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(See also: History of Eorzea)

Tales from the Calamity[ | ]

In the days that followed the Battle of Carteneau, there was much work to be done. Many Eorzeans had lost their homes and means of support as Bahamut had wreaked unimaginable havoc before being subdued. Angered by dread and insanity, rioters have flocked to the streets in Ul'dah. Order was only restored and official efforts to provide help and succor to the people could start thanks to the Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo's passionate speeches and the valiant deeds of her seven defenders. After being injured during the Battle of Carteneau, Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, who had been unconscious in Limsa Lominsa, awoke and began setting up the Maelstrom's temporary command at Moraby Drydocks, which had been shielded from the worst of the great wave that had destroyed Vylbrand's coast. The recovery efforts were managed in Gridania by Kan-E-Senna's younger siblings Raya-O and A-Ruhn, while the Elder Seedseer spent some time in Carteneau looking for the few survivors that were still alive and saving those who could still be spared.

Legatus Gaius van Baelsar, also known as the Black Wolf and leader of the XIVth Legion, observed the conflict from the deck of an imperial airship and recognized an opening. He despatched troops to Mor Dhona's Castrum Novum with orders to kill the remaining members of van Darnus's VIIth Legion and secure the castle for the XIVth after withdrawing to Ala Mhigo with the remains of his fleet. From there, they sent cohorts to La Noscea, Thanalan, the Black Shroud, and Coerthas. Numerous new castra were erected on the areas they claimed.

The Eorzean Alliance was aware of the Empire's hostility but lacked the power to counter it. It took everything General Raubahn and the Immortal Flames had to defend the line when the 5th Cohort intruded into Ul'dahn interests in northern Thanalan. The Ul'dahns could only watch helplessly as the Garleans started building Castrum Meridianum—a dagger pointed towards the very center of Eorzea—after the two sides had withdrawn behind their defenses.

A New Dawn[ | ]

The surviving members of the Circle of Knowing and the Path of the Twelve met in a peaceful area of Ul'dah six months after Dalamud fell to talk about their shared destiny.

The Path of the Twelve was purportedly an obscure religious order dedicated to the search for spiritual understanding when it was founded in 1570. However, in reality, it had been a shelter for "walkers" of the path—men and women endowed with the Echo, a power whose potential they were just beginning to fathom. Its charismatic Antecedent, the Lady Minfilia, was herself one of the strongest in this gift.

At the age of seventeen, Minfilia discovered her power when she unexpectedly discovered herself moving through someone else's memories. She confided in Thancred, an old friend and covert member of the Circle of Knowing (though she was unaware of this at the time) after becoming troubled and horrified by the event. Thancred saw the signs and brought Minfilia to Louisoix Leveilleur, his master and mentor, who taught her about the Echo, a power supposedly bestowed upon those on the verge of an Umbral Calamity so they might withstand the approaching darkness. He asserted that the Echo has the same power as Minfilia's and was more than a myth. She and the Archon developed a close friendship after first being skeptical of one another. It was with his enthusiastic backing that she founded the Path of the Twelve, and over the next years, the two groups would cooperate on numerous projects.

Louisoix had visited her organization's headquarters, the Waking Sands, on the eve of the Battle of Carteneau to share his intentions to prevent the destruction of Eorzea. The Twelve would be called forth by the Archon using secret, prohibited techniques, and together, they would stop the lower moon from falling. Such power, though, was a danger in and of itself, as it appeared quite likely that if Eorzea's patron deities took physical form, they would be susceptible to the same appetites as the gods of the beastmen. They would bleed the land of life if that turned out to be the case. Louisoix decided to use just a small portion of the Twelve's might, just enough to stop Dalamud's descent. Alas, to ensure all would come to pass as intended, he would need to take his own life in the midst of the ritual.

Louisoix, however, wasn't there to talk about his approaching demise. He had seen in the Antecedent great potential, and during that meeting he told her the role he would have her play in the days to come. Six months after that terrible day, in accordance with Louisoix Leveilleur's desires, the Circle of Knowing and the Path of the Twelve were joined to form the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, led by Minfilia.[1]

A New Hero[ | ]

Many people's perceptions of the events leading up to the Calamity are still clouded by memories of Bahamut's rampage and miraculous defeat. No one can recall their names or faces, despite the fact that a group of brave adventurers is known to have played a key role in this victory. Trying only conjures up silhouettes in a brilliant light, a common mental picture that has earned these unsung soldiers the moniker "The Warriors of Light."

Five years later, stories of a survivor started to circulate throughout Eorzea, despite the fact that it was commonly thought that these heroes had perished in the Carteneau fires. According to certain stories, this person traveled widely, took part in confrontations both large and little, and frequently spoke up for the poor and oppressed. He eventually caught the Scions of the Seven the Dawn's notice not only for his selfless deeds but also for his manifestation of the Echo, that extraordinary ability to traverse through other people's memories. Minfilia decided to formally invite this adventurer to join them in their ongoing struggle against the primal threat as a result.

The Lord of the Inferno[ | ]

Ifrit

Ifrit

The Adventurer's first assignment was to look into a string of kidnappings in Thanalan, which turned out to be the work of an Ul'dahn businessman working with the Amalj'aa. The Immortal Flames came up with a scheme to capture the Amalj'aa responsible using the merchant as bait in an effort to find out where the abductees were. Unfortunately, one of their number turned traitor, leading to the adventurer and his companions' capture. They were then offered by the beastmen to their god, Ifrit, to become his thralls.

To the chagrin of the primal, the Adventurer turned out to be resistant to lfrit's tempering thanks to the power of the Echo, the sacred gift provided by Mother Hydaelyn Herself. Flying into a frenzy, lfrit tried to kill the adventurer in full, but was outmatched. Thus did the Lord of the Inferno fall.

The Paragons of Darkness[ | ]

Paragons of Darkness

After the Adventurer defeated the beastman god, the Immortal Flames' Bloodsworn were free to seize the prisoners and bring them back to Ul'dah in a secure location. The courageous hero, the eikon-slayer, swiftly gained notoriety, inspiring others to seek out the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and his assistance.

The Adventurer was sent by the Order of the Twin Adder to speak with the sylphs of Little Solace as they were worried that they might call Ramuh, the Lord of Levin. The primal had already been called in the past, but after performing numerous chores to gain the trust of the small creatures, he learned that Gridania should not be concerned about sylphic violence. Lahabrea of the Ascians, one of many enigmatic masked entities thought to have sown chaos and conflict since time immemorial, quickly emerged as a new menace to the Adventurer. The Scions understood better than to leave the Ascians to their own devices, despite the fact that their designs were everything but obvious.

The Adventurer and his comrades started looking into the mysterious man. They followed him to Little Ala Mhigo, where he had persuaded a group of desperate youths to try to call Rhalgr the Destroyer. The Adventurer then pursued his trail to Haukke Manor, where he came face to face with two other Ascians who were there to gauge the hero's power for their lord. These incredibly unsettling occurrences served to confirm that the Ascians had passed on the summoning knowledge to different people to pursue their own sinister objectives.[2]

The Lord of Crags[ | ]

Titan

Titan

The kobolds were reportedly believed to have once more called upon their patron deity, Titan, to protect their territory from Limsa Lominsa's aggressive expansion when the Scions were soon compelled to turn their focus to Vylbrand. Although twelve years earlier, in 1565, the illustrious Company of Heroes had been employed to purge the realm of the primal threat. The mercenary gang decided to disband after the Calamity, albeit at considerable cost. Lacking support from other countries, the Maelstrom resorted to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn for assistance.

The former members of the Company of Heroes were the first target for Y'shtola and the Adventurer since they were thought to be in possession of priceless tactical expertise. This notion was confirmed to be correct after numerous trials and tribulations, and the Scions discovered an aetheryte that could be used to send forces directly into Titan's sanctuary. Thus, the Adventurer slew the Lord of Crags and prevented Limsa Lominsa from exacting his horrible retribution at a moment that will always be remembered in the annals of Eorzean history. Sadly, a tragedy would offset this victory.

The Adventurer was met with the sight of the bodies of dear companions who had perished in a valiant battle. Noraxia, a sylphic ally, was slaughtered as the result of an imperial raid headed by Livia sas Junius, a tribunus who worked for Gaius van Baelsar. They arrived in search of the eikon-slayer but fled with Minfilia and other senior Scions after slaying countless others without consequence.

Friends Lost and Found[ | ]

Noraxia pleaded with her last breath for the Adventurer to take refuge at the Church of Saint Adama Landama, where he followed her advice and went in search of Father Iliud.

For a while, the Adventurer remained there covertly, helping with the funeral rites for his slain comrades. He made friends with Marques, a Carteneau survivor with amnesia who still possessed highly developed engineering abilities from his prior life. This little respite was put to an end when Alphinaud Leveilleur appeared.

The young Archon Louisoix's grandson had already encountered the Adventurer on various occasions, including during memorial services organized to honor the Battle of Carteneau. The sixteen-year-old Sharlayan aristocrat and Studium graduate had traveled to Eorzea against the desires of his father in order to join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and carry on their grandfather's heritage of defending the kingdom, accompanied by his twin sister Alisaie. Following the assault on the Waking Sands, he had decided to enlist the aid of the Adventurer—as well as that of the renowned Cid Garlond—after learning of a new primal threat.

A company called Garlond Ironworks, which is devoted to the creation and production of cutting-edge magitek, was established by the Garlean engineer when he fled the Empire fifteen years earlier and arrived in Eorzea. He was a trusted counselor to the Alliance and had shared his expertise of Garlean technology with the people of Eorzea. He had even gone so far as to participate in military operations, such as when he brought a party of explorers to Rivenroad to face Nael van Darnus.

Many people believed Cid had perished during the Calamity, but the engineer had actually lived. He had walked aimlessly until he reached the Church of Saint Adama Landama, where he was brought under Father Iliud's care and given the name Marques. The dreadful events of that day had robbed him of his memory. Although Alphinaud's assertions left him perplexed, Cid knew they were true and made the decision to help the Adventurer and the youngster in the hopes that it would aid in recovering his memories.[3]

The Search for the Enterprise[ | ]

Stone Vigil

Stone Vigil

Alphinaud informed that the terrifying and ferocious primal Garuda had been called by the Ixal of Gridania. However, the youth saw a chance that if they managed to take down Garuda, it would serve as a reminder to other beast tribes that even the most powerful gods might be defeated. But in order to confront their enemy, they would have to get over the storm that protected her haven—a task that could only be accomplished with the Enterprise, Cid's missing airship.

The trio arrived in central Coerthas' Ishgardian territory—a place as chilly and unwelcoming as its inhabitants—after searching for the Enterprise there. With the help of Haurchefant, an eccentric knight of House Fortemps, and Francel, a young nobleman of House Haillenarte, the group discovered that the airship might be found in the Stone Vigil, an Ishgardian castle that had been taken over by their Dravanian adversaries years ago. They had no choice but to fight their way far inside the crumbling stronghold until they finally encountered the Enterprise, and with it they managed to make their way back to Gridania.

The Lady of the Vortex[ | ]

Garuda

Garuda

The Enterprise had suffered damage from years of neglect, and given its current state, it was unable to survive the violent winds that surrounded the Howling Eye, Garuda's sanctuary. Cid came up with a scheme to use a corrupted crystal's power to safely break through the barrier so they could change the elemental portion of the aether that made up the primal's defenses. The Adventurer obtained a corrupted crystal to power Cid's freshly constructed elemental converter by working closely with the renowned Professor Lamberteint and his devoted students. Eventually, the group set off on their trip to face Garuda. Cid attempted to recollect his past after boarding the Enterprise, but it wasn't until the Adventurer's Echo made him finally able to recall his identity, his people, and his purpose.

The Adventurer defeated the Lady of the Vortex in the midst of the swirling winds, only to witness her rise up again, spurred on by the devotion of her Ixali followers. Gaius van Baelsar then entered the fight at this point, presumably determined to provoke the vanquished primal into one more act of defiance. As requested, Garuda executed her prisoner kobolds and the Amalj'aa, whose cries of anguish called forth their respective patron deities. Gaius summoned the Ultima Weapon, an Allagan artifact discovered buried deep beneath Gyr Abania and revived by Garlean magitek, which swiftly eliminated and seemingly absorbed all three primals as Garuda prepared to ingest the aether of her lesser brethren. The Adventurer and his companions had no alternative but to escape for their lives as they were completely unprepared to face this terrifying new threat.[4]

Reclaiming the Dawn's Light[ | ]

The Scions Yda and Y'shtola were reunited with Alphinaud, Cid, and the Adventurer after they took cover in the echoing halls of the Waking Sands. Since their headquarters had been raided, the two had spent days looking for their lost allies, and now their efforts had at last been successful.

Castrum Centri, an imperial fortress in Mor Dhona, was holding captive Minfilia and the other senior Scions. The Adventurer and his companions began gathering more intelligence after realizing that it would be difficult to free them. During this process, they were reunited with Biggs and Wedge, two Garlond Ironworks engineers who had been captured alongside the other Scions but had escaped during transport.

The engineers and the Scions devised a strategy to infiltrate Castrum Centri by posing as Garlean soldiers after reuniting at Mor Dhona's Revenant's Toll. They were able to enter the castrum secretly and release Minfilia, Papalymo, Urianger, and Tataru with the help of local adventurers who helped them acquire imperial clothes and a magitek reaper.

As they flew to safety, the Scions noticed Gaius van Baelsar standing next to the Ultima Weapon and the Ascian Lahabrea, who to their surprise threw back his hood to reveal the face of Thancred, their friend and ally, whom the Ascian had been controlling for some time. The Scions had recently been reunited and narrowly escaped Livia sas Junius' wrath by jumping aboard the Enterprise.

Operation Archon[ | ]

Either submit to the empire or suffer the same fate as the false gods he had sworn to wipe out. Gaius van Baelsar had given the Alliance's top officials such a deadline, which prompted them to call an urgent meeting in Ul'dah. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn were supposedly gone (or so they thought), so even though they objected to the legatus' demands, they thought they had no choice. Minfilia and the others then entered the Fragrant Chamber, pleading vehemently together with Alphinaud to not give in, to renew their confidence in the Scions, and to unite in opposition to van Baelsar and his Ultima Weapon.

The leaders of Eorzea decided to resist the Empire to the bitter end as a result of this timely intervention, and they immediately began to consider the best way to coordinate their military power. In response, the Alliance planned Operation Archon, the largest counteroffensive in the troubled realm's history, in which it would attack every imperial fortress located on Eorzean soil.

Rhitahtyn sas Arvina, one of the Black Wolf's most dependable lieutenants, was eliminated by the Alliance during the initial stage of Operation Archon. The Immortal Flames attacked the imperial outpost after learning he would be stopping by Cape Westwind for a routine check. The Adventurer then led a small group into the innermost sector, where after a bloody struggle, he delivered the praefectus' fatal blow.

With Rhitahtyn's death, Castrum Occidens forces were disorganized, enabling the Alliance to launch the second stage of Operation Archon. Admiral Merlwyb herself commanded the Crimson Fleet to blockade Castrum Marinum while the Maelstrom lay siege to the citadel without a ruler. The Order of the Twin Adder and a group of sylphs surrounded Castrum Oriens in the Twelveswood around this time, entirely cutting off Castrum Meridianum's main supply routes. The Order of the Twin Adder blockaded the Centri and Meridianum railway during the third stage of Operation Archon, delaying the timely arrival of reinforcements from Mor Dhona. The Immortal Flames then charged the fortress with all of their might, but in reality, this was just a ruse. [5]

The Assault on Castrum Meridianum[ | ]

(See also: Castrum Meridianum)

Gaius Ultima

Gaius and the Ultima Weapon

Castrum Meridianum had been isolated by the Eorzean Alliance in a meticulously planned series of assaults. They could not, however, keep the fortress under siege for an extended period of time as imperial forces would undoubtedly arrive from far and wide to defend it. The Alliance's efforts would be futile in particular, as the Garlean forces stationed in Ala Mhigo could quickly be sent to Castrum Meridianum by airship. They would therefore need to act quickly to seize the initiative.

The same adventurer who killed Rhitahtyn sas Arvina again assumed command of an elite adventurer unit as General Raubahn's attack caused the garrison's attention to turn outside. They managed to sneak past Castrum Meridianum's defenses and make an effort to turn off the magitek field that guarded the Praetorium, the fortress within a fortress where the Ultima Weapon was kept.

Once more, the Adventurer and his allies prevailed, taking down the magitek field generator as well as Livia sas Junius, the tribune who had commanded the bloody raid on the Waking Sands. When the Praetorium's entrance finally became clear, Cid Garlond brought the Adventurer and his companions there in preparation for their ultimate confrontation with Gaius van Baelsar and the Ultima Weapon.

The Ultima Weapon[ | ]

Ultima destruction

Destruction wrought by Ultima

(See also: The Praetorium)

Ultima Weapon

Ultima Weapon

The Ultima Weapon, an artifact of the Third Astral Era, was a work of Allagan technology, the same technology that allowed the Allagan Empire to reach all four corners of Hydaelyn. The mechanical juggernaut, which had been used to great effect on the southern continent of Meracydia, had been buried and had remained there untouched for 5,000 years. The XIVth Legion of the Imperial Garlean Army had rebuilt it upon its rediscovery as a defense against the ever-increasing primal menace. However, it was later revealed that the Empire had failed to revive the Ultima Weapon on its own, despite Nero tol Scaeva's best efforts. They were only able to awaken the monster with the help of Ascian intervention, using the Heart of Sabik, an antiquity filled with a tremendous amount of aether.

The Ascian Lahabrea exposed his actual intentions to both allies and enemies in the Praetorium: to accelerate this core and harness the primal life energy in order to cast the spell Ultima, which possessed an unfathomable amount of devastating power. The Praetorium was reduced to nothing more than a burning crater in an instant. However, because of Mother Hydaelyn's protection, the Adventurer was saved from harm and managed to bring down both Gaius van Baelsar and his Ultima Weapon. In this way, the Black Wolf's dominion came to an end.

The Dawning of the Seventh Astral Era[ | ]

Operation Archon's destruction of the Ultima Weapon was hailed as a complete success. The weary allies came together in the shadow of the Keeper of the Lake and there, filled with pride and relief, declared an end to all disputes that had divided their countries for far too long, including their desperate battle against van Baelsar's XIVth Legion.

They didn't fool themselves, either. Numerous issues still plagued the land, and the Calamity's effects would last for many centuries. However, they held that their victory at Castrum Meridianum signaled a turning point and the first steps towards a united Eorzea that could contend with Garlemald's power. Thus, the Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna, Flame General Raubahn Aldynn, and Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn raised their voices in unison to declare that the Seventh Astral Era had arrived on that day by the light of the Crystal, and the realm had at long last truly been resurrected.[6]

  1. Encyclopædia Eorzea, p.54
  2. Encyclopædia Eorzea, p.55
  3. Encyclopædia Eorzea, p.56
  4. Encyclopædia Eorzea, p.57
  5. Encyclopædia Eorzea, p.58
  6. Encyclopædia Eorzea, p.59
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