of your company...
> Route 4 (main path, use main entrance)
Pari of Plenty: Now make yourselves useful, you old rags. You do know what I mean, yes?
---
Pari of Plenty: Oh? You're still here?
Pari of Plenty: I've had quite enough of you! I shall like you better set aflame!
Pari of Plenty: Your prancing and capering sickens me! Begone from my sight!
Pari of Plenty: I tire of this. Go on, you frayed mats─smother the life out of them.
Pari of Plenty: Do try and make the ride less bumpy this time.
Pari of Plenty: What persistent pests... Come now, you worthless rugs, shake off that dirt and do something!

Y'nazqha: That was quite the fight! Despite appearances, her strength was terrifying to behold.
Y'nazqha: It's one of the carpets...she just left it here. Now that I see it up close, 'tis plain it was woven by a master.
Y'nazqha: I, for one, could not put a price on a treasure such as this! Let us bring it to the maiden!
Y'nazqha: I could not have asked for a more dependable bodyguard!
</nowiki>}}
|-|Middle Path=
{{Dialogue|<nowiki>
Popup: ''Among the many paths before him, the merchant approached the grand gates.''
Y'nazqha: The brilliant blue, the dazzling white... It's like something out of a picture book!
Popup: ''What awaits at road's end?''
x@Unnamed NPC A: Why not stop by for a visit? The new tea I bought is simply divine.
Y'nazqha: Have you ever seen such a gate!?
x@Unnamed NPC B: I don't recall there being so many stairs when I was a lad...
Pursued Peasant: Nooo!
Thief: Hehe, dressed up like a noble, are ya?
Thief: Suppose that means you've got riches like a noble. Why not share the wealth?
Thief: You listenin' to a word we're sayin'!?
Thief: Hand it over!
Y'nazqha: [Forename], look! That woman is under attack!
x@Unnamed NPC C: Curses... They're in the city!?
Thief: We-We've seen the error of our ways!
Y'nazqha: Are you all right!? To think they would be so bold as to attack on a well-traveled avenue...
Thief: Just spare our lives!
Pursued Peasant: You saved my life, truly. Those thieves but recently began to infest the valley to the north.
Y'nazqha: Thieves, eh? The classic antagonists!
Y'nazqha: Shall we travel to the northern valley, [Forename]? As insufferable as thieves are, they often hoard treasure!
Pursued Peasant: Be well, friends.
Y'nazqha: May priceless riches await!

Popup: ''The young merchant and his bodyguard set forth into the deep valley, which may hold even deeper secrets.''
Y'nazqha: What a strange feeling...
Y'nazqha: Whenever I draw near the rocks, the fur on my tail stands on end! What could be causing that?
Y'nazqha: Thieves!?
Y'nazqha: Excellent work!
Y'nazqha: The sprites are effervescent! This place must be suffuse with aether.
>If Water III from the Unsettled Spirit hits the bombs in the left room
Popup: The explosives are drenched in water...
---
Y'nazqha: That looks slippery...

-optional start
x@Bandit Missive: We nabbed some geezer from the town and made him spill his guts. It's just like you said, Boss. Deep in this canyon, there's some hidden place that hardly a soul knows about. I reckon we'll find treasure the likes we've never dreamed of! Me and a few of the lads went to get eyes on it, but we stepped right into the nest of some monstrous bird. Barely made it out with our lives. We've scrounged together every weapon and bomb we could, and we're standing by until you say the word. After we've cut and blasted our way through, we'll be richer than kings!
-optional end

Popup: ''Standing in their path was a monstrous bird with an appetite for flesh.''
Y'nazqha: It's trampling the flowers!
Popup: ''Yet the sight did not perturb the bodyguard, who stood steadfast and dauntless.''
Y'nazqha: Where have I seen this before...? Careful─it appears to be in a foul mood!
Popup: The spheres of sand grow massive in size...
Popup: The spheres of sand fade out of sight...
Y'nazqha: What? It disappeared? There was a ball of dirt over there, right?
Y'nazqha: Wait, the balls are still here, we just can't see them! Remember their position before they turn invisible!
Y'nazqha: It must still be here somewhere! Look carefully for traces of its passage!
Thief: <cough> <wheeze> ...There you are! Reckoned we'd sit back lickin' our wounds, eh?
> If bombs in camp hit with Water III
Thief: We slaved for days to make those bombs! Good thing we've got other ways to make you suffer!
Thief: Take this!
Thief: Have a taste!
Thief: Godsdammit, why didn't you bring more!? Get the hells out of here!
> Otherwise (bombs left intact)
Thief: Time for payback! You'll regret crossin' us!
Thief: Hah hah!
Thief: I'll blast you to bits!
Popup: A deep rumbling sound comes from the cliffs...
Thief: Wh-What's that shakin'!? R-Run! This revenge ain't worth dyin' for!
---
Y'nazqha: They've run out of eyeshot. I suppose every story needs its petty villains...
Popup: ''Though the bird was laid low, the path ahead was treacherous still.''
Y'nazqha: A lot of good invisibility did that beast! Watch for shaking flowers─we don't want another surprise!
Y'nazqha: Watch your step!
Y'nazqha: What could those adorable creatures be?
Y'nazqha: Eyaaah! Apologies, but combat is not my specialty!
Y'nazqha: Oh my, the stones are floating! I wonder what keeps them aloft...
Y'nazqha: What have we here? Mushrooms?
Y'nazqha: What divine flavor! I scarcely need to chew, and the aroma overwhelms the senses!
Y'nazqha: On one side, tantalizing mushrooms. On the other...floating rocks?
Question: Which way should we go?
> Let the mushrooms guide us true!
Y'nazqha: I can tell you're curious too. My intuition agrees─follow the mushrooms!
Y'nazqha: Ungh... I can barely move!
Y'nazqha: Tread carefully...very carefully.
Y'nazqha: It seems no path is without obstacles!
>> If the player activates the rocks with the golem's electric AoE
Y'nazqha: [Forename], listen. Did you hear a sound just now?
Y'nazqha: A new path! It seems the rocks moved... Hmm. Were they imbued with some unseen power?
-optional start
x@Adept's Journal: How many seasons have come and gone since I set foot in this land, where the rules of gravity are mere suggestions? How many times have I swung my sword—each flourish bringing me one step closer to mastering the Unyielding Blade, honing the aether within my weapon to a fine edge? Yet even as my body is consumed by training, my mind turns only to my dear friend, bound still to the sea. To destroy the vile thing which threatens her and hers, my bladework must be without equal. When I have reached the heights I must, I shall come for you. I will stand upon those shores of our home once more and cry out: “I am returned!”
-optional end
>> If the rocks were not activated
Y'nazqha: Are golems affected by this strange magnetism too?
---
Y'nazqha: Not the easiest place to fight through, was it?
> Floating rocks warrant a closer look.
Y'nazqha: I haven't seen anything quite like this... I believe we have no choice but to get a closer look!
Y'nazqha: [Forename], [Forename]! Am I...floating!?
Y'nazqha: I must wonder as to the nature of the rocks... Perhaps their magnetic fields have been disrupted?
Y'nazqha: Unfortunately, I hardly think floating rocks could be considered treasure...
Y'nazqha: I don't know where to step, nor where to hide!
Y'nazqha: Eyaaah! Apologies, but combat is not my specialty!
>> If the Seeing Stones are attacked near each of the three large rocks
Popup: The magnetism of the atmosphere shifts...
---
Y'nazqha: Even without solid ground under your feet, you made quick work of them. Of course, I never doubted you!
Y'nazqha: Ah hah, do you feel that? Gravity! I can step surely now.
---
Y'nazqha: Some sort of rock beast, I presume?
Y'nazqha: Its surface was hard as rock, but it moved nimbly enough...
Popup: ''In the valley's most remote reaches they faced their deadliest challenge yet.''
Y'nazqha: This is the last place I expected to run into a person...
Lone Swordmaster: Take up your weapon. I pray you can provide some measure of entertainment before you die.
Lone Swordmaster: From where shall death take you? I shall grant you the mercy of foresight.
Lone Swordmaster: Whence shall my blade strike? Look well!
Y'nazqha: Blades of aether! Don't let them pierce you!
Lone Swordmaster: Do you truly believe you can run from me?
Y'nazqha: This fighting style...sword strikes imbued with aether. Could this be one of the swordmasters that were snuffed out by the Empire!?
Lone Swordmaster: Death comes from all directions!
Y'nazqha: The blades of aether changed trajectory!? I see now why the Unyielding Blade was so feared...
> Route 9 (mushroom path, rocks activated by golem)
Lone Swordmaster: Only a true master can call the earth itself her ally!
Y'nazqha: The magnetic fields are wildly unstable... Perhaps our foe uses them against us.
> Route 10 (mushroom path, rocks not activated by golem)
Lone Swordmaster: Do not dare perish before witnessing my full strength!
Y'nazqha: Falling stones! Watch your head!
> Route 11 (floating rock path, Seeing Stones fought near large rocks)
Lone Swordmaster: Let us see how attuned you are to the flow of battle!
Y'nazqha: The magnetic fields are wildly unstable... Perhaps our foe uses them against us.
> Route 12 (floating rock path, Seeing Stones fought away from large rocks)
Lone Swordmaster: Hah hah, good, good! Perhaps you shall not disappoint after all!
Y'nazqha: Falling stones! Watch your head!
---
Lone Swordmaster: Run if you dare! Doom shall find you all the same!
Lone Swordmaster: Come now, you can do better than that!
Lone Swordmaster: Not so fast!
Y'nazqha: That was like seeing two artists at work! My jaw was clenched the whole time...but in the end, you proved the mightier!
Y'nazqha: My heart is still pounding! Wait, is this...?
Y'nazqha: Why, it's the swordmaster's blade. The edge is flawless, and the decorations are exquisite!
Y'nazqha: I must say, I certainly couldn't measure the value of this. Could you? No? I believe that means we should deliver it to the maiden!
Y'nazqha: Since we both have all of our limbs, I would say that was a job well done. Thank you, [Forename]!
</nowiki>}}
|-|Right Path=
{{Dialogue|<nowiki>
Popup: ''Among the many paths before him, the merchant felt drawn to the lively shouts of the bazaar.''
Y'nazqha: I've never seen such elaborate weaving!
x@Unnamed Customer: Oh my! This is quite the lovely color!
Popup: ''What awaits at road's end?''
x@Unnamed Vendor A: Welcome, welcome! If it's a bargain you're after, look no further!
x@Unnamed Vendor B: There we go. Everything should be sorted now.
Y'nazqha: Look, over there. Someone's in trouble.
Perturbed Peasant: This isn't good...
Y'nazqha: What's the matter?
Perturbed Peasant: The damned wheels came right off... Suppose I'll be carrying my haul the rest of the way.
Y'nazqha: Well, we can help with that. If we split the load, we should be able to make it in one go!
Y'nazqha: This may help us progress the story─let's give this merchant a hand!
Y'nazqha: Lift with the knees...
Perturbed Peasant: My thanks. The shop is just over this way.
Y'nazqha: Say, if I asked you to imagine an object of immeasurable worth, what would come to mind?
x@Unnamed Vendor C: We're well stocked for now. Hmm... When's the next delivery?
Perturbed Peasant: Looking to make some coin, eh? Hmm. Silk, gemstones, spices. All those would fetch a high price.
Y'nazqha: I see. Just how much would we need for ''immeasurable'' profit...?
x@Unnamed Vendor D: Come peruse my porcelain wares! You'll not see anything like them elsewhere!
x@Unnamed Customer B: What will the next delivery bring, I wonder?
Y'nazqha: Your wares are all here!
Perturbed Peasant: That got the blood flowing...
Unlucky Clerk: Many thanks for the help!
Perturbed Peasant: Come to think of it, I heard sea-folk live in the cove to the east. If anyone had a treasure of singular worth, it would be them.
Y'nazqha: Thank you for that precious morsel of information, my good man! I believe we have our next destination, [Forename]!
Y'nazqha: Sea-folk...could it truly be?

Popup: ''The young merchant and his bodyguard set forth towards the clear blue sea.''
Y'nazqha: Ah, could that be? The Anchorite at Corvos? I read that the rocky formations on both sides of the strait are actually the ankles of a massive statue!
Y'nazqha: Those claws...they're so big!
Y'nazqha: Into the cave!
Y'nazqha: That's a lot of bombs!
Y'nazqha: Stay away!
> If Self-destruct hits the rock formation to the right
Y'nazqha: Look! The blast knocked the wall loose!
---
Y'nazqha: Ugh... Rubble flew into my eyes.
Y'nazqha: There's something there!
Popup: ''From the lamp before them emerged a grinning genie.''
Popup: ''The bodyguard readied his weapon, eager to prove the truth of his fierce reputation.''
Y'nazqha: Is that a magic lamp I see!? Just how long was it waiting for us?

Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Welcome, welcome! The guests of honor are here at last!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: The curtain rises on the big show! Dare not look away, or else!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Splendid! Look how they dart about! Be aware that I take no responsibility in case of grievous injury!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Now we turn up the heat! Do make sure not to get burned!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Let us end on a high note! An explosive note!

> If Self-destruct from the Blue Bombs hit the rock formation
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: What do we have here? Surprise guests! This will be one for the ages!
> Otherwise
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Now for the fun part! Be dazzled! Be amazed! Be hypnotized!
Y'nazqha: How breathtaking! And...dangerous! Yes, dangerous! Stay focused!
---

Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Now for the part no one expects─the encore! Can you keep up the energy for just a little longer?
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Oh ho, you really know how to put on a show! But I can't let my own guests upstage me!
Genie of the Lamp (Enemy)@Genie of the Lamp: Bang! Boom! And a blast for good measure!

Popup: ''Although their foe lay defeated, their journey was far from over.''
Y'nazqha: That was─how should I put it?─quite the cheerful adversary. Perhaps it was welcoming us, in its own way...
Y'nazqha: It appears we can get out from over there!
Y'nazqha: Oh my! This beach is gorgeous!
Popup: ''They emerged from the dark cave and were greeted by the glittering sea.''
Y'nazqha: Even the shells sparkle!
Y'nazqha: I imagine they would prove quite popular if used for pearl inlay.
Y'nazqha: Ah, but this is no time for such musings!
Y'nazqha: I've never seen such coloring before...
Y'nazqha: Indeed, it is edible! This unique flavor would make for a perfect spice in certain dishes.
Y'nazqha: The seaweed seems much denser on the right side. Rich waters might hold even richer treasures...
Question: Which way should we go?
> The seaweed won't steer us wrong.
Y'nazqha: Indeed, these waters may hold treasures all their own! I look forward to the sights which await us.
Y'nazqha: Don't slip, [Forename].
Y'nazqha: The coral shines like nothing else...
Y'nazqha: <slurp>
Y'nazqha: ...'Tis a bitter taste.
Y'nazqha: Even the goobbues have fantastic colors!
Y'nazqha: I'm glad we weren't pulled into that goobbue's gullet.
Y'nazqha: Look at those rocks. Something's strange about them...
Y'nazqha: Now I must look twice at every rock I see...
Y'nazqha: A bottle, here?
-optional start
x@Letter in a Bottle: I pray this letter finds its way into the hands of a kind-hearted soul, who shall bear word of the ruin encroaching upon my home to a warrior of courage. The Dandan terrorizes our village, raising waves to topple our houses and lashing its tail to sink our ships. We are now cut off from our neighbors, and our reserves have dwindled to naught. Before long, none shall remain. If only we could join hands with the beautiful maidens who dwell in the sea...yet now even they are beyond our reach.
-optional end

Y'nazqha: The marks of civilization are plain to see. Was this once a place of worship?
Y'nazqha: I think we can go this way!
Y'nazqha: Some sort of stage...?
> I fancy a stroll along the beach.
Y'nazqha: Indeed, I see shells and pearls glittering among the sands... All right, lead the way!
Y'nazqha: What gave rise to this color, do you think?
Y'nazqha: That pearl is larger than me! One moment, please...
Y'nazqha: <gulp>
Y'nazqha: ''Very'' bitter.
Y'nazqha: What causes such growth in these waters?
Y'nazqha: Impressive as always, [Forename]!
>> Interacting with the Giant Conch Shell
Y'nazqha: Huh!? Did that sound come from that massive shell?
Y'nazqha: Did it answer the shell's call? What an adorable thing─and it's colored just like the cove!
Y'nazqha: May we meet again.
---
Y'nazqha: Urgh... The pleasant scent of ocean and rot...
Y'nazqha: Perhaps the sea-folk are nearby.
Y'nazqha: The figures were carven by a skilled hand, indeed...
---
Popup: ''In the bowels of the cove, the end of their journey was marked by an unexpected encounter.''

Y'nazqha: Is that a sea-maid?
Darya the Sea-maid: Come, join us. Lend your voice to our chorus!
Darya the Sea-maid: Let our song ring ever louder!
Y'nazqha: They're being guided by her singing. Watch your back!
Darya the Sea-maid: Dance with me. Let the beat of our hearts guide our steps.
Darya the Sea-maid: Now we offer ourselves to the sea. Hope overflowing coalesces into a wish come true...
Y'nazqha: The orbs are changing─keep an eye on them!
> Route 5 (seaweed path, letting the goobbue inhale all the rocks)
Y'nazqha: These creatures are different than before... Be wary of their attacks!
> Route 6 (seaweed path, not letting the goobbue inhale all the rocks)
Darya the Sea-maid: Let us shout our prayers to the heavens, and they may be answered.
Y'nazqha: Watch your step! Dense aether yet lingers!
Darya the Sea-maid: You can but walk the path fate sets before you.
> Route 7 (beach path, interacting with the giant conch shell)
Darya the Sea-maid: Surrender yourself to the ocean's embrace.
Y'nazqha: Here comes the wave again! Watch the water carefully!
> Route 8 (beach path, not interacting with the giant conch shell)
Darya the Sea-maid: Be buried under the weight of countless unanswered wishes...
Y'nazqha: Waves are coming from everywhere at once! Don't let them knock you over!
---
Y'nazqha: More minions! Listen to her voice carefully, [Forename]!
Y'nazqha: She's swimming around again. Don't get caught in her wake!

Y'nazqha: We made it! Although the sea-maid tried to kill us, something about her seemed...mournful.
Y'nazqha: Look, she dropped this gem. Its glow is entrancing...'tis probably best not to stare too long.
Y'nazqha: This has to be of great value─value immeasurable, one might say! Let us deliver this to the maiden!
Y'nazqha: You played your part as bodyguard perfectly. Thank you, [Forename]!
</nowiki>}}
</tabber>

After leaving the instance, the player will receive a [[A Spellbinding Read#After clearing the Merchant's Tale|cutscene]] with the [[Fair Maiden]] each time they bring back a new treasure.

==Trivia==
*The dungeon name is italicized because it is the name of the book in which the dungeon takes place.

{{Duties nav/vcdungeon}}

Karlabos

2026-01-01T11:17:18Z

Psike: Edited loot to exclude Tail Screw as a drop (blue mage spell explained on "Additional Information" section)

{{NPC infobox
| description = Though similar in shape to a scorpion's tail, Karlabos uses its rear appendage not to inject its victims with poison, but to dismember them, effectively rendering the prey unable to fice or fight back. Sailors will spin tales of Karlabos tearing open the hulls of ships passing through shallow waters...but then again, sailors will spin tales of anything.
| image =
| location =
| coordinates =
| objective = boss
| dungeon = Sastasha (Hard)
| race = Wavekin
| clan = Karlabos
| level = 50
| aggression = a5
| goal =
| release =
| patch = 2.4
}} __NOTOC__
==Loot==
{{Drops table header}}
{{Drops table row|Hero's Ring of Fending}}
{{Drops table row|Hero's Ring of Slaying}}
{{Drops table row|Hero's Ring of Aiming}}
{{Drops table row|Hero's Ring of Casting}}
{{Drops table row|Hero's Ring of Healing}}
{{Drops table row|Antique Sollerets}}
{{Table footer}}

==Locations==
{{NPC location table header}}
{{NPC location info|Sastasha (Hard)| |50}}
|}

==Quests==
{{quest list header}}
{{quest list row|It's Definitely Pirates}}
{{table footer}}

==Additional Information==
The boss uses the {{BLU}} [[Blue Mage]] [[spell]] '''{{action icon|Tail Screw}}'''.
===Blue Mage Vulnerabilities===
*{{action icon|Missile}}
*{{action icon|Level 5 Death}}

===Historical===
The [http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/intro/monster/kuzotz.html?pageID=monster Doom Scorpion] enemy was carried over from ''Final Fantasy XI'' with the same appearance.

[[Category:Enemies]] [[Category:Patch 2.4 Enemies]]

The Unending Codex

2025-03-26T03:06:19Z

Psike: Added "The Storm Surge" and "Everkeep" logs

{{spoiler}}
{{Item infobox
| name = The Unending Codex
| icon = the unending codex icon1.png
| description = Accessible from your Collection, the Unending Codex puts vital information about in-game terminology and characters at your fingertips. Review this handwritten record of key concepts from your journey thus far whenever you fear the details of past adventures are slipping from your grasp.
| type = Collection
| material-type =
| unique = y
| untradable = y
| unsellable = y
| rarity = white
| patch = 6.1
| release = endwalker
}} [[File:The Unending Codex2.jpg|right|thumb|400px]] [[File:The Unending Codex.png|right|thumb|400px]]

[[The Unending Codex]] is unlocked during the quest {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}, with new entries added as the story unfolds. Most lore entries summarize important characters and concepts in the [[Main Scenario Quests]] primarily up to the end of the initial release of [[Endwalker]] ([[patch 6.0]]), although later entries go beyond that.

The Codex can be accessed from the [[Collection]] feature in the Main Menu → Duty tab.__NOTOC__

==Entries==

{| {{STDT|sortable pve align-left}}
! Name
! Type
! Unlock
! Patch
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tataru|Tataru]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Scions of the Seventh Dawn|The Scions of the Seventh Dawn]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Final Days|The Final Days]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Estinien|Estinien]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Bountiful Ruins}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#G'raha|G'raha]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Krile|Krile]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Y'shtola|Y'shtola]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Hydaelyn|Hydaelyn]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Reflections|The Reflections]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Crystal Tower|The Crystal Tower]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Urianger|Urianger]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Vrtra|Vrtra]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Alzadaal's Legacy (Quest)}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The First Brood|The First Brood]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Brother's Grief}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Aether|Aether]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Brother's Grief}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Fourchenault|Fourchenault]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Bridging the Rift}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Eorzea|Eorzea]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Restricted Reading}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Seventh Umbral Calamity|The Seventh Umbral Calamity]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Restricted Reading}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zenos|Zenos]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Fandaniel|Fandaniel]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Ascians|The Ascians]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Azem's Crystal|Azem's Crystal]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Wind Rises}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The First|The First]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Buried Memory}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Alphinaud|Alphinaud]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Alisaie|Alisaie]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Garlean Empire|The Garlean Empire]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Magitek|Magitek]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Ceruleum|Ceruleum]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Dragon's Resolve}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Students of Baldesion|The Students of Baldesion]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Going Haam}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Thancred|Thancred]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Going Haam}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zodiark|Zodiark]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Lunar Rendezvous}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Ryne|Ryne]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Garlond Ironworks|Garlond Ironworks]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Spirit Vessel|Spirit Vessel]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Emet-Selch|Emet-Selch]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Coming Dawn}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.55]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Studium|The Studium]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Rite of Succession}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Eighth Umbral Calamity|The Eighth Umbral Calamity]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Land of Levin}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Void|The Void]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zero|Zero]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Souls|Souls]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Gulool Ja Ja|Gulool Ja Ja]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tural|Tural]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Rite of Succession|The Rite of Succession]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tural Vidraal|Tural Vidraal]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|In Search of the Past}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Storm Surge|The Storm Surge]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Descent to the Foundation}}
| [[Patch 7.2|7.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Everkeep|Everkeep]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Descent to the Foundation}}
| [[Patch 7.2|7.2]]
|-
|}

==Tataru==
[[File:Tataru portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Tataru Taru]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Coinkeeper''' 

Though publicly known as the organization's receptionist, Tataru also serves as the Scions' coinkeeper─a role she executes with an enthusiastic cunning that borders on the terrifying.

Born to Ul'dahn merchants, the young Tataru had everything a Lalafell could ask for─until her family lost it all to bankruptcy. Plagued by debt and still smarting from this abrupt introduction to the harsh realities of the sultanate, she apprenticed herself to a lapidary at the age of twelve, and henceforth supported the household with her meager earnings. It was during this period that she met Minfilia─a miner come to sell gems and ore─who would later recruit Tataru to oversee the Path of the Twelve's finances.

Tataru, in turn, resolved to use her newfound position not only to accrue personal wealth, but also to serve others. Indeed, when the Path of the Twelve relocated to the Waking Sands, and her role was expanded to include secretarial duties, she used her considerable social acumen to build relationships and increase its influence. As the organization slowly but surely grew into an association of like-minded and gifted souls, she was instrumental in seeking out potential members blessed with the Echo.

After the Seventh Umbral Calamity, when the Path of the Twelve merged with the Circle of Knowing to form the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Tataru continued her tenure as secretary and coinkeeper combined. When the political situation in Ul'dah drove the Scions from their headquarters for a time, she journeyed with Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light to Ishgard, that they might there regroup and rebuild the organization. Later, she accompanied a contingent of Scions to the Far East, where she established ties with the East Aldenard Trading Company's Kugane branch in order to fund local anti-imperial resistance efforts─one of her many laudable ventures on the Scions' behalf.

Privately, Tataru has long regretted her inability to assist her comrades in martial endeavors, and thus sought to train as an arcanist. Alas, these efforts met with misfortune, including the escape of her Carbuncle companion, and so she has since resolved to provide financial support through trades such as mining and weaving. In so doing, she has become something of a master artisan─going so far as to establish her own boutique in Old Sharlayan─yet she always manages to find the time to fashion new outfits for her Scion friends when they stand poised upon the threshold of journeys new.

==[[The Scions of the Seventh Dawn]]==
This secret society was the product of a merger between the Circle of Knowing, led by Louisoix Leveilleur, and the Path of the Twelve, led by Minfilia Warde, following the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

Working in concert with the leaders of Eorzea, the Scions strove to address the myriad problems that plagued the realm, be it the godlike primals, the imperialistic Garleans, or the scheming Ascians─beings who have long shaped history from the shadows. As a means to achieve its objectives, the society sought out those blessed with the Echo, a mysterious power with myriad manifestations, the most notable of which was the ability to walk in the memories of others. It was for this reason they extended an invitation to the Warrior of Light.

On account of their contributions in dealing with several primals and the XIVth Imperial Legion, the Scions' existence became public knowledge. Utilizing their newfound reputation, Alphinaud Leveilleur founded the Crystal Braves, a military organization intended to pave the way for a unified Eorzea. However, the society's activities had made it the target of a Monetarist faction of Ul'dah, and an elaborate betrayal by Alphinaud's presumed allies resulted in the Scions being framed for the sultana's assassination. Though branded fugitives and scattered for a time, they eventually learned of a plot within a plot that saw the monarch put into a deep slumber rather than slain, and succeeded in clearing their names.

Their honor restored, the Scions went on to become key players in the liberation of Ala Mhigo and Doma from imperial rule, and after helping to avert the Final Days, they judged their mission fulfilled. So it was that they announced their disbandment─at least outwardly─and retreated from plain sight to labor in secret once more.

==[[The Final Days]]==
This dreadful calamity befell the star in the distant past, when it was known as Etheirys.

In that shining age, men had the power to manifest anything at will, even living beings, and through this miraculous creation magick their civilization thrived. One day, however, following a keening sound from the land, their magicks ran rampant, giving form to eldritch horrors born of fear and despair. Their blissful lives became a waking nightmare, and mankind was driven to the brink of extinction.

The Convocation of Fourteen, the people's chosen representatives, observed that the phenomenon manifested where the celestial currents, the star's outermost flow of aether, had grown weak and stagnant. In order to address this deficiency, they summoned forth the mighty Zodiark to exert control over the laws of creation. Though this act demanded a high price─the sacrifice of half of mankind's remaining number─the vast majority willingly rendered up their lives, and thus were the Final Days forestalled.

Over the intervening millennia, this star-encompassing calamity had faded from memory. But faced with its second coming as engineered by the Telophoroi, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn embarked upon a desperate quest for the truth. At length, they discovered that an ancient named Hermes had created Meteion, a being capable of traversing the great expanse, to ascertain the meaning of life by seeking out other civilizations in the universe. Alas, Meteion and her sisters found naught but despair, driving them to conclude life was suffering and death the sole mercy. Fleeing to the edge of existence, they became the Endsinger, and proceeded to unleash the power of dynamis, an esoteric energy set in motion by feelings, to usher all stars to their doom, that life need not continue in vain.

Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, the Scions held fast to hope, and amidst darkest despair lit the way for their champion as they confronted the Endsinger at her nest. And at the end of a fierce battle, they emerged triumphant, and put an end to the Final Days once and for all.

==Estinien==
[[File:Estinien portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Estinien Varlineau]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Dragoon]]''' 

One of Ishgard's most capable knights, Estinien─called “Wyrmblood” by many─once led his order as the renowned Azure Dragoon.

Estinien's origins are humble, having been born to a family of sheepherders in the eastern highlands of Coerthas. However, the course of his pastoral life was forever changed when his village of Ferndale was razed by the great wyrm Nidhogg─an attack which claimed the lives of his parents and his brother.

Bereft of home and family, the orphan of twelve summers was taken in by Alberic, then holder of the title of Azure Dragoon. The two proceeded to forge a complicated relationship. A martial instructor, an adoptive father, and a flawed knight─one who failed to protect his family. To the young Estinien, Alberic was all these things and more.

When his training was complete, Estinien joined the Temple Knights. So focused was he on the fight against the Dravanian Horde that he scarcely remembered the names of his companions. His sole friendship was with Aymeric de Borel, a knight of similar age who shared Estinien's passion for the cause. Estinien's prowess saw him rise through the ranks, first becoming a dragoon, and later inheriting the title of Azure Dragoon once held by his foster father.

Like all Azure Dragoons, Estinien would carry with him the Eye of Nidhogg─a relic torn from the wyrm's head over a thousand years ago. Though the Eye conferred power to the bearer, it rendered them vulnerable to Nidhogg's influence, and his undying hatred threatened to consume Estinien's very soul. Only through constant vigilance and strength of will did Estinien maintain a grip on his sanity─though there were occasions when he came perilously close to succumbing to Nidhogg's rancor.

In the midst of the Dragonsong War, Estinien offered to accompany the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud Leveilleur in their quest to convince the Dravanians to renounce their thousand-year campaign of vengeance. Though he did not believe they would succeed, Estinien nevertheless agreed to eschew violence─unless circumstances forced his hand. They were later joined by Ysayle, leader of the heretics, who similarly believed peace an unlikely prospect, but one still worth pursuing in earnest.

Estinien traveled with the others to the Churning Mists, where they sought an audience with Hraesvelgr, brother of Nidhogg. From the great wyrm they learned the truth of the Dragonsong War: that it was King Thordan of ancient Ishgard who drew first blood when he and his knights murdered the great wyrm Ratatoskr, and subsequently devoured her eyes so that they might claim her power for themselves. Yet in spite of this truth, the fact remained that Nidhogg was intent upon the destruction of Ishgard, and if he could not be persuaded to yield, they had but one recourse. In the end, the Azure Dragoon succeeded in hunting down and slaying his archenemy, presumably ending the thousand-year war.

Upon their return to the capital, Estinien and his companions discovered that Archbishop Thordan VII had plotted to wield the power of a primal to transform himself into an eternal god-king and bless the world with his twisted idea of harmony. They pursued the archbishop to Azys Lla, where they put an end to his machinations once and for all. However, in the wake of the battle, Estinien succumbed to the all-consuming hatred within Nidhogg's two eyes, transforming into a vessel for the wyrm's shade that would marshal his forces for a final assault on Ishgard. Following his defeat on the Steps of Faith, Estinien regained partial control and urged Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light to kill him, but instead the two tore the eyes from his body, casting out Nidhogg's shade and saving the dragoon's life.

With his homeland entering an age of peace, Estinien renounced his title of Azure Dragoon and set off on a journey of his own. Even during these wanderings, though, he stayed abreast of the Scions' activities, and participated in both the liberation of Ala Mhigo and sabotage efforts within Garlemald. In time, he gave in to the relentless solicitations of Tataru and Krile, officially becoming a Scion and working tirelessly with his comrades to deliver the world from the calamity known as the Final Days.

Following his long journey from archnemesis of dragons to their friend and brother, Estinien renamed his lance Nidhogg after his fallen foe. Though he is still a lone wolf at heart, he travels more often with others than before─such as to the isle of Thavnair, where he has forged a new friendship with Vrtra, another of the first brood.

==G'raha==
[[File:G'raha Tia portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[G'raha Tia]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''All-rounder''' 

A relatively recent addition to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, G'raha Tia hails from Corvos in southern Ilsabard, where the Allagan Empire once flourished during the Third Astral Era. Although the Miqo'te were once forced to toil in obscurity for the glory of Allag, G'raha Tia's tribe, ever proud, devoted themselves to the study and preservation of arcane secrets. Thousands of years later, when Corvos was conquered by the Garleans and brought under the jurisdiction of the illustrious House Darnus, a young G'raha─heir to vast stores of Allagan knowledge and the last child born with the Allagan Eye, was given into the custody of the Students of Baldesion.

After acquiring Sharlayan citizenship and freedom from more mundane duties, G'raha concentrated on his education, earning his Archon's mark for his groundbreaking research into ancient arcane wisdom. Owing to these qualifications, G'raha Tia was tasked with the vital duty of investigating the Crystal Tower, the most fascinating and forbidding of the surviving relics of the Allagan Empire. It was during this expedition that he met with Rammbroes of the Sons of Saint Coinach, Cid Garlond of the Ironworks, and the Warrior of Light─an occasion which led to the formation of the fellowship known as NOAH.

With his newfound companions he laid bare the secrets of ancient Allag, and learned from the awakened clones Unei and Doga that the eye he inherited was in truth the Royal Eye, the unmistakable mark of the Allagan imperial family. With it, he could control the Crystal Tower itself, per the wishes of Salina, the final princess of Allag, who had chosen to pass down this gift and place her trust in future generations.

Judging that mankind was not yet ready for the secrets of the Crystal Tower, G'raha Tia sealed himself within it, in the hope that he might awaken in an age when his fellow man had set aside their differences─when they might truly comprehend and wield the Allagan knowledge for the benefit of all.

Alas, when G'raha awoke from his slumber two hundred years later, the world had been ravaged by tragedy and death, for the Eighth Umbral Calamity had come to pass. Biggs─third of his name and eighteenth chairman of Garlond Ironworks─had cracked the tower's wards, seeking to harness the power within to develop a means of time travel, that they might forge a future in which the Calamity had never occurred. G'raha agreed to lend them his aid, and so it was that he and the Crystal Tower were transported into the past─not of their world, the Source, but of the reflection known as the First, where fate would once again see him reunited with the Warrior of Light.

The First, for its part, had suffered a calamity no less daunting than that of the Source. A Flood of Light had nearly extinguished all life, and what little remained was beset by horrors born of the phenomenon known as sin eaters. Unaged due to his symbiosis with the Crystal Tower, an ever-youthful G'raha Tia took the initiative in building the Crystarium─a city and bulwark of hope where he and his growing community would stand against these foes.

For a hundred years, the Crystal Exarch─as G'raha Tia had come to be known─laid the groundwork for the coming battle, for he had always known that he could not triumph without the Warrior of Light. When the time came, he summoned the champion and their allies─albeit accidentally─from the Source, assembling a formidable alliance to take up arms against the Lightwardens and reclaim the long-absent night sky.

The final step in G'raha Tia's plan would have seen him render up his own life for the preservation of the First and the Source. Blessedly, this sacrifice did not come to pass. Ultimately, the Warrior of Light and their brave companions succeeded in laying low the Ascians Emet-Selch and Elidibus, ending the threat of an Eighth Umbral Calamity and giving the First hope for a brighter tomorrow.

When the Scions at last returned to their own world, they did not do so alone. G'raha Tia had conceived a method in which his memories and essence in the First could be merged with his past self still sleeping within the Crystal Tower of the Source. The awoken G'raha Tia eagerly joined the ranks of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and proceeded to employ his ample knowledge of all things Allagan, as well as the leadership skills he honed as the Crystal Exarch, to provide invaluable guidance and support to his companions. In particular, his decisive actions in Thavnair during the Final Days ensured the survival of countless innocents.

After the de facto disbanding of the Scions, G'raha Tia joined Krile in helping to rebuild the Students of Baldesion. However, he has not yet shaken his wanderlust, and will not hesitate to seize any opportunity to embark upon a new journey with the Warrior of Light.

==Krile==
[[File:Krile portrait1.png|left]][[File:Krile portrait2.png|left]]<big>'''[[Krile Baldesion]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Mage'''[[Patch 6.1|6.1]] / '''[[Pictomancer]]'''[[Patch 6.5|6.55]]

Orphaned as a child and taken in by Galuf Baldesion, founder of the eponymous Students of Baldesion, Krile was blessed with power of the Echo─though in her early years it seemed to her more a curse. Uncommonly sensitive to the feelings of others, unwelcome thoughts flooded her mind, leading her to develop a guarded personality that many found off-putting. Seeing this, Galuf gave her a cat-eared hood, assuring her that her gift was not something to be bemoaned, and that it would one day prove a tremendous strength. Moved by her grandfather's words, Krile vowed to devote herself to her studies, that she might use her power to serve the greater good.

Displaying a remarkable aptitude in the mystic arts, Krile attended the Studium in Sharlayan, joining the Faculty of the Arcane and becoming highly skilled in healing and curing magicks. It was at this time that she made the acquaintance of Alphinaud and Alisaie Leveilleur, with whom she maintains a close friendship to this day. After graduation, she joined her grandfather's research organization, eventually coming to Eorzea to support the Scions of the Seventh Dawn as they rebuilt their operation following the bloody banquet in Ul'dah. She lent her impressive knowledge of the arcane to the search for the missing Minfilia.

Krile chose to remain in Eorzea for the foreseeable future, both out of a desire to support her friends, and for lack of a home to which she might return. Prior to her arrival, the Isle of Val was obliterated by a devastating spell akin to Ultima. While she herself was on the isle at the time, she was saved by the blessing of Light, and so she naturally fell in with the Scions. She soon became a full-fledged member, and thenceforth used her command of the Echo to serve her comrades on many an occasion.

Krile suffered a particularly harrowing experience when she was captured as a prisoner of war by the Garleans during the campaign to liberate Ala Mhigo. Her Echo made her a target, as the magitek engineer Aulus mal Asina sought to study the phenomenon and create an artificial variant. He succeeded in this endeavor, transforming Fordola rem Lupis and Zenos yae Galvus into beings he dubbed the Resonant. Krile was later rescued by the Scions, and after recovering from the ordeal resolved to repay the favor. Indeed, when her companions were forcefully summoned to the First and left in a comatose state, Krile took the lead in nursing the Scions back to health.

With the appearance of the Telephoroi and the looming threat of the Final Days, Krile returned to Sharlayan in hopes of gauging the true intentions of their governing body, the Forum, which to that point had stubbornly refused to approve any aid to Eorzea. Subsequently, she would use her influence as representative of the Students of Baldesion to arrange for her friends to visit Old Sharlayan.

Now that the Final Days have been averted and the Scions ostensibly disbanded, Krile has devoted herself to the restoration of the Students, recruiting the precious few survivors she has found, along with new talent, that together they might carry on her late grandfather's legacy and preserve their knowledge for future generations.

==Y'shtola==
[[File:Y'shtola portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Y'shtola Rhul]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Sorceress''' 

Displaying prodigious aptitude for magic from a young age, Y'shtola—at the behest of the Sharlayan Forum—was sent to Master Matoya for tutelage at the tender age of seven. Resentful of having to mind a child instead of pursuing her own research, the revered Archon was a stern taskmaster, imposing upon her new student one harsh trial after the next. Y'shtola, for her part, did not shirk from these formidable tasks, eventually winning the approval of her mentor—who doubtless saw in the stubborn Miqo'te girl shades of her own self as a child. After ten years of training, Y'shtola emerged from Matoya's cave a woman grown, possessed of vast knowledge and skill in the arcane that easily earned her the title of Archon.

Striking out on her own, Y'shtola joined the Circle of Knowing, led by her mentor's colleague and friend Louisoix Leveilleur. Sailing to Eorzea, she assisted her friends in their efforts in Limsa Lominsa in the fateful days leading up to the Seventh Umbral Calamity. During that time, she won the trust of Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, to whom she lent invaluable assistance in rebuilding the Eorzean Alliance, which had theretofore devolved into a shell of its former glory. After Louisoix gave his life on the fields of Carteneau, Y'shtola became one of the founding members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, formed by the merger of her own Circle of Knowing with a like-minded organization, the Path of the Twelve.

Together with her new companions, she worked tirelessly to quell the threat of the primals and defend Eorzea from the invasion of Garlemald's XIVth Imperial Legion. When the Scions were caught up in the political coup in Ul'dah, it was Y'shtola's command of forbidden and ancient teleportation magicks that allowed her and Thancred to escape the clutches of the villainous Crystal Braves. Left to wander the Lifestream as a result of this, she was on the verge of being lost forever to the aetheric currents when she was rescued and called back to this world through the efforts of Kan-E-Senna and the Warrior of Light. Y'shtola awoke from her coma to find she had lost the physical ability of sight, gaining in its stead the power to see aether in the environment around her. This gift is a double-edged sword, however—for while it allows her to remain a formidable presence in battle, the strain it places on her mind and energies is often great.

Having recovered her strength, Y'shtola joined her fellow Scions in their exploits across Eorzea, traveling to Azys Lla to depose the mad Archbishop Thordan VII and bring the Dragonsong War to an end, then playing a key role in the liberation of Ala Mhigo.

Y'shtola once again suffered a harrowing experience when her soul was accidentally forcefully summoned to the First by the Crystal Exarch. Assuming the alias “Matoya” in honor of her mentor and concealing her true identity, she befriended the Night's Blessed, a group of Dark-worshipers who made their home in the depths of the Rak'tika Greatwood. It was around this time that Y'shtola came to make extensive use of destructive magicks to complement the healing and curing arts at which she had always excelled.

After the Scions succeeded in restoring the darkness to the Light-blighted First, they returned home to the Source, where Y'shtola would again play an invaluable role in averting the dark designs of the Telophoroi—in the end journeying with her friends to Ultima Thule to deliver their world from the Final Days.

Having long served the now-disbanded Scions with her boundless knowledge and puissant sorcery, Y'shtola now strives to find an answer to the universe's most fundamental question—seeking the truth of creation to honor the legacy of her mentor, Master Matoya.

==Hydaelyn==
[[File:Hydaelyn portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Hydaelyn (boss)|Hydaelyn]]'''</big> 
'''Primal''' 

The will of the star, 'tis She who has long kept Etheirys turning.

Tales of Hydaelyn's call and the singular power it was said to bestow─the Echo─ have been recorded throughout history. The nature of this power was not wholly understood, and it was often conflated with another of Her gifts, the “blessing of Light,” which ensured one's aether would remain uncorrupted by primal tempering. The chosen few also spoke of being summoned to the heart of the star where, according to their testaments, awaited a pure and towering crystal. It is likely that said testaments gave rise to the appellation “Mothercrystal,” as well as the usage of “Hydaelyn” to refer to the star itself, though the precise point at which these terms became commonplace remains unknown. While many sought further knowledge of Her nature─the Sharlayan Forum foremost among them─few ascertained Hydaelyn's true identity: a primal with an ancient, Venat, at Her core.

In a time before time, society was governed by the Convocation of Fourteen, upon which Venat held the seat of Azem. An indefatigable and insatiably curious individual, she tired of the academic approach to natural studies, and resolved instead to travel the star and seek its truths through firsthand experience─a journey that she continued even after she abdicated her position. One day, during a visit to Elpis, she chanced to meet with the Warrior of Light, who had come from the future with a warning of calamities to come. Thus did she learn of the Final Days that would befall Etheirys, and of this tragedy's ultimate cause: Meteion, bearer of myriad fallen worlds' despair.

To prevent the obliteration of all life, Venat embarked upon a quest that would span millennia. Offering up her own flesh and soul, she summoned and became Hydaelyn. She sundered Her people, who yearned for a past that could never be restored; the god Zodiark, manifestation of that ill-fated wish; and the star itself, which She loved so dearly, into fourteen pieces. The god of Darkness was gaoled within the sundered worlds' moons, and their people condemned to a fragile and imperfect existence forevermore. However, She knew that from their imperfection─their suffering─would arise the strength to face deepest despair.

So passionate was Her love for mankind, so unwavering Her faith in its potential, that Hydaelyn would never, in the eons that followed, waver in Her belief. Even as shard after shard fell to calamity and were rejoined with the Source, empowering Zodiark as it enervated Her in turn, She stayed the course, awaiting the day when man would prove himself worthy. When at last the time came, and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn triumphed over Her in a battle that burned through Her very soul, She faded away with a smile on her lips and peace in her heart.

Though the Warrior of Light and their comrades would go on to follow the path She had shown them, Hydaelyn was no more. Her love for Her children, however, is eternal.

==[[The Reflections]]==
Though few are aware of their true nature, these worlds exist in parallel to the one in which we live, the Source.

In order to weaken and imprison Zodiark, Hydaelyn mustered Her strength and sundered the very fabric of reality, causing the world to be split into fourteen shards, akin to identical, diluted images. Being reflections, the geographical features of these worlds are naturally similar, akin to observing the original through a looking glass. But over the course of millennia, the peoples of each have lived disparate lives and histories, and some variance has manifested in the environment itself as well. Since the reflections were birthed forth, seven have been lost, sacrificed in the Ascians' quest to restore the ancient world.

Curiously, while the reflections are displaced from each other, the boundaries between them are not uniform; certain worlds, such as the First and the Thirteenth, are more readily accessible from the Source, while others are not. One theory posits that the worlds exist within pockets of reality that are arranged in a pattern not unlike the numbers on a clockface, and that it is easier to travel to an adjacent reflection.

==[[The Crystal Tower]]==
Approximately six millennia ago, when the world still languished in the aftermath of the Third Umbral Calamity, there arose a man who led an army of mages on a campaign of conquest. Xande would go on to found the storied Allagan Empire, as well as marry the secrets of magic and wisdom of science to create aetherochemistry. Through advances in this miraculous field, he expanded his dominion to encompass the continents of Aldenard, Ilsabard, and Othard.

However, generations of peace and prosperity gave rise to decadence, and a thousand years after the nation's birth, progress all but ground to a halt. The people grew complacent, abandoning learning and drowning themselves in leisure, and society stagnated. None lamented this deplorable state of affairs more than a technologist named Amon.

Desiring to restore his nation to its former glory, Amon brought Emperor Xande back from the grave. Under the founding father's leadership, the empire was given renewed purpose in world domination. In order to bolster the might of his armies, Xande entered into a pact with the Cloud of Darkness, a sovereign among voidsent, and granted their kind passage to the world of men in return for their aid in assuring the supremacy of his reign.

The Crystal Tower played a key role in all of these events. Built to harness the power of the sun, it provided the sprawling empire with energy during its heyday. When the empire fell into decline, Amon used that selfsame energy to resurrect Xande, and Xande in turn used it to open a gate to the void.

Eventually, the emperor resolved to welcome the Cloud of Darkness herself into our world, a feat which would require a voidgate of heretofore unseen proportions. To this end, he commanded that the eikon Bahamut, captured in Meracydia, be encapsulated within a massive iron sphere. The sphere was launched into the heavens and set into motion alongside the moon, where it utilized the wyrm's affinity to fire-aspected aether to accumulate solar energy in a more concentrated form. Yet while the tower had been fortified to channel the increased flow, the land upon which it had been built could not withstand the immense forces. The Crystal Tower's collapse triggered a series of earthquakes which shook the entire realm, bringing about the Third Umbral Calamity and consigning the Allagan Empire to oblivion.

For five millennia the Crystal Tower lay buried and forgotten, until the violence of the Seventh Umbral Era coaxed it from its resting place. Awakened from his long slumber, Emperor Xande once more sought to fulfill his nihilistic ambitions, but he would be thwarted by the stout souls of the fellowship of NOAH and their newfound comrades from the distant past.

==Urianger==
[[File:Urianger portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Urianger Augurelt]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Astrologian]]''' 

An avid reader since he was old enough to hold a tome, Urianger spent his youth engrossed in books of prophecy. Eastern, Western, modern, historical─the young Elezen devoured all manner of sources concerning his favorite subject, though in so doing acquired an erudite vocabulary and poetic mannerisms that alienated his peers. His steadfast studiousness─along with the encouragement of his childhood friend, Moenbryda─did, however, enable him to enter the Studium under the auspices of the foremost authority on prophecy, Archon Louisoix. Indeed, it is thought that Urianger elected to join the Circle of Knowing to learn the truth of Mezaya Thousand Eyes's ''Divine Chronicles'', a work that hinted at the coming of the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

In the moons preceding said Calamity, Urianger sought to share his knowledge with the people of Eorzea, but his doomsaying only served to earn him an unflattering reputation. After the prophecies came to pass, and his beloved mentor was lost in the fires of Cartenau, he and the other remnants of the Circle of Knowing joined with the Path of the Twelve to form the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Thenceforth, Urianger became a fixture in the halls of the Waking Sands.

Although his profound knowledge of history has ever been a boon to the Scions, Urianger's verbose explanations and dry manner have given rise to interpersonal tensions. Of particular note are the events following Moenbryda's death during the confrontation with the Ascian Nabriales, when a grieving and guilt-stricken Urianger took it upon himself to treat with Elidibus in secret. In so doing, he learned long-lost secrets, which he used to sabotage the Ascian's plot to manipulate the Warriors of Darkness. While he had the best of intentions, the decisions he made without the input of his allies─such as orchestrating the journey of Minfilia, the Word of the Mother, to the First─and their consequences would long weigh heavy on his heart.

To compound his turmoil, Urianger was pressured into deceiving his allies once more when the Crystal Exarch summoned him to the First. After divulging his true identity as G'raha Tia, the Exarch implored him to pretend that his own knowledge of future tragedies was a vision Urianger had witnessed when passing between worlds. Believing this fiction was essential for the success of the Exarch's plan to prevent the Eighth Umbral Calamity through his personal sacrifice, Urianger reluctantly agreed and retreated to Il Mheg. However, when the truth was finally laid bare, the Warrior of Light─then the Warrior of Darkness─refused to allow the Exarch to trade his life for the star's safety, rendering the deception meaningless.

Urianger, overcome with regret, resolved to be more forthright and emotionally open with his comrades from that day forward. Upon returning to the Source and being confronted with the reality of the Final Days, he played a key role in facilitating cooperation between the people of Etheirys and the moon-dwelling Loporrits. But it was not until a tearful reunion with Moenbryda's parents, who welcomed him as they would a son, that he began to feel as though he was growing into the man he wanted to be. Ultimately, it was the relationships Urianger cultivated that would see the ship ''Ragnarok'' take to the stars, and hope restored to the star.

==Vrtra==
[[File:Vrtra portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Vrtra]]'''</big> 
'''Satrap of Radz-at-Han''' 

This kind-hearted dragon is one of the seven sired by Midgardsormr in a time before mankind's memory. The talismans made from his green-black scales are treasured by those Scions and Alliance members fortunate enough to possess them, as they provide protection against soul-warping aether.

Vrtra took up residence on the cliffs of Thavnair long before the founding of Radz-at-Han. The Matanga came next to the isle, but they knew well enough to let sleeping dragons lie. They were followed by the Au Ra, who despite cultural differences maintained cordial relations with their new neighbors. It was not until the coming of Hyuran colonizers that Thavnair knew war─and it was Vrtra who emerged to quell it ere its flames consumed the land. The various tribes welcomed his intervention, yet he remained convinced that however grateful they may be, they would never be content to let a dragon lord over them─and there would never be lasting peace. And so he asked Alzadaal of the Au Ra to lead the people in public as Vrtra himself withdrew into the shadows...whence he would provide guidance to the satrap and his successors. Thus was the isle united under the banner of Radz-at-Han.

As Alzadaal and his descendants ruled the diverse Radz-at-Han for centuries, behind the scenes, Vrtra was no less devoted to her people. In fact, he was closer to them than they knew, for he oft embedded one of his eyes in alchemical simulacra of men that he might walk among them. Many of these simulacra would be sent abroad as representatives of the satrap at one point or another, there to be made permanent ambassadors─providing a convenient excuse for the wyrm to switch vessels.

When the Final Days came to his beloved home, twisting his people into beasts for whom death was a mercy, Vrtra realized that things could not continue as before. Loyal Ahewann, the erstwhile satrap, had fallen protecting the citizens, and to honor his final wish, Vrtra would have to become satrap in name as well as deed. With a little encouragement from Estinien, he at last revealed himself to the Hannish people as their longtime protector.

In the wake of an apocalypse averted, Thavnair began to rebuild under Vrtra's auspices. His simulacrum is frequently spotted out and about in Radz-at-Han, and while the public is no longer fooled by his diminutive guise, he is yet resolved to traverse the city as a man might, to better understand their plight and ensure that no quarter is left wanting.

==[[The First Brood]]==
Though there are many exceptional dragons, the wyrms of the first brood are beyond compare. In a time before reckoning, Midgardsormr traversed the great expanse, bearing seven eggs as he searched for a new home. Arriving upon Hydaelyn, he formed a pact with the will of the star and secured for his children a bounteous dominion. The wyrms born of this clutch would grow into Hraesvelgr, Nidhogg, Ratatoskr, Bahamut, Tiamat, Azdaja, and Vrtra─beings of immense power and majesty. The seven then scattered to the far reaches of the world, there to spawn broods of their own, and thus did the dragons become legion.

Though they have the capacity to live for nigh on an eternity, several of the first brood have fallen. Bahamut was vanquished by the Allagans in the Third Astral Era, while Ratatoskr and Nidhogg's deaths marked the beginning and end of the Dragonsong War respectively.

Hraesvelgr, Tiamat, and Vrtra remain among the living. Vrtra, the youngest, is perhaps the most prominent of late, owing to his long-standing relationship with the people of Thavnair. Instrumental in establishing the nation of Radz-at-Han, he has long guided it from the shadows, only to recently reveal himself and formally assume the role of satrap in the wake of the Final Days.

Azdaja's status─whether she is alive or dead, much less where she may be─is currently unknown.

==[[Aether]]==
This vital energy is essential to life as we know it.

For a being to be classified as “living,” it requires both a soul and physical vitality, each of which is composed of aether. Scholars posit that this aether can and must be restored throughout life via the consumption and digestion of sustenance─whether this is the primary factor in the body's need for nourishment is unclear, but what we do know is that the critical depletion of aether will result in physical or spiritual death.

Aether manifests in many ways aside from the aforementioned two, including magical phenomena both natural and of man's design. Most importantly, it flows imperceptibly throughout the world, forming the great Lifestream to which all life one day returns, as well as the smaller aether currents that drive the winds and carry the winged aloft. Without aether's blessings, our star would be a barren and desolate hell.

Upon death, a being's aether disperses, and passes from the mundane physical world into the aetherial realm. However, where many lives are lost suddenly due to violence or calamity, or the flow of the Lifestream itself is disrupted, the aether may instead coalesce upon the physical plane, forming the crystals with which our star is replete.

==Fourchenault==
[[File:Fourchenault portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Fourchenault Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Sharlayan Forum Representative''' 

An Elezen born and raised in Old Sharlayan, Fourchenault is one of the more influential members of the Forum, his nation's governing body. This council, formed of ninety-nine elected representatives, dictates Sharlayan's course for matters great and small, be they minor regulations or national policy. Indeed, it was by the Forum's decree that, in response to the imperial invasion of Ala Mhigo, the Sharlayan colony in the Dravanian hinterlands was abandoned nearly overnight─an event referred to by many as simply “the exodus.”

In addition to his political power, Fourchenault also wields authority as the patriarch of the Leveilleurs, one of Sharlayan's oldest families. Its lineage can be traced back to the nation's founders who arrived aboard ''Nyunkrepf's Hope'' during the Sixth Umbral Calamity. Thus does the family keep Nyunkrepf's words as its creed. “Renounce the ways of war, and pursue enlightenment through knowledge and reason”─so spoke Sharlayan's first leader, and so too does Fourchenault Leveilleur.

Until recently, Fourchenault was driven to fulfill a singular purpose─one which the Forum had pursued in secret for two hundred and seventy years. Having learned of the Final Days through an unexpected communion with Hydaelyn in the aetherial sea, Sharlayan's elite set to work developing a ship by which to ferry their people─and their hard-won stores of knowledge─to the moon, thence to search for a new home among the stars.

Fourchenault's dedication to this plan grew more fervent after his wife Ameliance gave birth to their two children, Alphinaud and Alisaie. Desperate to ensure the twins escaped the coming apocalypse, he threw himself into his work with a determination bordering on obsession. The death of his own father, Archon Louisoix, during the Seventh Umbral Calamity only served to deepen his resolve.

As the Final Days drew closer, Fourchenault was consumed by fear for his children's safety and disapproval of their continued association with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. He vowed to get them aboard Sharlayan's ship by any means necessary, even should it cost him what remained of their already strained relationship. However, when the twins accomplished the impossible by optimizing the ship's aetherburner, he came to understand that their conviction would not be denied─nor should it. Unburdening his heart, he at last reconciled with his family and embraced the monumental responsibility of saving the star.

The ship he dubbed the ''Ragnarok'' would travel to the very end of the universe, delivering the heroes who would defeat the threat he had so long feared.

==[[Eorzea]]==
Comprised of Aldenard, the westernmost of the Three Great Continents, and its surrounding islands, the realm of Eorzea has, throughout history, been the cradle of several unique civilizations. Rich in aether and blessed with an abundance of natural resources, it is often said to be “embraced by gods” in reference to the Twelve─the pillars upon which the religious faith of many Eorzeans firmly rests.

As recently as a few decades ago, the six city-states of Eorzea coexisted in an age of relative stability. Alas, this peace was shattered in the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, when the Garlean Empire embarked upon a campaign of Eorzean conquest. Ala Mhigo soon fell, and the promise of continued violence saw the nation of Sharlayan abandon its Dravanian colony, recalling its citizens to the motherland in the northern seas. In this way was Eorzea plunged once more into an age of strife.

The Seventh Umbral Calamity followed, bringing with it unspeakable devastation, but the resilient people of Eorzea endured. Joining hands in common cause, they eventually succeeded in defeating the imperial invaders. In Ishgard, the millennium-long Dragonsong War was later brought to an end, and after a joint campaign by the Eorzean Alliance and the Ala Mhigan Resistance, the twenty-year Garlean occupation of Ala Mhigo ended in liberation. Thus did the realm obtain a measure of peace.

==[[The Seventh Umbral Calamity]]==
The history of Eorzea is marked by a repeated cycle of devastation (Umbral Eras) and prosperity (Astral Eras). The first six Astral Eras were each preceded by a calamity corresponding to one of the six elements. Following on from the Calamity of Wind, which ushered in the First Astral Era, the Calamity of Lightning brought destructive thunderstorms, the Calamity of Fire withering droughts, the Calamity of Earth devastating earthquakes, the Calamity of Ice an endless winter, and the Calamity of Water a lands-consuming deluge.

With all the elements accounted for, many scholars convinced themselves that there could not be another calamity─that the Sixth Astral Era would last indefinitely. Alas, the Seventh Umbral Calamity would indeed befall the land, triggered when the Garlean legatus Nael van Darnus saw the Meteor project to fruition. Dalamud, Hydaelyn's lesser moon, was plucked from the heavens, and upon its arrival above central Eorzea, it split apart to reveal the elder primal Bahamut, who, in a fit of inchoate anger, laid waste to anything and everything around him. However, owing to the countermeasure enacted by the Archon Louisoix, the realm was spared complete annihilation, and after the ashes had settled, underwent a remarkable rebirth.

Five years on from that fateful day, the forces of the Eorzean Alliance succeeded in defeating Legatus Gaius van Baelsar and his occupying XIVth Imperial Legion. Though other threats still remained, this victory marked a turning point in the fortunes of the realm, and so it was proclaimed that, by the light of the Crystal, the Seventh Astral Era had come, and the realm was at last truly reborn.

==Zenos==
[[File:Zenos portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zenos viator Galvus]]'''</big> 
'''Outcast''' 

Eldest son of Varis zos Galvus, second Emperor of Garlemald, Zenos yae Galvus was groomed from birth to succeed his father. However, history would come to know him by another name: Zenos viator Galvus, kinslayer and outcast, whose misdeeds threw the Empire into a turmoil from which it would not escape.

Blessed with martial and intellectual gifts, Zenos ever stood apart from his peers. He was raised among the sons and daughters of nobility in the hopes that he might find companions to advise him in his future role, but none proved his equal. Though the crown prince scorned the naivety of children and deemed his elders unworthy of respect, he eventually found joy in hunting─in the primal desperation of the beasts who fought violently to survive. Zenos savored pitting his strength against theirs, and even after he became a military leader, this remained his sole pleasure.

It was after Zenos was appointed imperial viceroy of the provinces of Doma and Ala Mhigo that he would encounter prey of a different stripe: the Warrior of Light. Aided by the Eorzean champion and his allies, a band of rebels grew bold enough to draw the crown prince's attention, leading to their first altercation at Rhalgr's Reach. Alas, the Warrior of Light was soundly defeated that day. While a subsequent clash in Doma resulted in a similar outcome, Zenos grew more fascinated with the beast he dubbed “the champion of the savages,” electing to spare him a second time in the hopes he might grow into an even greater challenge.

In time, the Warrior of Light and his allies led an army to Ala Mhigo, and with his comrades engaged Zenos a third time within the Royal Palace. In that battle, the legatus realized that this was his first and only rival, and after luring him to the gardens atop the palace, Zenos used his artificial Echo to become one with the captive primal, Shinryu. For the fourth time he fought his prey, but on this occasion the Warrior of Light emerged triumphant. Having experienced a transcendental joy beyond any he had ever known, Zenos took his own life, unwilling to live outside that fleeting moment.

Yet in embracing his stolen power, Zenos had rewritten his fate. His essence did not return to the Lifestream, but instead possessed the body of another. In a cycle akin to that of the immortal Ascians, the erstwhile prince leaped from vessel to vessel, until he found one with which he could return home to Garlemald. There he was reunited with his original form, which had been occupied for a time by the Ascian Elidibus, and was thus resurrected body and soul.

His first act following his return was to murder his own father. This was not out of malice, but jealousy─Emperor Varis had set his sights on the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and Zenos was loath to share his quarry with another. For the returned prince, who had known the exultation of a warrior's death, the purpose of this new life was clear: to confront the only soul he would deign to call friend, and reclaim the bliss he had known only once before.

As Garlemald teetered on the verge of collapse, Zenos was approached by the Ascian Fandaniel, who laid bare the truth of the star. Together the two formed the Telophoroi, who schemed to usher in the Final Days. They sowed discord across the realm, channeling aether from the Lifestream into the Tower of Babil, that Zodiark Himself might be liberated from His lunar prison. In this they did succeed─but before Zenos could seize control of the primal and battle the Warrior of Light, he was betrayed by Fandaniel, whose subsequent death at the hero's hand set in motion the Final Days. Zenos was still desperate for his long-desired rematch, but understood that the Warrior of Light was too distracted by the fate of the star to accept his challenge. And so, in disappointment he quit the field and vanished from the world's stage.

Zenos spent much of his self-imposed exile contemplating how he might obtain his heart's desire, but his answer proved simple. He would aid the Warrior of Light in his struggle, and to that end he assumed the form of the dragon once more and flew to the edge of the universe. With Zenos's aid the threat to all life was laid low, and when the dust had settled, the Warrior of Light at last granted his wish.

Zenos viator Galvus now rests at the edge of the firmament, and none but the Warrior of Light can attest to his final moments.

==Fandaniel==
[[File:Fandaniel portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Fandaniel]]'''</big> 
'''[[Ascian]]''' 

One of the sundered Ascians, Fandaniel first appeared before the Warrior of Light in the body of the late Asahi sas Brutus. Like those of his brethren, his name is in fact a title─one of the exalted offices of the Convocation of Fourteen, the collective that guided mankind in ancient times.

During the first Final Days, the seat was held by a man named Hermes, who prior to his induction served as chief overseer of Elpis, the testing ground of creation, and was an authority on flying life-forms as well as the celestial sphere. In the course of his work, however, Hermes came to question mankind's single-minded pursuit of perfection, prompting him to create Meteion and her sisters to seek the meaning of life in the distant stars. Alas, an accident caused them all to perish before they could fulfill their purpose...or so it was believed.

In truth, his creations found naught but despair, and concluded that salvation lay only in death. Furthermore, Meteion declared that she herself would usher in their demise. In a moment of madness, Hermes allowed her to pursue her designs, and erased the memories of those who knew what awaited─his own included─that mankind might be put to the proof and prove themselves capable of change and thus worthy of survival.

Ignorant of his deeds, Hermes went on to oppose the Final Days with all his being, as he himself had intended. His knowledge proved instrumental in forestalling the Final Days, and the formulation of the plan to sacrifice half their number to manifest the mighty Zodiark. This first primal served to shield the star from Meteion's song of oblivion, but would later be sundered into fourteen parts alongside all creation by His counterpart, Hydaelyn.

Ironically, in forcibly erasing his memories, Hermes engraved them deeper upon his soul. In the millennia that followed, the cycle of death and rebirth would lead him to recall the forgotten truth: that the architect of the apocalypse abided at the edge of the universe.

One of the incarnations who inherited a shard of Hermes's tormented soul was a man named Amon, a brilliant technologist who rose to prominence in the Allagan Empire just as it was falling into decline. A victim of its prosperity, the empire had grown stagnant; the people delighted in debauchery, and science was no more than a means to amuse the decadent masses. Lamenting this state of affairs, Amon resolved to resurrect the founding father, Emperor Xande, that he might restore the empire to its former glory. And though he succeeded in his unholy endeavor, the emperor, having once experienced death, had been forever changed by the knowledge. Seeking to return all to nothingness, he set in motion events that would lead to the empire's undoing. But before Allag was consigned to oblivion, the Ascians, wishing to make use of Amon's singular talents, called him to serve as the new Fandaniel.

In receiving of the Ascian mantle, Fandaniel regained the missing pieces of his past and recalled the truth of the Final Days in its entirety. After the three unsundered Ascians met their ends, he forged an alliance with Zenos in order to take control of Zodiark. His heart was a maelstrom of righteous anger and all-consuming despair, twisted further by the remnants of the dreams that had haunted him as Amon─of an ancient world rent asunder by a calamity well deserved.

Ultimately, he did not bear witness to the conclusion of the tale he had written. Having fallen as Zodiark, his soul was subsequently dragged into the depths of the aetherial sea by the spiteful Asahi, and he would never know if the Warrior of Light and his comrades managed to overcome the despair that had broken him so utterly.

==[[The Ascians]]==
Throughout Eorzean history, whether it be in folklore or myth, there has been scattered mention of dark-robed figures known variously as “Ascians” or “Paragons.” With their twisted words, they would incite strife between peoples, or indeed, entire nations─often escalating hostilities by instructing the beleaguered inhabitants in the rituals of primal summoning.

While this portrayal was not inaccurate, it was not the entire story. In the course of their efforts to counter the machinations of the Ascians, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn came to understand the true nature of their enemy. They learned that the cabal was comprised of thirteen prominent individuals: three “unsundered” survivors of the Convocation of Fourteen, the council which had orchestrated the summoning of Zodiark in antiquity; and ten “sundered” souls─fragments of members restored to their former offices. They were known as Loghrif, Mitron, Emet-Selch, Pashtarot, Fandaniel, Altima, Halmarut, Nabriales, Igeyorhm, Deudalaphon, Emmerololth, Lahabrea, and Elidibus. These positions served as both name and title, for should an Ascian fall, another bearing a shard of the same soul would be found and raised to the vacant seat.

The Ascians' ultimate purpose was nothing less than the restoration of their dark god, Zodiark, and the resurrection of their ancient brethren. Such miracles demanded they sow chaos in both the Source and its reflections, that they might cultivate the conditions for cataclysmic Rejoinings. Only then would Zodiark be freed of His chains, and the souls of the modern age be worthy of offering up in sacrifice.

==Azem's Crystal==
In the age of the ancients, when the Convocation made the decision to summon Zodiark, the Fourteenth seat on the council─the seat of Azem─lay empty, for the holder had relinquished his office. When his dear friend and former Azem, Venat, labored to summon Hydaelyn, he did not take part in her plan. Though the circumstances and his reasons were unclear, to the end, Azem walked a path all his own.

After the world was divided into ten and three, the unsundered Ascians sought to reconvene their council to facilitate the rejoining of reflections. Yet while they succeeded in locating the fragmented souls of their erstwhile colleagues, these reincarnations had no recollection of their ancient lives. Thus did the unsundered find it necessary to prepare crystals replete with the knowledge and memories tied to each office.

As a defector, Azem and his legacy were deemed unworthy of preservation. Moved perhaps by lingering affection, however, Emet-Selch crafted a crystal in secret which contained his dear friend's signature incantation: a magick with which he summoned allies to his side in times of great need.

That selfsame crystal was inherited by the Warrior of Light, whose path has ever been paved with trial and tribulation. Whenever he is required to call upon the depths of his conviction, Azem's crystal is sure to answer.

==[[The First]]==
A century before─by that reflection's measure of time─the Warrior of Light and his companions journeyed to the First, it underwent a terrible transformation which forever changed the world. A failed Ascian attempt to set in motion an Eighth Umbral Calamity on the Source triggered a Flood of Light, which then swept across the land, leaving naught but blank perfection in its wake.

The tale of the Flood is one of hubris and tragedy. Hoping to restore peace to an embattled world, brave Warriors of Light fought and felled the Shadowkeeper, steward of Darkness─but in their decisive victory unbalanced the cosmic scales. Though Hydaelyn's agent, the Oracle of Light, managed to stem the ravenous tide and prevent the First's utter annihilation, much was lost. Only Norvrandt─a region the approximate size of Eorzea─remained habitable.

Contrary to traditional associations between light and the astral, the Light that consumed the First is characterized by passivity and tranquility─what scholars of the Source would term “umbral” polarity. Thus did the lands claimed by the Flood, known as the “Empty,” come to reach a state of stasis utterly bereft of aetheric activity. Norvrandt itself would be cursed with an empty sky of unyielding Light and ravenous hordes of Light-warped creatures.

Save for the greatest among them─the Lightwardens─these “sin eaters” are largely mindless beings, seeking only to corrupt the aether of the living and give rise to more of their own. Nevertheless, for the First's remaining population, it has been a constant struggle to keep these fiends at bay. Only since the Scions of the Seventh Dawn arrived to destroy the extant Lightwardens and purge Norvrandt of Light's corruption have its people known a measure of peace. They yet pay homage to their heroes as “Warriors of Darkness” for their role in restoring the night sky.

==Alphinaud==
[[File:Alphinaud portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Alphinaud Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Sage]]''' 

Son of House Leveilleur, it was at the tender age of eleven that Alphinaud and his twin sister, Alisaie, were accepted into the prestigious Studium. There, he specialized in the study of arcane entities, history and natural history, and pursued advanced studies in the magical arts and aetherology. Upon graduating at sixteen, the Sharlayan age of adulthood, he resolved to sail for Eorzea in spite of his father's objections. Alphinaud has since worked to see his grandfather's wishes made reality. It is why he joined the Scions, and later why he founded the Crystal Braves. With the latter, however, the Ul'dahn elite utilized Alphinaud's inflated confidence to their advantage, wresting the Braves from his control and delivering the young man a bitter defeat.

Swallowing his despair, Alphinaud traveled with the Warrior of Light and Tataru to Ishgard, a nation locked in the thousand-year Dragonsong War. There he engaged with various factions and individuals who sought to resolve the conflict in their own way, among them Archbishop Thordan VII, Ser Aymeric, the Azure Dragoon Estinien, and the heretic Ysayle. The experience prompted him to reevaluate his view of the world as well as his purpose, and as the war neared its conclusion, he reached his own: he would not be a man who sacrifices friends and family for a cause. In spite of the risk to himself, he swore to rescue Estinien, who had been corrupted by the influence of Nidhogg's shade, and with the aid of the Warrior of Light succeeded in saving the dragoon's life.

Alphinaud's involvement in the provincial rebellions that followed taught him further life lessons. He saw firsthand the crushing defeat dealt to the Ala Mhigan Resistance in Rhalgr's Reach by Zenos and the XIIth Imperial Legion. Undeterred, the young Scion then journeyed to the Far East with his comrades, braving haunted seas, and helped the Domans to free themselves from imperial rule. Having won an ally in Hien, Doma's rightful king, he returned to Eorzea to once more aid the Ala Mhigans in their fight against the Empire. At length the Eorzean Alliance laid siege to Ala Mhigo, where Zenos ruled as viceroy, and succeeded in vanquishing the imperial occupiers. With peace thus restored to the land, Alphinaud enjoyed a moment of adventure as he joined the Warrior of Light and fellow Scion Arenvald in a quest for lost treasure.

In the course of these experiences, Alphinaud learned of the Populares, a moderate faction in Garlean politics that sought to bring change to its provincial policy. Together with one of its members, a soldier named Maxima, he embarked on a diplomatic mission to the imperial capital. An unexpected attack en route put a premature end to his plans, but his subsequent chance meeting with Gaius led to another opportunity. Long thought dead, the former legatus had taken to working independently in the shadows, and their encounter resulted in an unlikely alliance that set in motion events which would alter the course of history.

After coming to the First, Alphinaud applied himself earnestly and continued to ponder the true meaning of salvation. He did not shrink before Lord Vauthry, the godlike mayor of Eulmore, who believed himself to be mankind's sole deliverance, nor did he hesitate to voice his opposition when Emet-Selch revealed his intent to restore the past at the cost of the future. By these acts, he showed that the salvation that he had once striven to bring to others had transcended hollow ideals and become a tangible endeavor. And in the face of the Telophoroi threat in the Source, his long-held dream was realized with the formation of the Grand Company of Eorzea. With the combined might of not only the city-states but the myriad tribes besides, this organization united the realm in a way its ignominious precursor, the Crystal Braves, could not.

As he continued to walk his long path, Alphinaud was unexpectedly reunited with his father Fourchenault. In their first meeting since he left Sharlayan behind, he was made to question the wisdom of his course─of going to war to effect change. But encouraged by his comrades, his sister Alisaie not least of all, he was able to find his answer: for those he holds dear, he would always choose to fight.

Even now, with the Final Days averted, Alphinaud labors on behalf of those in need. And he will ever do so, forging ahead one step at a time towards the better tomorrow he envisions.

==Alisaie==
[[File:Alisaie portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Alisaie Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Red Mage]]''' 

Alisaie is Alphinaud's twin sister—though she dislikes that their similarity leads people to mistake her for her brother. Though unmistakably a prodigy, she has, in their sixteen years together, always trailed ever so slightly behind him. Her grandfather, however, never treated her as secondary, and as such Alisaie clearly misses Louisoix dearly, still holding him in higher regard than any other.

Shortly after Alisaie gained admission to the Studium at the age of eleven, Louisoix resolved to return to Eorzea in order to save the realm from the Seventh Umbral Calamity. His son Fourchenault attempted to dissuade him, asserting that the wise abjure conflict, but the elder Archon responded with words that have remained in Alisaie's heart: “To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom─it is indolence. We must all protect that which we hold most dear in the manner of our own choosing.” Louisoix upheld his creed to the end, and vanished amidst the fire and fury of the Calamity.

Wishing to know the fate of her beloved grandfather and what he had sacrificed himself for, Alisaie journeyed to Eorzea together with Alphinaud years later. Disappointment awaited her, as she found all the city-states struggling with fundamental problems, with none making any progress towards addressing them. Distancing herself from her brother and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, who proactively aided the nations, she struck out on her own to investigate the truth of the Calamity─and better understand the realm.

In the course of her solitary endeavors, Alisaie uncovered a scheme between the Warriors of Darkness and the Ascians, with her family friend Urianger somehow involved. Seeking to thwart their plot to sow chaos, as well as ascertain Urianger's allegiance, she made the decision to join with the Scions formally.

Since then, Alisaie has fought fearlessly on the front lines. Taking up the rapier in place of the grimoire she received from her grandfather, she played a key role in the liberation of both Doma and Ala Mhigo before helping to save the First from all-consuming Light. Countless times has she been cast down, battered and discouraged, but never has she failed to rise up again and carry on the fight. And in the course of her struggles, she came to accept her grandfather's wisdom and likewise love the world that he gave his life to protect.

During her time in the First, Alisaie tended to the Light-afflicted souls who were living out their days at the Inn at Journey's Head. Determined to save a boy named Halric, it was by her initiative that a cure for sin eater corruption was devised. The method was subsequently adapted into a treatment for tempering─a condition long held to be irreversible─and used to cure not only the koboldling Ga Bu, but the countless people whom the Telophoroi had transformed into the primal Anima's mindless thralls.

In the chaos of the Final Days as well, Alisaie showed unfaltering courage. When the enemy came in force, she charged into the fray; when souls wanted for succor, she rushed to their aid. In this way she lived up to her grandfather's words, protecting that which she holds dear in the manner of her own choosing.

Through it all, Alisaie's sights have never strayed from one individual: the Warrior of Light. Driven by the desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with the hero, she strives to better herself that she may one day count herself his equal.

==[[The Garlean Empire]]==
The Garlean Empire once controlled the majority of the Three Great Continents, the enormous landmass that encompasses Eorzea. Until some fifty years ago, Garlemald was a remote and sparsely populated nation which held little more than a fraction of the northern continent of Ilsabard. But with the arrival of a technological golden age and the concurrent emergence of a brilliant young legatus, Solus Galvus, in the span of a single generation Garlemald established itself as one of the most formidable forces in all of Hydaelyn.

Garlemald is unsurpassed in the field of magitek, a technology which it exploits with devastating effectiveness in warfare. Unperturbed by their lesser numbers, the Garleans went forth upon gigantic flying warships, bearing powerful weaponry the likes of which the world had never seen. One nation after the next fell before their relentless onslaught, first those of the northlands, followed by the sovereign states of the eastern continent, Othard. Employing suppression and conciliation in equal measure, Garlemald indoctrinated the peoples it conquered, thus integrating them into its ever-expanding territory. So it was that the Garlean Empire came into existence.

In the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, the Garleans brought their campaign of conquest to Eorzea, swiftly bringing the city–state of Ala Mhigo to its knees. Yet following the subjugation of Ala Mhigo, the Empire suddenly ceased its aggressive expansion.

For a time, it seemed as though the Empire's complete subjugation of the world was all but inevitable. However, Emperor Solus's failing health and eventual death triggered a war of succession, and following a protracted campaign on Eorzean soil, Gaius van Baelsar and his XIVth Legion suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the newly unified Eorzean Alliance. Thus did cracks begin to appear in the Empire's armor, and as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn continued to intervene on behalf of the oppressed, the Garleans went on to lose control of Doma in the east and Ala Mhigo in the west. To compound their woes, the new emperor, Varis, had scarcely won the throne before he was slain by his son Zenos, who had an agenda all his own.

Zenos then colluded with the Ascian Fandaniel, and using his father's corpse as a medium, summoned forth the primal Anima. The imperial capital, which had become the stage for a bloody civil war, fell silent as nearly every soldier and civilian remaining was turned into a tempered slave.

Though both Anima and the Telophoroi have since been eliminated, Garlemald struggles to recover from the devastation. The leaders of the subjugated territories bide their time, making no moves to resurrect the fallen Empire, and it remains to be seen what the future holds.

==[[Magitek]]==
The term magitek collectively refers to the advanced technology widely employed by the Garlean Empire. Utilizing ceruleum as a source of power, it has found practical applications in all aspects of life, from everyday conveniences such as heaters and radios, to weapons of destruction such as flying warships.

The history of magitek can be traced back to the year 1513, when a man named Solus Galvus attained the rank of legatus. The twenty-four-year-old Garlean learned of the newly invented ceruleum engine, and saw great potential in it. His was the hand that guided the development of magitek weapons, and his the mind that devised tactics for these warmachina. Galvus also saw them integrated into the army, and so imbued the military with mechanical might.

Innately ungifted in magic, the Garleans once relied upon mages recruited from foreign lands to bolster their armies. Not only did magitek free them from that dependence─it transformed them into a machine of conquest.

==[[Ceruleum]]==
For centuries, the Garleans warred with the Corvosi for control of the warm and fertile lands south of Ilsabard's central mountains, but they were eventually defeated and driven into the northern wastes. Winters in the Garleans' new home were harsh. The northern seas were bound in ice for most of the year, and the resources of the waters were available for only a slim window. Likewise, farming and rearing animals were possible only at certain times. The land, in other words, could not support a large populace. The Garleans multiplied slowly, and over time were forced to accept being few in number. There was but one benefit to the frigid land—its vast deposits of ceruleum. This deep-blue liquid burned as well as oil, and kept the hearth warm during the long, dark times of year. Indeed, had it not been for this natural resource, the Garleans would not have survived the severe winter cold. Yet, it was to be a long time before the advent of the ceruleum engine, and the Garleans realized what a boon this liquid was.

==[[The Students of Baldesion]]==
Founded by Galuf Baldesion as a research organization devoted to combating threats to the star, the Students of Baldesion study all manner of relics, magicks, and unexplained phenomena in lands near and far.

In stark contrast to other Sharlayan organizations that would adopt their city-state's policy of nonintervention, the Students have often collaborated with foreign scholars in their never-ending pursuit of knowledge. G'raha Tia's assignment to the Sons of Saint Coinach during the Crystal Tower expedition, as well as the Students' constant support of the Circle of Knowing and their successor, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, are two notable examples of this philosophy in practice. Since their conception, this academic collective has also served as an advisory body to the Forum and other influential parties, identifying potential threats to mankind and providing counsel as needed.

The Students' headquarters were once located on the Isle of Val, a remote island south of Sharlayan which Galuf had purchased with considerable funds accumulated over the course of many adventures. The facilities constructed there allowed his organization to thrive and perform research independent of the Sharlayan motherland, but this selfsame independence rendered them uniquely vulnerable to attack. The Isle of Val abruptly vanished one day, and it was later determined that a terrible magick was responsible, having obliterated the isle and nearly all who were present at the time.

In recent days, the remaining Students have made the Baldesion Annex in Old Sharlayan their base of operations. Krile, adoptive granddaughter of Galuf, has assumed the role of leader for the time being, hoping to carry on her grandfather's legacy.

==Thancred==
[[File:Thancred portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Thancred Waters]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Gunbreaker]]''' 

A member of the Scions, Thancred grew up in the backstreets of Limsa Lominsa, and spent his adolescence snatching purses with a band of petty thieves. One day, he targeted an Elezen man who had come to the maritime city-state to study aether. Unbeknownst to Thancred, that man was Louisoix Leveilleur and just as the boy drew near, the Archon sent him flying to the cobbles. Caught red-handed, Thancred was certain he would be tossed onto one of the city-state's prison hulks. Instead, Louisoix offered him an alternative─use his gods-given agility to aid his fellow man. Thus, the Midlander boy returned with the Archon to Sharlayan, and there began to study survival and intelligence gathering techniques. He became an expert in both, then an Archon, and then a member of the Circle of Knowing.

In the years leading up to the Seventh Umbral Calamity, Thancred was dispatched to Ul'dah on a mission of paramount importance. He would work surreptitiously to undermine the interests of the Garlean Empire, who had begun preparations for a future campaign of conquest in Eorzea. In the course of his duties, he was present at a parade during which a goobbue broke free and rampaged through the city, resulting in the death of a man named Warburton. Though his identity as a double agent for the Empire and Ala Mhigan Resistance were of particular interest, Warburton's true legacy would be Ascilia, the daughter he left behind, and for whose welfare Thancred thenceforth felt personally responsible.

While Thancred wanted to ensure Ascilia's safety and well-being, his responsibilities meant that he could not act as a proper guardian. The songstress F'lhaminn instead adopted her, though Thancred made a point to visit when he could, as well as bestow upon her a new name to help hide her from her father's enemies. Thus did she come to be known as Minfilia Warde, and while she grew older over the years, a part of him always saw her as that crying child in the streets─a daughter for whom Thancred should have done more.

In the wake of the Calamity, fate would see both Thancred and Minfilia join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn─he as a member, and she as their leader. Thancred was instrumental in many of the Scions' victories, but the events that followed the bloody banquet would forever change him. While holding off pursuers with Y'shtola during their escape from Ul'dah, the mage cast a forbidden spell to facilitate a swift escape. There were consequences, however, and his journey through the Lifestream saw him lose his ability to properly control aether and magicks. Yet what pained him far more was the loss of Minfilia, who had gone missing in the chaos. His grief was further compounded when he learned she had been summoned to Hydaelyn's side to serve as the Word of the Mother, a vessel for the deity's will─and one seemingly devoid of Minfilia's.

The two were reunited after the Scions' clash with Ardbert and the Warriors of Darkness, where Urianger called upon Hydaelyn to intercede on behalf of the First. Hearing this earnest appeal, the Word of the Mother appeared and resolved to journey with the fallen champions unto their world and save it from the Flood of Light. Though Hydaelyn spoke through her, Thancred realized to his relief that Minfilia was still present...but this joy was tempered by the understanding that they would soon part ways once more. Bitter though it was, Thancred accepted this outcome, for he knew that Minfilia would make him proud.

Thancred was the first of the Scions called to Norvrandt by the Crystal Exarch. After his arrival he learned of how the Word of the Mother had sacrificed herself, and of the existence of the Oracle of Light, a girl who had inherited Minfilia's name and soul both. To save her from a life of imprisonment, he breached the gaols of Eulmore and took her into hiding. He taught the Oracle how to fight and survive, and continued to care for her well after the other Scions joined him on the First. Though their relationship was complicated, no matter how daunting the foe, the two would stand together, for Thancred believed he had found in the Oracle another chance─another daughter for the one he had lost. And when she found the strength to stand for herself and not be defined by Minfilia's legacy, Thancred would bestow upon her a new name: Ryne, his “blessing.”

Now returned to the Source, Thancred continues to fight for the future of the star Minfilia loved so much. He often travels with his boon companion, Urianger, who notes that Thancred has developed a habit of gazing at the night sky, a smile on his face as he considers the stars. Though one can only speculate what he is thinking in those moments, Urianger likes to believe his thoughts are of Ryne─and that no matter the distance between them, in his heart they are never far apart.

==Zodiark==
[[File:Zodiark portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zodiark]]'''</big> 
'''Primal''' 

Like Hydaelyn, Zodiark is one of the eldest and most powerful of primals. To define what exactly He is, one must first define Light and Darkness─polar opposites whose core components differ from the six main elements of which the star is composed.

The ancients classified Light as that which governs tranquility and stasis. It is a pure white energy bereft of color or movement, and in modern terminology, an element of this nature would be defined as “umbral.” In contrast, Darkness was classified as that which spurs growth. It is an energy of deepest black─a cacophony of life's myriad colors─and contemporary scholars would define elements of this active nature as “astral.” As such, Zodiark is Darkness and activity given form, while Hydaelyn, who would be His undoing, was conceived as the embodiment of peace and Light everlasting. In the world unsundered, these concepts lacked any associations with good and evil; Light and Darkness were simply fundamental energies that coexisted in all things.

Approximately twelve thousand years ago, a vast quantity of Darkness was required to forestall the coming of the Final Days, that its dynamic nature might ensure that the celestial currents of Etheirys did not stagnate. So it was that the ancients devised a plan to create a god who would embody Darkness itself, and at the order of the Convocation of Fourteen, half of the star's surviving population gave their lives to bring Zodiark into being.

Serving as the primal's heart was the emissary Elidibus. Though countless ancients sacrificed their physical aether and tethered their very souls to Zodiark, Elidibus, having judged his duties unfinished, created a reflection of himself to keep vigil over his allies. Zodiark's untold power averted disaster for a time...yet those who survived and had come to worship Him sought to perpetuate the cycle of sacrifice. They vowed to reap the new life they had sown in His name to resurrect those who had rendered up their essence to fuel the primal's summoning.

Venat and her followers stood in opposition to Zodiark's faithful. Believing that a new generation should inherit Etheirys, they summoned forth Hydaelyn, a second primal born of collective sacrifice, with Venat to serve as Her heart. And so Hydaelyn brought Her tranquil Light to bear against Zodiark's relentless Darkness in a terrible battle. Hydaelyn narrowly emerged the victor, and with Her final strike sundered Zodiark and the star itself into fourteen shards. With Her enemy fragmented and too weak to resist, Hydaelyn created a moon for each shard─a series of gaols in which the divided Zodiark would be sealed for all eternity.

Outraged by the sundering of their world and their god, the Ascians─those who had belonged to the Convocation of Fourteen─resolved to revive Zodiark and restore the broken world to the paradise it once was. For millennia they plotted against Hydaelyn and Her followers, orchestrating events to achieve their ultimate goal, until one of their own chose to forsake this solemn charge.

The Ascian Fandaniel, upon regaining his memories and understanding his true nature, rejected his role in his brethren's machinations. After learning of Elidibus's defeat on the First, he resolved instead to destroy Zodiark. Using Garlemald as his base of operations, the rogue Ascian orchestrated the summoning of the primal Anima, who would siphon aether from across the star and direct it into the Tower of Babil. Utilizing the tower as an aetheric cannon, Fandaniel crippled the mechanisms on the moon which kept Zodiark imprisoned, and subsequently traveled there to seize control of the elder primal by offering himself as His new heart.

Though the Ascian was laid low by the Warrior of Light, Fandaniel reveled in Zodiark's defeat, as his ultimate goal was the return of the Final Days. In a final act of defiance, Zodiark reached into His chest and shattered His own heart, consigning the elder primal to a permanent death.

With His demise on the Source, it is presumed that the reflections of Zodiark in other shards were destroyed as well, and the once-fettered souls of the ancients are finally free to return to the Lifestream.

==Ryne==
[[File:Ryne portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Ryne|Ryne Waters]]'''</big> 
'''Oracle of Light''' 
This young maiden of the First fought the sin eaters alongside the Warrior of Darkness, and played an instrumental role in restoring night to Norvrandt.

It is impossible to speak of Ryne without first speaking of the Oracle of Light, Minfilia. Approximately a century ago, when the Flood of Light threatened to engulf the First, the people of Nabaath Areng bore witness to a woman who single-handedly halted the encroaching radiance. Amidst the tumult, someone was heard crying out "Minfilia"—and so it was that Norvrandt's mysterious savior was named.

Fifteen years later, when the Kingdom of Voeburt fell to sin eaters, a girl was discovered who could not be turned by their corruption. With her hair of spun gold and eyes of clearest sapphire, she bore an uncanny resemblance to the legendary Oracle. Inheriting her name, this Minfilia went on to be a beacon of hope in mankind's struggle against the sin eater threat, but as is the fate of many a soldier, she eventually fell in battle. Some years later, however, another girl would appear who possessed the same distinct features and immunity both. In this way the cycle continued, with a new Minfilia emerging as if to replace the one who had died before her.

This strange phenomenon was brought about by none other than the original Minfilia, the Antecedent of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, who had journeyed from the Source to deliver the First from destruction. Having quelled the Flood, she began reincarnating into the bodies of suitable young girls so that the blessing of Light, the source of resistance to sin eater corruption, might endure. Those who were vessels for Minfilia's soul invariably manifested her features, serving to identify the bearer of the blessing.

Once Vauthry became supreme leader of Eulmore, however, the Oracle was deemed no longer necessary. In truth, Vauthry feared the Oracle and the hope she symbolized, and so he ordered General Ran'jit to find and imprison the next Minfilia to appear. That girl was Ryne (though she was yet to be called thus), and she was locked up deep in the city's dungeon before she had seen five summers. For years she languished there, deprived of the opportunity to develop her powers, until she was rescued by Thancred, whom the Crystal Exarch had summoned from the Source.

The days that followed were filled with excitement and discovery for the young maiden. From Thancred she learned how to live and fight, and over time he became as a father to her. Yet even as she grew closer to him, she began to question his motivations for taking her under his wing. She came to believe it was the original Minfilia that he had sought to save—that he would be happier if she surrendered her body to the woman's soul—and the thought tormented her throughout her journey with the Warrior of Darkness.

In time, the moment of truth would arrive. Tracking down the remaining Lightwardens required that she harness greater power as the Oracle, and it was during a bitter confrontation with Ran'jit that she finally found the strength of will to walk her own path. With Thancred laying his life on the line to secure her escape, she pressed on to inherit her namesake's power and arise as the Oracle in her own right. Driven by the desire to fulfill the legacy of those who went before her, she returned with her hair and eyes restored to their natural hues, and from the man who was her father in all the ways that mattered, she received the name by which she is now known.

With the Lightwardens that once plagued the realm no more, Ryne now dedicates her days to restoring life to the First. Be it bejeweled with stars or a brilliant blue, the sky never fails to remind her of journeys past as well as her family, whose love she feels no matter the distance between them.

==[[Garlond Ironworks]]==
Cid Garlond established the Ironworks in 1562 so that magitek technology might spread throughout Eorzea, lessening the Garlean Empire's dangerous monopoly on the science. With a combination of both Garlean defectors and young Eorzean engineers in its employ, the manufacturers create everything from airships to ceruleum-driven trains. There are even scaled models for the younglings of well-to-do houses.

The company is second to none when it comes to airships, and it was but a twelvemoon after Cid's defection from the Empire that he designed a civilian model completely craftable with Eorzean resources. Since forging their partnership with Highwind Skyways, the Ironworks has produced countless airships, and is largely responsible for the current era's convenience in sky travel.

While Cid remains the president of the company in name, during his five-year absence following the Calamity, it was a woman named Jessie who saw to the everyday management of the Ironworks. It is said that she remains at the company's helm even now, as Cid's duties often lead him far afield, and hers was the hand that signed the contract enlisting former imperial tribunus and engineering prodigy Nero tol Scaeva into their ranks.

Working tirelessly by the motto "Freedom through Technology," Cid and his fellow engineers have been a reliable source of innovation. Through their inventions, they have provided the Warrior of Light and their comrades with many a vital breakthrough, and they will doubtless continue to do so.

==Spirit Vessel==
Long ago, the Crystal Exarch came to a fateful conclusion: only a mighty warrior who could defeat the Lightwardens as well as resist their corruption could deliver salvation to Norvrandt. The sole individual he knew capable of such feats—the Warrior of Light—abided in the Source, and thus did he labor to adapt the Crystal Tower's cross-rift travel capabilities that he might bring the hero unto the First.

Success proved elusive. Even after much time and effort, instead of the Warrior of Light, the Exarch ended up summoning their fellow Scions, and incompletely; only their souls successfully made the journey. Though he could weave for them something akin to corporeal forms, their actual bodies remained locked in slumber in the Source, and the connection between flesh and soul would eventually fail, resulting in death. To wit, it was imperative that he found a way to return his unintended guests safely home.

When teleporting, an individual takes their possessions with them by virtue of recognizing those objects as extensions of the self. It was this mechanism that served as the basis of the solution. Receptacles would be created to hold each of the Scions' souls, which the Warrior of Light, who had been summoned whole and complete, would then carry back across the rift to the Source. The finished product, the spirit vessel, also drew inspiration from white auracite, Moenbryda's ingenious invention for capturing an Ascian soul.

However, one other obstacle had to be overcome: the separation of mind and memory. While the two are intrinsically entwined like words writ upon parchment, the latter is wont to fade when the soul is placed into a vessel. In seeking to ensure that their memories remained intact, the companions looked to Allagan memory transference—a technique which required that their spirit vessels be imbued with royal Allagan blood. This blood was provided by the Exarch himself, and it also served to turn these vessels into keys for controlling the Crystal Tower, whose operation was restricted to the ancient empire's rulers.

==Emet-Selch==
[[File:Emet-Selch portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Emet-Selch]]'''</big> 
'''Ascian''' 
A man whose true name was Hades, mighty sorcerer of eld.

Who became Solus zos Galvus, founding father of the Garlean Empire. Who threatened the world as the most dangerous of foes. Who stood at your side as the most dependable of friends.

An ancient who clove to his ideals to the bitter end. A man who rendered up his all for the people he loved.

A man who once lived.

==The Studium==
True to its reputation as the cradle of knowledge, Sharlayan is home to numerous private study halls and schooling facilities, but it is the prestigious Studium which represents its foremost institution of learning. The academy opened its doors in the year 432 of the Sixth Astral Era, and for over a thousand years has established a history for producing accomplished Archons and contributing to breakthroughs in every academic field.

While initial classes focused on the formal study of the arcane, the occult, and astromancy, it was from these subjects that aetherology─the exploration of magic's fundamental theory─was derived. This signaled the beginning of a more diverse curriculum, the main trunk branching out to include mundane fields such as the natural sciences of astronomy and biology. These were joined by the social sciences (law and economics), the humanities (philosophy and history), the formal sciences (mathematics and statistics), and the applied sciences (alchemy and medicine), and more on the spectrum of learning. Not all faculties are of equal size, however, with some professors teaching only a handful of pupils. This situation is exacerbated by compound disciplines such as somanoutics─combining the study of aetherology, sorcery, and medicine─the introduction of which leads to no few students transferring between faculties during their academy career.

Now unburdened by the threat of the Final Days, administrators have seized the opportunity to enact changes. The Studium's post-exodus limitations on accepting foreign students has since been lifted, and hopeful young scholars now converge on the city from every corner of Etheirys.

==The Eighth Umbral Calamity==
The Source has been visited by seven cataclysmic events known as “Umbral Calamities.” The first of these was the Calamity of Wind, followed by the Calamities of Lightning, Fire, Earth, Ice, Water, and finally the Calamity of Darkness. While these disasters may seem the logical consequence of conflict or natural phenomena, they could not, in truth, have occurred without a massive disruption of the aetherial equilibrium of a reflection world. When a reflection's balance shifts drastically towards a single aspect, the heightened elemental energies seep into the Source─much as water flows from higher to lower ground. An influx of fire-aspected aether might cause extended droughts, for example, while ice could result in a widespread drop in temperature. These anomalies become increasingly common, until a final great catastrophe breaks down the barrier between the two worlds. In that moment, all the aether which comprises the reflection floods into the Source, and the catastrophe swells into a full-fledged Umbral Calamity.

Though it did not take place within our present timeline, the Eighth Umbral Calamity's origin can be traced back to the First, where the power of Light was ascendant. Even as the luminous excess bled into the Source, the Garlean Empire launched its Black Rose upon the battlefield, and the deadly gas─itself a weapon of a Light-based nature─was amplified far beyond its expected potency. It spread over a vast area, halting the circulation of aether and killing every living being with which it came into contact. The aether currents themselves were stilled, and the repercussions of this stagnation rippled throughout the environment. The Alliance leaders and Scions who had gathered to fight the imperial armies were slain where they stood.

Thus began an age of unending war. Order broke down, violence ran rampant, and all fought in the savage battle for survival. In the midst of civilization's collapse, it was Cid and his Garlond Ironworks' stalwarts who led the development of an ambitious and far-reaching plan. Founded upon the knowledge they had gleaned in preceding years, the group set out to create a reality in which the Eighth Umbral Calamity never happened─to build a past in which the calamity was prevented, and ensure that the fallen heroes survived into the future.

The engineers and their collaborators toiled for generations, devoting their lives and the lives of their descendants to bringing this mad scheme to fruition. Finally, after decades of preparation, they succeeded in transporting the reawoken Crystal Tower backwards through the years and into the world of the First.

Many adventures and misadventures later, Darkness was restored to the ailing reflection, and the Eighth Umbral Calamity was averted. None who live today bore witness to that tragedy, nor the great effort which went into making this miracle possible. None will ever know who their saviors were, nor the thoughts and fears which drove them. None will ever know if their bleak future was erased by the changing of history, or if it endures in a fork of time's eternal river. Here and now, their hopes for the world are evident only in the continued survival of those they gave everything to save.

==The Void==
The Thirteenth was once strikingly similar to the Source, albeit possessed of its own unique history─much as might be said of any other reflection. Tragedy arrived, however, when Ascians enveloped the lands in Darkness in their attempt to shatter the barrier between the worlds and force a Rejoining. The first step of their machinations involved sharing the secrets of primal summoning and instigating wars of conquest. Heroes possessed of preternatural talents came forth to do battle, employing an art that sealed the primals away in crystal “memoria.” They then drew on the memoria's power to tip the balance and quell the conflicts for good, but from these champions arose new tyrants, intoxicated by the strength they now wielded. One by one, the heroes fell, the tides turned, and the catastrophic shift in aetherial equilibrium triggered a Flood of Darkness.

Yet even greater disaster was to come when the Ascians' Rejoining failed to channel the surfeit of Darkness unto the Source. Having nowhere else to which it could escape, these energies surged and swelled until it engulfed the Thirteenth entirely, transforming every living being on the star into twisted fiends. All that was left was a grasping void, where even the surcease of death was denied its inhabitants.

Ever since this inundation of Darkness, the veil separating worlds has been notably thinner between the Source and the void, more so than with any other reflection. Forging a passage via natural fissures or man-made gates is comparatively simple, and voidsent incursions─be they the result of deliberate summonings or otherwise─are a frequent occurrence.

==Zero==
[[File:Zero portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zero]]'''</big> 
'''Memoriate''' 
In the void, where life's natural cycle no longer holds sway, Zero strives to restore her world to its rightful state.

Zero's mother, a memoriate, was with child when she was exposed to a powerful source of Darkness during battle. Zero was thus born half-voidsent, and ceased to age after reaching adulthood. She chose to take up her mother's struggle to bring an end to the Contramemoria, but while traveling as a lone hero, she was bested by a band of corrupt memoriates. The Flood of Darkness inundated the world even as she lay dying, sweeping her soul into the rift between worlds.

When an incidental fissure at last allowed her to return, she found her world an empty void, uninhabitable by any being that was not a voidsent. Zero surrendered to hopelessness, condemned as she was to wander alone for eternity.

Although strong enough to manifest her own territory in the swirling mire, Zero rarely visited her “home” unless her aether reserves were low. It instead became a sanctuary for lesser voidsent who had grown tired of the endless battle for dominance─an intrusion she tolerated without protest.

Seeking an advantage against the Warrior of Light, it was Zenos who summoned Zero to the Source and bound her to serve as his reaper avatar. With his defeat, she was cast back unto the void, where she would once again encounter Eorzea's champion and their companions when they came in search of the great wyrm Azdaja. They gave her the name “Zero,” and struck a bargain to enlist her aid in their battle against Golbez's archfiends. As they traveled and fought together, Zero began to reconnect with a part of herself she had thought forever lost, and the discovery of how Light might be restored to her world rekindled a fire within her breast. Zero soon abandoned the pretense of payment and accompanied the Warrior of Light of her own accord, forging bonds of friendship with Jullus and many others in a way that she had shunned when fighting alone.

The quest to defeat Zeromus would eventually take her to the First to meet with Ryne, the Oracle of Light. Ryne's words gave Zero much to consider, and after contemplating what her half-voidsent nature allowed her to do that no other being could, she took within herself the power of Light.

Zero then returned to the Void to confront Golbez in the depths of the moon. Golbez, too, had desired to restore the Thirteenth, but in his grief at losing his dear companion, he had been manipulated by the Ascians into unleashing the Flood of Darkness. So it was that Zero revealed to him the flicker of Light she carried, convincing the would-be conqueror that a seed of hope yet remained. During the ensuing battle with Zeromus, Zero's fervent wish to save her world transformed her into a knight of legendary appearance. A blow infused with both Light and Darkness shattered Zeromus's form, and Zero succeeded in sealing the massive voidsent's aether in memoria. Following their triumph, she joined hands with the repentant Golbez, and together they took the first steps toward bringing Light into the void.

Wary of diluting her essence, Zero has always avoided feeding on the souls of others. This insistence on consuming stray aether often led to her death through starvation, leaving her to drift in the void until her corporeal form was reconstituted. After not eating physically for so long, Zero's sense of taste had also atrophied─but she has since rediscovered this facet of cuisine after sampling heavily spiced foods in the Source. The extremely spicy curry custom-made to her preference in Radz-at-Hahn has become one of the city's new signature dishes.

==Souls==
Within all beings─whether it be man, animal, or even plant─does aether flow. It is the spark which grants life to the lifeless. Conversely, death can be said to occur once aether has left a corporeal object. From this it is clear to see why many scholars use the words 'life' and 'aether' interchangeably.

The aether of the living can be broadly divided into corporeal aether─one's vigor or life force; and incorporeal aether─more colloquially known as one's soul. A person possessed of only the former becomes a zombie, while having only the latter would render them a ghost.

Aetherologists also assert that an individual's “memory” is inscribed upon their soul's aether. It is further theorized that memories associated with stronger emotions, such as regret, are more likely to persist after death, which would perhaps explain why so many spirits fixate upon vengeance.

When a living creature perishes, its corporeal aether remains in the physical world where it is consumed by predators or absorbed back into the land to provide nourishment for other life-forms. Incorporeal aether, however, is returned to the aetherial sea. In that otherworldly plane is a soul washed clean of its memories, there to await rebirth as a new entity.

==Gulool Ja Ja==
[[File:Gulool Ja Ja portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Gulool Ja Ja]]'''</big> 
'''First Dawnservant of Tuliyollal''' 
The foremost feature of his striking appearance, Gulool Ja Ja's two heads are a characteristic unique to the Mamool Ja's "blessed siblings"-rare individuals born of a union between the brown-scaled Hoobigo and the blue-scaled Boonewa.

These two-headed marvels inherit both the Hoobigo's robust strength and the Boonewa's arcane affinity, maturing into warriors of unrivaled martial prowess. The Mamool Ja have previously sought to force this miracle, desiring advantage in their historical conflict against the Xbr'aal, but the commingling of the Hoobigo and Boonewa lines was fraught with complications: for every healthy blessed sibling born, a hundred infants failed to survive.

Before Gulool Ja Ja's feet, too, were set firmly on the path of war, he was fortunate to encounter the Eorzean explorer, Ketenramm. The friendship he forged with the outsider opened his eyes to the world beyond the forest, encouraging him to depart Mamook and its restrictive traditions. He traveled far and wide across the lands of Tural, meeting its diverse races and cultivating new companions along the way. His was a tale of unprecedented adventures, which culminated in the defeat and imprisonment of Valigarmanda, the Skyruin.

Following these accomplishments, Gulool Ja Ja returned to Yak T'el with his comrades in tow, whereupon they challenged the warring Mamool Ja and Xbr'aal forces. The two-head's fellowship thoroughly humbled both armies, leading to a cessation of hostilities and a lasting peace.

Word of Valigarmanda's defeat and the end of the Yak T'el war spread swiftly to every corner of the continent. The philosophy of cooperation espoused by Gulool Ja Ja begat a rising tide of like-minded sentiment, paving the way for the foundation of Tuliyollal and elevating him to the position of "Dawnservant." As the new nation's ruler, his bold and ebullient right head would lead their armies as the Vow of Resolve, whilst his wise and benevolent left head would govern their myriad peoples as the Vow of Reason. Under this balanced leadership did he henceforth guide the fledgling federation into a state of great prosperity.

As a two-headed Mamool Ja, Gulool Ja Ja was thought incapable of siring children. Some decades after his ascension to the throne, however, the Dawnservant was blessed with the arrival of a son: Zoraal Ja. And as if precipitated by this unprecedented event, Gulool Ja Ja went on to adopt the orphaned Koana and Wuk Lamat, one promptly after the other. With the royal family thus expanded, the Dawnservant turned his hand to raising his heirs the First, Second, and Third Promises.

Yet even the greatest of potentates cannot outrun old age forever. Unwilling to allow his inevitable passing to plunge the nation into chaos, Gulool Ja Ja took inspiration from the old ways of Mamook to devise a rite of succession. He watched over Wuk Lamat and Koana as they became joint rulers of Tuliyollal, and it was during the ascension ceremony that he confirmed their suspicions: the constantly slumbering Head of Reason had passed quietly from this world some three years before.

Gulool Ja Ja's saga came to a tragic end when soldiers of Alexandria later attacked the capital. The former Dawnservant faced off against the invasion force's commander-his own son, Zoraal Ja in single combat, seemingly defeating the treacherous Promise. Using regulator technology, however, Zoraal Ja arose stronger than before and slew his father in cold blood.

==Tural==
Comprised of two great landmasses-Xak Tural, the northern lands of the Father, and Yok Tural, the southern lands of the Mother-the continent of the "New World" lies far to the west of Eorzea's shores.

Its many and diverse peoples spent centuries mired in territorial wars until the epic deeds of Gulool Ja Ja and his dream of Tuliyollal saw them united under the banner of a single nation some eighty years ago.

This age of peace would endure until the unquiet days which followed the rite of succession. Scarcely had Wuk Lamat and Koana ascended the throne when the new Vows were faced with an unusual crisis-the abrupt appearance of an enormous dome of energy over Yyasulani. It was then that a mechanical army led by Zoraal Ja, the true son of the former Dawnservant, emerged from the glowing structure, and launched an assault upon the capital of Tuliyollal.

Upon investigation, the dome was found to contain a fraction of a shard world fused with the local region. The reflection's partial rejoining caused a temporal anomaly, its nature such that while mere moments had passed outside, those trapped within had lived through thirty years. During those lost decades, Queen Sphene, ruler of the dome's people, joined hands with Zoraal Ja. Together they built the kingdom of Alexandria anew, and in a bid to plunder aether from other worlds, orchestrated the invasion which brought such panic and destruction to Tural.

Although the Warrior of Light was able to aid the newly ascended Dawnservants in defeating the immediate threat, the dome itself persists—as do the issues surrounding the repatriation of those native to Yyasulani.

==The Rite of Succession==
The rite of succession was a contest held by Tuliyollal's first Dawnservant, Gulool Ja Ja, to determine a worthy successor to his throne.

He permitted four candidates to participate in the rite: his firstborn son, Zoraal Ja; his adopted children, Koana and Wuk Lamat; and the winner of the grand melee tournament, the two- headed Bakool Ja Ja, who was the only competitor not part of the royal family.

The conditions for victory required the hopefuls to find the legendary city of gold. Breaking the seal the Dawnservant had placed at its entrance, however, would require the acquisition of seven keystones, which could only be earned by retracing the steps Gulool Ja Ja once walked to unite Tural's peoples. Along the way, the candidates would encounter seven electors, each waiting to award a keystone to those who performed a chosen feat to their satisfaction.

On the surface, this overwrought process seemed designed solely to indulge Gulool Ja Ja's love of competition, but it served a deeper purpose. By forcing the candidates to interact with the electors also elders of the various clans-the Dawnservant hoped to impart a greater understanding of Tuliyollal's diverse cultures and history, and in so doing cultivate a fitting heir to his title.

==Tural Vidraal==
A tural vidraal is a rare example of when a creature of advanced age evolves far beyond the usual limits of its species. Meaning "land grasper" in the common tongue, the term well describes how the monstrous power of these entities comes to dominate the region in which they dwell.

The existence of several tural vidraal have been recorded to date, but even among these anomalies, the infamous Valigarmanda was unrivaled in strength. It was dubbed the "Skyruin," a name earned for the destruction it visited upon Tural every time it stirred from slumber. Valigarmanda's reign of terror continued until eight decades past, when Gulool Ja Ja and his company of heroes subdued the beast and sealed it within the Yok Huy temple of Karryorzar the Gracious.

The Skyruin awakened one last time during the rite of succession, its prison of ice unmade by the reckless actions of Bakool Ja Ja. Fortunately for the region's inhabitants, the Mamool Ja's rival candidates and their champions rose to the challenge. Upon the field of battle did they come together to slay the scourge of Urqopacha, and write the final chapter to its legend.

==The Storm Surge==
The Storm Surge is the name given to the great conflict that raged in the Ninth some four hundred and fifty years ago. Engulfing the Kingdom of Alexandria and other major powers of the age, it brought the entire world to the brink of destruction.

The impetus for the Storm Surge was an anomalous shift in the star's aether, which saw lightning energy grow ever more abundant. This gave rise to a tumultuous rainy season that lengthened with each passing year, causing crops and livestock alike to wither for want of sunlight. As desperation drove the people to search for a solution, a singular ore was discovered that had apparently manifested as a result of the aetheric imbalance. Lated dubbed electrope, this ore had the ability to absorb and contain lightning, and by etching arcane circuits upon it—a technique derived from the knowledge of the Milalla people—it could convert the stored energy into any of the other elements. With this development, electrope became a miraculous material that found use in countless applications.

In those early days, however, electrope was a scarce resource. Seeking to secure sufficient reserves, nations fought over the precious ore, with sporadic skirmishes inevitably escalating into open war. Predictably, electrope too came to be employed on the battlefield, and in an act of madness, the nation of Lindblum deployed a doomsday weapon that devastated the star's aetheric balance, triggering a disaster equal of any umbral calamity. So it was that the Storm Surge, which had already claimed innumerable lives, came to its conclusion, with no nation the victor. The Kingdom of Alexandria alone barely escaped annihilation, and afterwards wwas flooded with refugees from nearby lands.

==Everkeep==
Dominating the skies above the enclosed portion of Yyasulani, this colossal twelve-level tower rises from the heart of HEritage Found.

When the balance of aether collapsed in the Ninth, only the Kingdom of Alexandria was fortunate enough to survive the calamity. Nevertheless, it suffered tremendous devastation, with great swathes of its territory submerged by endless rains.

Against this dire backdrop, a collective of scientists known as Preservation announced a plan to build a great tower over the royal palace, within which survivors might take shelter from the rising waters. It was a project of unprecedented scale, but through the extensive and innovative use of electrope, what was thought impossible became possible. Over the following centuries, additional elements were added to the structure, with sectors for primary and secondary industries constructed beside residential areas, until it grew into its present form, with all the facilities needed not only for people to survive, but to thrive.

Eventually, life within Everkeep became so advanced that the populace could enjoy indulgences like an amusement park, which was opened on the uppermost level. Later, however, when the method for recreating the departed from preserved memories was perfected, the park was renamed Living Memory and repurposed as a home for the Endless. This level alone remained in the Ninth when interdimensional fusion was employed to join Alexandria to the Source.

[[Category:Features]] [[Category:Patch 6.1 Features]] [[Category:Lore]]

The Unending Codex

2025-03-26T02:35:57Z

Psike: /* Entries */

{{spoiler}}
{{Item infobox
| name = The Unending Codex
| icon = the unending codex icon1.png
| description = Accessible from your Collection, the Unending Codex puts vital information about in-game terminology and characters at your fingertips. Review this handwritten record of key concepts from your journey thus far whenever you fear the details of past adventures are slipping from your grasp.
| type = Collection
| material-type =
| unique = y
| untradable = y
| unsellable = y
| rarity = white
| patch = 6.1
| release = endwalker
}} [[File:The Unending Codex2.jpg|right|thumb|400px]] [[File:The Unending Codex.png|right|thumb|400px]]

[[The Unending Codex]] is unlocked during the quest {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}, with new entries added as the story unfolds. Most lore entries summarize important characters and concepts in the [[Main Scenario Quests]] primarily up to the end of the initial release of [[Endwalker]] ([[patch 6.0]]), although later entries go beyond that.

The Codex can be accessed from the [[Collection]] feature in the Main Menu → Duty tab.__NOTOC__

==Entries==

{| {{STDT|sortable pve align-left}}
! Name
! Type
! Unlock
! Patch
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tataru|Tataru]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Scions of the Seventh Dawn|The Scions of the Seventh Dawn]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Final Days|The Final Days]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Estinien|Estinien]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Bountiful Ruins}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#G'raha|G'raha]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Krile|Krile]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Y'shtola|Y'shtola]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Hydaelyn|Hydaelyn]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Reflections|The Reflections]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Crystal Tower|The Crystal Tower]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Urianger|Urianger]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Vrtra|Vrtra]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Alzadaal's Legacy (Quest)}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The First Brood|The First Brood]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Brother's Grief}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Aether|Aether]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Brother's Grief}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Fourchenault|Fourchenault]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Bridging the Rift}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Eorzea|Eorzea]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Restricted Reading}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Seventh Umbral Calamity|The Seventh Umbral Calamity]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Restricted Reading}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zenos|Zenos]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Fandaniel|Fandaniel]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Ascians|The Ascians]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Azem's Crystal|Azem's Crystal]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Wind Rises}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The First|The First]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Buried Memory}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Alphinaud|Alphinaud]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Alisaie|Alisaie]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Garlean Empire|The Garlean Empire]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Magitek|Magitek]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Ceruleum|Ceruleum]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Dragon's Resolve}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Students of Baldesion|The Students of Baldesion]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Going Haam}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Thancred|Thancred]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Going Haam}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zodiark|Zodiark]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Lunar Rendezvous}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Ryne|Ryne]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Garlond Ironworks|Garlond Ironworks]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Spirit Vessel|Spirit Vessel]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Emet-Selch|Emet-Selch]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Coming Dawn}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.55]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Studium|The Studium]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Rite of Succession}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Eighth Umbral Calamity|The Eighth Umbral Calamity]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Land of Levin}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Void|The Void]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zero|Zero]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Souls|Souls]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Gulool Ja Ja|Gulool Ja Ja]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tural|Tural]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Rite of Succession|The Rite of Succession]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tural Vidraal|Tural Vidraal]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|In Search of the Past}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Storm Surge|The Storm Surge]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Descent to the Foundation}}
| [[Patch 7.2|7.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Everkeep|Everkeep]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Descent to the Foundation}}
| [[Patch 7.2|7.2]]
|-
|}

==Tataru==
[[File:Tataru portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Tataru Taru]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Coinkeeper''' 

Though publicly known as the organization's receptionist, Tataru also serves as the Scions' coinkeeper─a role she executes with an enthusiastic cunning that borders on the terrifying.

Born to Ul'dahn merchants, the young Tataru had everything a Lalafell could ask for─until her family lost it all to bankruptcy. Plagued by debt and still smarting from this abrupt introduction to the harsh realities of the sultanate, she apprenticed herself to a lapidary at the age of twelve, and henceforth supported the household with her meager earnings. It was during this period that she met Minfilia─a miner come to sell gems and ore─who would later recruit Tataru to oversee the Path of the Twelve's finances.

Tataru, in turn, resolved to use her newfound position not only to accrue personal wealth, but also to serve others. Indeed, when the Path of the Twelve relocated to the Waking Sands, and her role was expanded to include secretarial duties, she used her considerable social acumen to build relationships and increase its influence. As the organization slowly but surely grew into an association of like-minded and gifted souls, she was instrumental in seeking out potential members blessed with the Echo.

After the Seventh Umbral Calamity, when the Path of the Twelve merged with the Circle of Knowing to form the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Tataru continued her tenure as secretary and coinkeeper combined. When the political situation in Ul'dah drove the Scions from their headquarters for a time, she journeyed with Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light to Ishgard, that they might there regroup and rebuild the organization. Later, she accompanied a contingent of Scions to the Far East, where she established ties with the East Aldenard Trading Company's Kugane branch in order to fund local anti-imperial resistance efforts─one of her many laudable ventures on the Scions' behalf.

Privately, Tataru has long regretted her inability to assist her comrades in martial endeavors, and thus sought to train as an arcanist. Alas, these efforts met with misfortune, including the escape of her Carbuncle companion, and so she has since resolved to provide financial support through trades such as mining and weaving. In so doing, she has become something of a master artisan─going so far as to establish her own boutique in Old Sharlayan─yet she always manages to find the time to fashion new outfits for her Scion friends when they stand poised upon the threshold of journeys new.

==[[The Scions of the Seventh Dawn]]==
This secret society was the product of a merger between the Circle of Knowing, led by Louisoix Leveilleur, and the Path of the Twelve, led by Minfilia Warde, following the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

Working in concert with the leaders of Eorzea, the Scions strove to address the myriad problems that plagued the realm, be it the godlike primals, the imperialistic Garleans, or the scheming Ascians─beings who have long shaped history from the shadows. As a means to achieve its objectives, the society sought out those blessed with the Echo, a mysterious power with myriad manifestations, the most notable of which was the ability to walk in the memories of others. It was for this reason they extended an invitation to the Warrior of Light.

On account of their contributions in dealing with several primals and the XIVth Imperial Legion, the Scions' existence became public knowledge. Utilizing their newfound reputation, Alphinaud Leveilleur founded the Crystal Braves, a military organization intended to pave the way for a unified Eorzea. However, the society's activities had made it the target of a Monetarist faction of Ul'dah, and an elaborate betrayal by Alphinaud's presumed allies resulted in the Scions being framed for the sultana's assassination. Though branded fugitives and scattered for a time, they eventually learned of a plot within a plot that saw the monarch put into a deep slumber rather than slain, and succeeded in clearing their names.

Their honor restored, the Scions went on to become key players in the liberation of Ala Mhigo and Doma from imperial rule, and after helping to avert the Final Days, they judged their mission fulfilled. So it was that they announced their disbandment─at least outwardly─and retreated from plain sight to labor in secret once more.

==[[The Final Days]]==
This dreadful calamity befell the star in the distant past, when it was known as Etheirys.

In that shining age, men had the power to manifest anything at will, even living beings, and through this miraculous creation magick their civilization thrived. One day, however, following a keening sound from the land, their magicks ran rampant, giving form to eldritch horrors born of fear and despair. Their blissful lives became a waking nightmare, and mankind was driven to the brink of extinction.

The Convocation of Fourteen, the people's chosen representatives, observed that the phenomenon manifested where the celestial currents, the star's outermost flow of aether, had grown weak and stagnant. In order to address this deficiency, they summoned forth the mighty Zodiark to exert control over the laws of creation. Though this act demanded a high price─the sacrifice of half of mankind's remaining number─the vast majority willingly rendered up their lives, and thus were the Final Days forestalled.

Over the intervening millennia, this star-encompassing calamity had faded from memory. But faced with its second coming as engineered by the Telophoroi, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn embarked upon a desperate quest for the truth. At length, they discovered that an ancient named Hermes had created Meteion, a being capable of traversing the great expanse, to ascertain the meaning of life by seeking out other civilizations in the universe. Alas, Meteion and her sisters found naught but despair, driving them to conclude life was suffering and death the sole mercy. Fleeing to the edge of existence, they became the Endsinger, and proceeded to unleash the power of dynamis, an esoteric energy set in motion by feelings, to usher all stars to their doom, that life need not continue in vain.

Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, the Scions held fast to hope, and amidst darkest despair lit the way for their champion as they confronted the Endsinger at her nest. And at the end of a fierce battle, they emerged triumphant, and put an end to the Final Days once and for all.

==Estinien==
[[File:Estinien portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Estinien Varlineau]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Dragoon]]''' 

One of Ishgard's most capable knights, Estinien─called “Wyrmblood” by many─once led his order as the renowned Azure Dragoon.

Estinien's origins are humble, having been born to a family of sheepherders in the eastern highlands of Coerthas. However, the course of his pastoral life was forever changed when his village of Ferndale was razed by the great wyrm Nidhogg─an attack which claimed the lives of his parents and his brother.

Bereft of home and family, the orphan of twelve summers was taken in by Alberic, then holder of the title of Azure Dragoon. The two proceeded to forge a complicated relationship. A martial instructor, an adoptive father, and a flawed knight─one who failed to protect his family. To the young Estinien, Alberic was all these things and more.

When his training was complete, Estinien joined the Temple Knights. So focused was he on the fight against the Dravanian Horde that he scarcely remembered the names of his companions. His sole friendship was with Aymeric de Borel, a knight of similar age who shared Estinien's passion for the cause. Estinien's prowess saw him rise through the ranks, first becoming a dragoon, and later inheriting the title of Azure Dragoon once held by his foster father.

Like all Azure Dragoons, Estinien would carry with him the Eye of Nidhogg─a relic torn from the wyrm's head over a thousand years ago. Though the Eye conferred power to the bearer, it rendered them vulnerable to Nidhogg's influence, and his undying hatred threatened to consume Estinien's very soul. Only through constant vigilance and strength of will did Estinien maintain a grip on his sanity─though there were occasions when he came perilously close to succumbing to Nidhogg's rancor.

In the midst of the Dragonsong War, Estinien offered to accompany the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud Leveilleur in their quest to convince the Dravanians to renounce their thousand-year campaign of vengeance. Though he did not believe they would succeed, Estinien nevertheless agreed to eschew violence─unless circumstances forced his hand. They were later joined by Ysayle, leader of the heretics, who similarly believed peace an unlikely prospect, but one still worth pursuing in earnest.

Estinien traveled with the others to the Churning Mists, where they sought an audience with Hraesvelgr, brother of Nidhogg. From the great wyrm they learned the truth of the Dragonsong War: that it was King Thordan of ancient Ishgard who drew first blood when he and his knights murdered the great wyrm Ratatoskr, and subsequently devoured her eyes so that they might claim her power for themselves. Yet in spite of this truth, the fact remained that Nidhogg was intent upon the destruction of Ishgard, and if he could not be persuaded to yield, they had but one recourse. In the end, the Azure Dragoon succeeded in hunting down and slaying his archenemy, presumably ending the thousand-year war.

Upon their return to the capital, Estinien and his companions discovered that Archbishop Thordan VII had plotted to wield the power of a primal to transform himself into an eternal god-king and bless the world with his twisted idea of harmony. They pursued the archbishop to Azys Lla, where they put an end to his machinations once and for all. However, in the wake of the battle, Estinien succumbed to the all-consuming hatred within Nidhogg's two eyes, transforming into a vessel for the wyrm's shade that would marshal his forces for a final assault on Ishgard. Following his defeat on the Steps of Faith, Estinien regained partial control and urged Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light to kill him, but instead the two tore the eyes from his body, casting out Nidhogg's shade and saving the dragoon's life.

With his homeland entering an age of peace, Estinien renounced his title of Azure Dragoon and set off on a journey of his own. Even during these wanderings, though, he stayed abreast of the Scions' activities, and participated in both the liberation of Ala Mhigo and sabotage efforts within Garlemald. In time, he gave in to the relentless solicitations of Tataru and Krile, officially becoming a Scion and working tirelessly with his comrades to deliver the world from the calamity known as the Final Days.

Following his long journey from archnemesis of dragons to their friend and brother, Estinien renamed his lance Nidhogg after his fallen foe. Though he is still a lone wolf at heart, he travels more often with others than before─such as to the isle of Thavnair, where he has forged a new friendship with Vrtra, another of the first brood.

==G'raha==
[[File:G'raha Tia portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[G'raha Tia]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''All-rounder''' 

A relatively recent addition to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, G'raha Tia hails from Corvos in southern Ilsabard, where the Allagan Empire once flourished during the Third Astral Era. Although the Miqo'te were once forced to toil in obscurity for the glory of Allag, G'raha Tia's tribe, ever proud, devoted themselves to the study and preservation of arcane secrets. Thousands of years later, when Corvos was conquered by the Garleans and brought under the jurisdiction of the illustrious House Darnus, a young G'raha─heir to vast stores of Allagan knowledge and the last child born with the Allagan Eye, was given into the custody of the Students of Baldesion.

After acquiring Sharlayan citizenship and freedom from more mundane duties, G'raha concentrated on his education, earning his Archon's mark for his groundbreaking research into ancient arcane wisdom. Owing to these qualifications, G'raha Tia was tasked with the vital duty of investigating the Crystal Tower, the most fascinating and forbidding of the surviving relics of the Allagan Empire. It was during this expedition that he met with Rammbroes of the Sons of Saint Coinach, Cid Garlond of the Ironworks, and the Warrior of Light─an occasion which led to the formation of the fellowship known as NOAH.

With his newfound companions he laid bare the secrets of ancient Allag, and learned from the awakened clones Unei and Doga that the eye he inherited was in truth the Royal Eye, the unmistakable mark of the Allagan imperial family. With it, he could control the Crystal Tower itself, per the wishes of Salina, the final princess of Allag, who had chosen to pass down this gift and place her trust in future generations.

Judging that mankind was not yet ready for the secrets of the Crystal Tower, G'raha Tia sealed himself within it, in the hope that he might awaken in an age when his fellow man had set aside their differences─when they might truly comprehend and wield the Allagan knowledge for the benefit of all.

Alas, when G'raha awoke from his slumber two hundred years later, the world had been ravaged by tragedy and death, for the Eighth Umbral Calamity had come to pass. Biggs─third of his name and eighteenth chairman of Garlond Ironworks─had cracked the tower's wards, seeking to harness the power within to develop a means of time travel, that they might forge a future in which the Calamity had never occurred. G'raha agreed to lend them his aid, and so it was that he and the Crystal Tower were transported into the past─not of their world, the Source, but of the reflection known as the First, where fate would once again see him reunited with the Warrior of Light.

The First, for its part, had suffered a calamity no less daunting than that of the Source. A Flood of Light had nearly extinguished all life, and what little remained was beset by horrors born of the phenomenon known as sin eaters. Unaged due to his symbiosis with the Crystal Tower, an ever-youthful G'raha Tia took the initiative in building the Crystarium─a city and bulwark of hope where he and his growing community would stand against these foes.

For a hundred years, the Crystal Exarch─as G'raha Tia had come to be known─laid the groundwork for the coming battle, for he had always known that he could not triumph without the Warrior of Light. When the time came, he summoned the champion and their allies─albeit accidentally─from the Source, assembling a formidable alliance to take up arms against the Lightwardens and reclaim the long-absent night sky.

The final step in G'raha Tia's plan would have seen him render up his own life for the preservation of the First and the Source. Blessedly, this sacrifice did not come to pass. Ultimately, the Warrior of Light and their brave companions succeeded in laying low the Ascians Emet-Selch and Elidibus, ending the threat of an Eighth Umbral Calamity and giving the First hope for a brighter tomorrow.

When the Scions at last returned to their own world, they did not do so alone. G'raha Tia had conceived a method in which his memories and essence in the First could be merged with his past self still sleeping within the Crystal Tower of the Source. The awoken G'raha Tia eagerly joined the ranks of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and proceeded to employ his ample knowledge of all things Allagan, as well as the leadership skills he honed as the Crystal Exarch, to provide invaluable guidance and support to his companions. In particular, his decisive actions in Thavnair during the Final Days ensured the survival of countless innocents.

After the de facto disbanding of the Scions, G'raha Tia joined Krile in helping to rebuild the Students of Baldesion. However, he has not yet shaken his wanderlust, and will not hesitate to seize any opportunity to embark upon a new journey with the Warrior of Light.

==Krile==
[[File:Krile portrait1.png|left]][[File:Krile portrait2.png|left]]<big>'''[[Krile Baldesion]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Mage'''[[Patch 6.1|6.1]] / '''[[Pictomancer]]'''[[Patch 6.5|6.55]]

Orphaned as a child and taken in by Galuf Baldesion, founder of the eponymous Students of Baldesion, Krile was blessed with power of the Echo─though in her early years it seemed to her more a curse. Uncommonly sensitive to the feelings of others, unwelcome thoughts flooded her mind, leading her to develop a guarded personality that many found off-putting. Seeing this, Galuf gave her a cat-eared hood, assuring her that her gift was not something to be bemoaned, and that it would one day prove a tremendous strength. Moved by her grandfather's words, Krile vowed to devote herself to her studies, that she might use her power to serve the greater good.

Displaying a remarkable aptitude in the mystic arts, Krile attended the Studium in Sharlayan, joining the Faculty of the Arcane and becoming highly skilled in healing and curing magicks. It was at this time that she made the acquaintance of Alphinaud and Alisaie Leveilleur, with whom she maintains a close friendship to this day. After graduation, she joined her grandfather's research organization, eventually coming to Eorzea to support the Scions of the Seventh Dawn as they rebuilt their operation following the bloody banquet in Ul'dah. She lent her impressive knowledge of the arcane to the search for the missing Minfilia.

Krile chose to remain in Eorzea for the foreseeable future, both out of a desire to support her friends, and for lack of a home to which she might return. Prior to her arrival, the Isle of Val was obliterated by a devastating spell akin to Ultima. While she herself was on the isle at the time, she was saved by the blessing of Light, and so she naturally fell in with the Scions. She soon became a full-fledged member, and thenceforth used her command of the Echo to serve her comrades on many an occasion.

Krile suffered a particularly harrowing experience when she was captured as a prisoner of war by the Garleans during the campaign to liberate Ala Mhigo. Her Echo made her a target, as the magitek engineer Aulus mal Asina sought to study the phenomenon and create an artificial variant. He succeeded in this endeavor, transforming Fordola rem Lupis and Zenos yae Galvus into beings he dubbed the Resonant. Krile was later rescued by the Scions, and after recovering from the ordeal resolved to repay the favor. Indeed, when her companions were forcefully summoned to the First and left in a comatose state, Krile took the lead in nursing the Scions back to health.

With the appearance of the Telephoroi and the looming threat of the Final Days, Krile returned to Sharlayan in hopes of gauging the true intentions of their governing body, the Forum, which to that point had stubbornly refused to approve any aid to Eorzea. Subsequently, she would use her influence as representative of the Students of Baldesion to arrange for her friends to visit Old Sharlayan.

Now that the Final Days have been averted and the Scions ostensibly disbanded, Krile has devoted herself to the restoration of the Students, recruiting the precious few survivors she has found, along with new talent, that together they might carry on her late grandfather's legacy and preserve their knowledge for future generations.

==Y'shtola==
[[File:Y'shtola portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Y'shtola Rhul]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Sorceress''' 

Displaying prodigious aptitude for magic from a young age, Y'shtola—at the behest of the Sharlayan Forum—was sent to Master Matoya for tutelage at the tender age of seven. Resentful of having to mind a child instead of pursuing her own research, the revered Archon was a stern taskmaster, imposing upon her new student one harsh trial after the next. Y'shtola, for her part, did not shirk from these formidable tasks, eventually winning the approval of her mentor—who doubtless saw in the stubborn Miqo'te girl shades of her own self as a child. After ten years of training, Y'shtola emerged from Matoya's cave a woman grown, possessed of vast knowledge and skill in the arcane that easily earned her the title of Archon.

Striking out on her own, Y'shtola joined the Circle of Knowing, led by her mentor's colleague and friend Louisoix Leveilleur. Sailing to Eorzea, she assisted her friends in their efforts in Limsa Lominsa in the fateful days leading up to the Seventh Umbral Calamity. During that time, she won the trust of Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, to whom she lent invaluable assistance in rebuilding the Eorzean Alliance, which had theretofore devolved into a shell of its former glory. After Louisoix gave his life on the fields of Carteneau, Y'shtola became one of the founding members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, formed by the merger of her own Circle of Knowing with a like-minded organization, the Path of the Twelve.

Together with her new companions, she worked tirelessly to quell the threat of the primals and defend Eorzea from the invasion of Garlemald's XIVth Imperial Legion. When the Scions were caught up in the political coup in Ul'dah, it was Y'shtola's command of forbidden and ancient teleportation magicks that allowed her and Thancred to escape the clutches of the villainous Crystal Braves. Left to wander the Lifestream as a result of this, she was on the verge of being lost forever to the aetheric currents when she was rescued and called back to this world through the efforts of Kan-E-Senna and the Warrior of Light. Y'shtola awoke from her coma to find she had lost the physical ability of sight, gaining in its stead the power to see aether in the environment around her. This gift is a double-edged sword, however—for while it allows her to remain a formidable presence in battle, the strain it places on her mind and energies is often great.

Having recovered her strength, Y'shtola joined her fellow Scions in their exploits across Eorzea, traveling to Azys Lla to depose the mad Archbishop Thordan VII and bring the Dragonsong War to an end, then playing a key role in the liberation of Ala Mhigo.

Y'shtola once again suffered a harrowing experience when her soul was accidentally forcefully summoned to the First by the Crystal Exarch. Assuming the alias “Matoya” in honor of her mentor and concealing her true identity, she befriended the Night's Blessed, a group of Dark-worshipers who made their home in the depths of the Rak'tika Greatwood. It was around this time that Y'shtola came to make extensive use of destructive magicks to complement the healing and curing arts at which she had always excelled.

After the Scions succeeded in restoring the darkness to the Light-blighted First, they returned home to the Source, where Y'shtola would again play an invaluable role in averting the dark designs of the Telophoroi—in the end journeying with her friends to Ultima Thule to deliver their world from the Final Days.

Having long served the now-disbanded Scions with her boundless knowledge and puissant sorcery, Y'shtola now strives to find an answer to the universe's most fundamental question—seeking the truth of creation to honor the legacy of her mentor, Master Matoya.

==Hydaelyn==
[[File:Hydaelyn portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Hydaelyn (boss)|Hydaelyn]]'''</big> 
'''Primal''' 

The will of the star, 'tis She who has long kept Etheirys turning.

Tales of Hydaelyn's call and the singular power it was said to bestow─the Echo─ have been recorded throughout history. The nature of this power was not wholly understood, and it was often conflated with another of Her gifts, the “blessing of Light,” which ensured one's aether would remain uncorrupted by primal tempering. The chosen few also spoke of being summoned to the heart of the star where, according to their testaments, awaited a pure and towering crystal. It is likely that said testaments gave rise to the appellation “Mothercrystal,” as well as the usage of “Hydaelyn” to refer to the star itself, though the precise point at which these terms became commonplace remains unknown. While many sought further knowledge of Her nature─the Sharlayan Forum foremost among them─few ascertained Hydaelyn's true identity: a primal with an ancient, Venat, at Her core.

In a time before time, society was governed by the Convocation of Fourteen, upon which Venat held the seat of Azem. An indefatigable and insatiably curious individual, she tired of the academic approach to natural studies, and resolved instead to travel the star and seek its truths through firsthand experience─a journey that she continued even after she abdicated her position. One day, during a visit to Elpis, she chanced to meet with the Warrior of Light, who had come from the future with a warning of calamities to come. Thus did she learn of the Final Days that would befall Etheirys, and of this tragedy's ultimate cause: Meteion, bearer of myriad fallen worlds' despair.

To prevent the obliteration of all life, Venat embarked upon a quest that would span millennia. Offering up her own flesh and soul, she summoned and became Hydaelyn. She sundered Her people, who yearned for a past that could never be restored; the god Zodiark, manifestation of that ill-fated wish; and the star itself, which She loved so dearly, into fourteen pieces. The god of Darkness was gaoled within the sundered worlds' moons, and their people condemned to a fragile and imperfect existence forevermore. However, She knew that from their imperfection─their suffering─would arise the strength to face deepest despair.

So passionate was Her love for mankind, so unwavering Her faith in its potential, that Hydaelyn would never, in the eons that followed, waver in Her belief. Even as shard after shard fell to calamity and were rejoined with the Source, empowering Zodiark as it enervated Her in turn, She stayed the course, awaiting the day when man would prove himself worthy. When at last the time came, and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn triumphed over Her in a battle that burned through Her very soul, She faded away with a smile on her lips and peace in her heart.

Though the Warrior of Light and their comrades would go on to follow the path She had shown them, Hydaelyn was no more. Her love for Her children, however, is eternal.

==[[The Reflections]]==
Though few are aware of their true nature, these worlds exist in parallel to the one in which we live, the Source.

In order to weaken and imprison Zodiark, Hydaelyn mustered Her strength and sundered the very fabric of reality, causing the world to be split into fourteen shards, akin to identical, diluted images. Being reflections, the geographical features of these worlds are naturally similar, akin to observing the original through a looking glass. But over the course of millennia, the peoples of each have lived disparate lives and histories, and some variance has manifested in the environment itself as well. Since the reflections were birthed forth, seven have been lost, sacrificed in the Ascians' quest to restore the ancient world.

Curiously, while the reflections are displaced from each other, the boundaries between them are not uniform; certain worlds, such as the First and the Thirteenth, are more readily accessible from the Source, while others are not. One theory posits that the worlds exist within pockets of reality that are arranged in a pattern not unlike the numbers on a clockface, and that it is easier to travel to an adjacent reflection.

==[[The Crystal Tower]]==
Approximately six millennia ago, when the world still languished in the aftermath of the Third Umbral Calamity, there arose a man who led an army of mages on a campaign of conquest. Xande would go on to found the storied Allagan Empire, as well as marry the secrets of magic and wisdom of science to create aetherochemistry. Through advances in this miraculous field, he expanded his dominion to encompass the continents of Aldenard, Ilsabard, and Othard.

However, generations of peace and prosperity gave rise to decadence, and a thousand years after the nation's birth, progress all but ground to a halt. The people grew complacent, abandoning learning and drowning themselves in leisure, and society stagnated. None lamented this deplorable state of affairs more than a technologist named Amon.

Desiring to restore his nation to its former glory, Amon brought Emperor Xande back from the grave. Under the founding father's leadership, the empire was given renewed purpose in world domination. In order to bolster the might of his armies, Xande entered into a pact with the Cloud of Darkness, a sovereign among voidsent, and granted their kind passage to the world of men in return for their aid in assuring the supremacy of his reign.

The Crystal Tower played a key role in all of these events. Built to harness the power of the sun, it provided the sprawling empire with energy during its heyday. When the empire fell into decline, Amon used that selfsame energy to resurrect Xande, and Xande in turn used it to open a gate to the void.

Eventually, the emperor resolved to welcome the Cloud of Darkness herself into our world, a feat which would require a voidgate of heretofore unseen proportions. To this end, he commanded that the eikon Bahamut, captured in Meracydia, be encapsulated within a massive iron sphere. The sphere was launched into the heavens and set into motion alongside the moon, where it utilized the wyrm's affinity to fire-aspected aether to accumulate solar energy in a more concentrated form. Yet while the tower had been fortified to channel the increased flow, the land upon which it had been built could not withstand the immense forces. The Crystal Tower's collapse triggered a series of earthquakes which shook the entire realm, bringing about the Third Umbral Calamity and consigning the Allagan Empire to oblivion.

For five millennia the Crystal Tower lay buried and forgotten, until the violence of the Seventh Umbral Era coaxed it from its resting place. Awakened from his long slumber, Emperor Xande once more sought to fulfill his nihilistic ambitions, but he would be thwarted by the stout souls of the fellowship of NOAH and their newfound comrades from the distant past.

==Urianger==
[[File:Urianger portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Urianger Augurelt]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Astrologian]]''' 

An avid reader since he was old enough to hold a tome, Urianger spent his youth engrossed in books of prophecy. Eastern, Western, modern, historical─the young Elezen devoured all manner of sources concerning his favorite subject, though in so doing acquired an erudite vocabulary and poetic mannerisms that alienated his peers. His steadfast studiousness─along with the encouragement of his childhood friend, Moenbryda─did, however, enable him to enter the Studium under the auspices of the foremost authority on prophecy, Archon Louisoix. Indeed, it is thought that Urianger elected to join the Circle of Knowing to learn the truth of Mezaya Thousand Eyes's ''Divine Chronicles'', a work that hinted at the coming of the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

In the moons preceding said Calamity, Urianger sought to share his knowledge with the people of Eorzea, but his doomsaying only served to earn him an unflattering reputation. After the prophecies came to pass, and his beloved mentor was lost in the fires of Cartenau, he and the other remnants of the Circle of Knowing joined with the Path of the Twelve to form the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Thenceforth, Urianger became a fixture in the halls of the Waking Sands.

Although his profound knowledge of history has ever been a boon to the Scions, Urianger's verbose explanations and dry manner have given rise to interpersonal tensions. Of particular note are the events following Moenbryda's death during the confrontation with the Ascian Nabriales, when a grieving and guilt-stricken Urianger took it upon himself to treat with Elidibus in secret. In so doing, he learned long-lost secrets, which he used to sabotage the Ascian's plot to manipulate the Warriors of Darkness. While he had the best of intentions, the decisions he made without the input of his allies─such as orchestrating the journey of Minfilia, the Word of the Mother, to the First─and their consequences would long weigh heavy on his heart.

To compound his turmoil, Urianger was pressured into deceiving his allies once more when the Crystal Exarch summoned him to the First. After divulging his true identity as G'raha Tia, the Exarch implored him to pretend that his own knowledge of future tragedies was a vision Urianger had witnessed when passing between worlds. Believing this fiction was essential for the success of the Exarch's plan to prevent the Eighth Umbral Calamity through his personal sacrifice, Urianger reluctantly agreed and retreated to Il Mheg. However, when the truth was finally laid bare, the Warrior of Light─then the Warrior of Darkness─refused to allow the Exarch to trade his life for the star's safety, rendering the deception meaningless.

Urianger, overcome with regret, resolved to be more forthright and emotionally open with his comrades from that day forward. Upon returning to the Source and being confronted with the reality of the Final Days, he played a key role in facilitating cooperation between the people of Etheirys and the moon-dwelling Loporrits. But it was not until a tearful reunion with Moenbryda's parents, who welcomed him as they would a son, that he began to feel as though he was growing into the man he wanted to be. Ultimately, it was the relationships Urianger cultivated that would see the ship ''Ragnarok'' take to the stars, and hope restored to the star.

==Vrtra==
[[File:Vrtra portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Vrtra]]'''</big> 
'''Satrap of Radz-at-Han''' 

This kind-hearted dragon is one of the seven sired by Midgardsormr in a time before mankind's memory. The talismans made from his green-black scales are treasured by those Scions and Alliance members fortunate enough to possess them, as they provide protection against soul-warping aether.

Vrtra took up residence on the cliffs of Thavnair long before the founding of Radz-at-Han. The Matanga came next to the isle, but they knew well enough to let sleeping dragons lie. They were followed by the Au Ra, who despite cultural differences maintained cordial relations with their new neighbors. It was not until the coming of Hyuran colonizers that Thavnair knew war─and it was Vrtra who emerged to quell it ere its flames consumed the land. The various tribes welcomed his intervention, yet he remained convinced that however grateful they may be, they would never be content to let a dragon lord over them─and there would never be lasting peace. And so he asked Alzadaal of the Au Ra to lead the people in public as Vrtra himself withdrew into the shadows...whence he would provide guidance to the satrap and his successors. Thus was the isle united under the banner of Radz-at-Han.

As Alzadaal and his descendants ruled the diverse Radz-at-Han for centuries, behind the scenes, Vrtra was no less devoted to her people. In fact, he was closer to them than they knew, for he oft embedded one of his eyes in alchemical simulacra of men that he might walk among them. Many of these simulacra would be sent abroad as representatives of the satrap at one point or another, there to be made permanent ambassadors─providing a convenient excuse for the wyrm to switch vessels.

When the Final Days came to his beloved home, twisting his people into beasts for whom death was a mercy, Vrtra realized that things could not continue as before. Loyal Ahewann, the erstwhile satrap, had fallen protecting the citizens, and to honor his final wish, Vrtra would have to become satrap in name as well as deed. With a little encouragement from Estinien, he at last revealed himself to the Hannish people as their longtime protector.

In the wake of an apocalypse averted, Thavnair began to rebuild under Vrtra's auspices. His simulacrum is frequently spotted out and about in Radz-at-Han, and while the public is no longer fooled by his diminutive guise, he is yet resolved to traverse the city as a man might, to better understand their plight and ensure that no quarter is left wanting.

==[[The First Brood]]==
Though there are many exceptional dragons, the wyrms of the first brood are beyond compare. In a time before reckoning, Midgardsormr traversed the great expanse, bearing seven eggs as he searched for a new home. Arriving upon Hydaelyn, he formed a pact with the will of the star and secured for his children a bounteous dominion. The wyrms born of this clutch would grow into Hraesvelgr, Nidhogg, Ratatoskr, Bahamut, Tiamat, Azdaja, and Vrtra─beings of immense power and majesty. The seven then scattered to the far reaches of the world, there to spawn broods of their own, and thus did the dragons become legion.

Though they have the capacity to live for nigh on an eternity, several of the first brood have fallen. Bahamut was vanquished by the Allagans in the Third Astral Era, while Ratatoskr and Nidhogg's deaths marked the beginning and end of the Dragonsong War respectively.

Hraesvelgr, Tiamat, and Vrtra remain among the living. Vrtra, the youngest, is perhaps the most prominent of late, owing to his long-standing relationship with the people of Thavnair. Instrumental in establishing the nation of Radz-at-Han, he has long guided it from the shadows, only to recently reveal himself and formally assume the role of satrap in the wake of the Final Days.

Azdaja's status─whether she is alive or dead, much less where she may be─is currently unknown.

==[[Aether]]==
This vital energy is essential to life as we know it.

For a being to be classified as “living,” it requires both a soul and physical vitality, each of which is composed of aether. Scholars posit that this aether can and must be restored throughout life via the consumption and digestion of sustenance─whether this is the primary factor in the body's need for nourishment is unclear, but what we do know is that the critical depletion of aether will result in physical or spiritual death.

Aether manifests in many ways aside from the aforementioned two, including magical phenomena both natural and of man's design. Most importantly, it flows imperceptibly throughout the world, forming the great Lifestream to which all life one day returns, as well as the smaller aether currents that drive the winds and carry the winged aloft. Without aether's blessings, our star would be a barren and desolate hell.

Upon death, a being's aether disperses, and passes from the mundane physical world into the aetherial realm. However, where many lives are lost suddenly due to violence or calamity, or the flow of the Lifestream itself is disrupted, the aether may instead coalesce upon the physical plane, forming the crystals with which our star is replete.

==Fourchenault==
[[File:Fourchenault portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Fourchenault Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Sharlayan Forum Representative''' 

An Elezen born and raised in Old Sharlayan, Fourchenault is one of the more influential members of the Forum, his nation's governing body. This council, formed of ninety-nine elected representatives, dictates Sharlayan's course for matters great and small, be they minor regulations or national policy. Indeed, it was by the Forum's decree that, in response to the imperial invasion of Ala Mhigo, the Sharlayan colony in the Dravanian hinterlands was abandoned nearly overnight─an event referred to by many as simply “the exodus.”

In addition to his political power, Fourchenault also wields authority as the patriarch of the Leveilleurs, one of Sharlayan's oldest families. Its lineage can be traced back to the nation's founders who arrived aboard ''Nyunkrepf's Hope'' during the Sixth Umbral Calamity. Thus does the family keep Nyunkrepf's words as its creed. “Renounce the ways of war, and pursue enlightenment through knowledge and reason”─so spoke Sharlayan's first leader, and so too does Fourchenault Leveilleur.

Until recently, Fourchenault was driven to fulfill a singular purpose─one which the Forum had pursued in secret for two hundred and seventy years. Having learned of the Final Days through an unexpected communion with Hydaelyn in the aetherial sea, Sharlayan's elite set to work developing a ship by which to ferry their people─and their hard-won stores of knowledge─to the moon, thence to search for a new home among the stars.

Fourchenault's dedication to this plan grew more fervent after his wife Ameliance gave birth to their two children, Alphinaud and Alisaie. Desperate to ensure the twins escaped the coming apocalypse, he threw himself into his work with a determination bordering on obsession. The death of his own father, Archon Louisoix, during the Seventh Umbral Calamity only served to deepen his resolve.

As the Final Days drew closer, Fourchenault was consumed by fear for his children's safety and disapproval of their continued association with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. He vowed to get them aboard Sharlayan's ship by any means necessary, even should it cost him what remained of their already strained relationship. However, when the twins accomplished the impossible by optimizing the ship's aetherburner, he came to understand that their conviction would not be denied─nor should it. Unburdening his heart, he at last reconciled with his family and embraced the monumental responsibility of saving the star.

The ship he dubbed the ''Ragnarok'' would travel to the very end of the universe, delivering the heroes who would defeat the threat he had so long feared.

==[[Eorzea]]==
Comprised of Aldenard, the westernmost of the Three Great Continents, and its surrounding islands, the realm of Eorzea has, throughout history, been the cradle of several unique civilizations. Rich in aether and blessed with an abundance of natural resources, it is often said to be “embraced by gods” in reference to the Twelve─the pillars upon which the religious faith of many Eorzeans firmly rests.

As recently as a few decades ago, the six city-states of Eorzea coexisted in an age of relative stability. Alas, this peace was shattered in the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, when the Garlean Empire embarked upon a campaign of Eorzean conquest. Ala Mhigo soon fell, and the promise of continued violence saw the nation of Sharlayan abandon its Dravanian colony, recalling its citizens to the motherland in the northern seas. In this way was Eorzea plunged once more into an age of strife.

The Seventh Umbral Calamity followed, bringing with it unspeakable devastation, but the resilient people of Eorzea endured. Joining hands in common cause, they eventually succeeded in defeating the imperial invaders. In Ishgard, the millennium-long Dragonsong War was later brought to an end, and after a joint campaign by the Eorzean Alliance and the Ala Mhigan Resistance, the twenty-year Garlean occupation of Ala Mhigo ended in liberation. Thus did the realm obtain a measure of peace.

==[[The Seventh Umbral Calamity]]==
The history of Eorzea is marked by a repeated cycle of devastation (Umbral Eras) and prosperity (Astral Eras). The first six Astral Eras were each preceded by a calamity corresponding to one of the six elements. Following on from the Calamity of Wind, which ushered in the First Astral Era, the Calamity of Lightning brought destructive thunderstorms, the Calamity of Fire withering droughts, the Calamity of Earth devastating earthquakes, the Calamity of Ice an endless winter, and the Calamity of Water a lands-consuming deluge.

With all the elements accounted for, many scholars convinced themselves that there could not be another calamity─that the Sixth Astral Era would last indefinitely. Alas, the Seventh Umbral Calamity would indeed befall the land, triggered when the Garlean legatus Nael van Darnus saw the Meteor project to fruition. Dalamud, Hydaelyn's lesser moon, was plucked from the heavens, and upon its arrival above central Eorzea, it split apart to reveal the elder primal Bahamut, who, in a fit of inchoate anger, laid waste to anything and everything around him. However, owing to the countermeasure enacted by the Archon Louisoix, the realm was spared complete annihilation, and after the ashes had settled, underwent a remarkable rebirth.

Five years on from that fateful day, the forces of the Eorzean Alliance succeeded in defeating Legatus Gaius van Baelsar and his occupying XIVth Imperial Legion. Though other threats still remained, this victory marked a turning point in the fortunes of the realm, and so it was proclaimed that, by the light of the Crystal, the Seventh Astral Era had come, and the realm was at last truly reborn.

==Zenos==
[[File:Zenos portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zenos viator Galvus]]'''</big> 
'''Outcast''' 

Eldest son of Varis zos Galvus, second Emperor of Garlemald, Zenos yae Galvus was groomed from birth to succeed his father. However, history would come to know him by another name: Zenos viator Galvus, kinslayer and outcast, whose misdeeds threw the Empire into a turmoil from which it would not escape.

Blessed with martial and intellectual gifts, Zenos ever stood apart from his peers. He was raised among the sons and daughters of nobility in the hopes that he might find companions to advise him in his future role, but none proved his equal. Though the crown prince scorned the naivety of children and deemed his elders unworthy of respect, he eventually found joy in hunting─in the primal desperation of the beasts who fought violently to survive. Zenos savored pitting his strength against theirs, and even after he became a military leader, this remained his sole pleasure.

It was after Zenos was appointed imperial viceroy of the provinces of Doma and Ala Mhigo that he would encounter prey of a different stripe: the Warrior of Light. Aided by the Eorzean champion and his allies, a band of rebels grew bold enough to draw the crown prince's attention, leading to their first altercation at Rhalgr's Reach. Alas, the Warrior of Light was soundly defeated that day. While a subsequent clash in Doma resulted in a similar outcome, Zenos grew more fascinated with the beast he dubbed “the champion of the savages,” electing to spare him a second time in the hopes he might grow into an even greater challenge.

In time, the Warrior of Light and his allies led an army to Ala Mhigo, and with his comrades engaged Zenos a third time within the Royal Palace. In that battle, the legatus realized that this was his first and only rival, and after luring him to the gardens atop the palace, Zenos used his artificial Echo to become one with the captive primal, Shinryu. For the fourth time he fought his prey, but on this occasion the Warrior of Light emerged triumphant. Having experienced a transcendental joy beyond any he had ever known, Zenos took his own life, unwilling to live outside that fleeting moment.

Yet in embracing his stolen power, Zenos had rewritten his fate. His essence did not return to the Lifestream, but instead possessed the body of another. In a cycle akin to that of the immortal Ascians, the erstwhile prince leaped from vessel to vessel, until he found one with which he could return home to Garlemald. There he was reunited with his original form, which had been occupied for a time by the Ascian Elidibus, and was thus resurrected body and soul.

His first act following his return was to murder his own father. This was not out of malice, but jealousy─Emperor Varis had set his sights on the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and Zenos was loath to share his quarry with another. For the returned prince, who had known the exultation of a warrior's death, the purpose of this new life was clear: to confront the only soul he would deign to call friend, and reclaim the bliss he had known only once before.

As Garlemald teetered on the verge of collapse, Zenos was approached by the Ascian Fandaniel, who laid bare the truth of the star. Together the two formed the Telophoroi, who schemed to usher in the Final Days. They sowed discord across the realm, channeling aether from the Lifestream into the Tower of Babil, that Zodiark Himself might be liberated from His lunar prison. In this they did succeed─but before Zenos could seize control of the primal and battle the Warrior of Light, he was betrayed by Fandaniel, whose subsequent death at the hero's hand set in motion the Final Days. Zenos was still desperate for his long-desired rematch, but understood that the Warrior of Light was too distracted by the fate of the star to accept his challenge. And so, in disappointment he quit the field and vanished from the world's stage.

Zenos spent much of his self-imposed exile contemplating how he might obtain his heart's desire, but his answer proved simple. He would aid the Warrior of Light in his struggle, and to that end he assumed the form of the dragon once more and flew to the edge of the universe. With Zenos's aid the threat to all life was laid low, and when the dust had settled, the Warrior of Light at last granted his wish.

Zenos viator Galvus now rests at the edge of the firmament, and none but the Warrior of Light can attest to his final moments.

==Fandaniel==
[[File:Fandaniel portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Fandaniel]]'''</big> 
'''[[Ascian]]''' 

One of the sundered Ascians, Fandaniel first appeared before the Warrior of Light in the body of the late Asahi sas Brutus. Like those of his brethren, his name is in fact a title─one of the exalted offices of the Convocation of Fourteen, the collective that guided mankind in ancient times.

During the first Final Days, the seat was held by a man named Hermes, who prior to his induction served as chief overseer of Elpis, the testing ground of creation, and was an authority on flying life-forms as well as the celestial sphere. In the course of his work, however, Hermes came to question mankind's single-minded pursuit of perfection, prompting him to create Meteion and her sisters to seek the meaning of life in the distant stars. Alas, an accident caused them all to perish before they could fulfill their purpose...or so it was believed.

In truth, his creations found naught but despair, and concluded that salvation lay only in death. Furthermore, Meteion declared that she herself would usher in their demise. In a moment of madness, Hermes allowed her to pursue her designs, and erased the memories of those who knew what awaited─his own included─that mankind might be put to the proof and prove themselves capable of change and thus worthy of survival.

Ignorant of his deeds, Hermes went on to oppose the Final Days with all his being, as he himself had intended. His knowledge proved instrumental in forestalling the Final Days, and the formulation of the plan to sacrifice half their number to manifest the mighty Zodiark. This first primal served to shield the star from Meteion's song of oblivion, but would later be sundered into fourteen parts alongside all creation by His counterpart, Hydaelyn.

Ironically, in forcibly erasing his memories, Hermes engraved them deeper upon his soul. In the millennia that followed, the cycle of death and rebirth would lead him to recall the forgotten truth: that the architect of the apocalypse abided at the edge of the universe.

One of the incarnations who inherited a shard of Hermes's tormented soul was a man named Amon, a brilliant technologist who rose to prominence in the Allagan Empire just as it was falling into decline. A victim of its prosperity, the empire had grown stagnant; the people delighted in debauchery, and science was no more than a means to amuse the decadent masses. Lamenting this state of affairs, Amon resolved to resurrect the founding father, Emperor Xande, that he might restore the empire to its former glory. And though he succeeded in his unholy endeavor, the emperor, having once experienced death, had been forever changed by the knowledge. Seeking to return all to nothingness, he set in motion events that would lead to the empire's undoing. But before Allag was consigned to oblivion, the Ascians, wishing to make use of Amon's singular talents, called him to serve as the new Fandaniel.

In receiving of the Ascian mantle, Fandaniel regained the missing pieces of his past and recalled the truth of the Final Days in its entirety. After the three unsundered Ascians met their ends, he forged an alliance with Zenos in order to take control of Zodiark. His heart was a maelstrom of righteous anger and all-consuming despair, twisted further by the remnants of the dreams that had haunted him as Amon─of an ancient world rent asunder by a calamity well deserved.

Ultimately, he did not bear witness to the conclusion of the tale he had written. Having fallen as Zodiark, his soul was subsequently dragged into the depths of the aetherial sea by the spiteful Asahi, and he would never know if the Warrior of Light and his comrades managed to overcome the despair that had broken him so utterly.

==[[The Ascians]]==
Throughout Eorzean history, whether it be in folklore or myth, there has been scattered mention of dark-robed figures known variously as “Ascians” or “Paragons.” With their twisted words, they would incite strife between peoples, or indeed, entire nations─often escalating hostilities by instructing the beleaguered inhabitants in the rituals of primal summoning.

While this portrayal was not inaccurate, it was not the entire story. In the course of their efforts to counter the machinations of the Ascians, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn came to understand the true nature of their enemy. They learned that the cabal was comprised of thirteen prominent individuals: three “unsundered” survivors of the Convocation of Fourteen, the council which had orchestrated the summoning of Zodiark in antiquity; and ten “sundered” souls─fragments of members restored to their former offices. They were known as Loghrif, Mitron, Emet-Selch, Pashtarot, Fandaniel, Altima, Halmarut, Nabriales, Igeyorhm, Deudalaphon, Emmerololth, Lahabrea, and Elidibus. These positions served as both name and title, for should an Ascian fall, another bearing a shard of the same soul would be found and raised to the vacant seat.

The Ascians' ultimate purpose was nothing less than the restoration of their dark god, Zodiark, and the resurrection of their ancient brethren. Such miracles demanded they sow chaos in both the Source and its reflections, that they might cultivate the conditions for cataclysmic Rejoinings. Only then would Zodiark be freed of His chains, and the souls of the modern age be worthy of offering up in sacrifice.

==Azem's Crystal==
In the age of the ancients, when the Convocation made the decision to summon Zodiark, the Fourteenth seat on the council─the seat of Azem─lay empty, for the holder had relinquished his office. When his dear friend and former Azem, Venat, labored to summon Hydaelyn, he did not take part in her plan. Though the circumstances and his reasons were unclear, to the end, Azem walked a path all his own.

After the world was divided into ten and three, the unsundered Ascians sought to reconvene their council to facilitate the rejoining of reflections. Yet while they succeeded in locating the fragmented souls of their erstwhile colleagues, these reincarnations had no recollection of their ancient lives. Thus did the unsundered find it necessary to prepare crystals replete with the knowledge and memories tied to each office.

As a defector, Azem and his legacy were deemed unworthy of preservation. Moved perhaps by lingering affection, however, Emet-Selch crafted a crystal in secret which contained his dear friend's signature incantation: a magick with which he summoned allies to his side in times of great need.

That selfsame crystal was inherited by the Warrior of Light, whose path has ever been paved with trial and tribulation. Whenever he is required to call upon the depths of his conviction, Azem's crystal is sure to answer.

==[[The First]]==
A century before─by that reflection's measure of time─the Warrior of Light and his companions journeyed to the First, it underwent a terrible transformation which forever changed the world. A failed Ascian attempt to set in motion an Eighth Umbral Calamity on the Source triggered a Flood of Light, which then swept across the land, leaving naught but blank perfection in its wake.

The tale of the Flood is one of hubris and tragedy. Hoping to restore peace to an embattled world, brave Warriors of Light fought and felled the Shadowkeeper, steward of Darkness─but in their decisive victory unbalanced the cosmic scales. Though Hydaelyn's agent, the Oracle of Light, managed to stem the ravenous tide and prevent the First's utter annihilation, much was lost. Only Norvrandt─a region the approximate size of Eorzea─remained habitable.

Contrary to traditional associations between light and the astral, the Light that consumed the First is characterized by passivity and tranquility─what scholars of the Source would term “umbral” polarity. Thus did the lands claimed by the Flood, known as the “Empty,” come to reach a state of stasis utterly bereft of aetheric activity. Norvrandt itself would be cursed with an empty sky of unyielding Light and ravenous hordes of Light-warped creatures.

Save for the greatest among them─the Lightwardens─these “sin eaters” are largely mindless beings, seeking only to corrupt the aether of the living and give rise to more of their own. Nevertheless, for the First's remaining population, it has been a constant struggle to keep these fiends at bay. Only since the Scions of the Seventh Dawn arrived to destroy the extant Lightwardens and purge Norvrandt of Light's corruption have its people known a measure of peace. They yet pay homage to their heroes as “Warriors of Darkness” for their role in restoring the night sky.

==Alphinaud==
[[File:Alphinaud portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Alphinaud Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Sage]]''' 

Son of House Leveilleur, it was at the tender age of eleven that Alphinaud and his twin sister, Alisaie, were accepted into the prestigious Studium. There, he specialized in the study of arcane entities, history and natural history, and pursued advanced studies in the magical arts and aetherology. Upon graduating at sixteen, the Sharlayan age of adulthood, he resolved to sail for Eorzea in spite of his father's objections. Alphinaud has since worked to see his grandfather's wishes made reality. It is why he joined the Scions, and later why he founded the Crystal Braves. With the latter, however, the Ul'dahn elite utilized Alphinaud's inflated confidence to their advantage, wresting the Braves from his control and delivering the young man a bitter defeat.

Swallowing his despair, Alphinaud traveled with the Warrior of Light and Tataru to Ishgard, a nation locked in the thousand-year Dragonsong War. There he engaged with various factions and individuals who sought to resolve the conflict in their own way, among them Archbishop Thordan VII, Ser Aymeric, the Azure Dragoon Estinien, and the heretic Ysayle. The experience prompted him to reevaluate his view of the world as well as his purpose, and as the war neared its conclusion, he reached his own: he would not be a man who sacrifices friends and family for a cause. In spite of the risk to himself, he swore to rescue Estinien, who had been corrupted by the influence of Nidhogg's shade, and with the aid of the Warrior of Light succeeded in saving the dragoon's life.

Alphinaud's involvement in the provincial rebellions that followed taught him further life lessons. He saw firsthand the crushing defeat dealt to the Ala Mhigan Resistance in Rhalgr's Reach by Zenos and the XIIth Imperial Legion. Undeterred, the young Scion then journeyed to the Far East with his comrades, braving haunted seas, and helped the Domans to free themselves from imperial rule. Having won an ally in Hien, Doma's rightful king, he returned to Eorzea to once more aid the Ala Mhigans in their fight against the Empire. At length the Eorzean Alliance laid siege to Ala Mhigo, where Zenos ruled as viceroy, and succeeded in vanquishing the imperial occupiers. With peace thus restored to the land, Alphinaud enjoyed a moment of adventure as he joined the Warrior of Light and fellow Scion Arenvald in a quest for lost treasure.

In the course of these experiences, Alphinaud learned of the Populares, a moderate faction in Garlean politics that sought to bring change to its provincial policy. Together with one of its members, a soldier named Maxima, he embarked on a diplomatic mission to the imperial capital. An unexpected attack en route put a premature end to his plans, but his subsequent chance meeting with Gaius led to another opportunity. Long thought dead, the former legatus had taken to working independently in the shadows, and their encounter resulted in an unlikely alliance that set in motion events which would alter the course of history.

After coming to the First, Alphinaud applied himself earnestly and continued to ponder the true meaning of salvation. He did not shrink before Lord Vauthry, the godlike mayor of Eulmore, who believed himself to be mankind's sole deliverance, nor did he hesitate to voice his opposition when Emet-Selch revealed his intent to restore the past at the cost of the future. By these acts, he showed that the salvation that he had once striven to bring to others had transcended hollow ideals and become a tangible endeavor. And in the face of the Telophoroi threat in the Source, his long-held dream was realized with the formation of the Grand Company of Eorzea. With the combined might of not only the city-states but the myriad tribes besides, this organization united the realm in a way its ignominious precursor, the Crystal Braves, could not.

As he continued to walk his long path, Alphinaud was unexpectedly reunited with his father Fourchenault. In their first meeting since he left Sharlayan behind, he was made to question the wisdom of his course─of going to war to effect change. But encouraged by his comrades, his sister Alisaie not least of all, he was able to find his answer: for those he holds dear, he would always choose to fight.

Even now, with the Final Days averted, Alphinaud labors on behalf of those in need. And he will ever do so, forging ahead one step at a time towards the better tomorrow he envisions.

==Alisaie==
[[File:Alisaie portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Alisaie Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Red Mage]]''' 

Alisaie is Alphinaud's twin sister—though she dislikes that their similarity leads people to mistake her for her brother. Though unmistakably a prodigy, she has, in their sixteen years together, always trailed ever so slightly behind him. Her grandfather, however, never treated her as secondary, and as such Alisaie clearly misses Louisoix dearly, still holding him in higher regard than any other.

Shortly after Alisaie gained admission to the Studium at the age of eleven, Louisoix resolved to return to Eorzea in order to save the realm from the Seventh Umbral Calamity. His son Fourchenault attempted to dissuade him, asserting that the wise abjure conflict, but the elder Archon responded with words that have remained in Alisaie's heart: “To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom─it is indolence. We must all protect that which we hold most dear in the manner of our own choosing.” Louisoix upheld his creed to the end, and vanished amidst the fire and fury of the Calamity.

Wishing to know the fate of her beloved grandfather and what he had sacrificed himself for, Alisaie journeyed to Eorzea together with Alphinaud years later. Disappointment awaited her, as she found all the city-states struggling with fundamental problems, with none making any progress towards addressing them. Distancing herself from her brother and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, who proactively aided the nations, she struck out on her own to investigate the truth of the Calamity─and better understand the realm.

In the course of her solitary endeavors, Alisaie uncovered a scheme between the Warriors of Darkness and the Ascians, with her family friend Urianger somehow involved. Seeking to thwart their plot to sow chaos, as well as ascertain Urianger's allegiance, she made the decision to join with the Scions formally.

Since then, Alisaie has fought fearlessly on the front lines. Taking up the rapier in place of the grimoire she received from her grandfather, she played a key role in the liberation of both Doma and Ala Mhigo before helping to save the First from all-consuming Light. Countless times has she been cast down, battered and discouraged, but never has she failed to rise up again and carry on the fight. And in the course of her struggles, she came to accept her grandfather's wisdom and likewise love the world that he gave his life to protect.

During her time in the First, Alisaie tended to the Light-afflicted souls who were living out their days at the Inn at Journey's Head. Determined to save a boy named Halric, it was by her initiative that a cure for sin eater corruption was devised. The method was subsequently adapted into a treatment for tempering─a condition long held to be irreversible─and used to cure not only the koboldling Ga Bu, but the countless people whom the Telophoroi had transformed into the primal Anima's mindless thralls.

In the chaos of the Final Days as well, Alisaie showed unfaltering courage. When the enemy came in force, she charged into the fray; when souls wanted for succor, she rushed to their aid. In this way she lived up to her grandfather's words, protecting that which she holds dear in the manner of her own choosing.

Through it all, Alisaie's sights have never strayed from one individual: the Warrior of Light. Driven by the desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with the hero, she strives to better herself that she may one day count herself his equal.

==[[The Garlean Empire]]==
The Garlean Empire once controlled the majority of the Three Great Continents, the enormous landmass that encompasses Eorzea. Until some fifty years ago, Garlemald was a remote and sparsely populated nation which held little more than a fraction of the northern continent of Ilsabard. But with the arrival of a technological golden age and the concurrent emergence of a brilliant young legatus, Solus Galvus, in the span of a single generation Garlemald established itself as one of the most formidable forces in all of Hydaelyn.

Garlemald is unsurpassed in the field of magitek, a technology which it exploits with devastating effectiveness in warfare. Unperturbed by their lesser numbers, the Garleans went forth upon gigantic flying warships, bearing powerful weaponry the likes of which the world had never seen. One nation after the next fell before their relentless onslaught, first those of the northlands, followed by the sovereign states of the eastern continent, Othard. Employing suppression and conciliation in equal measure, Garlemald indoctrinated the peoples it conquered, thus integrating them into its ever-expanding territory. So it was that the Garlean Empire came into existence.

In the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, the Garleans brought their campaign of conquest to Eorzea, swiftly bringing the city–state of Ala Mhigo to its knees. Yet following the subjugation of Ala Mhigo, the Empire suddenly ceased its aggressive expansion.

For a time, it seemed as though the Empire's complete subjugation of the world was all but inevitable. However, Emperor Solus's failing health and eventual death triggered a war of succession, and following a protracted campaign on Eorzean soil, Gaius van Baelsar and his XIVth Legion suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the newly unified Eorzean Alliance. Thus did cracks begin to appear in the Empire's armor, and as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn continued to intervene on behalf of the oppressed, the Garleans went on to lose control of Doma in the east and Ala Mhigo in the west. To compound their woes, the new emperor, Varis, had scarcely won the throne before he was slain by his son Zenos, who had an agenda all his own.

Zenos then colluded with the Ascian Fandaniel, and using his father's corpse as a medium, summoned forth the primal Anima. The imperial capital, which had become the stage for a bloody civil war, fell silent as nearly every soldier and civilian remaining was turned into a tempered slave.

Though both Anima and the Telophoroi have since been eliminated, Garlemald struggles to recover from the devastation. The leaders of the subjugated territories bide their time, making no moves to resurrect the fallen Empire, and it remains to be seen what the future holds.

==[[Magitek]]==
The term magitek collectively refers to the advanced technology widely employed by the Garlean Empire. Utilizing ceruleum as a source of power, it has found practical applications in all aspects of life, from everyday conveniences such as heaters and radios, to weapons of destruction such as flying warships.

The history of magitek can be traced back to the year 1513, when a man named Solus Galvus attained the rank of legatus. The twenty-four-year-old Garlean learned of the newly invented ceruleum engine, and saw great potential in it. His was the hand that guided the development of magitek weapons, and his the mind that devised tactics for these warmachina. Galvus also saw them integrated into the army, and so imbued the military with mechanical might.

Innately ungifted in magic, the Garleans once relied upon mages recruited from foreign lands to bolster their armies. Not only did magitek free them from that dependence─it transformed them into a machine of conquest.

==[[Ceruleum]]==
For centuries, the Garleans warred with the Corvosi for control of the warm and fertile lands south of Ilsabard's central mountains, but they were eventually defeated and driven into the northern wastes. Winters in the Garleans' new home were harsh. The northern seas were bound in ice for most of the year, and the resources of the waters were available for only a slim window. Likewise, farming and rearing animals were possible only at certain times. The land, in other words, could not support a large populace. The Garleans multiplied slowly, and over time were forced to accept being few in number. There was but one benefit to the frigid land—its vast deposits of ceruleum. This deep-blue liquid burned as well as oil, and kept the hearth warm during the long, dark times of year. Indeed, had it not been for this natural resource, the Garleans would not have survived the severe winter cold. Yet, it was to be a long time before the advent of the ceruleum engine, and the Garleans realized what a boon this liquid was.

==[[The Students of Baldesion]]==
Founded by Galuf Baldesion as a research organization devoted to combating threats to the star, the Students of Baldesion study all manner of relics, magicks, and unexplained phenomena in lands near and far.

In stark contrast to other Sharlayan organizations that would adopt their city-state's policy of nonintervention, the Students have often collaborated with foreign scholars in their never-ending pursuit of knowledge. G'raha Tia's assignment to the Sons of Saint Coinach during the Crystal Tower expedition, as well as the Students' constant support of the Circle of Knowing and their successor, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, are two notable examples of this philosophy in practice. Since their conception, this academic collective has also served as an advisory body to the Forum and other influential parties, identifying potential threats to mankind and providing counsel as needed.

The Students' headquarters were once located on the Isle of Val, a remote island south of Sharlayan which Galuf had purchased with considerable funds accumulated over the course of many adventures. The facilities constructed there allowed his organization to thrive and perform research independent of the Sharlayan motherland, but this selfsame independence rendered them uniquely vulnerable to attack. The Isle of Val abruptly vanished one day, and it was later determined that a terrible magick was responsible, having obliterated the isle and nearly all who were present at the time.

In recent days, the remaining Students have made the Baldesion Annex in Old Sharlayan their base of operations. Krile, adoptive granddaughter of Galuf, has assumed the role of leader for the time being, hoping to carry on her grandfather's legacy.

==Thancred==
[[File:Thancred portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Thancred Waters]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Gunbreaker]]''' 

A member of the Scions, Thancred grew up in the backstreets of Limsa Lominsa, and spent his adolescence snatching purses with a band of petty thieves. One day, he targeted an Elezen man who had come to the maritime city-state to study aether. Unbeknownst to Thancred, that man was Louisoix Leveilleur and just as the boy drew near, the Archon sent him flying to the cobbles. Caught red-handed, Thancred was certain he would be tossed onto one of the city-state's prison hulks. Instead, Louisoix offered him an alternative─use his gods-given agility to aid his fellow man. Thus, the Midlander boy returned with the Archon to Sharlayan, and there began to study survival and intelligence gathering techniques. He became an expert in both, then an Archon, and then a member of the Circle of Knowing.

In the years leading up to the Seventh Umbral Calamity, Thancred was dispatched to Ul'dah on a mission of paramount importance. He would work surreptitiously to undermine the interests of the Garlean Empire, who had begun preparations for a future campaign of conquest in Eorzea. In the course of his duties, he was present at a parade during which a goobbue broke free and rampaged through the city, resulting in the death of a man named Warburton. Though his identity as a double agent for the Empire and Ala Mhigan Resistance were of particular interest, Warburton's true legacy would be Ascilia, the daughter he left behind, and for whose welfare Thancred thenceforth felt personally responsible.

While Thancred wanted to ensure Ascilia's safety and well-being, his responsibilities meant that he could not act as a proper guardian. The songstress F'lhaminn instead adopted her, though Thancred made a point to visit when he could, as well as bestow upon her a new name to help hide her from her father's enemies. Thus did she come to be known as Minfilia Warde, and while she grew older over the years, a part of him always saw her as that crying child in the streets─a daughter for whom Thancred should have done more.

In the wake of the Calamity, fate would see both Thancred and Minfilia join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn─he as a member, and she as their leader. Thancred was instrumental in many of the Scions' victories, but the events that followed the bloody banquet would forever change him. While holding off pursuers with Y'shtola during their escape from Ul'dah, the mage cast a forbidden spell to facilitate a swift escape. There were consequences, however, and his journey through the Lifestream saw him lose his ability to properly control aether and magicks. Yet what pained him far more was the loss of Minfilia, who had gone missing in the chaos. His grief was further compounded when he learned she had been summoned to Hydaelyn's side to serve as the Word of the Mother, a vessel for the deity's will─and one seemingly devoid of Minfilia's.

The two were reunited after the Scions' clash with Ardbert and the Warriors of Darkness, where Urianger called upon Hydaelyn to intercede on behalf of the First. Hearing this earnest appeal, the Word of the Mother appeared and resolved to journey with the fallen champions unto their world and save it from the Flood of Light. Though Hydaelyn spoke through her, Thancred realized to his relief that Minfilia was still present...but this joy was tempered by the understanding that they would soon part ways once more. Bitter though it was, Thancred accepted this outcome, for he knew that Minfilia would make him proud.

Thancred was the first of the Scions called to Norvrandt by the Crystal Exarch. After his arrival he learned of how the Word of the Mother had sacrificed herself, and of the existence of the Oracle of Light, a girl who had inherited Minfilia's name and soul both. To save her from a life of imprisonment, he breached the gaols of Eulmore and took her into hiding. He taught the Oracle how to fight and survive, and continued to care for her well after the other Scions joined him on the First. Though their relationship was complicated, no matter how daunting the foe, the two would stand together, for Thancred believed he had found in the Oracle another chance─another daughter for the one he had lost. And when she found the strength to stand for herself and not be defined by Minfilia's legacy, Thancred would bestow upon her a new name: Ryne, his “blessing.”

Now returned to the Source, Thancred continues to fight for the future of the star Minfilia loved so much. He often travels with his boon companion, Urianger, who notes that Thancred has developed a habit of gazing at the night sky, a smile on his face as he considers the stars. Though one can only speculate what he is thinking in those moments, Urianger likes to believe his thoughts are of Ryne─and that no matter the distance between them, in his heart they are never far apart.

==Zodiark==
[[File:Zodiark portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zodiark]]'''</big> 
'''Primal''' 

Like Hydaelyn, Zodiark is one of the eldest and most powerful of primals. To define what exactly He is, one must first define Light and Darkness─polar opposites whose core components differ from the six main elements of which the star is composed.

The ancients classified Light as that which governs tranquility and stasis. It is a pure white energy bereft of color or movement, and in modern terminology, an element of this nature would be defined as “umbral.” In contrast, Darkness was classified as that which spurs growth. It is an energy of deepest black─a cacophony of life's myriad colors─and contemporary scholars would define elements of this active nature as “astral.” As such, Zodiark is Darkness and activity given form, while Hydaelyn, who would be His undoing, was conceived as the embodiment of peace and Light everlasting. In the world unsundered, these concepts lacked any associations with good and evil; Light and Darkness were simply fundamental energies that coexisted in all things.

Approximately twelve thousand years ago, a vast quantity of Darkness was required to forestall the coming of the Final Days, that its dynamic nature might ensure that the celestial currents of Etheirys did not stagnate. So it was that the ancients devised a plan to create a god who would embody Darkness itself, and at the order of the Convocation of Fourteen, half of the star's surviving population gave their lives to bring Zodiark into being.

Serving as the primal's heart was the emissary Elidibus. Though countless ancients sacrificed their physical aether and tethered their very souls to Zodiark, Elidibus, having judged his duties unfinished, created a reflection of himself to keep vigil over his allies. Zodiark's untold power averted disaster for a time...yet those who survived and had come to worship Him sought to perpetuate the cycle of sacrifice. They vowed to reap the new life they had sown in His name to resurrect those who had rendered up their essence to fuel the primal's summoning.

Venat and her followers stood in opposition to Zodiark's faithful. Believing that a new generation should inherit Etheirys, they summoned forth Hydaelyn, a second primal born of collective sacrifice, with Venat to serve as Her heart. And so Hydaelyn brought Her tranquil Light to bear against Zodiark's relentless Darkness in a terrible battle. Hydaelyn narrowly emerged the victor, and with Her final strike sundered Zodiark and the star itself into fourteen shards. With Her enemy fragmented and too weak to resist, Hydaelyn created a moon for each shard─a series of gaols in which the divided Zodiark would be sealed for all eternity.

Outraged by the sundering of their world and their god, the Ascians─those who had belonged to the Convocation of Fourteen─resolved to revive Zodiark and restore the broken world to the paradise it once was. For millennia they plotted against Hydaelyn and Her followers, orchestrating events to achieve their ultimate goal, until one of their own chose to forsake this solemn charge.

The Ascian Fandaniel, upon regaining his memories and understanding his true nature, rejected his role in his brethren's machinations. After learning of Elidibus's defeat on the First, he resolved instead to destroy Zodiark. Using Garlemald as his base of operations, the rogue Ascian orchestrated the summoning of the primal Anima, who would siphon aether from across the star and direct it into the Tower of Babil. Utilizing the tower as an aetheric cannon, Fandaniel crippled the mechanisms on the moon which kept Zodiark imprisoned, and subsequently traveled there to seize control of the elder primal by offering himself as His new heart.

Though the Ascian was laid low by the Warrior of Light, Fandaniel reveled in Zodiark's defeat, as his ultimate goal was the return of the Final Days. In a final act of defiance, Zodiark reached into His chest and shattered His own heart, consigning the elder primal to a permanent death.

With His demise on the Source, it is presumed that the reflections of Zodiark in other shards were destroyed as well, and the once-fettered souls of the ancients are finally free to return to the Lifestream.

==Ryne==
[[File:Ryne portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Ryne|Ryne Waters]]'''</big> 
'''Oracle of Light''' 
This young maiden of the First fought the sin eaters alongside the Warrior of Darkness, and played an instrumental role in restoring night to Norvrandt.

It is impossible to speak of Ryne without first speaking of the Oracle of Light, Minfilia. Approximately a century ago, when the Flood of Light threatened to engulf the First, the people of Nabaath Areng bore witness to a woman who single-handedly halted the encroaching radiance. Amidst the tumult, someone was heard crying out "Minfilia"—and so it was that Norvrandt's mysterious savior was named.

Fifteen years later, when the Kingdom of Voeburt fell to sin eaters, a girl was discovered who could not be turned by their corruption. With her hair of spun gold and eyes of clearest sapphire, she bore an uncanny resemblance to the legendary Oracle. Inheriting her name, this Minfilia went on to be a beacon of hope in mankind's struggle against the sin eater threat, but as is the fate of many a soldier, she eventually fell in battle. Some years later, however, another girl would appear who possessed the same distinct features and immunity both. In this way the cycle continued, with a new Minfilia emerging as if to replace the one who had died before her.

This strange phenomenon was brought about by none other than the original Minfilia, the Antecedent of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, who had journeyed from the Source to deliver the First from destruction. Having quelled the Flood, she began reincarnating into the bodies of suitable young girls so that the blessing of Light, the source of resistance to sin eater corruption, might endure. Those who were vessels for Minfilia's soul invariably manifested her features, serving to identify the bearer of the blessing.

Once Vauthry became supreme leader of Eulmore, however, the Oracle was deemed no longer necessary. In truth, Vauthry feared the Oracle and the hope she symbolized, and so he ordered General Ran'jit to find and imprison the next Minfilia to appear. That girl was Ryne (though she was yet to be called thus), and she was locked up deep in the city's dungeon before she had seen five summers. For years she languished there, deprived of the opportunity to develop her powers, until she was rescued by Thancred, whom the Crystal Exarch had summoned from the Source.

The days that followed were filled with excitement and discovery for the young maiden. From Thancred she learned how to live and fight, and over time he became as a father to her. Yet even as she grew closer to him, she began to question his motivations for taking her under his wing. She came to believe it was the original Minfilia that he had sought to save—that he would be happier if she surrendered her body to the woman's soul—and the thought tormented her throughout her journey with the Warrior of Darkness.

In time, the moment of truth would arrive. Tracking down the remaining Lightwardens required that she harness greater power as the Oracle, and it was during a bitter confrontation with Ran'jit that she finally found the strength of will to walk her own path. With Thancred laying his life on the line to secure her escape, she pressed on to inherit her namesake's power and arise as the Oracle in her own right. Driven by the desire to fulfill the legacy of those who went before her, she returned with her hair and eyes restored to their natural hues, and from the man who was her father in all the ways that mattered, she received the name by which she is now known.

With the Lightwardens that once plagued the realm no more, Ryne now dedicates her days to restoring life to the First. Be it bejeweled with stars or a brilliant blue, the sky never fails to remind her of journeys past as well as her family, whose love she feels no matter the distance between them.

==[[Garlond Ironworks]]==
Cid Garlond established the Ironworks in 1562 so that magitek technology might spread throughout Eorzea, lessening the Garlean Empire's dangerous monopoly on the science. With a combination of both Garlean defectors and young Eorzean engineers in its employ, the manufacturers create everything from airships to ceruleum-driven trains. There are even scaled models for the younglings of well-to-do houses.

The company is second to none when it comes to airships, and it was but a twelvemoon after Cid's defection from the Empire that he designed a civilian model completely craftable with Eorzean resources. Since forging their partnership with Highwind Skyways, the Ironworks has produced countless airships, and is largely responsible for the current era's convenience in sky travel.

While Cid remains the president of the company in name, during his five-year absence following the Calamity, it was a woman named Jessie who saw to the everyday management of the Ironworks. It is said that she remains at the company's helm even now, as Cid's duties often lead him far afield, and hers was the hand that signed the contract enlisting former imperial tribunus and engineering prodigy Nero tol Scaeva into their ranks.

Working tirelessly by the motto "Freedom through Technology," Cid and his fellow engineers have been a reliable source of innovation. Through their inventions, they have provided the Warrior of Light and their comrades with many a vital breakthrough, and they will doubtless continue to do so.

==Spirit Vessel==
Long ago, the Crystal Exarch came to a fateful conclusion: only a mighty warrior who could defeat the Lightwardens as well as resist their corruption could deliver salvation to Norvrandt. The sole individual he knew capable of such feats—the Warrior of Light—abided in the Source, and thus did he labor to adapt the Crystal Tower's cross-rift travel capabilities that he might bring the hero unto the First.

Success proved elusive. Even after much time and effort, instead of the Warrior of Light, the Exarch ended up summoning their fellow Scions, and incompletely; only their souls successfully made the journey. Though he could weave for them something akin to corporeal forms, their actual bodies remained locked in slumber in the Source, and the connection between flesh and soul would eventually fail, resulting in death. To wit, it was imperative that he found a way to return his unintended guests safely home.

When teleporting, an individual takes their possessions with them by virtue of recognizing those objects as extensions of the self. It was this mechanism that served as the basis of the solution. Receptacles would be created to hold each of the Scions' souls, which the Warrior of Light, who had been summoned whole and complete, would then carry back across the rift to the Source. The finished product, the spirit vessel, also drew inspiration from white auracite, Moenbryda's ingenious invention for capturing an Ascian soul.

However, one other obstacle had to be overcome: the separation of mind and memory. While the two are intrinsically entwined like words writ upon parchment, the latter is wont to fade when the soul is placed into a vessel. In seeking to ensure that their memories remained intact, the companions looked to Allagan memory transference—a technique which required that their spirit vessels be imbued with royal Allagan blood. This blood was provided by the Exarch himself, and it also served to turn these vessels into keys for controlling the Crystal Tower, whose operation was restricted to the ancient empire's rulers.

==Emet-Selch==
[[File:Emet-Selch portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Emet-Selch]]'''</big> 
'''Ascian''' 
A man whose true name was Hades, mighty sorcerer of eld.

Who became Solus zos Galvus, founding father of the Garlean Empire. Who threatened the world as the most dangerous of foes. Who stood at your side as the most dependable of friends.

An ancient who clove to his ideals to the bitter end. A man who rendered up his all for the people he loved.

A man who once lived.

==The Studium==
True to its reputation as the cradle of knowledge, Sharlayan is home to numerous private study halls and schooling facilities, but it is the prestigious Studium which represents its foremost institution of learning. The academy opened its doors in the year 432 of the Sixth Astral Era, and for over a thousand years has established a history for producing accomplished Archons and contributing to breakthroughs in every academic field.

While initial classes focused on the formal study of the arcane, the occult, and astromancy, it was from these subjects that aetherology─the exploration of magic's fundamental theory─was derived. This signaled the beginning of a more diverse curriculum, the main trunk branching out to include mundane fields such as the natural sciences of astronomy and biology. These were joined by the social sciences (law and economics), the humanities (philosophy and history), the formal sciences (mathematics and statistics), and the applied sciences (alchemy and medicine), and more on the spectrum of learning. Not all faculties are of equal size, however, with some professors teaching only a handful of pupils. This situation is exacerbated by compound disciplines such as somanoutics─combining the study of aetherology, sorcery, and medicine─the introduction of which leads to no few students transferring between faculties during their academy career.

Now unburdened by the threat of the Final Days, administrators have seized the opportunity to enact changes. The Studium's post-exodus limitations on accepting foreign students has since been lifted, and hopeful young scholars now converge on the city from every corner of Etheirys.

==The Eighth Umbral Calamity==
The Source has been visited by seven cataclysmic events known as “Umbral Calamities.” The first of these was the Calamity of Wind, followed by the Calamities of Lightning, Fire, Earth, Ice, Water, and finally the Calamity of Darkness. While these disasters may seem the logical consequence of conflict or natural phenomena, they could not, in truth, have occurred without a massive disruption of the aetherial equilibrium of a reflection world. When a reflection's balance shifts drastically towards a single aspect, the heightened elemental energies seep into the Source─much as water flows from higher to lower ground. An influx of fire-aspected aether might cause extended droughts, for example, while ice could result in a widespread drop in temperature. These anomalies become increasingly common, until a final great catastrophe breaks down the barrier between the two worlds. In that moment, all the aether which comprises the reflection floods into the Source, and the catastrophe swells into a full-fledged Umbral Calamity.

Though it did not take place within our present timeline, the Eighth Umbral Calamity's origin can be traced back to the First, where the power of Light was ascendant. Even as the luminous excess bled into the Source, the Garlean Empire launched its Black Rose upon the battlefield, and the deadly gas─itself a weapon of a Light-based nature─was amplified far beyond its expected potency. It spread over a vast area, halting the circulation of aether and killing every living being with which it came into contact. The aether currents themselves were stilled, and the repercussions of this stagnation rippled throughout the environment. The Alliance leaders and Scions who had gathered to fight the imperial armies were slain where they stood.

Thus began an age of unending war. Order broke down, violence ran rampant, and all fought in the savage battle for survival. In the midst of civilization's collapse, it was Cid and his Garlond Ironworks' stalwarts who led the development of an ambitious and far-reaching plan. Founded upon the knowledge they had gleaned in preceding years, the group set out to create a reality in which the Eighth Umbral Calamity never happened─to build a past in which the calamity was prevented, and ensure that the fallen heroes survived into the future.

The engineers and their collaborators toiled for generations, devoting their lives and the lives of their descendants to bringing this mad scheme to fruition. Finally, after decades of preparation, they succeeded in transporting the reawoken Crystal Tower backwards through the years and into the world of the First.

Many adventures and misadventures later, Darkness was restored to the ailing reflection, and the Eighth Umbral Calamity was averted. None who live today bore witness to that tragedy, nor the great effort which went into making this miracle possible. None will ever know who their saviors were, nor the thoughts and fears which drove them. None will ever know if their bleak future was erased by the changing of history, or if it endures in a fork of time's eternal river. Here and now, their hopes for the world are evident only in the continued survival of those they gave everything to save.

==The Void==
The Thirteenth was once strikingly similar to the Source, albeit possessed of its own unique history─much as might be said of any other reflection. Tragedy arrived, however, when Ascians enveloped the lands in Darkness in their attempt to shatter the barrier between the worlds and force a Rejoining. The first step of their machinations involved sharing the secrets of primal summoning and instigating wars of conquest. Heroes possessed of preternatural talents came forth to do battle, employing an art that sealed the primals away in crystal “memoria.” They then drew on the memoria's power to tip the balance and quell the conflicts for good, but from these champions arose new tyrants, intoxicated by the strength they now wielded. One by one, the heroes fell, the tides turned, and the catastrophic shift in aetherial equilibrium triggered a Flood of Darkness.

Yet even greater disaster was to come when the Ascians' Rejoining failed to channel the surfeit of Darkness unto the Source. Having nowhere else to which it could escape, these energies surged and swelled until it engulfed the Thirteenth entirely, transforming every living being on the star into twisted fiends. All that was left was a grasping void, where even the surcease of death was denied its inhabitants.

Ever since this inundation of Darkness, the veil separating worlds has been notably thinner between the Source and the void, more so than with any other reflection. Forging a passage via natural fissures or man-made gates is comparatively simple, and voidsent incursions─be they the result of deliberate summonings or otherwise─are a frequent occurrence.

==Zero==
[[File:Zero portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zero]]'''</big> 
'''Memoriate''' 
In the void, where life's natural cycle no longer holds sway, Zero strives to restore her world to its rightful state.

Zero's mother, a memoriate, was with child when she was exposed to a powerful source of Darkness during battle. Zero was thus born half-voidsent, and ceased to age after reaching adulthood. She chose to take up her mother's struggle to bring an end to the Contramemoria, but while traveling as a lone hero, she was bested by a band of corrupt memoriates. The Flood of Darkness inundated the world even as she lay dying, sweeping her soul into the rift between worlds.

When an incidental fissure at last allowed her to return, she found her world an empty void, uninhabitable by any being that was not a voidsent. Zero surrendered to hopelessness, condemned as she was to wander alone for eternity.

Although strong enough to manifest her own territory in the swirling mire, Zero rarely visited her “home” unless her aether reserves were low. It instead became a sanctuary for lesser voidsent who had grown tired of the endless battle for dominance─an intrusion she tolerated without protest.

Seeking an advantage against the Warrior of Light, it was Zenos who summoned Zero to the Source and bound her to serve as his reaper avatar. With his defeat, she was cast back unto the void, where she would once again encounter Eorzea's champion and their companions when they came in search of the great wyrm Azdaja. They gave her the name “Zero,” and struck a bargain to enlist her aid in their battle against Golbez's archfiends. As they traveled and fought together, Zero began to reconnect with a part of herself she had thought forever lost, and the discovery of how Light might be restored to her world rekindled a fire within her breast. Zero soon abandoned the pretense of payment and accompanied the Warrior of Light of her own accord, forging bonds of friendship with Jullus and many others in a way that she had shunned when fighting alone.

The quest to defeat Zeromus would eventually take her to the First to meet with Ryne, the Oracle of Light. Ryne's words gave Zero much to consider, and after contemplating what her half-voidsent nature allowed her to do that no other being could, she took within herself the power of Light.

Zero then returned to the Void to confront Golbez in the depths of the moon. Golbez, too, had desired to restore the Thirteenth, but in his grief at losing his dear companion, he had been manipulated by the Ascians into unleashing the Flood of Darkness. So it was that Zero revealed to him the flicker of Light she carried, convincing the would-be conqueror that a seed of hope yet remained. During the ensuing battle with Zeromus, Zero's fervent wish to save her world transformed her into a knight of legendary appearance. A blow infused with both Light and Darkness shattered Zeromus's form, and Zero succeeded in sealing the massive voidsent's aether in memoria. Following their triumph, she joined hands with the repentant Golbez, and together they took the first steps toward bringing Light into the void.

Wary of diluting her essence, Zero has always avoided feeding on the souls of others. This insistence on consuming stray aether often led to her death through starvation, leaving her to drift in the void until her corporeal form was reconstituted. After not eating physically for so long, Zero's sense of taste had also atrophied─but she has since rediscovered this facet of cuisine after sampling heavily spiced foods in the Source. The extremely spicy curry custom-made to her preference in Radz-at-Hahn has become one of the city's new signature dishes.

==Souls==
Within all beings─whether it be man, animal, or even plant─does aether flow. It is the spark which grants life to the lifeless. Conversely, death can be said to occur once aether has left a corporeal object. From this it is clear to see why many scholars use the words 'life' and 'aether' interchangeably.

The aether of the living can be broadly divided into corporeal aether─one's vigor or life force; and incorporeal aether─more colloquially known as one's soul. A person possessed of only the former becomes a zombie, while having only the latter would render them a ghost.

Aetherologists also assert that an individual's “memory” is inscribed upon their soul's aether. It is further theorized that memories associated with stronger emotions, such as regret, are more likely to persist after death, which would perhaps explain why so many spirits fixate upon vengeance.

When a living creature perishes, its corporeal aether remains in the physical world where it is consumed by predators or absorbed back into the land to provide nourishment for other life-forms. Incorporeal aether, however, is returned to the aetherial sea. In that otherworldly plane is a soul washed clean of its memories, there to await rebirth as a new entity.

==Gulool Ja Ja==
[[File:Gulool Ja Ja portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Gulool Ja Ja]]'''</big> 
'''First Dawnservant of Tuliyollal''' 
The foremost feature of his striking appearance, Gulool Ja Ja's two heads are a characteristic unique to the Mamool Ja's "blessed siblings"-rare individuals born of a union between the brown-scaled Hoobigo and the blue-scaled Boonewa.

These two-headed marvels inherit both the Hoobigo's robust strength and the Boonewa's arcane affinity, maturing into warriors of unrivaled martial prowess. The Mamool Ja have previously sought to force this miracle, desiring advantage in their historical conflict against the Xbr'aal, but the commingling of the Hoobigo and Boonewa lines was fraught with complications: for every healthy blessed sibling born, a hundred infants failed to survive.

Before Gulool Ja Ja's feet, too, were set firmly on the path of war, he was fortunate to encounter the Eorzean explorer, Ketenramm. The friendship he forged with the outsider opened his eyes to the world beyond the forest, encouraging him to depart Mamook and its restrictive traditions. He traveled far and wide across the lands of Tural, meeting its diverse races and cultivating new companions along the way. His was a tale of unprecedented adventures, which culminated in the defeat and imprisonment of Valigarmanda, the Skyruin.

Following these accomplishments, Gulool Ja Ja returned to Yak T'el with his comrades in tow, whereupon they challenged the warring Mamool Ja and Xbr'aal forces. The two-head's fellowship thoroughly humbled both armies, leading to a cessation of hostilities and a lasting peace.

Word of Valigarmanda's defeat and the end of the Yak T'el war spread swiftly to every corner of the continent. The philosophy of cooperation espoused by Gulool Ja Ja begat a rising tide of like-minded sentiment, paving the way for the foundation of Tuliyollal and elevating him to the position of "Dawnservant." As the new nation's ruler, his bold and ebullient right head would lead their armies as the Vow of Resolve, whilst his wise and benevolent left head would govern their myriad peoples as the Vow of Reason. Under this balanced leadership did he henceforth guide the fledgling federation into a state of great prosperity.

As a two-headed Mamool Ja, Gulool Ja Ja was thought incapable of siring children. Some decades after his ascension to the throne, however, the Dawnservant was blessed with the arrival of a son: Zoraal Ja. And as if precipitated by this unprecedented event, Gulool Ja Ja went on to adopt the orphaned Koana and Wuk Lamat, one promptly after the other. With the royal family thus expanded, the Dawnservant turned his hand to raising his heirs the First, Second, and Third Promises.

Yet even the greatest of potentates cannot outrun old age forever. Unwilling to allow his inevitable passing to plunge the nation into chaos, Gulool Ja Ja took inspiration from the old ways of Mamook to devise a rite of succession. He watched over Wuk Lamat and Koana as they became joint rulers of Tuliyollal, and it was during the ascension ceremony that he confirmed their suspicions: the constantly slumbering Head of Reason had passed quietly from this world some three years before.

Gulool Ja Ja's saga came to a tragic end when soldiers of Alexandria later attacked the capital. The former Dawnservant faced off against the invasion force's commander-his own son, Zoraal Ja in single combat, seemingly defeating the treacherous Promise. Using regulator technology, however, Zoraal Ja arose stronger than before and slew his father in cold blood.

==Tural==
Comprised of two great landmasses-Xak Tural, the northern lands of the Father, and Yok Tural, the southern lands of the Mother-the continent of the "New World" lies far to the west of Eorzea's shores.

Its many and diverse peoples spent centuries mired in territorial wars until the epic deeds of Gulool Ja Ja and his dream of Tuliyollal saw them united under the banner of a single nation some eighty years ago.

This age of peace would endure until the unquiet days which followed the rite of succession. Scarcely had Wuk Lamat and Koana ascended the throne when the new Vows were faced with an unusual crisis-the abrupt appearance of an enormous dome of energy over Yyasulani. It was then that a mechanical army led by Zoraal Ja, the true son of the former Dawnservant, emerged from the glowing structure, and launched an assault upon the capital of Tuliyollal.

Upon investigation, the dome was found to contain a fraction of a shard world fused with the local region. The reflection's partial rejoining caused a temporal anomaly, its nature such that while mere moments had passed outside, those trapped within had lived through thirty years. During those lost decades, Queen Sphene, ruler of the dome's people, joined hands with Zoraal Ja. Together they built the kingdom of Alexandria anew, and in a bid to plunder aether from other worlds, orchestrated the invasion which brought such panic and destruction to Tural.

Although the Warrior of Light was able to aid the newly ascended Dawnservants in defeating the immediate threat, the dome itself persists—as do the issues surrounding the repatriation of those native to Yyasulani.

==The Rite of Succession==
The rite of succession was a contest held by Tuliyollal's first Dawnservant, Gulool Ja Ja, to determine a worthy successor to his throne.

He permitted four candidates to participate in the rite: his firstborn son, Zoraal Ja; his adopted children, Koana and Wuk Lamat; and the winner of the grand melee tournament, the two- headed Bakool Ja Ja, who was the only competitor not part of the royal family.

The conditions for victory required the hopefuls to find the legendary city of gold. Breaking the seal the Dawnservant had placed at its entrance, however, would require the acquisition of seven keystones, which could only be earned by retracing the steps Gulool Ja Ja once walked to unite Tural's peoples. Along the way, the candidates would encounter seven electors, each waiting to award a keystone to those who performed a chosen feat to their satisfaction.

On the surface, this overwrought process seemed designed solely to indulge Gulool Ja Ja's love of competition, but it served a deeper purpose. By forcing the candidates to interact with the electors also elders of the various clans-the Dawnservant hoped to impart a greater understanding of Tuliyollal's diverse cultures and history, and in so doing cultivate a fitting heir to his title.

==Tural Vidraal==
A tural vidraal is a rare example of when a creature of advanced age evolves far beyond the usual limits of its species. Meaning "land grasper" in the common tongue, the term well describes how the monstrous power of these entities comes to dominate the region in which they dwell.

The existence of several tural vidraal have been recorded to date, but even among these anomalies, the infamous Valigarmanda was unrivaled in strength. It was dubbed the "Skyruin," a name earned for the destruction it visited upon Tural every time it stirred from slumber. Valigarmanda's reign of terror continued until eight decades past, when Gulool Ja Ja and his company of heroes subdued the beast and sealed it within the Yok Huy temple of Karryorzar the Gracious.

The Skyruin awakened one last time during the rite of succession, its prison of ice unmade by the reckless actions of Bakool Ja Ja. Fortunately for the region's inhabitants, the Mamool Ja's rival candidates and their champions rose to the challenge. Upon the field of battle did they come together to slay the scourge of Urqopacha, and write the final chapter to its legend.

[[Category:Features]] [[Category:Patch 6.1 Features]] [[Category:Lore]]

The Unending Codex

2025-03-26T02:35:30Z

Psike: /* Entries */

{{spoiler}}
{{Item infobox
| name = The Unending Codex
| icon = the unending codex icon1.png
| description = Accessible from your Collection, the Unending Codex puts vital information about in-game terminology and characters at your fingertips. Review this handwritten record of key concepts from your journey thus far whenever you fear the details of past adventures are slipping from your grasp.
| type = Collection
| material-type =
| unique = y
| untradable = y
| unsellable = y
| rarity = white
| patch = 6.1
| release = endwalker
}} [[File:The Unending Codex2.jpg|right|thumb|400px]] [[File:The Unending Codex.png|right|thumb|400px]]

[[The Unending Codex]] is unlocked during the quest {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}, with new entries added as the story unfolds. Most lore entries summarize important characters and concepts in the [[Main Scenario Quests]] primarily up to the end of the initial release of [[Endwalker]] ([[patch 6.0]]), although later entries go beyond that.

The Codex can be accessed from the [[Collection]] feature in the Main Menu → Duty tab.__NOTOC__

==Entries==

{| {{STDT|sortable pve align-left}}
! Name
! Type
! Unlock
! Patch
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tataru|Tataru]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Scions of the Seventh Dawn|The Scions of the Seventh Dawn]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Final Days|The Final Days]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Newfound Adventure}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Estinien|Estinien]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Bountiful Ruins}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#G'raha|G'raha]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Krile|Krile]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Y'shtola|Y'shtola]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Hydaelyn|Hydaelyn]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Reflections|The Reflections]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Crystal Tower|The Crystal Tower]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Urianger|Urianger]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Friends for the Road}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Vrtra|Vrtra]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Alzadaal's Legacy (Quest)}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The First Brood|The First Brood]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Brother's Grief}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Aether|Aether]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Brother's Grief}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Fourchenault|Fourchenault]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Bridging the Rift}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Eorzea|Eorzea]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Restricted Reading}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Seventh Umbral Calamity|The Seventh Umbral Calamity]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Restricted Reading}}
| [[Patch 6.1|6.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zenos|Zenos]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Fandaniel|Fandaniel]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Ascians|The Ascians]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Shadowed Remnants}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Azem's Crystal|Azem's Crystal]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Wind Rises}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The First|The First]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Buried Memory}}
| [[Patch 6.2|6.2]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Alphinaud|Alphinaud]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Alisaie|Alisaie]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Garlean Empire|The Garlean Empire]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Magitek|Magitek]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Cold Reunion}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Ceruleum|Ceruleum]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Dragon's Resolve}}
| [[Patch 6.3|6.3]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Students of Baldesion|The Students of Baldesion]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Going Haam}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Thancred|Thancred]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Going Haam}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zodiark|Zodiark]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Lunar Rendezvous}}
| [[Patch 6.4|6.4]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Ryne|Ryne]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Garlond Ironworks|Garlond Ironworks]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Spirit Vessel|Spirit Vessel]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Seeking the Light}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.5]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Emet-Selch|Emet-Selch]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Coming Dawn}}
| [[Patch 6.5|6.55]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Studium|The Studium]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Rite of Succession}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Eighth Umbral Calamity|The Eighth Umbral Calamity]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|The Land of Levin}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Void|The Void]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Zero|Zero]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Souls|Souls]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Gone and Forgotten}}
| [[Patch 7.0|7.0]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Gulool Ja Ja|Gulool Ja Ja]]
| Person
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tural|Tural]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Rite of Succession|The Rite of Succession]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|A Royal Invitation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Tural Vidraal|Tural Vidraal]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|In Search of the Past}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#The Storm Surge|The Storm Surge]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Descent to the Foundation}}
| [[Patch 7.1|7.1]]
|-
| [[The Unending Codex#Everkeep|Everkeep]]
| Concept
| {{questlink|mainscenario|Descent to the Foundation}}
| [[Patch 7.2|7.2]]
|-
|}

==Tataru==
[[File:Tataru portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Tataru Taru]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Coinkeeper''' 

Though publicly known as the organization's receptionist, Tataru also serves as the Scions' coinkeeper─a role she executes with an enthusiastic cunning that borders on the terrifying.

Born to Ul'dahn merchants, the young Tataru had everything a Lalafell could ask for─until her family lost it all to bankruptcy. Plagued by debt and still smarting from this abrupt introduction to the harsh realities of the sultanate, she apprenticed herself to a lapidary at the age of twelve, and henceforth supported the household with her meager earnings. It was during this period that she met Minfilia─a miner come to sell gems and ore─who would later recruit Tataru to oversee the Path of the Twelve's finances.

Tataru, in turn, resolved to use her newfound position not only to accrue personal wealth, but also to serve others. Indeed, when the Path of the Twelve relocated to the Waking Sands, and her role was expanded to include secretarial duties, she used her considerable social acumen to build relationships and increase its influence. As the organization slowly but surely grew into an association of like-minded and gifted souls, she was instrumental in seeking out potential members blessed with the Echo.

After the Seventh Umbral Calamity, when the Path of the Twelve merged with the Circle of Knowing to form the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Tataru continued her tenure as secretary and coinkeeper combined. When the political situation in Ul'dah drove the Scions from their headquarters for a time, she journeyed with Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light to Ishgard, that they might there regroup and rebuild the organization. Later, she accompanied a contingent of Scions to the Far East, where she established ties with the East Aldenard Trading Company's Kugane branch in order to fund local anti-imperial resistance efforts─one of her many laudable ventures on the Scions' behalf.

Privately, Tataru has long regretted her inability to assist her comrades in martial endeavors, and thus sought to train as an arcanist. Alas, these efforts met with misfortune, including the escape of her Carbuncle companion, and so she has since resolved to provide financial support through trades such as mining and weaving. In so doing, she has become something of a master artisan─going so far as to establish her own boutique in Old Sharlayan─yet she always manages to find the time to fashion new outfits for her Scion friends when they stand poised upon the threshold of journeys new.

==[[The Scions of the Seventh Dawn]]==
This secret society was the product of a merger between the Circle of Knowing, led by Louisoix Leveilleur, and the Path of the Twelve, led by Minfilia Warde, following the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

Working in concert with the leaders of Eorzea, the Scions strove to address the myriad problems that plagued the realm, be it the godlike primals, the imperialistic Garleans, or the scheming Ascians─beings who have long shaped history from the shadows. As a means to achieve its objectives, the society sought out those blessed with the Echo, a mysterious power with myriad manifestations, the most notable of which was the ability to walk in the memories of others. It was for this reason they extended an invitation to the Warrior of Light.

On account of their contributions in dealing with several primals and the XIVth Imperial Legion, the Scions' existence became public knowledge. Utilizing their newfound reputation, Alphinaud Leveilleur founded the Crystal Braves, a military organization intended to pave the way for a unified Eorzea. However, the society's activities had made it the target of a Monetarist faction of Ul'dah, and an elaborate betrayal by Alphinaud's presumed allies resulted in the Scions being framed for the sultana's assassination. Though branded fugitives and scattered for a time, they eventually learned of a plot within a plot that saw the monarch put into a deep slumber rather than slain, and succeeded in clearing their names.

Their honor restored, the Scions went on to become key players in the liberation of Ala Mhigo and Doma from imperial rule, and after helping to avert the Final Days, they judged their mission fulfilled. So it was that they announced their disbandment─at least outwardly─and retreated from plain sight to labor in secret once more.

==[[The Final Days]]==
This dreadful calamity befell the star in the distant past, when it was known as Etheirys.

In that shining age, men had the power to manifest anything at will, even living beings, and through this miraculous creation magick their civilization thrived. One day, however, following a keening sound from the land, their magicks ran rampant, giving form to eldritch horrors born of fear and despair. Their blissful lives became a waking nightmare, and mankind was driven to the brink of extinction.

The Convocation of Fourteen, the people's chosen representatives, observed that the phenomenon manifested where the celestial currents, the star's outermost flow of aether, had grown weak and stagnant. In order to address this deficiency, they summoned forth the mighty Zodiark to exert control over the laws of creation. Though this act demanded a high price─the sacrifice of half of mankind's remaining number─the vast majority willingly rendered up their lives, and thus were the Final Days forestalled.

Over the intervening millennia, this star-encompassing calamity had faded from memory. But faced with its second coming as engineered by the Telophoroi, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn embarked upon a desperate quest for the truth. At length, they discovered that an ancient named Hermes had created Meteion, a being capable of traversing the great expanse, to ascertain the meaning of life by seeking out other civilizations in the universe. Alas, Meteion and her sisters found naught but despair, driving them to conclude life was suffering and death the sole mercy. Fleeing to the edge of existence, they became the Endsinger, and proceeded to unleash the power of dynamis, an esoteric energy set in motion by feelings, to usher all stars to their doom, that life need not continue in vain.

Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, the Scions held fast to hope, and amidst darkest despair lit the way for their champion as they confronted the Endsinger at her nest. And at the end of a fierce battle, they emerged triumphant, and put an end to the Final Days once and for all.

==Estinien==
[[File:Estinien portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Estinien Varlineau]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Dragoon]]''' 

One of Ishgard's most capable knights, Estinien─called “Wyrmblood” by many─once led his order as the renowned Azure Dragoon.

Estinien's origins are humble, having been born to a family of sheepherders in the eastern highlands of Coerthas. However, the course of his pastoral life was forever changed when his village of Ferndale was razed by the great wyrm Nidhogg─an attack which claimed the lives of his parents and his brother.

Bereft of home and family, the orphan of twelve summers was taken in by Alberic, then holder of the title of Azure Dragoon. The two proceeded to forge a complicated relationship. A martial instructor, an adoptive father, and a flawed knight─one who failed to protect his family. To the young Estinien, Alberic was all these things and more.

When his training was complete, Estinien joined the Temple Knights. So focused was he on the fight against the Dravanian Horde that he scarcely remembered the names of his companions. His sole friendship was with Aymeric de Borel, a knight of similar age who shared Estinien's passion for the cause. Estinien's prowess saw him rise through the ranks, first becoming a dragoon, and later inheriting the title of Azure Dragoon once held by his foster father.

Like all Azure Dragoons, Estinien would carry with him the Eye of Nidhogg─a relic torn from the wyrm's head over a thousand years ago. Though the Eye conferred power to the bearer, it rendered them vulnerable to Nidhogg's influence, and his undying hatred threatened to consume Estinien's very soul. Only through constant vigilance and strength of will did Estinien maintain a grip on his sanity─though there were occasions when he came perilously close to succumbing to Nidhogg's rancor.

In the midst of the Dragonsong War, Estinien offered to accompany the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud Leveilleur in their quest to convince the Dravanians to renounce their thousand-year campaign of vengeance. Though he did not believe they would succeed, Estinien nevertheless agreed to eschew violence─unless circumstances forced his hand. They were later joined by Ysayle, leader of the heretics, who similarly believed peace an unlikely prospect, but one still worth pursuing in earnest.

Estinien traveled with the others to the Churning Mists, where they sought an audience with Hraesvelgr, brother of Nidhogg. From the great wyrm they learned the truth of the Dragonsong War: that it was King Thordan of ancient Ishgard who drew first blood when he and his knights murdered the great wyrm Ratatoskr, and subsequently devoured her eyes so that they might claim her power for themselves. Yet in spite of this truth, the fact remained that Nidhogg was intent upon the destruction of Ishgard, and if he could not be persuaded to yield, they had but one recourse. In the end, the Azure Dragoon succeeded in hunting down and slaying his archenemy, presumably ending the thousand-year war.

Upon their return to the capital, Estinien and his companions discovered that Archbishop Thordan VII had plotted to wield the power of a primal to transform himself into an eternal god-king and bless the world with his twisted idea of harmony. They pursued the archbishop to Azys Lla, where they put an end to his machinations once and for all. However, in the wake of the battle, Estinien succumbed to the all-consuming hatred within Nidhogg's two eyes, transforming into a vessel for the wyrm's shade that would marshal his forces for a final assault on Ishgard. Following his defeat on the Steps of Faith, Estinien regained partial control and urged Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light to kill him, but instead the two tore the eyes from his body, casting out Nidhogg's shade and saving the dragoon's life.

With his homeland entering an age of peace, Estinien renounced his title of Azure Dragoon and set off on a journey of his own. Even during these wanderings, though, he stayed abreast of the Scions' activities, and participated in both the liberation of Ala Mhigo and sabotage efforts within Garlemald. In time, he gave in to the relentless solicitations of Tataru and Krile, officially becoming a Scion and working tirelessly with his comrades to deliver the world from the calamity known as the Final Days.

Following his long journey from archnemesis of dragons to their friend and brother, Estinien renamed his lance Nidhogg after his fallen foe. Though he is still a lone wolf at heart, he travels more often with others than before─such as to the isle of Thavnair, where he has forged a new friendship with Vrtra, another of the first brood.

==G'raha==
[[File:G'raha Tia portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[G'raha Tia]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''All-rounder''' 

A relatively recent addition to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, G'raha Tia hails from Corvos in southern Ilsabard, where the Allagan Empire once flourished during the Third Astral Era. Although the Miqo'te were once forced to toil in obscurity for the glory of Allag, G'raha Tia's tribe, ever proud, devoted themselves to the study and preservation of arcane secrets. Thousands of years later, when Corvos was conquered by the Garleans and brought under the jurisdiction of the illustrious House Darnus, a young G'raha─heir to vast stores of Allagan knowledge and the last child born with the Allagan Eye, was given into the custody of the Students of Baldesion.

After acquiring Sharlayan citizenship and freedom from more mundane duties, G'raha concentrated on his education, earning his Archon's mark for his groundbreaking research into ancient arcane wisdom. Owing to these qualifications, G'raha Tia was tasked with the vital duty of investigating the Crystal Tower, the most fascinating and forbidding of the surviving relics of the Allagan Empire. It was during this expedition that he met with Rammbroes of the Sons of Saint Coinach, Cid Garlond of the Ironworks, and the Warrior of Light─an occasion which led to the formation of the fellowship known as NOAH.

With his newfound companions he laid bare the secrets of ancient Allag, and learned from the awakened clones Unei and Doga that the eye he inherited was in truth the Royal Eye, the unmistakable mark of the Allagan imperial family. With it, he could control the Crystal Tower itself, per the wishes of Salina, the final princess of Allag, who had chosen to pass down this gift and place her trust in future generations.

Judging that mankind was not yet ready for the secrets of the Crystal Tower, G'raha Tia sealed himself within it, in the hope that he might awaken in an age when his fellow man had set aside their differences─when they might truly comprehend and wield the Allagan knowledge for the benefit of all.

Alas, when G'raha awoke from his slumber two hundred years later, the world had been ravaged by tragedy and death, for the Eighth Umbral Calamity had come to pass. Biggs─third of his name and eighteenth chairman of Garlond Ironworks─had cracked the tower's wards, seeking to harness the power within to develop a means of time travel, that they might forge a future in which the Calamity had never occurred. G'raha agreed to lend them his aid, and so it was that he and the Crystal Tower were transported into the past─not of their world, the Source, but of the reflection known as the First, where fate would once again see him reunited with the Warrior of Light.

The First, for its part, had suffered a calamity no less daunting than that of the Source. A Flood of Light had nearly extinguished all life, and what little remained was beset by horrors born of the phenomenon known as sin eaters. Unaged due to his symbiosis with the Crystal Tower, an ever-youthful G'raha Tia took the initiative in building the Crystarium─a city and bulwark of hope where he and his growing community would stand against these foes.

For a hundred years, the Crystal Exarch─as G'raha Tia had come to be known─laid the groundwork for the coming battle, for he had always known that he could not triumph without the Warrior of Light. When the time came, he summoned the champion and their allies─albeit accidentally─from the Source, assembling a formidable alliance to take up arms against the Lightwardens and reclaim the long-absent night sky.

The final step in G'raha Tia's plan would have seen him render up his own life for the preservation of the First and the Source. Blessedly, this sacrifice did not come to pass. Ultimately, the Warrior of Light and their brave companions succeeded in laying low the Ascians Emet-Selch and Elidibus, ending the threat of an Eighth Umbral Calamity and giving the First hope for a brighter tomorrow.

When the Scions at last returned to their own world, they did not do so alone. G'raha Tia had conceived a method in which his memories and essence in the First could be merged with his past self still sleeping within the Crystal Tower of the Source. The awoken G'raha Tia eagerly joined the ranks of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and proceeded to employ his ample knowledge of all things Allagan, as well as the leadership skills he honed as the Crystal Exarch, to provide invaluable guidance and support to his companions. In particular, his decisive actions in Thavnair during the Final Days ensured the survival of countless innocents.

After the de facto disbanding of the Scions, G'raha Tia joined Krile in helping to rebuild the Students of Baldesion. However, he has not yet shaken his wanderlust, and will not hesitate to seize any opportunity to embark upon a new journey with the Warrior of Light.

==Krile==
[[File:Krile portrait1.png|left]][[File:Krile portrait2.png|left]]<big>'''[[Krile Baldesion]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Mage'''[[Patch 6.1|6.1]] / '''[[Pictomancer]]'''[[Patch 6.5|6.55]]

Orphaned as a child and taken in by Galuf Baldesion, founder of the eponymous Students of Baldesion, Krile was blessed with power of the Echo─though in her early years it seemed to her more a curse. Uncommonly sensitive to the feelings of others, unwelcome thoughts flooded her mind, leading her to develop a guarded personality that many found off-putting. Seeing this, Galuf gave her a cat-eared hood, assuring her that her gift was not something to be bemoaned, and that it would one day prove a tremendous strength. Moved by her grandfather's words, Krile vowed to devote herself to her studies, that she might use her power to serve the greater good.

Displaying a remarkable aptitude in the mystic arts, Krile attended the Studium in Sharlayan, joining the Faculty of the Arcane and becoming highly skilled in healing and curing magicks. It was at this time that she made the acquaintance of Alphinaud and Alisaie Leveilleur, with whom she maintains a close friendship to this day. After graduation, she joined her grandfather's research organization, eventually coming to Eorzea to support the Scions of the Seventh Dawn as they rebuilt their operation following the bloody banquet in Ul'dah. She lent her impressive knowledge of the arcane to the search for the missing Minfilia.

Krile chose to remain in Eorzea for the foreseeable future, both out of a desire to support her friends, and for lack of a home to which she might return. Prior to her arrival, the Isle of Val was obliterated by a devastating spell akin to Ultima. While she herself was on the isle at the time, she was saved by the blessing of Light, and so she naturally fell in with the Scions. She soon became a full-fledged member, and thenceforth used her command of the Echo to serve her comrades on many an occasion.

Krile suffered a particularly harrowing experience when she was captured as a prisoner of war by the Garleans during the campaign to liberate Ala Mhigo. Her Echo made her a target, as the magitek engineer Aulus mal Asina sought to study the phenomenon and create an artificial variant. He succeeded in this endeavor, transforming Fordola rem Lupis and Zenos yae Galvus into beings he dubbed the Resonant. Krile was later rescued by the Scions, and after recovering from the ordeal resolved to repay the favor. Indeed, when her companions were forcefully summoned to the First and left in a comatose state, Krile took the lead in nursing the Scions back to health.

With the appearance of the Telephoroi and the looming threat of the Final Days, Krile returned to Sharlayan in hopes of gauging the true intentions of their governing body, the Forum, which to that point had stubbornly refused to approve any aid to Eorzea. Subsequently, she would use her influence as representative of the Students of Baldesion to arrange for her friends to visit Old Sharlayan.

Now that the Final Days have been averted and the Scions ostensibly disbanded, Krile has devoted herself to the restoration of the Students, recruiting the precious few survivors she has found, along with new talent, that together they might carry on her late grandfather's legacy and preserve their knowledge for future generations.

==Y'shtola==
[[File:Y'shtola portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Y'shtola Rhul]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''Sorceress''' 

Displaying prodigious aptitude for magic from a young age, Y'shtola—at the behest of the Sharlayan Forum—was sent to Master Matoya for tutelage at the tender age of seven. Resentful of having to mind a child instead of pursuing her own research, the revered Archon was a stern taskmaster, imposing upon her new student one harsh trial after the next. Y'shtola, for her part, did not shirk from these formidable tasks, eventually winning the approval of her mentor—who doubtless saw in the stubborn Miqo'te girl shades of her own self as a child. After ten years of training, Y'shtola emerged from Matoya's cave a woman grown, possessed of vast knowledge and skill in the arcane that easily earned her the title of Archon.

Striking out on her own, Y'shtola joined the Circle of Knowing, led by her mentor's colleague and friend Louisoix Leveilleur. Sailing to Eorzea, she assisted her friends in their efforts in Limsa Lominsa in the fateful days leading up to the Seventh Umbral Calamity. During that time, she won the trust of Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, to whom she lent invaluable assistance in rebuilding the Eorzean Alliance, which had theretofore devolved into a shell of its former glory. After Louisoix gave his life on the fields of Carteneau, Y'shtola became one of the founding members of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, formed by the merger of her own Circle of Knowing with a like-minded organization, the Path of the Twelve.

Together with her new companions, she worked tirelessly to quell the threat of the primals and defend Eorzea from the invasion of Garlemald's XIVth Imperial Legion. When the Scions were caught up in the political coup in Ul'dah, it was Y'shtola's command of forbidden and ancient teleportation magicks that allowed her and Thancred to escape the clutches of the villainous Crystal Braves. Left to wander the Lifestream as a result of this, she was on the verge of being lost forever to the aetheric currents when she was rescued and called back to this world through the efforts of Kan-E-Senna and the Warrior of Light. Y'shtola awoke from her coma to find she had lost the physical ability of sight, gaining in its stead the power to see aether in the environment around her. This gift is a double-edged sword, however—for while it allows her to remain a formidable presence in battle, the strain it places on her mind and energies is often great.

Having recovered her strength, Y'shtola joined her fellow Scions in their exploits across Eorzea, traveling to Azys Lla to depose the mad Archbishop Thordan VII and bring the Dragonsong War to an end, then playing a key role in the liberation of Ala Mhigo.

Y'shtola once again suffered a harrowing experience when her soul was accidentally forcefully summoned to the First by the Crystal Exarch. Assuming the alias “Matoya” in honor of her mentor and concealing her true identity, she befriended the Night's Blessed, a group of Dark-worshipers who made their home in the depths of the Rak'tika Greatwood. It was around this time that Y'shtola came to make extensive use of destructive magicks to complement the healing and curing arts at which she had always excelled.

After the Scions succeeded in restoring the darkness to the Light-blighted First, they returned home to the Source, where Y'shtola would again play an invaluable role in averting the dark designs of the Telophoroi—in the end journeying with her friends to Ultima Thule to deliver their world from the Final Days.

Having long served the now-disbanded Scions with her boundless knowledge and puissant sorcery, Y'shtola now strives to find an answer to the universe's most fundamental question—seeking the truth of creation to honor the legacy of her mentor, Master Matoya.

==Hydaelyn==
[[File:Hydaelyn portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Hydaelyn (boss)|Hydaelyn]]'''</big> 
'''Primal''' 

The will of the star, 'tis She who has long kept Etheirys turning.

Tales of Hydaelyn's call and the singular power it was said to bestow─the Echo─ have been recorded throughout history. The nature of this power was not wholly understood, and it was often conflated with another of Her gifts, the “blessing of Light,” which ensured one's aether would remain uncorrupted by primal tempering. The chosen few also spoke of being summoned to the heart of the star where, according to their testaments, awaited a pure and towering crystal. It is likely that said testaments gave rise to the appellation “Mothercrystal,” as well as the usage of “Hydaelyn” to refer to the star itself, though the precise point at which these terms became commonplace remains unknown. While many sought further knowledge of Her nature─the Sharlayan Forum foremost among them─few ascertained Hydaelyn's true identity: a primal with an ancient, Venat, at Her core.

In a time before time, society was governed by the Convocation of Fourteen, upon which Venat held the seat of Azem. An indefatigable and insatiably curious individual, she tired of the academic approach to natural studies, and resolved instead to travel the star and seek its truths through firsthand experience─a journey that she continued even after she abdicated her position. One day, during a visit to Elpis, she chanced to meet with the Warrior of Light, who had come from the future with a warning of calamities to come. Thus did she learn of the Final Days that would befall Etheirys, and of this tragedy's ultimate cause: Meteion, bearer of myriad fallen worlds' despair.

To prevent the obliteration of all life, Venat embarked upon a quest that would span millennia. Offering up her own flesh and soul, she summoned and became Hydaelyn. She sundered Her people, who yearned for a past that could never be restored; the god Zodiark, manifestation of that ill-fated wish; and the star itself, which She loved so dearly, into fourteen pieces. The god of Darkness was gaoled within the sundered worlds' moons, and their people condemned to a fragile and imperfect existence forevermore. However, She knew that from their imperfection─their suffering─would arise the strength to face deepest despair.

So passionate was Her love for mankind, so unwavering Her faith in its potential, that Hydaelyn would never, in the eons that followed, waver in Her belief. Even as shard after shard fell to calamity and were rejoined with the Source, empowering Zodiark as it enervated Her in turn, She stayed the course, awaiting the day when man would prove himself worthy. When at last the time came, and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn triumphed over Her in a battle that burned through Her very soul, She faded away with a smile on her lips and peace in her heart.

Though the Warrior of Light and their comrades would go on to follow the path She had shown them, Hydaelyn was no more. Her love for Her children, however, is eternal.

==[[The Reflections]]==
Though few are aware of their true nature, these worlds exist in parallel to the one in which we live, the Source.

In order to weaken and imprison Zodiark, Hydaelyn mustered Her strength and sundered the very fabric of reality, causing the world to be split into fourteen shards, akin to identical, diluted images. Being reflections, the geographical features of these worlds are naturally similar, akin to observing the original through a looking glass. But over the course of millennia, the peoples of each have lived disparate lives and histories, and some variance has manifested in the environment itself as well. Since the reflections were birthed forth, seven have been lost, sacrificed in the Ascians' quest to restore the ancient world.

Curiously, while the reflections are displaced from each other, the boundaries between them are not uniform; certain worlds, such as the First and the Thirteenth, are more readily accessible from the Source, while others are not. One theory posits that the worlds exist within pockets of reality that are arranged in a pattern not unlike the numbers on a clockface, and that it is easier to travel to an adjacent reflection.

==[[The Crystal Tower]]==
Approximately six millennia ago, when the world still languished in the aftermath of the Third Umbral Calamity, there arose a man who led an army of mages on a campaign of conquest. Xande would go on to found the storied Allagan Empire, as well as marry the secrets of magic and wisdom of science to create aetherochemistry. Through advances in this miraculous field, he expanded his dominion to encompass the continents of Aldenard, Ilsabard, and Othard.

However, generations of peace and prosperity gave rise to decadence, and a thousand years after the nation's birth, progress all but ground to a halt. The people grew complacent, abandoning learning and drowning themselves in leisure, and society stagnated. None lamented this deplorable state of affairs more than a technologist named Amon.

Desiring to restore his nation to its former glory, Amon brought Emperor Xande back from the grave. Under the founding father's leadership, the empire was given renewed purpose in world domination. In order to bolster the might of his armies, Xande entered into a pact with the Cloud of Darkness, a sovereign among voidsent, and granted their kind passage to the world of men in return for their aid in assuring the supremacy of his reign.

The Crystal Tower played a key role in all of these events. Built to harness the power of the sun, it provided the sprawling empire with energy during its heyday. When the empire fell into decline, Amon used that selfsame energy to resurrect Xande, and Xande in turn used it to open a gate to the void.

Eventually, the emperor resolved to welcome the Cloud of Darkness herself into our world, a feat which would require a voidgate of heretofore unseen proportions. To this end, he commanded that the eikon Bahamut, captured in Meracydia, be encapsulated within a massive iron sphere. The sphere was launched into the heavens and set into motion alongside the moon, where it utilized the wyrm's affinity to fire-aspected aether to accumulate solar energy in a more concentrated form. Yet while the tower had been fortified to channel the increased flow, the land upon which it had been built could not withstand the immense forces. The Crystal Tower's collapse triggered a series of earthquakes which shook the entire realm, bringing about the Third Umbral Calamity and consigning the Allagan Empire to oblivion.

For five millennia the Crystal Tower lay buried and forgotten, until the violence of the Seventh Umbral Era coaxed it from its resting place. Awakened from his long slumber, Emperor Xande once more sought to fulfill his nihilistic ambitions, but he would be thwarted by the stout souls of the fellowship of NOAH and their newfound comrades from the distant past.

==Urianger==
[[File:Urianger portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Urianger Augurelt]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Astrologian]]''' 

An avid reader since he was old enough to hold a tome, Urianger spent his youth engrossed in books of prophecy. Eastern, Western, modern, historical─the young Elezen devoured all manner of sources concerning his favorite subject, though in so doing acquired an erudite vocabulary and poetic mannerisms that alienated his peers. His steadfast studiousness─along with the encouragement of his childhood friend, Moenbryda─did, however, enable him to enter the Studium under the auspices of the foremost authority on prophecy, Archon Louisoix. Indeed, it is thought that Urianger elected to join the Circle of Knowing to learn the truth of Mezaya Thousand Eyes's ''Divine Chronicles'', a work that hinted at the coming of the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

In the moons preceding said Calamity, Urianger sought to share his knowledge with the people of Eorzea, but his doomsaying only served to earn him an unflattering reputation. After the prophecies came to pass, and his beloved mentor was lost in the fires of Cartenau, he and the other remnants of the Circle of Knowing joined with the Path of the Twelve to form the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Thenceforth, Urianger became a fixture in the halls of the Waking Sands.

Although his profound knowledge of history has ever been a boon to the Scions, Urianger's verbose explanations and dry manner have given rise to interpersonal tensions. Of particular note are the events following Moenbryda's death during the confrontation with the Ascian Nabriales, when a grieving and guilt-stricken Urianger took it upon himself to treat with Elidibus in secret. In so doing, he learned long-lost secrets, which he used to sabotage the Ascian's plot to manipulate the Warriors of Darkness. While he had the best of intentions, the decisions he made without the input of his allies─such as orchestrating the journey of Minfilia, the Word of the Mother, to the First─and their consequences would long weigh heavy on his heart.

To compound his turmoil, Urianger was pressured into deceiving his allies once more when the Crystal Exarch summoned him to the First. After divulging his true identity as G'raha Tia, the Exarch implored him to pretend that his own knowledge of future tragedies was a vision Urianger had witnessed when passing between worlds. Believing this fiction was essential for the success of the Exarch's plan to prevent the Eighth Umbral Calamity through his personal sacrifice, Urianger reluctantly agreed and retreated to Il Mheg. However, when the truth was finally laid bare, the Warrior of Light─then the Warrior of Darkness─refused to allow the Exarch to trade his life for the star's safety, rendering the deception meaningless.

Urianger, overcome with regret, resolved to be more forthright and emotionally open with his comrades from that day forward. Upon returning to the Source and being confronted with the reality of the Final Days, he played a key role in facilitating cooperation between the people of Etheirys and the moon-dwelling Loporrits. But it was not until a tearful reunion with Moenbryda's parents, who welcomed him as they would a son, that he began to feel as though he was growing into the man he wanted to be. Ultimately, it was the relationships Urianger cultivated that would see the ship ''Ragnarok'' take to the stars, and hope restored to the star.

==Vrtra==
[[File:Vrtra portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Vrtra]]'''</big> 
'''Satrap of Radz-at-Han''' 

This kind-hearted dragon is one of the seven sired by Midgardsormr in a time before mankind's memory. The talismans made from his green-black scales are treasured by those Scions and Alliance members fortunate enough to possess them, as they provide protection against soul-warping aether.

Vrtra took up residence on the cliffs of Thavnair long before the founding of Radz-at-Han. The Matanga came next to the isle, but they knew well enough to let sleeping dragons lie. They were followed by the Au Ra, who despite cultural differences maintained cordial relations with their new neighbors. It was not until the coming of Hyuran colonizers that Thavnair knew war─and it was Vrtra who emerged to quell it ere its flames consumed the land. The various tribes welcomed his intervention, yet he remained convinced that however grateful they may be, they would never be content to let a dragon lord over them─and there would never be lasting peace. And so he asked Alzadaal of the Au Ra to lead the people in public as Vrtra himself withdrew into the shadows...whence he would provide guidance to the satrap and his successors. Thus was the isle united under the banner of Radz-at-Han.

As Alzadaal and his descendants ruled the diverse Radz-at-Han for centuries, behind the scenes, Vrtra was no less devoted to her people. In fact, he was closer to them than they knew, for he oft embedded one of his eyes in alchemical simulacra of men that he might walk among them. Many of these simulacra would be sent abroad as representatives of the satrap at one point or another, there to be made permanent ambassadors─providing a convenient excuse for the wyrm to switch vessels.

When the Final Days came to his beloved home, twisting his people into beasts for whom death was a mercy, Vrtra realized that things could not continue as before. Loyal Ahewann, the erstwhile satrap, had fallen protecting the citizens, and to honor his final wish, Vrtra would have to become satrap in name as well as deed. With a little encouragement from Estinien, he at last revealed himself to the Hannish people as their longtime protector.

In the wake of an apocalypse averted, Thavnair began to rebuild under Vrtra's auspices. His simulacrum is frequently spotted out and about in Radz-at-Han, and while the public is no longer fooled by his diminutive guise, he is yet resolved to traverse the city as a man might, to better understand their plight and ensure that no quarter is left wanting.

==[[The First Brood]]==
Though there are many exceptional dragons, the wyrms of the first brood are beyond compare. In a time before reckoning, Midgardsormr traversed the great expanse, bearing seven eggs as he searched for a new home. Arriving upon Hydaelyn, he formed a pact with the will of the star and secured for his children a bounteous dominion. The wyrms born of this clutch would grow into Hraesvelgr, Nidhogg, Ratatoskr, Bahamut, Tiamat, Azdaja, and Vrtra─beings of immense power and majesty. The seven then scattered to the far reaches of the world, there to spawn broods of their own, and thus did the dragons become legion.

Though they have the capacity to live for nigh on an eternity, several of the first brood have fallen. Bahamut was vanquished by the Allagans in the Third Astral Era, while Ratatoskr and Nidhogg's deaths marked the beginning and end of the Dragonsong War respectively.

Hraesvelgr, Tiamat, and Vrtra remain among the living. Vrtra, the youngest, is perhaps the most prominent of late, owing to his long-standing relationship with the people of Thavnair. Instrumental in establishing the nation of Radz-at-Han, he has long guided it from the shadows, only to recently reveal himself and formally assume the role of satrap in the wake of the Final Days.

Azdaja's status─whether she is alive or dead, much less where she may be─is currently unknown.

==[[Aether]]==
This vital energy is essential to life as we know it.

For a being to be classified as “living,” it requires both a soul and physical vitality, each of which is composed of aether. Scholars posit that this aether can and must be restored throughout life via the consumption and digestion of sustenance─whether this is the primary factor in the body's need for nourishment is unclear, but what we do know is that the critical depletion of aether will result in physical or spiritual death.

Aether manifests in many ways aside from the aforementioned two, including magical phenomena both natural and of man's design. Most importantly, it flows imperceptibly throughout the world, forming the great Lifestream to which all life one day returns, as well as the smaller aether currents that drive the winds and carry the winged aloft. Without aether's blessings, our star would be a barren and desolate hell.

Upon death, a being's aether disperses, and passes from the mundane physical world into the aetherial realm. However, where many lives are lost suddenly due to violence or calamity, or the flow of the Lifestream itself is disrupted, the aether may instead coalesce upon the physical plane, forming the crystals with which our star is replete.

==Fourchenault==
[[File:Fourchenault portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Fourchenault Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Sharlayan Forum Representative''' 

An Elezen born and raised in Old Sharlayan, Fourchenault is one of the more influential members of the Forum, his nation's governing body. This council, formed of ninety-nine elected representatives, dictates Sharlayan's course for matters great and small, be they minor regulations or national policy. Indeed, it was by the Forum's decree that, in response to the imperial invasion of Ala Mhigo, the Sharlayan colony in the Dravanian hinterlands was abandoned nearly overnight─an event referred to by many as simply “the exodus.”

In addition to his political power, Fourchenault also wields authority as the patriarch of the Leveilleurs, one of Sharlayan's oldest families. Its lineage can be traced back to the nation's founders who arrived aboard ''Nyunkrepf's Hope'' during the Sixth Umbral Calamity. Thus does the family keep Nyunkrepf's words as its creed. “Renounce the ways of war, and pursue enlightenment through knowledge and reason”─so spoke Sharlayan's first leader, and so too does Fourchenault Leveilleur.

Until recently, Fourchenault was driven to fulfill a singular purpose─one which the Forum had pursued in secret for two hundred and seventy years. Having learned of the Final Days through an unexpected communion with Hydaelyn in the aetherial sea, Sharlayan's elite set to work developing a ship by which to ferry their people─and their hard-won stores of knowledge─to the moon, thence to search for a new home among the stars.

Fourchenault's dedication to this plan grew more fervent after his wife Ameliance gave birth to their two children, Alphinaud and Alisaie. Desperate to ensure the twins escaped the coming apocalypse, he threw himself into his work with a determination bordering on obsession. The death of his own father, Archon Louisoix, during the Seventh Umbral Calamity only served to deepen his resolve.

As the Final Days drew closer, Fourchenault was consumed by fear for his children's safety and disapproval of their continued association with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. He vowed to get them aboard Sharlayan's ship by any means necessary, even should it cost him what remained of their already strained relationship. However, when the twins accomplished the impossible by optimizing the ship's aetherburner, he came to understand that their conviction would not be denied─nor should it. Unburdening his heart, he at last reconciled with his family and embraced the monumental responsibility of saving the star.

The ship he dubbed the ''Ragnarok'' would travel to the very end of the universe, delivering the heroes who would defeat the threat he had so long feared.

==[[Eorzea]]==
Comprised of Aldenard, the westernmost of the Three Great Continents, and its surrounding islands, the realm of Eorzea has, throughout history, been the cradle of several unique civilizations. Rich in aether and blessed with an abundance of natural resources, it is often said to be “embraced by gods” in reference to the Twelve─the pillars upon which the religious faith of many Eorzeans firmly rests.

As recently as a few decades ago, the six city-states of Eorzea coexisted in an age of relative stability. Alas, this peace was shattered in the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, when the Garlean Empire embarked upon a campaign of Eorzean conquest. Ala Mhigo soon fell, and the promise of continued violence saw the nation of Sharlayan abandon its Dravanian colony, recalling its citizens to the motherland in the northern seas. In this way was Eorzea plunged once more into an age of strife.

The Seventh Umbral Calamity followed, bringing with it unspeakable devastation, but the resilient people of Eorzea endured. Joining hands in common cause, they eventually succeeded in defeating the imperial invaders. In Ishgard, the millennium-long Dragonsong War was later brought to an end, and after a joint campaign by the Eorzean Alliance and the Ala Mhigan Resistance, the twenty-year Garlean occupation of Ala Mhigo ended in liberation. Thus did the realm obtain a measure of peace.

==[[The Seventh Umbral Calamity]]==
The history of Eorzea is marked by a repeated cycle of devastation (Umbral Eras) and prosperity (Astral Eras). The first six Astral Eras were each preceded by a calamity corresponding to one of the six elements. Following on from the Calamity of Wind, which ushered in the First Astral Era, the Calamity of Lightning brought destructive thunderstorms, the Calamity of Fire withering droughts, the Calamity of Earth devastating earthquakes, the Calamity of Ice an endless winter, and the Calamity of Water a lands-consuming deluge.

With all the elements accounted for, many scholars convinced themselves that there could not be another calamity─that the Sixth Astral Era would last indefinitely. Alas, the Seventh Umbral Calamity would indeed befall the land, triggered when the Garlean legatus Nael van Darnus saw the Meteor project to fruition. Dalamud, Hydaelyn's lesser moon, was plucked from the heavens, and upon its arrival above central Eorzea, it split apart to reveal the elder primal Bahamut, who, in a fit of inchoate anger, laid waste to anything and everything around him. However, owing to the countermeasure enacted by the Archon Louisoix, the realm was spared complete annihilation, and after the ashes had settled, underwent a remarkable rebirth.

Five years on from that fateful day, the forces of the Eorzean Alliance succeeded in defeating Legatus Gaius van Baelsar and his occupying XIVth Imperial Legion. Though other threats still remained, this victory marked a turning point in the fortunes of the realm, and so it was proclaimed that, by the light of the Crystal, the Seventh Astral Era had come, and the realm was at last truly reborn.

==Zenos==
[[File:Zenos portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zenos viator Galvus]]'''</big> 
'''Outcast''' 

Eldest son of Varis zos Galvus, second Emperor of Garlemald, Zenos yae Galvus was groomed from birth to succeed his father. However, history would come to know him by another name: Zenos viator Galvus, kinslayer and outcast, whose misdeeds threw the Empire into a turmoil from which it would not escape.

Blessed with martial and intellectual gifts, Zenos ever stood apart from his peers. He was raised among the sons and daughters of nobility in the hopes that he might find companions to advise him in his future role, but none proved his equal. Though the crown prince scorned the naivety of children and deemed his elders unworthy of respect, he eventually found joy in hunting─in the primal desperation of the beasts who fought violently to survive. Zenos savored pitting his strength against theirs, and even after he became a military leader, this remained his sole pleasure.

It was after Zenos was appointed imperial viceroy of the provinces of Doma and Ala Mhigo that he would encounter prey of a different stripe: the Warrior of Light. Aided by the Eorzean champion and his allies, a band of rebels grew bold enough to draw the crown prince's attention, leading to their first altercation at Rhalgr's Reach. Alas, the Warrior of Light was soundly defeated that day. While a subsequent clash in Doma resulted in a similar outcome, Zenos grew more fascinated with the beast he dubbed “the champion of the savages,” electing to spare him a second time in the hopes he might grow into an even greater challenge.

In time, the Warrior of Light and his allies led an army to Ala Mhigo, and with his comrades engaged Zenos a third time within the Royal Palace. In that battle, the legatus realized that this was his first and only rival, and after luring him to the gardens atop the palace, Zenos used his artificial Echo to become one with the captive primal, Shinryu. For the fourth time he fought his prey, but on this occasion the Warrior of Light emerged triumphant. Having experienced a transcendental joy beyond any he had ever known, Zenos took his own life, unwilling to live outside that fleeting moment.

Yet in embracing his stolen power, Zenos had rewritten his fate. His essence did not return to the Lifestream, but instead possessed the body of another. In a cycle akin to that of the immortal Ascians, the erstwhile prince leaped from vessel to vessel, until he found one with which he could return home to Garlemald. There he was reunited with his original form, which had been occupied for a time by the Ascian Elidibus, and was thus resurrected body and soul.

His first act following his return was to murder his own father. This was not out of malice, but jealousy─Emperor Varis had set his sights on the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and Zenos was loath to share his quarry with another. For the returned prince, who had known the exultation of a warrior's death, the purpose of this new life was clear: to confront the only soul he would deign to call friend, and reclaim the bliss he had known only once before.

As Garlemald teetered on the verge of collapse, Zenos was approached by the Ascian Fandaniel, who laid bare the truth of the star. Together the two formed the Telophoroi, who schemed to usher in the Final Days. They sowed discord across the realm, channeling aether from the Lifestream into the Tower of Babil, that Zodiark Himself might be liberated from His lunar prison. In this they did succeed─but before Zenos could seize control of the primal and battle the Warrior of Light, he was betrayed by Fandaniel, whose subsequent death at the hero's hand set in motion the Final Days. Zenos was still desperate for his long-desired rematch, but understood that the Warrior of Light was too distracted by the fate of the star to accept his challenge. And so, in disappointment he quit the field and vanished from the world's stage.

Zenos spent much of his self-imposed exile contemplating how he might obtain his heart's desire, but his answer proved simple. He would aid the Warrior of Light in his struggle, and to that end he assumed the form of the dragon once more and flew to the edge of the universe. With Zenos's aid the threat to all life was laid low, and when the dust had settled, the Warrior of Light at last granted his wish.

Zenos viator Galvus now rests at the edge of the firmament, and none but the Warrior of Light can attest to his final moments.

==Fandaniel==
[[File:Fandaniel portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Fandaniel]]'''</big> 
'''[[Ascian]]''' 

One of the sundered Ascians, Fandaniel first appeared before the Warrior of Light in the body of the late Asahi sas Brutus. Like those of his brethren, his name is in fact a title─one of the exalted offices of the Convocation of Fourteen, the collective that guided mankind in ancient times.

During the first Final Days, the seat was held by a man named Hermes, who prior to his induction served as chief overseer of Elpis, the testing ground of creation, and was an authority on flying life-forms as well as the celestial sphere. In the course of his work, however, Hermes came to question mankind's single-minded pursuit of perfection, prompting him to create Meteion and her sisters to seek the meaning of life in the distant stars. Alas, an accident caused them all to perish before they could fulfill their purpose...or so it was believed.

In truth, his creations found naught but despair, and concluded that salvation lay only in death. Furthermore, Meteion declared that she herself would usher in their demise. In a moment of madness, Hermes allowed her to pursue her designs, and erased the memories of those who knew what awaited─his own included─that mankind might be put to the proof and prove themselves capable of change and thus worthy of survival.

Ignorant of his deeds, Hermes went on to oppose the Final Days with all his being, as he himself had intended. His knowledge proved instrumental in forestalling the Final Days, and the formulation of the plan to sacrifice half their number to manifest the mighty Zodiark. This first primal served to shield the star from Meteion's song of oblivion, but would later be sundered into fourteen parts alongside all creation by His counterpart, Hydaelyn.

Ironically, in forcibly erasing his memories, Hermes engraved them deeper upon his soul. In the millennia that followed, the cycle of death and rebirth would lead him to recall the forgotten truth: that the architect of the apocalypse abided at the edge of the universe.

One of the incarnations who inherited a shard of Hermes's tormented soul was a man named Amon, a brilliant technologist who rose to prominence in the Allagan Empire just as it was falling into decline. A victim of its prosperity, the empire had grown stagnant; the people delighted in debauchery, and science was no more than a means to amuse the decadent masses. Lamenting this state of affairs, Amon resolved to resurrect the founding father, Emperor Xande, that he might restore the empire to its former glory. And though he succeeded in his unholy endeavor, the emperor, having once experienced death, had been forever changed by the knowledge. Seeking to return all to nothingness, he set in motion events that would lead to the empire's undoing. But before Allag was consigned to oblivion, the Ascians, wishing to make use of Amon's singular talents, called him to serve as the new Fandaniel.

In receiving of the Ascian mantle, Fandaniel regained the missing pieces of his past and recalled the truth of the Final Days in its entirety. After the three unsundered Ascians met their ends, he forged an alliance with Zenos in order to take control of Zodiark. His heart was a maelstrom of righteous anger and all-consuming despair, twisted further by the remnants of the dreams that had haunted him as Amon─of an ancient world rent asunder by a calamity well deserved.

Ultimately, he did not bear witness to the conclusion of the tale he had written. Having fallen as Zodiark, his soul was subsequently dragged into the depths of the aetherial sea by the spiteful Asahi, and he would never know if the Warrior of Light and his comrades managed to overcome the despair that had broken him so utterly.

==[[The Ascians]]==
Throughout Eorzean history, whether it be in folklore or myth, there has been scattered mention of dark-robed figures known variously as “Ascians” or “Paragons.” With their twisted words, they would incite strife between peoples, or indeed, entire nations─often escalating hostilities by instructing the beleaguered inhabitants in the rituals of primal summoning.

While this portrayal was not inaccurate, it was not the entire story. In the course of their efforts to counter the machinations of the Ascians, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn came to understand the true nature of their enemy. They learned that the cabal was comprised of thirteen prominent individuals: three “unsundered” survivors of the Convocation of Fourteen, the council which had orchestrated the summoning of Zodiark in antiquity; and ten “sundered” souls─fragments of members restored to their former offices. They were known as Loghrif, Mitron, Emet-Selch, Pashtarot, Fandaniel, Altima, Halmarut, Nabriales, Igeyorhm, Deudalaphon, Emmerololth, Lahabrea, and Elidibus. These positions served as both name and title, for should an Ascian fall, another bearing a shard of the same soul would be found and raised to the vacant seat.

The Ascians' ultimate purpose was nothing less than the restoration of their dark god, Zodiark, and the resurrection of their ancient brethren. Such miracles demanded they sow chaos in both the Source and its reflections, that they might cultivate the conditions for cataclysmic Rejoinings. Only then would Zodiark be freed of His chains, and the souls of the modern age be worthy of offering up in sacrifice.

==Azem's Crystal==
In the age of the ancients, when the Convocation made the decision to summon Zodiark, the Fourteenth seat on the council─the seat of Azem─lay empty, for the holder had relinquished his office. When his dear friend and former Azem, Venat, labored to summon Hydaelyn, he did not take part in her plan. Though the circumstances and his reasons were unclear, to the end, Azem walked a path all his own.

After the world was divided into ten and three, the unsundered Ascians sought to reconvene their council to facilitate the rejoining of reflections. Yet while they succeeded in locating the fragmented souls of their erstwhile colleagues, these reincarnations had no recollection of their ancient lives. Thus did the unsundered find it necessary to prepare crystals replete with the knowledge and memories tied to each office.

As a defector, Azem and his legacy were deemed unworthy of preservation. Moved perhaps by lingering affection, however, Emet-Selch crafted a crystal in secret which contained his dear friend's signature incantation: a magick with which he summoned allies to his side in times of great need.

That selfsame crystal was inherited by the Warrior of Light, whose path has ever been paved with trial and tribulation. Whenever he is required to call upon the depths of his conviction, Azem's crystal is sure to answer.

==[[The First]]==
A century before─by that reflection's measure of time─the Warrior of Light and his companions journeyed to the First, it underwent a terrible transformation which forever changed the world. A failed Ascian attempt to set in motion an Eighth Umbral Calamity on the Source triggered a Flood of Light, which then swept across the land, leaving naught but blank perfection in its wake.

The tale of the Flood is one of hubris and tragedy. Hoping to restore peace to an embattled world, brave Warriors of Light fought and felled the Shadowkeeper, steward of Darkness─but in their decisive victory unbalanced the cosmic scales. Though Hydaelyn's agent, the Oracle of Light, managed to stem the ravenous tide and prevent the First's utter annihilation, much was lost. Only Norvrandt─a region the approximate size of Eorzea─remained habitable.

Contrary to traditional associations between light and the astral, the Light that consumed the First is characterized by passivity and tranquility─what scholars of the Source would term “umbral” polarity. Thus did the lands claimed by the Flood, known as the “Empty,” come to reach a state of stasis utterly bereft of aetheric activity. Norvrandt itself would be cursed with an empty sky of unyielding Light and ravenous hordes of Light-warped creatures.

Save for the greatest among them─the Lightwardens─these “sin eaters” are largely mindless beings, seeking only to corrupt the aether of the living and give rise to more of their own. Nevertheless, for the First's remaining population, it has been a constant struggle to keep these fiends at bay. Only since the Scions of the Seventh Dawn arrived to destroy the extant Lightwardens and purge Norvrandt of Light's corruption have its people known a measure of peace. They yet pay homage to their heroes as “Warriors of Darkness” for their role in restoring the night sky.

==Alphinaud==
[[File:Alphinaud portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Alphinaud Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Sage]]''' 

Son of House Leveilleur, it was at the tender age of eleven that Alphinaud and his twin sister, Alisaie, were accepted into the prestigious Studium. There, he specialized in the study of arcane entities, history and natural history, and pursued advanced studies in the magical arts and aetherology. Upon graduating at sixteen, the Sharlayan age of adulthood, he resolved to sail for Eorzea in spite of his father's objections. Alphinaud has since worked to see his grandfather's wishes made reality. It is why he joined the Scions, and later why he founded the Crystal Braves. With the latter, however, the Ul'dahn elite utilized Alphinaud's inflated confidence to their advantage, wresting the Braves from his control and delivering the young man a bitter defeat.

Swallowing his despair, Alphinaud traveled with the Warrior of Light and Tataru to Ishgard, a nation locked in the thousand-year Dragonsong War. There he engaged with various factions and individuals who sought to resolve the conflict in their own way, among them Archbishop Thordan VII, Ser Aymeric, the Azure Dragoon Estinien, and the heretic Ysayle. The experience prompted him to reevaluate his view of the world as well as his purpose, and as the war neared its conclusion, he reached his own: he would not be a man who sacrifices friends and family for a cause. In spite of the risk to himself, he swore to rescue Estinien, who had been corrupted by the influence of Nidhogg's shade, and with the aid of the Warrior of Light succeeded in saving the dragoon's life.

Alphinaud's involvement in the provincial rebellions that followed taught him further life lessons. He saw firsthand the crushing defeat dealt to the Ala Mhigan Resistance in Rhalgr's Reach by Zenos and the XIIth Imperial Legion. Undeterred, the young Scion then journeyed to the Far East with his comrades, braving haunted seas, and helped the Domans to free themselves from imperial rule. Having won an ally in Hien, Doma's rightful king, he returned to Eorzea to once more aid the Ala Mhigans in their fight against the Empire. At length the Eorzean Alliance laid siege to Ala Mhigo, where Zenos ruled as viceroy, and succeeded in vanquishing the imperial occupiers. With peace thus restored to the land, Alphinaud enjoyed a moment of adventure as he joined the Warrior of Light and fellow Scion Arenvald in a quest for lost treasure.

In the course of these experiences, Alphinaud learned of the Populares, a moderate faction in Garlean politics that sought to bring change to its provincial policy. Together with one of its members, a soldier named Maxima, he embarked on a diplomatic mission to the imperial capital. An unexpected attack en route put a premature end to his plans, but his subsequent chance meeting with Gaius led to another opportunity. Long thought dead, the former legatus had taken to working independently in the shadows, and their encounter resulted in an unlikely alliance that set in motion events which would alter the course of history.

After coming to the First, Alphinaud applied himself earnestly and continued to ponder the true meaning of salvation. He did not shrink before Lord Vauthry, the godlike mayor of Eulmore, who believed himself to be mankind's sole deliverance, nor did he hesitate to voice his opposition when Emet-Selch revealed his intent to restore the past at the cost of the future. By these acts, he showed that the salvation that he had once striven to bring to others had transcended hollow ideals and become a tangible endeavor. And in the face of the Telophoroi threat in the Source, his long-held dream was realized with the formation of the Grand Company of Eorzea. With the combined might of not only the city-states but the myriad tribes besides, this organization united the realm in a way its ignominious precursor, the Crystal Braves, could not.

As he continued to walk his long path, Alphinaud was unexpectedly reunited with his father Fourchenault. In their first meeting since he left Sharlayan behind, he was made to question the wisdom of his course─of going to war to effect change. But encouraged by his comrades, his sister Alisaie not least of all, he was able to find his answer: for those he holds dear, he would always choose to fight.

Even now, with the Final Days averted, Alphinaud labors on behalf of those in need. And he will ever do so, forging ahead one step at a time towards the better tomorrow he envisions.

==Alisaie==
[[File:Alisaie portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Alisaie Leveilleur]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Red Mage]]''' 

Alisaie is Alphinaud's twin sister—though she dislikes that their similarity leads people to mistake her for her brother. Though unmistakably a prodigy, she has, in their sixteen years together, always trailed ever so slightly behind him. Her grandfather, however, never treated her as secondary, and as such Alisaie clearly misses Louisoix dearly, still holding him in higher regard than any other.

Shortly after Alisaie gained admission to the Studium at the age of eleven, Louisoix resolved to return to Eorzea in order to save the realm from the Seventh Umbral Calamity. His son Fourchenault attempted to dissuade him, asserting that the wise abjure conflict, but the elder Archon responded with words that have remained in Alisaie's heart: “To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom─it is indolence. We must all protect that which we hold most dear in the manner of our own choosing.” Louisoix upheld his creed to the end, and vanished amidst the fire and fury of the Calamity.

Wishing to know the fate of her beloved grandfather and what he had sacrificed himself for, Alisaie journeyed to Eorzea together with Alphinaud years later. Disappointment awaited her, as she found all the city-states struggling with fundamental problems, with none making any progress towards addressing them. Distancing herself from her brother and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, who proactively aided the nations, she struck out on her own to investigate the truth of the Calamity─and better understand the realm.

In the course of her solitary endeavors, Alisaie uncovered a scheme between the Warriors of Darkness and the Ascians, with her family friend Urianger somehow involved. Seeking to thwart their plot to sow chaos, as well as ascertain Urianger's allegiance, she made the decision to join with the Scions formally.

Since then, Alisaie has fought fearlessly on the front lines. Taking up the rapier in place of the grimoire she received from her grandfather, she played a key role in the liberation of both Doma and Ala Mhigo before helping to save the First from all-consuming Light. Countless times has she been cast down, battered and discouraged, but never has she failed to rise up again and carry on the fight. And in the course of her struggles, she came to accept her grandfather's wisdom and likewise love the world that he gave his life to protect.

During her time in the First, Alisaie tended to the Light-afflicted souls who were living out their days at the Inn at Journey's Head. Determined to save a boy named Halric, it was by her initiative that a cure for sin eater corruption was devised. The method was subsequently adapted into a treatment for tempering─a condition long held to be irreversible─and used to cure not only the koboldling Ga Bu, but the countless people whom the Telophoroi had transformed into the primal Anima's mindless thralls.

In the chaos of the Final Days as well, Alisaie showed unfaltering courage. When the enemy came in force, she charged into the fray; when souls wanted for succor, she rushed to their aid. In this way she lived up to her grandfather's words, protecting that which she holds dear in the manner of her own choosing.

Through it all, Alisaie's sights have never strayed from one individual: the Warrior of Light. Driven by the desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with the hero, she strives to better herself that she may one day count herself his equal.

==[[The Garlean Empire]]==
The Garlean Empire once controlled the majority of the Three Great Continents, the enormous landmass that encompasses Eorzea. Until some fifty years ago, Garlemald was a remote and sparsely populated nation which held little more than a fraction of the northern continent of Ilsabard. But with the arrival of a technological golden age and the concurrent emergence of a brilliant young legatus, Solus Galvus, in the span of a single generation Garlemald established itself as one of the most formidable forces in all of Hydaelyn.

Garlemald is unsurpassed in the field of magitek, a technology which it exploits with devastating effectiveness in warfare. Unperturbed by their lesser numbers, the Garleans went forth upon gigantic flying warships, bearing powerful weaponry the likes of which the world had never seen. One nation after the next fell before their relentless onslaught, first those of the northlands, followed by the sovereign states of the eastern continent, Othard. Employing suppression and conciliation in equal measure, Garlemald indoctrinated the peoples it conquered, thus integrating them into its ever-expanding territory. So it was that the Garlean Empire came into existence.

In the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, the Garleans brought their campaign of conquest to Eorzea, swiftly bringing the city–state of Ala Mhigo to its knees. Yet following the subjugation of Ala Mhigo, the Empire suddenly ceased its aggressive expansion.

For a time, it seemed as though the Empire's complete subjugation of the world was all but inevitable. However, Emperor Solus's failing health and eventual death triggered a war of succession, and following a protracted campaign on Eorzean soil, Gaius van Baelsar and his XIVth Legion suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the newly unified Eorzean Alliance. Thus did cracks begin to appear in the Empire's armor, and as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn continued to intervene on behalf of the oppressed, the Garleans went on to lose control of Doma in the east and Ala Mhigo in the west. To compound their woes, the new emperor, Varis, had scarcely won the throne before he was slain by his son Zenos, who had an agenda all his own.

Zenos then colluded with the Ascian Fandaniel, and using his father's corpse as a medium, summoned forth the primal Anima. The imperial capital, which had become the stage for a bloody civil war, fell silent as nearly every soldier and civilian remaining was turned into a tempered slave.

Though both Anima and the Telophoroi have since been eliminated, Garlemald struggles to recover from the devastation. The leaders of the subjugated territories bide their time, making no moves to resurrect the fallen Empire, and it remains to be seen what the future holds.

==[[Magitek]]==
The term magitek collectively refers to the advanced technology widely employed by the Garlean Empire. Utilizing ceruleum as a source of power, it has found practical applications in all aspects of life, from everyday conveniences such as heaters and radios, to weapons of destruction such as flying warships.

The history of magitek can be traced back to the year 1513, when a man named Solus Galvus attained the rank of legatus. The twenty-four-year-old Garlean learned of the newly invented ceruleum engine, and saw great potential in it. His was the hand that guided the development of magitek weapons, and his the mind that devised tactics for these warmachina. Galvus also saw them integrated into the army, and so imbued the military with mechanical might.

Innately ungifted in magic, the Garleans once relied upon mages recruited from foreign lands to bolster their armies. Not only did magitek free them from that dependence─it transformed them into a machine of conquest.

==[[Ceruleum]]==
For centuries, the Garleans warred with the Corvosi for control of the warm and fertile lands south of Ilsabard's central mountains, but they were eventually defeated and driven into the northern wastes. Winters in the Garleans' new home were harsh. The northern seas were bound in ice for most of the year, and the resources of the waters were available for only a slim window. Likewise, farming and rearing animals were possible only at certain times. The land, in other words, could not support a large populace. The Garleans multiplied slowly, and over time were forced to accept being few in number. There was but one benefit to the frigid land—its vast deposits of ceruleum. This deep-blue liquid burned as well as oil, and kept the hearth warm during the long, dark times of year. Indeed, had it not been for this natural resource, the Garleans would not have survived the severe winter cold. Yet, it was to be a long time before the advent of the ceruleum engine, and the Garleans realized what a boon this liquid was.

==[[The Students of Baldesion]]==
Founded by Galuf Baldesion as a research organization devoted to combating threats to the star, the Students of Baldesion study all manner of relics, magicks, and unexplained phenomena in lands near and far.

In stark contrast to other Sharlayan organizations that would adopt their city-state's policy of nonintervention, the Students have often collaborated with foreign scholars in their never-ending pursuit of knowledge. G'raha Tia's assignment to the Sons of Saint Coinach during the Crystal Tower expedition, as well as the Students' constant support of the Circle of Knowing and their successor, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, are two notable examples of this philosophy in practice. Since their conception, this academic collective has also served as an advisory body to the Forum and other influential parties, identifying potential threats to mankind and providing counsel as needed.

The Students' headquarters were once located on the Isle of Val, a remote island south of Sharlayan which Galuf had purchased with considerable funds accumulated over the course of many adventures. The facilities constructed there allowed his organization to thrive and perform research independent of the Sharlayan motherland, but this selfsame independence rendered them uniquely vulnerable to attack. The Isle of Val abruptly vanished one day, and it was later determined that a terrible magick was responsible, having obliterated the isle and nearly all who were present at the time.

In recent days, the remaining Students have made the Baldesion Annex in Old Sharlayan their base of operations. Krile, adoptive granddaughter of Galuf, has assumed the role of leader for the time being, hoping to carry on her grandfather's legacy.

==Thancred==
[[File:Thancred portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Thancred Waters]]'''</big> 
'''Scion of the Seventh Dawn''' 
'''[[Gunbreaker]]''' 

A member of the Scions, Thancred grew up in the backstreets of Limsa Lominsa, and spent his adolescence snatching purses with a band of petty thieves. One day, he targeted an Elezen man who had come to the maritime city-state to study aether. Unbeknownst to Thancred, that man was Louisoix Leveilleur and just as the boy drew near, the Archon sent him flying to the cobbles. Caught red-handed, Thancred was certain he would be tossed onto one of the city-state's prison hulks. Instead, Louisoix offered him an alternative─use his gods-given agility to aid his fellow man. Thus, the Midlander boy returned with the Archon to Sharlayan, and there began to study survival and intelligence gathering techniques. He became an expert in both, then an Archon, and then a member of the Circle of Knowing.

In the years leading up to the Seventh Umbral Calamity, Thancred was dispatched to Ul'dah on a mission of paramount importance. He would work surreptitiously to undermine the interests of the Garlean Empire, who had begun preparations for a future campaign of conquest in Eorzea. In the course of his duties, he was present at a parade during which a goobbue broke free and rampaged through the city, resulting in the death of a man named Warburton. Though his identity as a double agent for the Empire and Ala Mhigan Resistance were of particular interest, Warburton's true legacy would be Ascilia, the daughter he left behind, and for whose welfare Thancred thenceforth felt personally responsible.

While Thancred wanted to ensure Ascilia's safety and well-being, his responsibilities meant that he could not act as a proper guardian. The songstress F'lhaminn instead adopted her, though Thancred made a point to visit when he could, as well as bestow upon her a new name to help hide her from her father's enemies. Thus did she come to be known as Minfilia Warde, and while she grew older over the years, a part of him always saw her as that crying child in the streets─a daughter for whom Thancred should have done more.

In the wake of the Calamity, fate would see both Thancred and Minfilia join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn─he as a member, and she as their leader. Thancred was instrumental in many of the Scions' victories, but the events that followed the bloody banquet would forever change him. While holding off pursuers with Y'shtola during their escape from Ul'dah, the mage cast a forbidden spell to facilitate a swift escape. There were consequences, however, and his journey through the Lifestream saw him lose his ability to properly control aether and magicks. Yet what pained him far more was the loss of Minfilia, who had gone missing in the chaos. His grief was further compounded when he learned she had been summoned to Hydaelyn's side to serve as the Word of the Mother, a vessel for the deity's will─and one seemingly devoid of Minfilia's.

The two were reunited after the Scions' clash with Ardbert and the Warriors of Darkness, where Urianger called upon Hydaelyn to intercede on behalf of the First. Hearing this earnest appeal, the Word of the Mother appeared and resolved to journey with the fallen champions unto their world and save it from the Flood of Light. Though Hydaelyn spoke through her, Thancred realized to his relief that Minfilia was still present...but this joy was tempered by the understanding that they would soon part ways once more. Bitter though it was, Thancred accepted this outcome, for he knew that Minfilia would make him proud.

Thancred was the first of the Scions called to Norvrandt by the Crystal Exarch. After his arrival he learned of how the Word of the Mother had sacrificed herself, and of the existence of the Oracle of Light, a girl who had inherited Minfilia's name and soul both. To save her from a life of imprisonment, he breached the gaols of Eulmore and took her into hiding. He taught the Oracle how to fight and survive, and continued to care for her well after the other Scions joined him on the First. Though their relationship was complicated, no matter how daunting the foe, the two would stand together, for Thancred believed he had found in the Oracle another chance─another daughter for the one he had lost. And when she found the strength to stand for herself and not be defined by Minfilia's legacy, Thancred would bestow upon her a new name: Ryne, his “blessing.”

Now returned to the Source, Thancred continues to fight for the future of the star Minfilia loved so much. He often travels with his boon companion, Urianger, who notes that Thancred has developed a habit of gazing at the night sky, a smile on his face as he considers the stars. Though one can only speculate what he is thinking in those moments, Urianger likes to believe his thoughts are of Ryne─and that no matter the distance between them, in his heart they are never far apart.

==Zodiark==
[[File:Zodiark portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zodiark]]'''</big> 
'''Primal''' 

Like Hydaelyn, Zodiark is one of the eldest and most powerful of primals. To define what exactly He is, one must first define Light and Darkness─polar opposites whose core components differ from the six main elements of which the star is composed.

The ancients classified Light as that which governs tranquility and stasis. It is a pure white energy bereft of color or movement, and in modern terminology, an element of this nature would be defined as “umbral.” In contrast, Darkness was classified as that which spurs growth. It is an energy of deepest black─a cacophony of life's myriad colors─and contemporary scholars would define elements of this active nature as “astral.” As such, Zodiark is Darkness and activity given form, while Hydaelyn, who would be His undoing, was conceived as the embodiment of peace and Light everlasting. In the world unsundered, these concepts lacked any associations with good and evil; Light and Darkness were simply fundamental energies that coexisted in all things.

Approximately twelve thousand years ago, a vast quantity of Darkness was required to forestall the coming of the Final Days, that its dynamic nature might ensure that the celestial currents of Etheirys did not stagnate. So it was that the ancients devised a plan to create a god who would embody Darkness itself, and at the order of the Convocation of Fourteen, half of the star's surviving population gave their lives to bring Zodiark into being.

Serving as the primal's heart was the emissary Elidibus. Though countless ancients sacrificed their physical aether and tethered their very souls to Zodiark, Elidibus, having judged his duties unfinished, created a reflection of himself to keep vigil over his allies. Zodiark's untold power averted disaster for a time...yet those who survived and had come to worship Him sought to perpetuate the cycle of sacrifice. They vowed to reap the new life they had sown in His name to resurrect those who had rendered up their essence to fuel the primal's summoning.

Venat and her followers stood in opposition to Zodiark's faithful. Believing that a new generation should inherit Etheirys, they summoned forth Hydaelyn, a second primal born of collective sacrifice, with Venat to serve as Her heart. And so Hydaelyn brought Her tranquil Light to bear against Zodiark's relentless Darkness in a terrible battle. Hydaelyn narrowly emerged the victor, and with Her final strike sundered Zodiark and the star itself into fourteen shards. With Her enemy fragmented and too weak to resist, Hydaelyn created a moon for each shard─a series of gaols in which the divided Zodiark would be sealed for all eternity.

Outraged by the sundering of their world and their god, the Ascians─those who had belonged to the Convocation of Fourteen─resolved to revive Zodiark and restore the broken world to the paradise it once was. For millennia they plotted against Hydaelyn and Her followers, orchestrating events to achieve their ultimate goal, until one of their own chose to forsake this solemn charge.

The Ascian Fandaniel, upon regaining his memories and understanding his true nature, rejected his role in his brethren's machinations. After learning of Elidibus's defeat on the First, he resolved instead to destroy Zodiark. Using Garlemald as his base of operations, the rogue Ascian orchestrated the summoning of the primal Anima, who would siphon aether from across the star and direct it into the Tower of Babil. Utilizing the tower as an aetheric cannon, Fandaniel crippled the mechanisms on the moon which kept Zodiark imprisoned, and subsequently traveled there to seize control of the elder primal by offering himself as His new heart.

Though the Ascian was laid low by the Warrior of Light, Fandaniel reveled in Zodiark's defeat, as his ultimate goal was the return of the Final Days. In a final act of defiance, Zodiark reached into His chest and shattered His own heart, consigning the elder primal to a permanent death.

With His demise on the Source, it is presumed that the reflections of Zodiark in other shards were destroyed as well, and the once-fettered souls of the ancients are finally free to return to the Lifestream.

==Ryne==
[[File:Ryne portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Ryne|Ryne Waters]]'''</big> 
'''Oracle of Light''' 
This young maiden of the First fought the sin eaters alongside the Warrior of Darkness, and played an instrumental role in restoring night to Norvrandt.

It is impossible to speak of Ryne without first speaking of the Oracle of Light, Minfilia. Approximately a century ago, when the Flood of Light threatened to engulf the First, the people of Nabaath Areng bore witness to a woman who single-handedly halted the encroaching radiance. Amidst the tumult, someone was heard crying out "Minfilia"—and so it was that Norvrandt's mysterious savior was named.

Fifteen years later, when the Kingdom of Voeburt fell to sin eaters, a girl was discovered who could not be turned by their corruption. With her hair of spun gold and eyes of clearest sapphire, she bore an uncanny resemblance to the legendary Oracle. Inheriting her name, this Minfilia went on to be a beacon of hope in mankind's struggle against the sin eater threat, but as is the fate of many a soldier, she eventually fell in battle. Some years later, however, another girl would appear who possessed the same distinct features and immunity both. In this way the cycle continued, with a new Minfilia emerging as if to replace the one who had died before her.

This strange phenomenon was brought about by none other than the original Minfilia, the Antecedent of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, who had journeyed from the Source to deliver the First from destruction. Having quelled the Flood, she began reincarnating into the bodies of suitable young girls so that the blessing of Light, the source of resistance to sin eater corruption, might endure. Those who were vessels for Minfilia's soul invariably manifested her features, serving to identify the bearer of the blessing.

Once Vauthry became supreme leader of Eulmore, however, the Oracle was deemed no longer necessary. In truth, Vauthry feared the Oracle and the hope she symbolized, and so he ordered General Ran'jit to find and imprison the next Minfilia to appear. That girl was Ryne (though she was yet to be called thus), and she was locked up deep in the city's dungeon before she had seen five summers. For years she languished there, deprived of the opportunity to develop her powers, until she was rescued by Thancred, whom the Crystal Exarch had summoned from the Source.

The days that followed were filled with excitement and discovery for the young maiden. From Thancred she learned how to live and fight, and over time he became as a father to her. Yet even as she grew closer to him, she began to question his motivations for taking her under his wing. She came to believe it was the original Minfilia that he had sought to save—that he would be happier if she surrendered her body to the woman's soul—and the thought tormented her throughout her journey with the Warrior of Darkness.

In time, the moment of truth would arrive. Tracking down the remaining Lightwardens required that she harness greater power as the Oracle, and it was during a bitter confrontation with Ran'jit that she finally found the strength of will to walk her own path. With Thancred laying his life on the line to secure her escape, she pressed on to inherit her namesake's power and arise as the Oracle in her own right. Driven by the desire to fulfill the legacy of those who went before her, she returned with her hair and eyes restored to their natural hues, and from the man who was her father in all the ways that mattered, she received the name by which she is now known.

With the Lightwardens that once plagued the realm no more, Ryne now dedicates her days to restoring life to the First. Be it bejeweled with stars or a brilliant blue, the sky never fails to remind her of journeys past as well as her family, whose love she feels no matter the distance between them.

==[[Garlond Ironworks]]==
Cid Garlond established the Ironworks in 1562 so that magitek technology might spread throughout Eorzea, lessening the Garlean Empire's dangerous monopoly on the science. With a combination of both Garlean defectors and young Eorzean engineers in its employ, the manufacturers create everything from airships to ceruleum-driven trains. There are even scaled models for the younglings of well-to-do houses.

The company is second to none when it comes to airships, and it was but a twelvemoon after Cid's defection from the Empire that he designed a civilian model completely craftable with Eorzean resources. Since forging their partnership with Highwind Skyways, the Ironworks has produced countless airships, and is largely responsible for the current era's convenience in sky travel.

While Cid remains the president of the company in name, during his five-year absence following the Calamity, it was a woman named Jessie who saw to the everyday management of the Ironworks. It is said that she remains at the company's helm even now, as Cid's duties often lead him far afield, and hers was the hand that signed the contract enlisting former imperial tribunus and engineering prodigy Nero tol Scaeva into their ranks.

Working tirelessly by the motto "Freedom through Technology," Cid and his fellow engineers have been a reliable source of innovation. Through their inventions, they have provided the Warrior of Light and their comrades with many a vital breakthrough, and they will doubtless continue to do so.

==Spirit Vessel==
Long ago, the Crystal Exarch came to a fateful conclusion: only a mighty warrior who could defeat the Lightwardens as well as resist their corruption could deliver salvation to Norvrandt. The sole individual he knew capable of such feats—the Warrior of Light—abided in the Source, and thus did he labor to adapt the Crystal Tower's cross-rift travel capabilities that he might bring the hero unto the First.

Success proved elusive. Even after much time and effort, instead of the Warrior of Light, the Exarch ended up summoning their fellow Scions, and incompletely; only their souls successfully made the journey. Though he could weave for them something akin to corporeal forms, their actual bodies remained locked in slumber in the Source, and the connection between flesh and soul would eventually fail, resulting in death. To wit, it was imperative that he found a way to return his unintended guests safely home.

When teleporting, an individual takes their possessions with them by virtue of recognizing those objects as extensions of the self. It was this mechanism that served as the basis of the solution. Receptacles would be created to hold each of the Scions' souls, which the Warrior of Light, who had been summoned whole and complete, would then carry back across the rift to the Source. The finished product, the spirit vessel, also drew inspiration from white auracite, Moenbryda's ingenious invention for capturing an Ascian soul.

However, one other obstacle had to be overcome: the separation of mind and memory. While the two are intrinsically entwined like words writ upon parchment, the latter is wont to fade when the soul is placed into a vessel. In seeking to ensure that their memories remained intact, the companions looked to Allagan memory transference—a technique which required that their spirit vessels be imbued with royal Allagan blood. This blood was provided by the Exarch himself, and it also served to turn these vessels into keys for controlling the Crystal Tower, whose operation was restricted to the ancient empire's rulers.

==Emet-Selch==
[[File:Emet-Selch portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Emet-Selch]]'''</big> 
'''Ascian''' 
A man whose true name was Hades, mighty sorcerer of eld.

Who became Solus zos Galvus, founding father of the Garlean Empire. Who threatened the world as the most dangerous of foes. Who stood at your side as the most dependable of friends.

An ancient who clove to his ideals to the bitter end. A man who rendered up his all for the people he loved.

A man who once lived.

==The Studium==
True to its reputation as the cradle of knowledge, Sharlayan is home to numerous private study halls and schooling facilities, but it is the prestigious Studium which represents its foremost institution of learning. The academy opened its doors in the year 432 of the Sixth Astral Era, and for over a thousand years has established a history for producing accomplished Archons and contributing to breakthroughs in every academic field.

While initial classes focused on the formal study of the arcane, the occult, and astromancy, it was from these subjects that aetherology─the exploration of magic's fundamental theory─was derived. This signaled the beginning of a more diverse curriculum, the main trunk branching out to include mundane fields such as the natural sciences of astronomy and biology. These were joined by the social sciences (law and economics), the humanities (philosophy and history), the formal sciences (mathematics and statistics), and the applied sciences (alchemy and medicine), and more on the spectrum of learning. Not all faculties are of equal size, however, with some professors teaching only a handful of pupils. This situation is exacerbated by compound disciplines such as somanoutics─combining the study of aetherology, sorcery, and medicine─the introduction of which leads to no few students transferring between faculties during their academy career.

Now unburdened by the threat of the Final Days, administrators have seized the opportunity to enact changes. The Studium's post-exodus limitations on accepting foreign students has since been lifted, and hopeful young scholars now converge on the city from every corner of Etheirys.

==The Eighth Umbral Calamity==
The Source has been visited by seven cataclysmic events known as “Umbral Calamities.” The first of these was the Calamity of Wind, followed by the Calamities of Lightning, Fire, Earth, Ice, Water, and finally the Calamity of Darkness. While these disasters may seem the logical consequence of conflict or natural phenomena, they could not, in truth, have occurred without a massive disruption of the aetherial equilibrium of a reflection world. When a reflection's balance shifts drastically towards a single aspect, the heightened elemental energies seep into the Source─much as water flows from higher to lower ground. An influx of fire-aspected aether might cause extended droughts, for example, while ice could result in a widespread drop in temperature. These anomalies become increasingly common, until a final great catastrophe breaks down the barrier between the two worlds. In that moment, all the aether which comprises the reflection floods into the Source, and the catastrophe swells into a full-fledged Umbral Calamity.

Though it did not take place within our present timeline, the Eighth Umbral Calamity's origin can be traced back to the First, where the power of Light was ascendant. Even as the luminous excess bled into the Source, the Garlean Empire launched its Black Rose upon the battlefield, and the deadly gas─itself a weapon of a Light-based nature─was amplified far beyond its expected potency. It spread over a vast area, halting the circulation of aether and killing every living being with which it came into contact. The aether currents themselves were stilled, and the repercussions of this stagnation rippled throughout the environment. The Alliance leaders and Scions who had gathered to fight the imperial armies were slain where they stood.

Thus began an age of unending war. Order broke down, violence ran rampant, and all fought in the savage battle for survival. In the midst of civilization's collapse, it was Cid and his Garlond Ironworks' stalwarts who led the development of an ambitious and far-reaching plan. Founded upon the knowledge they had gleaned in preceding years, the group set out to create a reality in which the Eighth Umbral Calamity never happened─to build a past in which the calamity was prevented, and ensure that the fallen heroes survived into the future.

The engineers and their collaborators toiled for generations, devoting their lives and the lives of their descendants to bringing this mad scheme to fruition. Finally, after decades of preparation, they succeeded in transporting the reawoken Crystal Tower backwards through the years and into the world of the First.

Many adventures and misadventures later, Darkness was restored to the ailing reflection, and the Eighth Umbral Calamity was averted. None who live today bore witness to that tragedy, nor the great effort which went into making this miracle possible. None will ever know who their saviors were, nor the thoughts and fears which drove them. None will ever know if their bleak future was erased by the changing of history, or if it endures in a fork of time's eternal river. Here and now, their hopes for the world are evident only in the continued survival of those they gave everything to save.

==The Void==
The Thirteenth was once strikingly similar to the Source, albeit possessed of its own unique history─much as might be said of any other reflection. Tragedy arrived, however, when Ascians enveloped the lands in Darkness in their attempt to shatter the barrier between the worlds and force a Rejoining. The first step of their machinations involved sharing the secrets of primal summoning and instigating wars of conquest. Heroes possessed of preternatural talents came forth to do battle, employing an art that sealed the primals away in crystal “memoria.” They then drew on the memoria's power to tip the balance and quell the conflicts for good, but from these champions arose new tyrants, intoxicated by the strength they now wielded. One by one, the heroes fell, the tides turned, and the catastrophic shift in aetherial equilibrium triggered a Flood of Darkness.

Yet even greater disaster was to come when the Ascians' Rejoining failed to channel the surfeit of Darkness unto the Source. Having nowhere else to which it could escape, these energies surged and swelled until it engulfed the Thirteenth entirely, transforming every living being on the star into twisted fiends. All that was left was a grasping void, where even the surcease of death was denied its inhabitants.

Ever since this inundation of Darkness, the veil separating worlds has been notably thinner between the Source and the void, more so than with any other reflection. Forging a passage via natural fissures or man-made gates is comparatively simple, and voidsent incursions─be they the result of deliberate summonings or otherwise─are a frequent occurrence.

==Zero==
[[File:Zero portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Zero]]'''</big> 
'''Memoriate''' 
In the void, where life's natural cycle no longer holds sway, Zero strives to restore her world to its rightful state.

Zero's mother, a memoriate, was with child when she was exposed to a powerful source of Darkness during battle. Zero was thus born half-voidsent, and ceased to age after reaching adulthood. She chose to take up her mother's struggle to bring an end to the Contramemoria, but while traveling as a lone hero, she was bested by a band of corrupt memoriates. The Flood of Darkness inundated the world even as she lay dying, sweeping her soul into the rift between worlds.

When an incidental fissure at last allowed her to return, she found her world an empty void, uninhabitable by any being that was not a voidsent. Zero surrendered to hopelessness, condemned as she was to wander alone for eternity.

Although strong enough to manifest her own territory in the swirling mire, Zero rarely visited her “home” unless her aether reserves were low. It instead became a sanctuary for lesser voidsent who had grown tired of the endless battle for dominance─an intrusion she tolerated without protest.

Seeking an advantage against the Warrior of Light, it was Zenos who summoned Zero to the Source and bound her to serve as his reaper avatar. With his defeat, she was cast back unto the void, where she would once again encounter Eorzea's champion and their companions when they came in search of the great wyrm Azdaja. They gave her the name “Zero,” and struck a bargain to enlist her aid in their battle against Golbez's archfiends. As they traveled and fought together, Zero began to reconnect with a part of herself she had thought forever lost, and the discovery of how Light might be restored to her world rekindled a fire within her breast. Zero soon abandoned the pretense of payment and accompanied the Warrior of Light of her own accord, forging bonds of friendship with Jullus and many others in a way that she had shunned when fighting alone.

The quest to defeat Zeromus would eventually take her to the First to meet with Ryne, the Oracle of Light. Ryne's words gave Zero much to consider, and after contemplating what her half-voidsent nature allowed her to do that no other being could, she took within herself the power of Light.

Zero then returned to the Void to confront Golbez in the depths of the moon. Golbez, too, had desired to restore the Thirteenth, but in his grief at losing his dear companion, he had been manipulated by the Ascians into unleashing the Flood of Darkness. So it was that Zero revealed to him the flicker of Light she carried, convincing the would-be conqueror that a seed of hope yet remained. During the ensuing battle with Zeromus, Zero's fervent wish to save her world transformed her into a knight of legendary appearance. A blow infused with both Light and Darkness shattered Zeromus's form, and Zero succeeded in sealing the massive voidsent's aether in memoria. Following their triumph, she joined hands with the repentant Golbez, and together they took the first steps toward bringing Light into the void.

Wary of diluting her essence, Zero has always avoided feeding on the souls of others. This insistence on consuming stray aether often led to her death through starvation, leaving her to drift in the void until her corporeal form was reconstituted. After not eating physically for so long, Zero's sense of taste had also atrophied─but she has since rediscovered this facet of cuisine after sampling heavily spiced foods in the Source. The extremely spicy curry custom-made to her preference in Radz-at-Hahn has become one of the city's new signature dishes.

==Souls==
Within all beings─whether it be man, animal, or even plant─does aether flow. It is the spark which grants life to the lifeless. Conversely, death can be said to occur once aether has left a corporeal object. From this it is clear to see why many scholars use the words 'life' and 'aether' interchangeably.

The aether of the living can be broadly divided into corporeal aether─one's vigor or life force; and incorporeal aether─more colloquially known as one's soul. A person possessed of only the former becomes a zombie, while having only the latter would render them a ghost.

Aetherologists also assert that an individual's “memory” is inscribed upon their soul's aether. It is further theorized that memories associated with stronger emotions, such as regret, are more likely to persist after death, which would perhaps explain why so many spirits fixate upon vengeance.

When a living creature perishes, its corporeal aether remains in the physical world where it is consumed by predators or absorbed back into the land to provide nourishment for other life-forms. Incorporeal aether, however, is returned to the aetherial sea. In that otherworldly plane is a soul washed clean of its memories, there to await rebirth as a new entity.

==Gulool Ja Ja==
[[File:Gulool Ja Ja portrait1.png|left]]<big>'''[[Gulool Ja Ja]]'''</big> 
'''First Dawnservant of Tuliyollal''' 
The foremost feature of his striking appearance, Gulool Ja Ja's two heads are a characteristic unique to the Mamool Ja's "blessed siblings"-rare individuals born of a union between the brown-scaled Hoobigo and the blue-scaled Boonewa.

These two-headed marvels inherit both the Hoobigo's robust strength and the Boonewa's arcane affinity, maturing into warriors of unrivaled martial prowess. The Mamool Ja have previously sought to force this miracle, desiring advantage in their historical conflict against the Xbr'aal, but the commingling of the Hoobigo and Boonewa lines was fraught with complications: for every healthy blessed sibling born, a hundred infants failed to survive.

Before Gulool Ja Ja's feet, too, were set firmly on the path of war, he was fortunate to encounter the Eorzean explorer, Ketenramm. The friendship he forged with the outsider opened his eyes to the world beyond the forest, encouraging him to depart Mamook and its restrictive traditions. He traveled far and wide across the lands of Tural, meeting its diverse races and cultivating new companions along the way. His was a tale of unprecedented adventures, which culminated in the defeat and imprisonment of Valigarmanda, the Skyruin.

Following these accomplishments, Gulool Ja Ja returned to Yak T'el with his comrades in tow, whereupon they challenged the warring Mamool Ja and Xbr'aal forces. The two-head's fellowship thoroughly humbled both armies, leading to a cessation of hostilities and a lasting peace.

Word of Valigarmanda's defeat and the end of the Yak T'el war spread swiftly to every corner of the continent. The philosophy of cooperation espoused by Gulool Ja Ja begat a rising tide of like-minded sentiment, paving the way for the foundation of Tuliyollal and elevating him to the position of "Dawnservant." As the new nation's ruler, his bold and ebullient right head would lead their armies as the Vow of Resolve, whilst his wise and benevolent left head would govern their myriad peoples as the Vow of Reason. Under this balanced leadership did he henceforth guide the fledgling federation into a state of great prosperity.

As a two-headed Mamool Ja, Gulool Ja Ja was thought incapable of siring children. Some decades after his ascension to the throne, however, the Dawnservant was blessed with the arrival of a son: Zoraal Ja. And as if precipitated by this unprecedented event, Gulool Ja Ja went on to adopt the orphaned Koana and Wuk Lamat, one promptly after the other. With the royal family thus expanded, the Dawnservant turned his hand to raising his heirs the First, Second, and Third Promises.

Yet even the greatest of potentates cannot outrun old age forever. Unwilling to allow his inevitable passing to plunge the nation into chaos, Gulool Ja Ja took inspiration from the old ways of Mamook to devise a rite of succession. He watched over Wuk Lamat and Koana as they became joint rulers of Tuliyollal, and it was during the ascension ceremony that he confirmed their suspicions: the constantly slumbering Head of Reason had passed quietly from this world some three years before.

Gulool Ja Ja's saga came to a tragic end when soldiers of Alexandria later attacked the capital. The former Dawnservant faced off against the invasion force's commander-his own son, Zoraal Ja in single combat, seemingly defeating the treacherous Promise. Using regulator technology, however, Zoraal Ja arose stronger than before and slew his father in cold blood.

==Tural==
Comprised of two great landmasses-Xak Tural, the northern lands of the Father, and Yok Tural, the southern lands of the Mother-the continent of the "New World" lies far to the west of Eorzea's shores.

Its many and diverse peoples spent centuries mired in territorial wars until the epic deeds of Gulool Ja Ja and his dream of Tuliyollal saw them united under the banner of a single nation some eighty years ago.

This age of peace would endure until the unquiet days which followed the rite of succession. Scarcely had Wuk Lamat and Koana ascended the throne when the new Vows were faced with an unusual crisis-the abrupt appearance of an enormous dome of energy over Yyasulani. It was then that a mechanical army led by Zoraal Ja, the true son of the former Dawnservant, emerged from the glowing structure, and launched an assault upon the capital of Tuliyollal.

Upon investigation, the dome was found to contain a fraction of a shard world fused with the local region. The reflection's partial rejoining caused a temporal anomaly, its nature such that while mere moments had passed outside, those trapped within had lived through thirty years. During those lost decades, Queen Sphene, ruler of the dome's people, joined hands with Zoraal Ja. Together they built the kingdom of Alexandria anew, and in a bid to plunder aether from other worlds, orchestrated the invasion which brought such panic and destruction to Tural.

Although the Warrior of Light was able to aid the newly ascended Dawnservants in defeating the immediate threat, the dome itself persists—as do the issues surrounding the repatriation of those native to Yyasulani.

==The Rite of Succession==
The rite of succession was a contest held by Tuliyollal's first Dawnservant, Gulool Ja Ja, to determine a worthy successor to his throne.

He permitted four candidates to participate in the rite: his firstborn son, Zoraal Ja; his adopted children, Koana and Wuk Lamat; and the winner of the grand melee tournament, the two- headed Bakool Ja Ja, who was the only competitor not part of the royal family.

The conditions for victory required the hopefuls to find the legendary city of gold. Breaking the seal the Dawnservant had placed at its entrance, however, would require the acquisition of seven keystones, which could only be earned by retracing the steps Gulool Ja Ja once walked to unite Tural's peoples. Along the way, the candidates would encounter seven electors, each waiting to award a keystone to those who performed a chosen feat to their satisfaction.

On the surface, this overwrought process seemed designed solely to indulge Gulool Ja Ja's love of competition, but it served a deeper purpose. By forcing the candidates to interact with the electors also elders of the various clans-the Dawnservant hoped to impart a greater understanding of Tuliyollal's diverse cultures and history, and in so doing cultivate a fitting heir to his title.

==Tural Vidraal==
A tural vidraal is a rare example of when a creature of advanced age evolves far beyond the usual limits of its species. Meaning "land grasper" in the common tongue, the term well describes how the monstrous power of these entities comes to dominate the region in which they dwell.

The existence of several tural vidraal have been recorded to date, but even among these anomalies, the infamous Valigarmanda was unrivaled in strength. It was dubbed the "Skyruin," a name earned for the destruction it visited upon Tural every time it stirred from slumber. Valigarmanda's reign of terror continued until eight decades past, when Gulool Ja Ja and his company of heroes subdued the beast and sealed it within the Yok Huy temple of Karryorzar the Gracious.

The Skyruin awakened one last time during the rite of succession, its prison of ice unmade by the reckless actions of Bakool Ja Ja. Fortunately for the region's inhabitants, the Mamool Ja's rival candidates and their champions rose to the challenge. Upon the field of battle did they come together to slay the scourge of Urqopacha, and write the final chapter to its legend.

[[Category:Features]] [[Category:Patch 6.1 Features]] [[Category:Lore]]

Yok Huy Toad

2025-03-05T07:01:30Z

Psike: /* Fishing Log: Karvarhur the First (Spearfishing) */

{{Item infobox
| name = Yok Huy Toad
| icon = yok huy toad icon1.png
| description = Owing, perhaps, to its large eyes, this amphibian is said to bear more than a passing resemblance to the mountain giants it shares its name with. [Suitable for printing on small canvases.]
| type = crafting material
| effects =
| material-type = Seafood
| unique =
| untradable =
| unsellable =
| rarity = white
| level =
| ilvl =
| race =
| gender =
| recast =
| cost =
| value = 8
| value-hq =
| seals =
| patch = 7.0
| release = dawntrail
| id-edb = de2e6a250d7
| id-gt = 43804
}}
{{TOC limit|2}}
==Basic Information==
*'''Recommended [[Fishing]] Level''': ??
*'''Fish Type''': [[????]]
*'''[[Aquarium]] Type''': [[????]]
*'''Sizes''': Smallest - ??im, Largest - ??im

'''Description'''

After observing the similarity between this creature's large eyes and those of the Yok Huy, one eager Wing of Reflection researcher posited the existence of a shared ancestor. Alas, there proved to be no tangible link, leaving the young naturalist rather deflated.

==Acquisition==
===[[Fishing Log: Karvarhur the First (Spearfishing)]]===
*'''[[Location]]''': [[Urqopacha]] (X:6, Y:20)
*'''Hole Level''': 95
*'''[[Baits]]''': [[Spearfishing]]
*'''Speed''': Very slow
*'''Size''': Small
*'''Condition''':
*'''[[Weather]]''':

==Used For==
===Crafting Ingredient===
{{recipe list}}
===Desynthesis===
'''Class''': [[Culinarian]] (645.00)

'''Potential Results''':
*{{item icon|Fine Sand}} x 1

[[Category:Seafood]] [[Category:???? Fish]] [[Category:Unfinished Fish]]

Yok Huy Toad

2025-03-05T06:49:01Z

Psike: /* Fishing Log: Karvarhur the First (Spearfishing) */

{{Item infobox
| name = Yok Huy Toad
| icon = yok huy toad icon1.png
| description = Owing, perhaps, to its large eyes, this amphibian is said to bear more than a passing resemblance to the mountain giants it shares its name with. [Suitable for printing on small canvases.]
| type = crafting material
| effects =
| material-type = Seafood
| unique =
| untradable =
| unsellable =
| rarity = white
| level =
| ilvl =
| race =
| gender =
| recast =
| cost =
| value = 8
| value-hq =
| seals =
| patch = 7.0
| release = dawntrail
| id-edb = de2e6a250d7
| id-gt = 43804
}}
{{TOC limit|2}}
==Basic Information==
*'''Recommended [[Fishing]] Level''': ??
*'''Fish Type''': [[????]]
*'''[[Aquarium]] Type''': [[????]]
*'''Sizes''': Smallest - ??im, Largest - ??im

'''Description'''

After observing the similarity between this creature's large eyes and those of the Yok Huy, one eager Wing of Reflection researcher posited the existence of a shared ancestor. Alas, there proved to be no tangible link, leaving the young naturalist rather deflated.

==Acquisition==
===[[Fishing Log: Karvarhur the First (Spearfishing)]]===
*'''[[Location]]''': [[Urqopacha]] (X:6, Y:20)
*'''Hole Level''': 95
*'''[[Baits]]''': [[Spearfishing]]
*'''Speed''': Slow
*'''Size''': Small
*'''Condition''':
*'''[[Weather]]''':

==Used For==
===Crafting Ingredient===
{{recipe list}}
===Desynthesis===
'''Class''': [[Culinarian]] (645.00)

'''Potential Results''':
*{{item icon|Fine Sand}} x 1

[[Category:Seafood]] [[Category:???? Fish]] [[Category:Unfinished Fish]]

Yok Huy Toad

2025-03-05T06:44:16Z

Psike: /* Fishing Log: Karvarhur the First (Spearfishing) */

{{Item infobox
| name = Yok Huy Toad
| icon = yok huy toad icon1.png
| description = Owing, perhaps, to its large eyes, this amphibian is said to bear more than a passing resemblance to the mountain giants it shares its name with. [Suitable for printing on small canvases.]
| type = crafting material
| effects =
| material-type = Seafood
| unique =
| untradable =
| unsellable =
| rarity = white
| level =
| ilvl =
| race =
| gender =
| recast =
| cost =
| value = 8
| value-hq =
| seals =
| patch = 7.0
| release = dawntrail
| id-edb = de2e6a250d7
| id-gt = 43804
}}
{{TOC limit|2}}
==Basic Information==
*'''Recommended [[Fishing]] Level''': ??
*'''Fish Type''': [[????]]
*'''[[Aquarium]] Type''': [[????]]
*'''Sizes''': Smallest - ??im, Largest - ??im

'''Description'''

After observing the similarity between this creature's large eyes and those of the Yok Huy, one eager Wing of Reflection researcher posited the existence of a shared ancestor. Alas, there proved to be no tangible link, leaving the young naturalist rather deflated.

==Acquisition==
===[[Fishing Log: Karvarhur the First (Spearfishing)]]===
*'''[[Location]]''': [[Urqopacha]] (X:6, Y:20)
*'''Hole Level''': 95
*'''[[Baits]]''': [[Spearfishing]]
*'''Speed''': Average
*'''Size''': Small
*'''Condition''':
*'''[[Weather]]''':

==Used For==
===Crafting Ingredient===
{{recipe list}}
===Desynthesis===
'''Class''': [[Culinarian]] (645.00)

'''Potential Results''':
*{{item icon|Fine Sand}} x 1

[[Category:Seafood]] [[Category:???? Fish]] [[Category:Unfinished Fish]]

Gold-haloed Sack

2025-03-03T09:33:27Z

Psike: /* Potential Contents */

{{item infobox
| name = Gold-haloed Sack
| icon = gold-haloed sack icon1.png
| description = This radiant bag containing a portion of [[Heaven-on-High]]'s [[Accursed Hoard]] has been sealed with powerful magicks. Only an appraiser almost suspiciously well versed in the dispelling of hexes might be able to undo such a seal.
| type = Other
| material-type = Miscellany
| untradable = y
| unsellable = y
| rarity = Basic
| patch = 4.35
| release = stormblood
| id-edb = 531ac866292
| id-gt = 23224
}}
__NOTOC__
==Acquisition==
Obtained by collecting hidden [[Accursed Hoard]]s inside {{questlink|ddungeon|Heaven-on-High}} floors 31-70.

==Potential Contents==
Players can take these items to the [[Confederate Appraiser]] at [[Crick]] in [[The Ruby Sea]] (X:21.3, Y:9.2) to have it appraised and discover what lies within.
{{section-stub|reason=list incomplete}}
*{{contains|Ao Dai}}
*{{contains|Battledance Materia V}}
*{{contains|Bibliophobia Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Bom Boko}}
*{{contains|Bombfish}}
*{{contains|Clear Demimateria I}}
*{{contains|Deception Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Down the Up Staircase Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Empyrean Clay}}
*{{contains|Empyrean Pine Log}}
*{{contains|Extreme Survival Slops}}
*{{contains|Flannel Suspenders}}
*{{contains|General-purpose Dark Blue Dye}}
*{{contains|General-purpose Metallic Gold Dye}}
*{{contains|General-purpose Pastel Blue Dye}}
*{{contains|General-purpose Pure White Dye}}
*{{contains|Ghido}}
*{{contains|Hannish Wool}}
*{{contains|Heavens' Eye Materia V}}
*{{contains|Hiruko Card}}
*{{contains|Hunting Hawk}}
*{{contains|Imagination Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Korpokkur Kid}}
*{{contains|Miniature Minecart}}
*{{contains|Morpho}}
*{{contains|New World Headdress}}
*{{contains|Odder Otter}}
*{{contains|Oriental Rice Ball Lunch}}
*{{contains|Piety Materia V}}
*{{contains|Quickarm Materia V}}
*{{contains|Quicktongue Materia V}}
*{{contains|Quan}}
*{{contains|Riptide Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Savage Aim Materia V}}
*{{contains|Savage Might Materia V}}
*{{contains|Thavnairian Wool}}
*{{contains|The Dark's Embrace Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|The Open Box Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Tiny Tatsunoko}}
*{{contains|Unbreakable (Duality) Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Bismarck}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Ifrit}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Lakshmi}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Ramuh}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Shiva}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Susano}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Titan}}

Gold-haloed Sack

2025-03-03T09:30:51Z

Psike: /* Potential Contents */

{{item infobox
| name = Gold-haloed Sack
| icon = gold-haloed sack icon1.png
| description = This radiant bag containing a portion of [[Heaven-on-High]]'s [[Accursed Hoard]] has been sealed with powerful magicks. Only an appraiser almost suspiciously well versed in the dispelling of hexes might be able to undo such a seal.
| type = Other
| material-type = Miscellany
| untradable = y
| unsellable = y
| rarity = Basic
| patch = 4.35
| release = stormblood
| id-edb = 531ac866292
| id-gt = 23224
}}
__NOTOC__
==Acquisition==
Obtained by collecting hidden [[Accursed Hoard]]s inside {{questlink|ddungeon|Heaven-on-High}} floors 31-70.

==Potential Contents==
Players can take these items to the [[Confederate Appraiser]] at [[Crick]] in [[The Ruby Sea]] (X:21.3, Y:9.2) to have it appraised and discover what lies within.
{{section-stub|reason=list incomplete}}
*{{contains|Ao Dai}}
*{{contains|Battledance Materia V}}
*{{contains|Bibliophobia Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Bom Boko}}
*{{contains|Bombfish}}
*{{contains|Clear Demimateria I}}
*{{contains|Deception Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Down the Up Staircase Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Empyrean Clay}}
*{{contains|Empyrean Pine Log}}
*{{contains|Flannel Suspenders}}
*{{contains|General-purpose Dark Blue Dye}}
*{{contains|General-purpose Metallic Gold Dye}}
*{{contains|General-purpose Pure White Dye}}
*{{contains|Ghido}}
*{{contains|Hannish Wool}}
*{{contains|Heavens' Eye Materia V}}
*{{contains|Hiruko Card}}
*{{contains|Hunting Hawk}}
*{{contains|Imagination Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Korpokkur Kid}}
*{{contains|Miniature Minecart}}
*{{contains|Morpho}}
*{{contains|New World Headdress}}
*{{contains|Odder Otter}}
*{{contains|Oriental Rice Ball Lunch}}
*{{contains|Piety Materia V}}
*{{contains|Quickarm Materia V}}
*{{contains|Quicktongue Materia V}}
*{{contains|Quan}}
*{{contains|Riptide Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Savage Aim Materia V}}
*{{contains|Savage Might Materia V}}
*{{contains|Thavnairian Wool}}
*{{contains|The Dark's Embrace Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|The Open Box Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Tiny Tatsunoko}}
*{{contains|Unbreakable (Duality) Orchestrion Roll}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Bismarck}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Ifrit}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Lakshmi}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Ramuh}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Shiva}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Susano}}
*{{contains|Wind-up Titan}}

UserWiki:Psike

2024-07-02T00:56:43Z

Psike: import user wiki