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.
The Students of Baldesion is an organization of scholars in Final Fantasy XIV, originally based on the Isle of Val when it was still near Sharlayan. The organization exists to study arcane mysteries across the world, and recently have focused on the echo, Ascians, and the Umbral Calamity phenomenon. They are close allies with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.
They are frequently mentioned during the A Realm Reborn main storyline as contacts for Urianger Augurelt and Minfilia Warde. Later, during the Crystal Tower storyline, one of their members, G'raha Tia, is revealed to have been recruited by Cid and Rammbroes Zasertylsyn for the investigation.
Eventually the Scions lose contact with the Students of Baldesion. Urianger discovered that something happened to the Isle of Val, as though some great and powerful magic similar to Ultima was used and the island was "utterly....gone."
Krile, grandaughter of the organization's leader Galuf and the only known survivor of the Isle of Val's disappearance, arrived in Eorzea to help the Scions. She had been saved from the island's disappearance by the intervention of Hydaelyn.
In addition to the Eureka storyline centered around Krile and the fate of the Isle of Val, Mikoto is also introduced as a Student of Baldesion during the Return to Ivalice Alliance Raid series.
Mikoto appears once again in a questline building off of events in the Return to Ivalice.
After the events on the Isle of Val, Krile has relocated the organization's headquarters to The Baldesion Annex on the outskirts of Old Sharlayan. The annex is administered by Ojika Tsunjika, cousin of Ejika Tsunjika from the Eureka expedition.
