FFXV Scenario Companion V 1.1

Version 1.1, July 2017

Disclaimer: The Characters and settings discussed in this work are the sole property of Square Enix
Holdings Co., LTD. The author of this work is not affiliated with Square Enix or any subsidiary of said
company, and this work is not to be sold under any circumstances.
1
HOW TO USE THIS COMPANION

This document includes a primer for each game chapter of Final Fantasy XV. It is recommended
that you read pages 3-16 before playing a minute of the game itself. You will find instructions
throughout this companion informing you exactly when you should view extra-game materials,
including the Kingsglaive feature film, all episodes of the Brotherhood Anime Series, various
canonical trailers which were not included in the game, and DLC. Links to official SquareEnix
youtube videos and documents are included inline with the text.

Foreword

As a lifelong fan of JRPGS, I was disappointed with the presentation of Final Fantasy XV. There
is a rich game world hiding just underneath the surface, but the game is, at times, frustratingly
incomplete, and the narrative cadence is often uneven - many players will never appreciate the
greater story FFXV has to tell, because it simply isn’t told in game. As it stands, players must
seek out incomplete translations of Japanese language only publications in order to get a
complete story, and all of this information is largely only available in a decentralized state,
spread across the internet. Presently, players risk exposure to spoilers in searching for
information critical to their enjoyment, and moreover, this is a frustrating way to learn about the
world of FFXV.

This Plot Companion seeks to rectify these problems by compiling said information in a format
which players can read alongside a play through of the game. The information is arranged in a
way which avoids spoilers, while enriching each chapter of the game with additional content,
which will hopefully put your otherwise aimless ramblings across Eos into meaningful context.

Most of the information contained here is derived from events in the game, passages in the
official Piggyback guide, and translations of the Japanese only Ultimania guide, but even still,
there are many glaringly blank spaces in the narrative formed from those sources, so I took
creative liberty where I saw fit, while adhering to the intended spirit of the game as closely as
possible. Passages marked in red are connective narrative tissue of my own invention. In
“chapter” sections, these red additions are implied by the game or other official sources. In lore
sections (mostly red), these additions are derived from the development team’s references to
mythic tales, and my own observations and imagination. As DLC and further official supplements
are released, I intend to amend this document to reflect canon, should changes be necessary.
As an avid reader, writer, gamer, and collector of creation mythologies, I felt compelled to say
what the designers inconceivably left unsaid. I hope you find as much enjoyment in reading it as
I have in writing it. I’ll make some adjustments to this document after the release of Episode
Ignis.

Thanks to all who translated bits and pieces of the Ultimania guide!
Stand tall.

Love,
Chef Specs
⬆ 2

Table of Contents

Foreword

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 0 - Origins
Oracles & Kings
CHAPTER 9 - Callings
The Age of Men
Altissia
Modern History
F&FT Part IX
CHAPTER 1 - Departure
CHAPTER 10 - The Heart of a King
Noctis & The Royal Retinue
Fodina Caestino
The Betrothed
F&FT Part X
Eosian Creation Mythology
F&FT Part I CHAPTER 11 - In the Dark
Captains of Alder
CHAPTER 2 - No Turning Back
F&FT Part XI
The Dawn of Man
F&FT Part II CHAPTER 12 - End of Days
F&FT Part XII
CHAPTER 3 - The Open World
Lestallum CHAPTER 13 - Redemption
F&FT Part III Gralea
F&FT Part XIII
CHAPTER 4 - Living Legend
Seeds of Discord CHAPTER 14 - Homecoming
F&FT Part IV The World of Ruin
F&FT Part XIV
CHAPTER 5 - Dark Clouds
The Betrayer CHAPTER 15 - End of The Road
F&FT Part V The Chosen King
F&FT Part XV
CHAPTER 6 - A Way Forward
The Great War of Old POST GAME DISCUSSION
F&FT Part VI Notes on Lore and Mythology
Notes on Pitoss & other Solheimish
CHAPTER 7 - Party of Three Ruins
Starscourge Notes on Spirituality
F&FT Part VII Notes on Starscourge
CHAPTER 8 - Seaworthy Notes on The Empire
The Prophecy Notes on Upcoming DLC
F&FT Part VIII

⬆ 3

CHAPTER 0 - Origins
Oracles & Kings

In an age long past, when daemons ruled the countryside and the Starscourge threatened to
cast all Eos into eternal night, the Astral gods sought the help of men. Bahamut, Lord of The
Astrals, loosed the Crystal all-soul from its root wreathed setting at Eos’s core and bestowed it
to the dual guardian bloodlines of men.

The faithful Kings of House Lucis, having long fought against the darkness, were granted the
ability to wield weapons of light, with which they could cut down daemons with ease. The gift
was not given freely of The Crystal, however, as the power behind each light imbued strike was
drawn from the King’s own life force, and wielding a weapon of light would cause him to age
prematurely. The wise Oracles of House Fleuret, having long been able to commune with the
gods, were now blessed with the Light of Eos, and gained from it the ability to heal the lands
and bodies afflicted with the Scourge.

⬆ 4

These gifts alone were not enough to drive back the darkness, however. The Oracle descended
to the well of Fodina Caestino, and there beseeched the Astrals to grant the King their aid. The
Astrals agreed to forge Covenants with the King, but their aid was not given freely, and each in
turn promised to collect the Price of The Covenant from the Oracle should the King choose to
avail himself of their power.

The King collected the blessings of each Astral, and together with the Oracle, he was able to
drive the darkness from the land. As dawn rose over Eos, the daemons were driven back into
the shadows and caves from whence they came, but the King and Oracle lay dead at the site of
the final battle, and the great civilization of Solheim had been lost.

Before entering into deep slumber, the Astrals bestowed further gifts to mankind, so that they
might be prepared for the final battle yet to come. For the young new King of Lucis, Bahamut
forged The Ring of Lucii, an artefact linking a wearer pure of heart to the Crystal. This bond
would allow the Lucian Kings to store the combined power of their unsent souls within the ring,
granting each successive king increasingly formidable ancestral skills with which to combat the
coming darkness. A king would also gain the power of powerful arcane magics when wielding
the ring, but he must wear it sparingly, as the ring would drain its wearer’s life force more rapidly
than a weapon of light. It would be the Lucian Kings’ sworn duty to protect the Crystal, and to
prepare the world for the True King - the Armiger and ultimate Heir of Lucis - whose fate it
would be to banish darkness from Eos, once and for all. Thus the Lucian Kings were fated to live
shortened lives, either dying in battle with Daemons, or succumbing to premature aging
secondary to securing the future safety of Eos.

The young king was instructed to establish his new Kingdom in the same lands in which his
father had perished - near enough the font of darkness to hold it at bay, but distant enough to
found a prosperous civilization. There he would erect the thirteen statues of The Old Wall, a
testament to the great Kings of Lucis which would house their ever vigilant will. He was further
instructed to seek out holy sites on the land he would call home, and to erect tombs at each site
to house the future Kings of Lucis. He was to lay the body of his father in the first tomb, along
with the weapon his father had died clutching. Together, these tombs would come to protect
the Royal Arms - weapons of light which could only be wielded by an heir of Lucis, and which
were ultimately destined to become the collective arsenal of the True King.

For the young Queen of Fleuret, Bahamut forged a unique Royal Arm - a trident which would
link her to the King’s Armiger and enhance her connection with the Astrals’ emissaries. It would
be the Oracles’ sworn duty to heal the lands and peoples afflicted with Starscourge, thereby
granting the line of Lucis adequate time to groom its arsenal for the True King. To this end,
house Fleuret was instructed to return to the lands in the west, nearer to the sacred grotto of
Fodina Caestino, to establish the nation of Tenebrae.

⬆ 5
The Age of Men

Year 1 M.E. (Modern Eos) With the departure of the Astrals, magic faded from the face of Eos,
and its absence gave rise to the Machine Era, which saw mankind split into four nations.

In the East lie a continent governed by The
Sovereign Kingdom of Lucis, home of The
Crystal and site of The Great War of Old.
Aside from the great capital city of Insomnia,
where the ever vigilant Kings watched over
the continent, Lucis was largely a wild land
which saw Daemons roaming the countryside
in the night.

Walled City of Insomnia

To the south of Lucis lie the Free Commercial
Alliance of Accordo - a loose knit collection of
island cities allied with the Kingdom of Lucis.

Altissia, Capital of Accordo
⬆ 6

In the West, the Nation of Tenebrae shared a
continent with The Empire of Niflheim. The Oracles
ruled over the Northern territory of Tenebrae from
Fenestala Manor, their familial estate since antiquity,
and Tenebrae enjoyed a historied alliance with the
Kingdom of Lucis.

Fenestala Manor,
Tenebrae

In the south, The Imperial Line of Aldercapt
ruled over Niflheim from the capital
Machine City of Gralea. The Niflheimish
peoples were the most industrious of all the
nations, and their leaders were bent on
restoring the lost knowledge of Solheim -
an ancient human civilization that once
ruled the entire globe, commanding fleets
of airships and armies of magitek soldiers.

Machine City of Gralea,
Capital of Niflheim

Year 358 M.E. As Niflheim’s technical
supremacy surged, so did their national
pride, but the raw resources of their native lands were rapidly dwindling. The Aldercapt family,
thirsting for the expansion of their territories, capitalized on the growing populist movement in
Niflheimish society, and turned their sights on the unspoiled lands of their neighbors. The
Empire swiftly annexed Tenebrae, save for Fenestala Manor, which was allowed to remain
sovereign for fear of upsetting the Oracle’s followers.

Year 605 M.E. Nearly three hundred years passed before The Empire once again sought to
expand its territory, this time annexing the southern island Alliance of Accordo, and pushing the
Lucian forces stationed there to retreat to the Lucian homeland. The capital city of Altissia was
allowed to maintain a semi-independent local government.

Year 606 M.E. Certain that Lucis would soon be engaged in open war with The Empire, the
King of Lucis used the Ring of Lucii to erect a vast and impenetrable protective barrier around
the capital city of Insomnia and the surrounding territories, signifying a stalemate between The
Empire and Lucis. The Lucian army was reorganized into a purely defensive force, and
redubbed The Crownsguard.
⬆ 7
Modern History

Year 723 M.E. Approximately one hundred years after the long since deceased King first
erected the barrier, Ardyn Izunia, a self-proclaimed anthropologist with abundant knowledge of
Solheim technology, approached The Empire of Niflheim and volunteered to share information
in exchange for a place in the imperial court. Ardyn’s knowledge proved invaluable, and
Verstael, Emperor Aldercapt’s Scientific Researcher, immediately put it to use in developing his
MT (MagiTek) project, which allowed the Empire to create a vast mechanical army practically
overnight.

Verstael Besithia and a phalanx of MT soldiers.

Due to this and other advancements made possible by his knowledge, Ardyn was swiftly made
Imperial Chancellor and councilor to the Emperor. The Emperor began to feel confident that the
he would soon annex the Lucian continent, thereby realizing the Aldercapts’ long lived goal of
reestablishing a globe spanning Empire that would rival even ancient Solheim.

Year 724 M.E. The Empire, its forces greatly bolstered by Verstael’s Magitek units, begins its
takeover the Lucian continent, engaging in skirmishes with the outmatched Crownsguard, and
establishing Imperial garrisons in the Lucian regions of Leide, Duscae, and Cleigne.

Year 725 M.E. Prince Regis and his close companions, Cid Sophiar, Clarus Amicitia, Cor Leonis,
and Weskham Armaugh, travel to Accordo in the hopes of re-establishing an alliance with its
peoples. However, the mission is ill timed, as Niflheim launches a full scale invasion of the
Lucian continent and swiftly defeats the Lucian army, forcing Regis to return to Insomnia empty
handed. King Mors of Lucis scales down the magical barrier, which now surrounds only the
ramparts of Insomnia and the city within. Though Emperor Aldercapt is largely satisfied with the
near complete annexation of the Lucian continent, Chancellor Izunia has led him to covet the
Crystal. Aldercapt has become obsessed with capturing the Lucian capital and claiming the
powers of the Crystal as his own, believing that this will crown him the True King of legend...

⬆ 8
Year 732 M.E. Oracle Sylvia Fleuret gives birth to a daughter, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.
Handmaiden Gentiana moves into Fenestala Manor to assist in raising the child.

Year 736 M.E. King Mors, greatly weakened by maintaining the protective barrier around Lucis,
succumbed to premature old age some ten years past, leaving the kingdom to his son, Regis
Lucis Caelum. Regis married his childhood friend Aulea shortly thereafter, and she has now
given birth to their son, Noctis Lucis Caelum, hero of Final Fantasy XV.

Year 741 M.E. King Regis, in communion with the Crystal,
learns that his son, Noctis, is to be the True King of legend.
Knowing what magnified hardships his son will face later in
life, Regis ensures that Noctis will have a full childhood,
largely unfettered by the restraints of royal duty. Regis
enrolls Noctis in public school towards this end.

King Regis establishes an elite offensive branch of the
Lucian military dubbed the Kingsglaive, and grants its
members enhanced combat abilities through the Ring of
The Lucii.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Izunia has made contact with a
willing servant inside the King’s trusted circle…

Year 744 M.E. The royal caravan is
attacked by the Arch-Fiend
Marilith. Queen Aulea is killed, and
Noctis is gravely injured. King
Regis and his royal retinue attempt
to slay the fiend, but she escapes
into the night. It is assumed that
the daemon was sent by The
Empire of Niflheim.
Marilith,
as Seen in Brotherhood Episode I

Noctis is spirited away to Fenestala Manor, home of the Oracles, to receive treatment for
his wounds. King Regis leaves a Carbuncle charm with an unconscious Noctis, who is
guided through the world of dreams and back to the land of the living by an aspect of the
small creature, as seen in “Platinum Demo - Final Fantasy XV.” ⇨

While convalescing, Noctis meets Lunafreya, daughter of Oracle Sylvia, and the two become
fast friends. Lunafreya informs Noctis of many of his future kingly duties, and she bestows him
with a magical notebook, through which they promise to always converse over great distances.
⬆ 9

Year 744 M.E., continued - King Regis returns to Fenestala Manor to collect Noctis, arriving just
before a Niflheimish attack on the ancestral estate, led by Niflheim’s General Glauca. Oracle
Sylvia is killed in the fray, and though King Regis tries to evacuate Lunafreya along with Noctis,
the young Oracle-to-be chooses to stay and protect her brother Ravus Nox Fleuret - the siblings
now fated to become pawns in Niflheim’s designs for world domination. The media reports the
incident as an accidental fire.

Year 745 M.E. The Astral Shiva awakens in the Volp region, just outside of Gralea, the capital
city of Niflheim. Whether Shiva was summoned by Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, the young Oracle in
the making, or if Shiva was awakened by other means is unknown. If Lunafreya did in fact
summon the Astral, it is assumed that she did so at the behest of Chancellor Izunia, who may
have wished to accelerate the technological advancement of the Imperial army through forcing
an encounter with an Astral.

The majority of the Imperial army, including units from the nearby 1st Magitek Lab, is dispatched
to intercept Shiva. While the Empire is ultimately victorious in falling the god, their forces are
utterly decimated. The encounter inspires the Empire to improve on their military designs, and
data gained from the encounter allows the Empire to develop new technologies, including the
Wallbreaker Wave, which is capable of enfeebling an Astral, as well as inhibiting the Royal
powers granted to the Kings of Lucis by the Crystal. Shiva’s gargantuan corpse generates an
atmospheric anomaly in the Niflheimish highlands, causing vast swaths of the region to be
shrouded in perpetual winter.

Year 748 M.E. Lunafreya, age 16, is announced as the new Oracle.

Year 756 M.E. (Present Day) The combined stress of maintaining the barrier, lending his power
to the Kingsglaive, and presiding over his daily duties has taken a great toll on King Regis’
health. With his strength waning and the conflict that has dominated his life showing no signs of
ending, he warily enters into negotiations with Emperor Aldercapt. A ceasefire is called, and a
“peace treaty” is drawn up to be ratified in the Lucian capital of Insomnia. The terms of the
document include that Lucis will disarm and officially relinquish claim of its lands, save for the
capital city of Insomnia, and that Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya will wed - the union of the
two royal lines ostensibly serving to smooth the transition for the people of Tenebrae and Lucis,
thereby preempting any public backlash.

King Regis contemplates Noctis’ future, and considers paths by which he might emancipate
him from his fate. In doing so, Regis is struck with a dark and frightful vision (as seen in Final
Fantasy XV - Omen Trailer ⇨) of how the world will end should Noctis run away, or simply
choose to walk another path than that which he is fated to walk. No - all is as it must be.
Regis must trust that Noctis will become the man he is destined to be, and he must trust that
the bonds of friendship will deliver Noctis from disaster, just as Regis’ companions delivered
him through their journeys all those years ago.

⬆ 10
Above all, King Regis finds solace in Lunafreya’s presence in Noctis’ life. Niflheim accepted their
wedding at face value, but in truth, Regis trusts no one more than he trusts the young Oracle,
and he included their wedding in the treaty not for diplomatic reasons, but because the fate of
the world depends upon their union.

Suspecting that the “peace treaty” is likely only an excuse for the Imperial retinue to penetrate
Insomnia’s barrier and claim the Crystal, Regis arranges for Noctis to leave the capital in
preparation for his upcoming wedding, so that he might be spared in the coming battle.

Read the Final Fantasy XV Prologue “Parting Ways” ⇨ now.

⬆ 11


Note: The following sections are primers meant to be read just before each
corresponding game chapter, to key the player in on relevant but otherwise
unexplained events, motives, and histories. Read “Chapter 1 - Departure” in its entirety
(pages 12-15) before playing Chapter One of FFXV. Do not read past “END OF
CHAPTER _” markers or you will encounter spoilers.

A general note on dialogue - when characters are delivering dialogue outside of battle, stop
dead in your tracks if you want to hear it. The game is scripted in such a way that battle will
interrupt dialogue. Also, dialogue markers in the environment are regularly placed too close
together, and moving will often trigger a superseding event.

⬆ 12

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum sets forth from his homeland with his three-man retinue in tow. His
destination, Altissia, capital of Accordo, where he will formalize the union of states through his
marriage to Lady Lunafreya of the imperial province of Tenebrae.

Recommendation - Play chapter one, feeling free to explore and take on side quests, until
you have seen the first cutscene at Galdin Quay. After this cutscene, save, and watch the full
length movie Kingsglaive ⇨. This is not optional! I promise it’s well worth your $2.99.

Set-up
Noctis and his royal retinue are travelling a region of Lucis which is under Imperial occupation.
The Empire is largely hands-off in governing this region, and Imperial leadership is unaware that
Noctis has left the capital.

The Empire has long preached that Astral worship will lead to another Great War. Astral worship
is outlawed in Niflheim, and while it is tolerated in captive territories, The Empire has depicted
Lucis’ Astral loyal Kings as the arrogant enemies of world peace. The Empire invaded Lucis
under this pretense, and has staged the current peace treaty as a means of forcing Lucis to
“de-escalate” its magic weapons programs in the name of world peace.

Relevant Character Introductions

Cid Sophiar
Cid fought alongside Noctis’ father, King Regis, on his
diplomatic journey to Accordo 30 years ago. Long since
estranged from the king, Cid now owns the Hammerhead
Auto Shop, located on the outskirts of Insomnia, where he
employs his granddaughter, Cindy - the 26 year old Head
Mechanic of Hammerhead.

Gentiana
Oracle Lunafreya’s handmaiden and trusted confidant since
childhood. She possesses an infectious tranquility, even in the
face of tragedy or great danger.
⬆ 13
Noctis & The Royal Retinue

Gladiolus Amicitia, Age 23 Noctis Lucis Caelum, Age 20
A stalwart master-swordsman in the making, The young Prince of Lucis, predestined to be the
Gladio specializes in field survival skills, and True King of legend. The expectations of the
sports a dry sense of humor. The oldest son of world hang heavy on his shoulders, causing him
the Amicitia family has served as the King’s to appear sulky and distant. In reality, Noctis has
Sword & Shield for generations, and Gladio an untempered, childlike wonder for the world,
takes his role seriously, just like he takes which he has long struggled to keep hidden.
everything else.

Prompto Argentum, Age 20 Ignis Scientia, Age 22
A gregarious, wise-cracking, tech savvy, A bright intuitive thinker and gifted tactician,
gun-toting, eagle-eyed photographer, Prompto Ignis is wise beyond his years, and easily sees
has known Noctis since High School, and is the what others cannot. The Scientia family has long
only member of the retinue not born to royal served as Stewards to the Kings of Lucis, and
service. He remains sensitive and aloof about Ignis is both confident and comfortable in his
his childhood. role. A master chef with fine taste, Ignis could
master all arts, given time.
⬆ 14
The Betrothed

When Noctis was eight years old, the royal caravan was beset by a ferocious daemon which killed his
mother and left him gravely injured. As the daemon fled, King Regis spirited his son away to Tenebrae to
seek the legendary healing powers of the Oracle. When Noctis awoke, he met Ravus, the fourteen year
old son of the Oracle, who was friendly, strong, and full of life, and Lunafreya, the twelve year old
daughter of the Oracle, and his future bride.

Lunafreya and Noctis shared a happy series of weeks together as Noctis convalesced, and King Regis
was greatly pleased by their friendship - not only was Luna helping Noctis come to terms with his
mother’s sudden and horrific death, but Regis could see Luna walking beside Noctis in adulthood,
helping him bear the terrible burden of True King, which Regis could not yet find the words to explain to
the young boy.

Filled with a grace and compassion beyond her years, Luna spontaneously assumed the task of gently
informing Noctis of the duties he would one day inherit, and she promised to help him walk his path.
As if presaging the tragic events about to unfold, Luna gave Noctis a magic notebook, through which
they promised to always commune, even over great distances. Mere hours later, the Empire attacked
Tenebrae, aiming to kill Noctis and his father. Oracle Sylvia perished in the fray, leaving Luna and Ravus
orphans in the care of Niflheim, while Regis escaped to Insomnia with Noctis.

Lunafreya and Noctis were united by the shared loss of their mothers, but the following twelve years of
correspondence revealed that they were separated by experience - Noctis received increasingly
rigorous training on becoming king, but lived as normal a life as King Regis could provide, where Luna
suffered great hardships under the Empire’s “care.” Not only had she witnessed her
brother Ravus become an embittered and willing agent of the
Imperial Army, but she suffered frequent abuse at the hands of her
captors, and was made to do their bidding in the political realm. Her
only joy was in healing those afflicted by illness. She often reflected
on the weeks she had spent with Noctis as a child, as it was the last
time she had been truly happy. She remained optimistic and
graceful through all hardship, comforted by the promise of reuniting
with the Prince.

Though Noctis was always pleased to see Lunafreya’s mysterious
familiars, Umbra & Pryna, approaching with Luna’s magic notebook
on their backs, the messages the dogs ferried often brought Noctis
to tears. Noctis resented the Empire’s cruelty to Lunafreya, and was
wracked with guilt for being unable to rescue her, or show the
same strength she had shown through hardship. He vowed to
become stronger, wiser, and more experienced, all in the name of
defeating the Empire and saving the woman he had come to love.

Though they have not seen each other since they first met in
Tenebrae, Luna & Noct have long supported each other in secret,
and have developed a deep understanding and love for one
another.
Watch the Dawn ⇨ trailer now.
⬆ 15

“Big Bang” - Yoshitaka Amano

Eosian Creation
Mythology

First there was Eos, the living stone, from whose dreams shone forth the light of creation. From
the light came Bahamut, the Astral Draconian, arbiter of Eos’ laws and conjuror of dragons. For a
time, Bahamut was content to drift alongside Eos in the void, but he soon longed for deeper
communion. Eos dreamt new dreams in echo of Bahamut's wishes, giving birth to the twin
Astrals, Titan - the Archean, and Shiva - The Glacian. Titan, forger of stone, made real the body
of Eos, and Shiva carved from it the mountains and valleys, imbuing the body with grace and
setting the wheels of time in motion.

Bahamut took Shiva for his wife, and from their union came all creatures great and small. The
first and most favored of their children was Ifrit - The Infernian, Astral of fire, artisan, and
Shepherd of Souls on the path of life, death, and rebirth by the Light of Eos. Ifrit proved a fickle
caretaker, preferring his own dreams to those of Eos, and providing little sustenance for lesser
creatures beyond an initial spark of life. While Ifrit’s many creations were beautiful to behold,
and were made solely to delight his Astral family, his passions spelled neglect for both the
living, and the dead. Lacking a watchful shepherd in Ifrit, some souls became lost on the path to
the afterlife, and were cursed to roam the underworld of Eos as Daemons, forever unable to
return to Eos’ all-soul.

Wishing to temper Ifrit’s restless and unfocused nature, Bahamut and Shiva gave birth to Ramuh
- The Fulgurian, Lord of the Sky, Stormsender, and bringer of knowledge - a steady hand meant
to guide both Ifrit and creation. Finally, they gave birth to Leviathan - The Hydraen, Tidemother,
provider of plenty, and a calm, mysterious, and deeply rooted counterpoint to Ifrit’s insubstantial
fancies. Thus the Astral Hexatheon was made complete.

END OF CHAPTER ONE
⬆ 16

F&FT Part I

Ultros, first appearing in Final Fantasy VI as a comic relief villain, has been
featured in several subsequent games, including XII, XIII-2 & XIV. He is
seen in the Kingsglaive film as a captive daemon summoned by the Empire
during the airship battle scene.

Diamond Weapon debuted in Final Fantasy VII, where it
appeared as a gargantuan antibody organism gestated by
the planet Gaia for the purpose of eradicating threatening
lifeforms in times of crisis. It is seen in the Kingsglaive film
as an armored daemon lifeform, loosed on Insomnia by
the Empire.

Knights of The Round was the most devastating and difficult to attain summon in Final Fantasy
VII. Insomnia’s Old Wall is comprised of 13 statues which act as a conduit for the spirits of Lucian
Kings in times of crisis. Their astral forms are seen battling against Diamond Weapon near the
end of Kingsglaive.

⬆ 17

CHAPTER 2 - No Turning Back
In a single night, the promise of peace has been broken, the Crown City along with it. Putting
their home behind them, the four friends set forth to find answers in Hammerhead.

Set-up
The Empire unleashed a slew of captive and engineered daemons on Insomnia to devastating
effect. As the dust settles, The Empire realizes that prince Noctis, Lady Lunafreya, and the Ring
of The Lucii have all slipped through their clutches. Knowing that the Crystal, now en route to
Gralea, is unresponsive without the Ring, the Empire begins casting a net in the surrounding
region, hoping to catch any or all of the parties they seek. The Niflheim run media reports that
the attack on the citadel was the work of local insurgents, who wanted the peace treaty to fail.
They further add that Noctis and Lunafreya were killed by said insurgents, as this bolsters
Niflheim’s case for a military takeover of Insomnia, and the Empire expects to kill or imprison
them regardless.

Noctis seeks the counsel of Cor Leonis, Marshall of the now defunct Lucian Crownsguard. Cor,
privy to the secrets of the line of Lucis, wishes to lead Noctis on the path to obtaining the power
that will allow him to fulfill his destiny.


Cor Leonis
A master swordsman and martial artist from common stock, Cor
fought alongside Noctis’ father, King Regis, on his diplomatic
journey to Accordo 30 years ago, when Cor was but 15 years old.
Unwaveringly loyal to the crown, Cor performs his duties as
Marshall of the Crownsguard, even after the fall of Lucis.

Monica Elshett
A member of the Crownsguard specializing in reconnaissance and
combat support, Monica served under Gladio’s father, Clarus
Amicitia. She recently assisted Gladio’s sister, Iris, in escaping the
assault on Insomnia, and remains dedicated to serving the crown.

Loqi Tummelt
Promoted to Imperial Brigadier General in his early 20’s, Loqi’s
comrades liken him to a young Cor Leonis. Arrogant to a fault,
Loqi aims to humiliate Cor, although the two have crossed
paths before, and Loqi is yet to best Cor, or learn his lesson…

⬆ 18

The Dawn of Man

Long ago, when the six Astral gods still roamed the body of Eos, and magic was commonplace,
the great ash tree at Fodina Caestino came into bloom. Its branches soon bore fruit, and the
fruit bore the first men and women of Eos. At first, the Astrals paid mankind little mind - they
were but dust amongst their feet - but over time, mankind grew more resourceful, insightful, and
more numerous, and the gods were forced to take notice of man's growing potential.

The Astrals were of the mind that mankind was a gift from Eos, meant to be studied and
nurtured, and they hoped that man might one day reflect the Astrals’ own godly natures. Thus
the focus of the gods shifted from their own isolated concerns, to the intriguing lives of the
mortals shuffling about beneath them. For in truth, the Astrals saw aspects of their own souls
flickering amongst mankind, and man and god alike soon found that the more they learned
about each other, the more they learned about themselves.

At the closing of the first epoch, the eldest bloodline of man had become enamored with
history, and their own place within it. They saw themselves reflected most in Ifrit - his was the
spark which started the flame - much as they had started civilization - and they had come to
share Ifrit’s enjoyment of beauty, independence, and creation. The eldest bloodline set about
emulating Ifrit more fully, just as other houses of men set about emulating the Astrals of their
choosing, and others still chose simply to revere the Hexatheon in its entirety.

Wishing to observe and commune more directly with mankind, the Astrals gave of themselves
twenty-four emissaries, who would appear before the houses of men in human and animal form.

END OF CHAPTER TWO
⬆ 19

F&FT Part II

Crystals have appeared as a central plot device in virtually every Final Fantasy
title. Where many installments in the series include 4 distinct elemental
crystals which keep the world in balance, Final Fantasy XV features a single
crystal which represents the source of all elemental forces on Eos. Original
drafts of the script called for 4.

The Four Warriors of Light first appeared in Final Fantasy I, and were
featured in several subsequent iterations, including 2009’s spinoff, The Four
Heroes of Light. The four heroes are invariably chosen by the gods to save
their planet from crisis, and are blessed with special powers by their world’s
crystals. While Noctis can be viewed as a single chosen warrior of light, Final
Fantasy XV’s core message of brotherhood, and the royal retinue’s ability to
wield weapons of light, are reason enough to view the 4 main characters as
direct analogues to their predecessors.

The Kings of Lucis are equivalent to the Einherjar in Norse mythology. The Einherjar
were the souls of brave warriors who fell in battle and were selected to congregate in
the afterlife realm of Valhalla, where they would await their deployment in the final
battle of Ragnarok. In XV, the Kings’ souls congregate inside the Ring of Lucii, and many
of the events in Final Fantasy XV are directly analogous to the events of Ragnarok,
which was as much an ending of the world as it was a new beginning.

⬆ 20

CHAPTER 3 - The Open World
The empire is a powerful foe, and Noctis has far to travel before he can hope to reclaim the
Crystal. He sets out across new lands.

Recommendation - As you enter the Duscae region and park at the first rest stop, watch
Brotherhood Episode 3 “Sword & Shield.” ⇨ Yes, you’re starting with episode 3 of 6. Trust me.
Feel free to explore and engage in side quests! When you decide at last to head to Lestallum,
take the northern road and stop at the camp site in the woods, then watch Brotherhood
Episode 2 “Dogged Runner” ⇨ before continuing on to Lestallum. When leaving Lestallum for
your next quest, watch Brotherhood Episode 4 “Bittersweet Memories.” ⇨

Set-up
Noctis and his retinue travel to reunite with Gladiolus’ sister, Iris, who has escaped to the
cliffside city of Lestallum. As Noct & company familiarize themselves with Duscae, a region
fraught with daemons and vicious beasts, they begin to understand the importance of the
Hunters, and see themselves taking a larger role in the organization. Unbeknownst to Noctis,
Lunafreya has recently passed through this region carrying the Ring of The Lucii, and seeking to
awaken the Astrals, so that Noctis might forge pacts with them.

Elsewhere - The Empire, having lost General Glauca in the assault on Insomnia, is reshuffling its
hierarchy, and redoubling its efforts to locate The Ring of The Lucii.


Ravus Fleuret, Imperial High Commander
Elder brother to the Oracle, Lunafreya. Ravus is haunted by
the memory of his mother’s gruesome death, which he grew to
blame on the now deceased King Regis. Ravus does not
believe that Noctis is fit to be the True King, nor does he
believe that his sister should suffer the Price of The Covenant
in support of Noctis, despite her firm convictions to the
contrary. Ravus is determined to save Eos himself no matter
the cost, provided no harm comes to his sister.

Verstael Besithia
The head of Niflheim’s Scientific Research outfit,
Verstael commands a brilliant yet unscrupulous mind,
and views all living things as mere data.
⬆ 21

Commodore Aranea Highwind
A flippant mercenary valued by the Empire for
her unique fighting style, Aranea was given an
honorary military title and the command of her
own unit. Naturally rebellious and individualistic,
she employs a facade of apathy to conceal her
core personality, which is in reality deeply rooted
in moral principle. Having known poverty, and
fearing that showing weakness will be her
undoing, Aranea suppresses her feelings and
chooses to pursue money above all else.

Caligo Ulldor
The Imperial Brigadier General overseeing the
ongoing occupation of Lucis. Cruel, overzealous,
and hedonistic, he seeks only to increase his power
so that he might lord it over others. Though he feels
little more than contempt towards children, he is
known to have been tasked with minding the Fleuret
siblings in their youth, often resulting in their abuse
at his hands. He welcomes unethical behavior in his
officers, so long as their methods get results. Caligo
has been known to take interrogations and
executions into his own hands.

Jared Hester
As longstanding butler to the Amicitias, Jared is considered a
member of the family. Having been in Insomnia during the siege,
he facilitated the escape of Gladio’s sister, Iris, and his nephew
Talcott, and secured them safe passage to Lestallum with the help
of Monica Elshett. A wise and fastidious man, Jared has deep
knowledge of the world at large, and has been instrumental in
House Amicitia’s historied support of the Crown.

Talcott Hester
A gregarious boy with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Talcott
receives high marks in school, though his fascination with legends
and fairy tales often keeps him from completing his homework in a
timely fashion. He wishes to grow up as knowledgeable and reliable
as his Uncle Jared.

⬆ 22

Lestallum
Also known as Lucis’ Second City, Lestallum is home to a working class population with a
pro-active frontiering spirit, and a historied pride in their support of the crown. Approximately
200 years ago, the Exeneris Corporation discovered a means of drawing energy from various
meteorites which had fallen to Eos in ancient times. The Lestallum meteorite represented the
best opportunity for a large scale project, which led Exeneris to build a power plant directly
inside the crater. Lestallum was initially little more than a workers’ barracks, but it quickly grew
into a bonafide city stretching clear to the palisades of Taelpar Crag. In addition to refining the
iridescent blue ore of the meteor for use in power cells, The Exeneris power plant absorbs
radiation from the meteorite and converts it into enough electricity to supply the entire Lucian
continent, and beyond.

In years past there was a saying - “When Lucis goes to war, Lestallum goes to war.” Indeed,
when The Empire invaded Lucis thirty years ago, the men of Lestallum enlisted to serve.
Lestallum ultimately fell under Imperial control, and while the war came to an end, the men of
Lestallum never returned home from battle. In the intervening years, the women of Lestallum
have endured alone, and the city’s various industries are now predominantly staffed by women,
all of whom share a resentment of the Imperial occupiers. Lestallum stands as a light on the dark
horizon, forever guiding its beloved sons home.

END OF CHAPTER THREE
⬆ 23
F&FT Part III

Unscrupulous and downright evil scientists are a modern mainstay
secondary villain in the series, including VII’s Hojo (pictured at left), IX’s
Garland, XII’s Cid Bunansa, and XV’s Verstael Besithia. Such characters often
conduct unethical experiments, have a generally rapacious disregard for the
environment, and are perennially responsible for disturbing the delicate
balance of nature. Final Fantasy has an interesting relationship with science,
as benevolent inventors are just as common as evil inventors in the series,
and together, the two opposing collectives form a succinct message -
Scientific advancement is a positive force, so long as it is in line with nature,
and universal morality. When science strays from these guidelines, however,
all efforts end in ruin.

A magic drawing system first appeared in Final Fantasy VIII. In that title,
any Garden approved combatant who was junctioned with a summon
was able to draw magic from wellsprings and enemies. In Final Fantasy
XV, only Noctis and members of the royal Lucian lineage can draw
magic from wellsprings, although his ancestors devised magic flasks
which can be filled from a wellspring and wielded by any person.

Final Fantasy XV inherited much of its real world
aesthetic from Final Fantasy VIII, which was also
designed by XV’s Tetsuya Nomura & Yusuke
Naora, and featured the series’ first anatomically
correct on-screen character design. VIII’s
manmade features were slightly more organic in
appearance than XV’s, but both successfully meld
fantasy elements with modern aesthetics.

⬆ 24

CHAPTER 4 - Living Legend
As the land is rocked by tremors; Noctis is wracked with headaches. The self-styled 'Man of No
Consequence' advises the would be King to go and heed the Archaean's call. Though loath to
believe a suspicious stranger, the four friends nevertheless find themselves with no recourse
but to follow Ardyn to the Disc of Cauthess, where Titan is said to slumber.

Set-up
The Mysterious Stranger, having revealed that his first name is Ardyn, has offered to slip Noctis
and company through the Imperial blockade surrounding the Disc of Cauthess. Though they
have no reason to trust Ardyn, no idea who he is affiliated with, and they should certainly
question exactly how Ardyn has come to know such intricate detail of their exceedingly unique
business, the group quite preposterously decides that a mutual goal of reaching the disc is
sufficient reason to travel together.

Elsewhere - Fearing that Brigadier Ulldor’s occupation force will locate and harm his sister,
Imperial High Commander Ravus defies his orders and secretly contacts Lunafreya, returning
her to their home, Fenestala Manor, in faraway Tenebrae. Lunafreya is allowed to keep the ring,
and to quietly resume her work of healing the Starscourge afflicted citizens of her homeland.
Concurrently, Ravus dispatches a Wallbreaker Wave equipped strike force to The Disc of
Cauthess with orders to pacify the awakening astral who resides there.

As Noctis leaves Lestallum, Monica Elshett of the Crownsguard arrives with more high profile
Lucian refugees. Jared Hester, suspecting that Imperial agents in Lestallum are zeroing in on
the safe house, believes it is time to relocate their operation. Jared suggests that they migrate
to the lighthouse in Cape Caem, which served as King Regis’ front line base of operations
during the Old War against Niflheim. Monica contacts Cor Leonis and makes plans to scout
Caem.


NONE

⬆ 25

Seeds of Discord

Ifrit was deeply enamored with mankind, especially those in whom his creativity was reflected,
and he showered the elder house of men with many gifts. The greatest gift he could give was
the magic of fire, and he gave it freely, eager to see what wonders man might work with his
essence.

Bahamut was deeply displeased. Not only had Ifrit given men a gift which belonged to Eos and
therefore was not his to give, but Ifrit’s obsession with mankind had led him to abandon his post
as Shepherd of Souls. A great number of souls had become lost on their way to the Unseen
Door, and the underworld was now brimming with daemons.

Bahamut wished to punish Ifrit, but Shiva intervened, and chose instead to speak with their son.
“My son, it pleases me that you have found your bliss, but you must also be conscious of your
duties. Were your sister or I to give too freely of our essence, we may find ourselves emptied of
compassion and filled instead with contempt, and all would suffer. Were lawful Bahamut, wise
Ramuh, or steadfast Titan to hold others to their standards, they might find themselves
disillusioned by the weakness of men, and so forfeit their purpose in favor of passing violent
judgement. Your gestures are beautiful, but I fear you are pushing boundaries for pushing sake,
without concern for meaning or consequence, and you have caused great suffering.”

Ifrit was receptive, and vowed to take his duties more seriously. Realizing he had birthed horrors
to the world alongside wonders, he put away his passion for creation and fell out of contact with
men, but he did so with considerable regret.
END OF CHAPTER FOUR
⬆ 26

F&FT Part IV

Meteor is a recurring magic ability in the series, which serves as a
plot device in Final Fantasy IV, VII and XV. As a magic ability, Meteor
and its variants are typically the ultimate black magic, and invoking
the spell summons a shower of meteors. As a plot device, Meteor is
summoned by a malevolent or simply anguished force, and its arrival
threatens to end all life on the planet it strikes. Vyv’s t-shirt alludes to
FFVII’s meteor logo.

Eos is the multifaceted central
deity of Final fantasy XV. She
is simultaneously the planet
on which the game takes
place, the star around which
the planet orbits, the Crystal
which represents Eos’ soul,
and an aspect of her
manifests in the Oracles. In
this and many respects, it is
best to view the world of Final
Fantasy XV as an imagining of
what it would be like to
inhabit a creation mythology,
in which the gods exist in a
very tangible form, and our
scientific interpretations of
planets, solar systems, nature,
and environmental disasters do not necessarily apply.

As with all Final Fantasies, the creators inserted a blend of many mythologies into the narrative, in this
case relying on the patterns of Greek and Norse mythology. The break of dawn is a central theme in XV,
symbolizing hope, perseverance, and divine grace. Eos is the winged Greek goddess of dawn for which
XV’s central deity is named, and through whose folded hands first light breaks. Eos’ appearance as the
Oracle echoes both the Greek Eos, and the Egyptian sun goddess Sekhmet, who both contained the
light of the sun, and reflected it nightly in her eye as the moon. An aten or “sun disk” appeared over
Sekhmet’s head, just as it does over the Oracle (and Buddhist, and Christian holy figures). The goddess’
body is the planet Eos, much as Ymir’s body formed Earth in Norse mythology. Her Astral children are as
the warring generations of Greek Titans. At the close of their war, aggressors were cast into Tartarus, the
depths of the underworld, where they were to be tortured for eternity.

⬆ 27

CHAPTER 5 - Dark Clouds
As Cauthess crumbles, the imperial chancellor swoops in to usher the four friends to safety, but
their reprieve is only temporary, as Duscae's skies tell of trouble on the horizon. With the
Regalia missing and the roads closed, the find themselves stranded.

Set-up
Ardyn Izunia, revealed at last as the Imperial Chancellor, has rescued Noctis and company from
the Disc of Cauthess, and quite quizzically wishes for them to continue their journey to forge
Covenants with the remaining Astrals. To this end, he has dropped them at the Chocobo Farm
in Duscae - a place in which they are unlikely to encounter any Imperials, and from which they
can secure transport and regroup.

Elsewhere - Ravus, angered that The Imperial Army only managed to fell Titan after Noctis
received the god’s blessing, vows to keep Noctis from reaching another Astral. If he fails, his
sister will continue to pay the Price of The Covenant, and he will not abide her further suffering.
In surveying the debris surrounding The Disc of Cauthess, Ravus’ forces have discovered the
Regalia, and have arranged to transport the vehicle to Gralea, both as a trophy for Emperor
Aldercapt, and as a means of crippling Prince Noctis.

The Niflheim run media is reporting that the fallen Astral was threatening to rampage across
Duscae, where it would have claimed countless innocent lives, if not for the lucky presence of
the Imperial Army. Further, they report that the Astral was awoken by the same insurgents who
attacked the Citadel of Insomnia during the signing of the peace treaty. The Empire is presently
using the specter of insurgents as an excuse to establish excessive blockades in the region, the
real purpose of which is to capture The Ring of The Lucii, and to keep Noctis from awakening
another astral.

Imperial intelligence agents active in Duscae have informed Brigadier Ulldor that Prince Noctis
had been lying low in the market district of Lestallum. Intelligence expects Prince Noctis to
return, as they believe he has accomplices inside the city. Ulldor and his officers depart
Aracheole Stronghold and head for Lestallum to investigate.

Cor Leonis and Monica Elshett meet in Cape Caem. The location is isolated and well-fortified, if
derelict, and the soil is suitable for growing crops. Given the sheer cliffs and lack of a port, Caem
should be of little interest to the Empire, and indeed, there are no signs of Imperial activity in the
vicinity. Inspecting the concealed harbor, the two Crownsguard agents discover King Regis’
boat - The Signet - which appears in disrepair, as it is listing to starboard on its moorings.
Monica remains at Cape Caem and begins arranging for the transport of the Lucian refugees.
Iris informs Gladiolus via text that she will be relocating to Caem shortly.

⬆ 28
The Betrayer

Mankind proved to be an industrious race, and their inventions had granted them the newfound luxury of
idle time. The eldest among them, having once worshipped Ifrit, now dreamt of new futures, in which
their inventions would emancipate them from living in service to the Astrals. They had forgotten that it
was Eos’ light which gave life to their offspring, and yet, Ifrit continued to grant each child the spark of
life.

As man reached further into the realm of the gods, Ifrit’s resentment grew, as did his fear of being less
favored by Eos than these insignificant creatures. Envious of mankind’s ability to realize the very dreams
of emancipation which he could not, Ifrit’s heart became dark and twisted, and he soon longed for the
destruction of mankind. Putting to rest all other endeavors, Ifrit poured all his being into a new song,
pregnant with anguish, which he sung into the deep darkness beyond the heavens. It was a song of
vengeance, and to the surprise of all who witnessed the disturbing recital, the darkness responded,
roaring back with a shower of meteors.

The meteors were living stones, not unlike Eos herself, though too young yet to form dreams of their
own. The raw power of Ifrit’s plea resonated in the empty stones, ripping them prematurely from the
formative void. They would never awaken, but they would burn to the core of Eos, extinguishing her light
and ending all life on Eos...

The tale of Eos would end here, if not for the Astral Titan, who stood tall, reaching up to intercept the
greatest of these meteors. Shiva cradled Titan’s fall with a great wall of ice which remains frozen to this
day. Fragments of the meteorite broke free on impact, forming the craters that would become the ponds
and lakes Duscae, and Titan’s towering form was forever lost under the weight of the stone.

The face of Eos was split in the battle which ensued, forming the seas and continents we know today -
such revelation is the power of the gods. After what seemed like an age, the Astrals subdued Ifrit, but
they could not end him, for he was beloved. With great sadness, each Astral bound Ifrit with a great chain
made of their being. His dark heart laid bare, The Betrayer was cast into the deep darkness of the
netherworld and there imprisoned, leaving only a formless, thoughtless aspect of Ifrit’s essence to
assume the duty of shepherding the cycle of life on Eos.
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
⬆ 29
F&FT Part V

Chocobos first appeared in 1988’s Final
Fantasy II, and they haven’t skipped a beat
since, making them arguably them the most
ubiquitous and culturally identifiable feature
of Final Fantasy, aside perhaps from spiky
hair. Typically useful in avoiding combat and
reaching otherwise inaccessible areas, XV’s
Chocobos are ideal for taking on hunting
missions, almost all of which are off-road.
Park the Regalia at a diner, accept a hunt, ride
to it on your Chocobo, bag your mark, and
quick travel back to the car via the menu.
Rinse and repeat.

Summons first appeared in Final Fantasy III, and
the original 7 summons return for XV in the form
of the Astrals, minus Odin, the Norse All Father,
whose essence has been amalgamated with
XV’s Bahamut. The complete pantheon of Final
Fantasy summons numbers over 50, and its
members are derived from dozens of real world
religions and stories.

The ability to summon is often reserved for select individuals in the series
(sometimes identifiable by their silly hats), although several iterations see all
party members capable of summoning. While summons have long been
associated with specific elements, they have not served as the personification
of said elements until XV.
⬆ 30

CHAPTER 6 - A Way Forward
Beneath the Cape Caem Light in the south of Cleigne lies an underground harbor. It has long
served the Lucian royalty, and even now, a vessel once owned by King Regis lies at anchor
there. Following in his father's footsteps, Noctis heads for the ship

Set-up
Although Lestallum is no longer safe, Noctis and company are too exhausted and heartbroken
to continue their journey. The sun sets over the mountains as Gladiolus, still stinging from his
humiliating encounter with Ravus, stands watch in the shadows outside Hotel Leville. Upstairs in
their room, Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Iris discuss their next move.

When Gentiana appeared before Noctis in the woods, she hinted that Lunafreya was headed for
Altissia, the capital of Accordo, where Noctis and Luna were once to be wed. Then, Ardyn
stated that they would next meet across the ocean. With no other goal in sight, it would seem
wise to set sail for Altissia. Talcott, having been listening in at the door, enters the room and tells
Noctis that in stories, Leviathan, the Hydraen, is said to sleep in the Bay of Accordo. Noctis
thanks Talcott for the information, and Iris escorts Talcott back to his room. He’ll need his rest
for the trip to Cape Caem in the morning.

Iris has been in contact with Monica Elshett, who has established a permanent safe house in
Cape Caem. King Regis’ boat is serendipitously moored there, as if awaiting their arrival, though
it may need some work. The brotherhood agrees to travel to Caem in the morning, and Noctis
calls Cindy, who immediately departs Hammerhead for Cape Caem with Cid in tow. The two
mechanics are eager to work on the Signet, especially Cid, who has a personal history with the
vessel and waxes nostalgic on the cross country drive.

Alone in the witching hour, Noctis fears that death will be his last companion, claiming all his
friends, as it has Jared. Noctis considers taking the Regalia in the night and setting off on his
own for Altissia, but falls into a restless sleep, in which he has a premonition of his travels alone.
Shaken by the vision, he decides to continue with the brotherhood, for now.

Elsewhere - Caligo Ulldor, having tortured Jared Hester to death yet gaining no leads in the
process, has returned to Aracheole Stronghold with Lucian prisoners in tow. Upon his arrival, he
finds the stronghold all but abandoned on order of High Commander Ravus. Contacting Gralea
for clarification, Ulldor is rebuked for his continued failures in eliminating Noctis. Ulldor is
ordered to Fort Vaulerey, and is informed that Commodore Aranea Highwind is en route to
Lucis to take matters into her own hands. Boarding his floating fortress, Ulldor sets off for Fort
Vaulerey and tries to raise Aranea on comms. She does not answer. Typical. Aranea is all things
Ulldor despises - a woman, of common blood, who as a mercenary is not honor bound to the
Empire, and has no respect for the chain of command, yet outranks him.
⬆ 31


Dustin Ackers
Dustin is Monica’s counterpart in the Crownsguard, and
has been an instrumental actor in the Lucian Refugee
crisis. Acting under orders from Cor Leonis, Dustin was
tasked with transporting Iris, Talcott, and Jared from
Lestallum to Cape Caem. He is due to depart with
Talcott in the morning.

⬆ 32

The Great War of Old

While life on the surface continued and tales of The Betrayer passed on into legend, Ifrit
wallowed in darkness, envy, and hate, but he was not alone. The shambling forms of daemons,
souls lost on their path to Eos all-soul, befell their errant shepherd and tore at his shackled form.
Ifrit gradually changed, growing scarred, darker still, and more powerful, until at last he broke
free of his bonds. Having long brooded on his vengeance, Ifrit set immediately about tearing
deeper still into the body of Eos, to the core of the rock. There he found Eos’ soul, a crystal
bathed in the purple light of creation - a light he once found soothing, but which now burned his
eyes and skin to be near. Ignoring the pain, The Betrayer latched onto the stone and tore it free
from its setting. Then, racing out of the underworld with the crystal in tow, The Betrayer burst
forth onto Eos' surface, intent on casting the crystal out into the darkness beyond the heavens.

While the Betrayer had grown stronger in darkness, he saw that man had grown stronger still in
the light, now calling themselves the Nation of Solheim. Over millennia, the Astrals had come to
live in communion with Solheim through the three royal bloodlines of man - through the male
line of House Lucis Caelum, Sword of the Gods, through the female line of House Fleuret,
Shieldmaidens of Eos, and through the house of Alder, eldest of the bloodlines and inventors of
great renown. Under the guidance of the Astrals, House Alder had learned to harness the
powers of nature to fuel fleets of airships and vast magitek armies, which they now brought to
bear on the dark and tortured form of The Betrayer.
A great battle ensued, and together with the gods, mankind felled Ifrit on the Rock of Ravatogh.
It was there that Bahamut pinned each of his son’s limbs with a mighty blade, and Shiva dealt
the final compassionate blow upon him. The Betrayer was defeated and the Crystal had been
spared. The Frozen Flame remains atop Ravatogh to this day.

END OF CHAPTER SIX
⬆ 33
F&FT Part VI

Dragoons first appeared in Final Fantasy II. The most notable of their
ranks traditionally hold the last name Highwind, and hail from the town
of Deist. Anti-hero Kain Highwind of Final Fantasy IV (pictured at left)
remains the most intriguing dragoon, thanks to his poignant tale of
sacrifice and redemption. While all dragoons wield lances and use their
jump ability to launch devastating aerial attacks, Aranea is unique in that
her magitek enhanced Stoss Spear appears to enable her to perform
this signature move via an inertial control unit. As such, she is the only
person capable of wielding the weapon.

XV’s Ifrit is largely synonymous with the Greek
god Prometheus, who stole fire from Mount
Olympus and delivered it as a gift to humanity.
This act saw him at odds with his father, Zeus,
who punished Prometheus by chaining him to a
rock in the Caucasus mountains, where he was
to be tortured for eternity by an eagle which
symbolized his father’s will. While Prometheus
avoided being cast into the Underworld of
Tartarus with his siblings, XV’s pantheon is
sparsely populated, and this fate was
transferred to Ifrit himself, along with
characteristics derived from the Judeo-Christian
tradition of the fallen angel Lucifer, and Surtr,
an antagonistic fire giant who plays a major role
in the battle of Ragnarok.
⬆ 34

CHAPTER 7 - Party of Three
To repair King Regis's old ship, Noctis and company require that rarest of ores—mythril. With
only a vague clue to guide them, they head for empire-held ruins situated in the north of
Cleigne

Recommendation - Despite what other sources might say, you may wait until Chapter 8 to play
or watch Episode Gladiolus. In my opinion, its presentation works most fluidly there, although
the events of the DLC are concurrent with Noctis’ actions during Chapter 7.

Set-up
The uninhabited northwest region of Lucis, including the Vesperpool, has been under blockade
since the Empire assumed control of the greater Lucian continent thirty years past. The
blockade ostensibly serves to keep Lucian forces from obtaining mythril ore, as the Vesperpool
is the only known source of the valuable mineral on the Lucian continent. However,
Crownsguard intelligence has reason to believe that the Empire also holds a longstanding
interest in the unique and powerful daemons that emanate from Steyliff Grove - an ancient
Solheimish ruin within the Vesperpool.

When the Empire assumed control of Lucis thirty years past, King Regis’ boat, The Signet, was
retired along with Cape Caem Base. King Regis no longer had safe access to Cape Caem, and
maintaining the protective barrier around Insomnia meant that he must sacrifice the ability to
travel. Now confined to Insomnia, Regis had need of a personal road vehicle of the same caliber
as The Signet, and at this point, Cid was hired to engineer The Regalia. With Insomnia’s stock of
mythril exhausted by the war effort, and the only known source of mythril inaccessible, Cid
cannibalized the Signet for engine parts to reuse in the Regalia. He travelled then as he does
now - as a mechanic seeking work, easily able to pass through Imperial checkpoints.

With the Regalia still very much in use and the Signet in need of parts, Noctis and company
hope to sneak into the Vesperpool to obtain some mythril. Perhaps with all Imperial eyes turned
towards Altissia, the mission will prove easier than expected.

Elsewhere - With Ravus’ words still echoing in his ears - “a weak shield protects naught” -
Gladiolus seeks to become a better brother in arms to Noctis. To this end he secretly contacts
Cor Leonis, hoping the marshal can show him the way (as seen in Episode Gladiolus DLC).

Aranea Highwind has received encrypted orders directing her personal airship to an
undisclosed set of coordinates, where she is to train a handful of highly gifted new recruits.
Bored and lacking better options for entertainment, she collects her most trusted officers and
inputs the commands into her airship’s navigation system.
⬆ 35
Starscourge

The Betrayer lay slain atop The Rock of Ravatogh, and all grew quiet on Eos.
For a time it seemed the battle had been won, yet The Betrayer’s treachery was not at an end.
The ground shook as though Eos would split open, and a great shower of fire sprung forth from
the Rock of Ravatogh. Vast flows of lava cascaded over the surrounding countryside, and great
plumes of smoke roiled across the sky and descended on the land.

For weeks, the fields of Solheim were shrouded in near perpetual darkness, and the daemons
that once hid deep in the shadowed vales and caves of Eos roamed freely across the land,
unafraid of the light. Crops across Solheim withered on the vine, and famine was soon known in
every city and village. After some months had passed, the skies had cleared, and many hoped
the plague was at an end. Indeed, the plague subsided, and the Rock of Ravatogh fell silent, but
the nights were still filled with shambling terrors that tore at walls and wailed in the darkened
alleys and woods of Solheim, and the days were filled with ravenous beasts whose desperation
grew with their hunger. In the day, men clung to each other for safety, and set out into the fields
to hunt and forage, and at dusk, they rushed back to their cities, and into what relative safety
their meager man made lights could offer.

The same tales echoed across all of Solheim. Some told of a pair of brothers who were
desperately hungry, and risked entering a field at dusk to harvest what little they could find
there. Some told of a pair of sisters, or a husband and wife, but the ending was always the
same. One of the pair would vanish from the field, and the other would flee in terror, empty
handed.

⬆ 36
Fuel soon became scarce in more remote settlements, and once their homes and halls had
been dismantled for kindling, the lights of men grew dim. In the days and months that followed,
the countryside became thick with daemons as never before, and one by one, the lights of men
were extinguished.

The four remaining Astrals each held vigil over a capital region of Solheim, and these largest of
cities burned brightest and longest. Those fortunate enough to find haven in a capital long
believed they would endure the scourge, however, the last glimmer of hope died when
Solheim’s scholars made a disheartening discovery. Although the Rock of Ravatogh had been
dormant for some time, the nights were once again inexplicably growing longer.

The miasma of the Scourge began to penetrate the capital cities, and all Solheim’s citizens now
knew the terrors their rural brethren had endured before death claimed them all. The young,
poor, and elderly fell ill and despondent, their eyes glazed over and filled with a wan yellow
glow. Their skin became ashen, growing steadily darker and stiff, until their last moments, when
in delirium they would spring up from their beds and run madly into the night, and into the
certain relief of death in a daemon’s jaws.

Fear and uncertainty was now at the helm of human destiny, and families shuttered their homes
tight, adorning the posts with the blood of sacrificial garulessa. The strife continued to worsen,
until at last, men turned against each other in the streets, desperate to protect their own, and at
this, the Astrals wept. In death, The Betrayer had tainted not only the physical realms of the
Astrals, but he had corrupted the very virtues of decency gifted to creation by Bahamut’s laws
and Shiva’s compassion.

The house of Alder, blaming all worldly misfortune on the Astrals, chose to turn their backs on
man and god alike, and retreated at once to lands far removed from Ravatogh. Forsaken by the
most inventive of their kind in this critical hour, the light of mankind was all but snuffed out by
the Scourge, and the Astrals found they too had begun to diminish in strength.

In desperation, Bahamut took the crystal soul of Eos from its setting and bestowed it to the dual
guardian bloodlines of man. The Crystal granted the faithful of House Lucis the power to wield
weapons of light in the fight against the darkness, and to compassionate House Fleuret it
granted the power of the Oracle - the ability to heal those afflicted by the Scourge.

Together, the King of Lucis and the Oracle fought back against the darkness of The Betrayer's
legacy, bringing hope and calm wherever they walked. The battle was hard fought, and the road
was long, but the days began to lengthen, and smiles began to return to the faces of those who
had survived the darkest hour. Finally, the King and Oracle traversed to opposing points on the
globe and simultaneously released the full brilliance of their light. As they perished, they saw
that the seas and skies had been purified.

At long last, a hopeful dawn rose over Eos, but it was evident that the civilization of Solheim had
been lost, and though the following nights were of normal length, the daemons still came with
the dusk. The children of houses Lucis, Fleuret, and errant Alder, would inherit ruins, ash, and
the burden of holding the Scourge at bay.
END OF CHAPTER SEVEN
⬆ 37
F&FT Part VII

A character named Cid has appeared in every
game since 1988’s Final Fantasy II. He is
generally an engineer with an affinity for
airships, though he is frequently a scientist, or
simply associated with an airship. Similarly, a
duo of characters named Biggs & Wedge (a nod
to Star Wars) have appeared in every game
since Final Fantasy VI. George Lucas named a
Phantom Menace character Cid as a return
gesture... At least it wasn’t an Attack of the
Clones character.

For some reason, the creators of Final Fantasy games fail to name boats, despite
the fact that boat owners relish naming their vessels. Nearly every boat in the
history of the series was simply referred to as its owner’s boat, including the vessel
in XV, which is known only as “Regis’ Boat.” The only exceptions are Final Fantasy III’s
Enterprise and IX’s Blue Narciss, both of which were cannibalized for airship parts, as is
common with wrecked vehicles in the series. These ideas inspired me to write the
details of the Signet’s history, which I chose to name in keeping with the Regalia’s
theme of royal accoutrements - in this case, a specific signet ring.

Final Fantasy VI’s Shadow was an unscrupulous
mercenary who draws obvious comparisons to Aranea.
While the party could pay Shadow to fight on their side,
he was also known to accept work from the evil
Gestahlian Empire. Once the gil ran out, or he simply
found something better to do, Shadow would vanish, but
he ultimately proved to have a heart of gold.

⬆ 38

CHAPTER 8 - Seaworthy
“With the help of Imperial Commodore Aranea Highwind, the makeshift miners hit pay dirt—only
to learn raw ore won't suffice. Cindy refers them to Holly, an engineer in Lestallum who knows
how to treat Mythril”

Recommendation - Buy a few extra Cup Noodles - you’ll want them in chapter 10.
After wrapping up events at Lestallum, make way for a campsite south of town and save,
then play or watch Episode Gladio. ⇨ After completing Episode Gladio,
watch Brotherhood Episode 1 “Before The Storm” ⇨ followed immediately by
Episode 5 “The Warmth of Light.” ⇨ This concludes the Brotherhood anime series.

Set-up
Lestallum’s Exeneris power plant is built around a large shard of ancient meteorite. The
meteorite emits an extreme amount of localized radiation, which is converted into power via a
complex and delicate series of mechanisms employing copious amounts of mythril. While Cid
could personally process mythril ore for use in the Signet, he would need access to the
workshops of Insomnia. As it stands, Exeneris’ power plant contains the only accessible
workshop capable of processing the ore.

As luck would have it, Cid and Cindy have a friend inside Exeneris -
Holly, Exeneris’ Chief Engineer - a skilled worker of mythril whom they’ve
called on in the past. Cindy has provided Holly with the schematics for
the replacement parts, and all that remains is to deliver the ore to Holly.
Exeneris employs a rapid fabrication machine for emergency repairs, so
the parts should be ready in under an hour.
Holly, Exeneris’ Chief Engineer

Unfortunately, a dormant daemon horde was awoken by recent events in nearby Taelpar Crag
(See: Episode Gladio), and some of the more mischievous imps have found a way inside the
power plant from deep underneath Eos’ surface. Emergency sirens blare over the city of
Lestallum as the daemons tamper with delicate equipment, and the power plant threatens to go
into meltdown, while Exeneris’ technicians are left helpless.

Elsewhere - Lady Lunafreya awaits Noctis’ arrival in Altissia, where the local government has
provided her with asylum via a series of private apartments. With the aid of Camelia Claustra,
First Secretary of Altissia, Luna has thus far evaded capture by the Imperial occupation forces
stationed in Altissia. Presently, Luna has been contacted by her brother, Imperial High
Commander Ravus Nox Fleuret, who warns her that he will soon arrive in Altissia, and that the
full brunt of the Empire is not far behind.
⬆ 39
The Prophecy
The Astrals, fatigued by their ordeal with The Betrayer, now sought slumber. Before vanishing
from the face of Eos, three among them sent their emissaries before the leaders of each great
house of man to warn of a final battle yet to come. They foretold of Ifrit's eventual rebirth in the
form of a man - a Favored Son, who through hubris would abandon his brothers and deem his
will superior to the gods, and in doing so would fall and be cast out as tainted flesh, only to rise
and seek final vengeance on Eos. In this man, the flicker of The Betrayer would become a flame
which would set a ripened world alight like so much kindling.

The Lucians, brave young bringers of light, said “The Betrayer will not be reborn of our line - we
love the gods, and we will serve them.” The Fleureans, wise young seers of light, said “The
Betrayer will not be reborn of our line - we love mankind, and we will serve it.” The Alders,
proud and resilient artisans, said “Hasten your departure from our world, Astrals - we will serve
ourselves through all hardship, in spite of your meddling.” To all three houses, Ramuh’s
emissaries replied the same. “Be certain of nothing beyond his return, for Ifrit loved the gods,
and for a time he loved man, but he came to love himself above all else.”

Shiva’s emissaries stepped forth before all three houses, saying “Heed this. Eos embodies all
things, but the Astrals are One being separated into the six virtues of Eos - lawfulness,
steadfastness, compassion, creativity, wisdom, and spirituality. If men are to avoid the folly of
the Astrals, they must strive to reflect not one of these beings, but all of these virtues in good
measure. The Archean and the Tidemother have not sent their emissaries before you today, for
in truth, Titan and Leviathan have grown wary of men, and believe mankind should be sacrificed
for the sake of purifying Eos. You will find their blessings difficult to come by. Thus the
Hexatheon is further fractured.”

The Lucian and Fleurean courts were attentive, but the lords of Alder grew increasingly
disinterested. Ramuh’s emissaries interjected, “Eos dreams of man, and man dreams of Eos - so
which is the dreamer, and which the dream? In truth, the answer is both, and neither - for Eos
and man are One in the same being. A man becomes the god he believes in. A god creates
men in his own image. Just as man is god’s soul laid bare, so is a man's life work an extension of
his soul, and his works are either his gift, or his burden transferred to the world.”

As the lords of Alder at last began to disperse, Bahamut’s emissary stepped forth and spoke, his
booming voice giving them pause. “The time will come, and sooner than you think, when man
will have forgotten the Astrals. Even then, when the world is desperate, A True King of men will
reflect all virtues in good measure. Only this can quench the fire of destruction. What will you
reflect? Are you strong, and wise enough to wear the mantle of champion alone? Who among
you is? Not one. Only through communion - through brotherhood - will you know salvation.
Become as One people. See that you do not seek isolation, hubris, or dominion, as The
Betrayer did, for in weaving these things now, you will invite your own destruction upon the
Astrals return. Commit this to memory, and immortalize it in story, for all Eos depends on it.”
⬆ 40

Top center - The Oracle, physical manifestation of the Goddess Eos’ will, invoking the Covenant with the Astrals
and bestowing her blessing on the True King; Top left & right - The Ascended Kings of Lucis; Center - The True
King and his brethren. The True King summons the Armiger to fight back the Daemon Horde of The Betrayer, as
seen pictured at bottom; Center Left - The Astral Bahamut and his daughter Leviathan; Center right - The Astral
Shiva, astride her twin brother Titan, and her son Ramuh (far right).

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT
⬆ 41
F&FT Part VIII

The Exeneris Power Plant is an homage to
the Shinra Corp. mako reactors scattered
across the surface of Final Fantasy VII’s
Gaia. More specifically, it greatly resembles
the Corel reactor (seen at left). Shinra
reactors caused an imbalance in nature by
converting the spirit energy of the planet
into fuel, but the Exeneris plant is far less
damaging, as it simply draws energy from a
large meteorite. Importantly, the meteorite
and the Crystal are similar entities, with the
meteorite being a dormant invasive species.

Impending global catastrophe? Chances
are there’s an evil empire behind it,
although organized religions and
corporations have also served as a
primary antagonist on occasion. Where
there’s an empire, there’s bound to be at
least one leader seeking godhood, and
an army marching across the land,
indifferent to suffering and seeking only
to increase the power of the self-serving
organism they comprise. Empires are
metaphorical dragons, symbolizing the
dangers of egocentrism, and living in
willful slavery to an indifferent system.
XV’s Empire wishes to exploit Eos’ Crystal
all-soul both as an energy source, and as
a means for achieving immortality, similar
to Shinra’s designs for the lifestream.
⬆ 42

CHAPTER 9 - Callings
“Noctis receives a warm send-off as he sets sail for Altissia in high spirits. The prince goes forth
ostensibly to seek the blessings of the Hydraean, which will enable him to challenge the
empire's might, but his true heart's desire is to find Lunafreya, his betrothed”

Set-up
Emperor Aldercapt is thrilled to have the Oracle, the ring, the Lucian Prince, and Leviathan all in
one place. Lunafreya continues to avoid capture, but as the key to the Empire’s plot, her
freedom is wearing thin. Imperial High Commander Ravus and Chancellor Izunia have arrived in
Altissia, and are seeking an audience with Camelia Claustra, First Secretary of Altissia, to
discuss the terms of Lunafreya’s surrender.

As eventual public appearances of Luna and Noctis are inevitable, the Niflheim run media is
reporting that the betrothed couple are miraculously alive, and are once again expected to be
wed in Altissia. It is also reported that the couple will be placed in charge of the joint Lucian and
Tenebraen government, which should inspire hope in the distraught citizens of Eos. By making
Luna’s presence known, the Empire hopes to increase the chances of her being sighted and
captured without Claustra’s aid, thereby stripping the Altissian government of any leverage in
bargaining. Once captured, Luna will be made to give a public address before summoning
Leviathan, at which point Noctis will be drawn out into the open, and the ring will be claimed for
the Empire.

In keeping with his wish to establish human superiority over the old gods, Emperor Aldercapt
has ordered High Commander Ravus to slay Leviathan and capture its essence. Ravus is happy
to comply, in that the Empire’s goals align with his desire to protect his sister. If Ravus can slay
the Astral before Noctis has a chance to forge a Covenant with it, his sister will be spared the
Price of The Covenant. Though the Empire predicts Altissia will be heavily damaged by
Leviathan’s Revelation and the ensuing Imperial attack on the Astral, they have stockpiled
emergency supplies, and they are willing to sacrifice Altissia and its citizens in the name of
victory. Besides, their media arm has an angle prepared for every eventuality...

Elsewhere - Commodore Aranea Highwind has returned to Niflheim after receiving orders to
eliminate a daemon horde that has overtaken Deist, a poor village on the western outskirts of
Gralea - the very village in which Aranea was born and raised. In years past, Daemons rarely if
ever appeared in Niflheim, and though reports of daemons have been on the rise of late, a
horde overtaking an entire village is virtually unheard of. Deist was lost, but the daemons have
been quarantined and eliminated thanks to Aranea’s efforts.

The nights on Eos are growing noticeably longer despite the coming of the Summer Eostice,
which should be the longest day of the Lucian Calendar…
⬆ 43


Weskham Armaugh
Weskham fought alongside Noctis’ father, King Regis, on
his diplomatic journey to Accordo 30 years ago. Long since
estranged from the king, Weskham now owns the Maagho
bar and restaurant in Altissia. Located on a secluded
stretch of waterway, Maagho doubles as a trading post for
rare goods and sensitive information. Weskham often
serves as an informal aide to the Altissian government, and
has recently relayed secret messages on behalf of Lady
Lunafreya and Secretary Claustra.

First Secretary Camelia Claustra
The elected leader of the Altissian government, now
serving her third term, Camelia is a lifelong social
servant who is well loved by her people. In addition to
her experience in politics, Camellia is the daughter of
two largely successful Altissian Mercantile families,
from which she has inherited a shrewd business sense
which serves her well in office. Having witnessed the
Empire’s spiral into madness over the course of her
three terms, Camelia wishes to see Altissia and greater
Accordo shake free of the Empire once and for all.
Though deeply protective of her citizens, Camelia
would risk defying the Empire, if the cause and timing
were right...

⬆ 44

Altissia
The Bay of Altissia was once home to a small fishing community, the members of which eked
out a living in caves along the great stone palisades of the bay. They were known to venerate
Leviathan, whom they believed called these waters home. The quaint community lived on in
solitude for hundreds of years, the silence of which was ultimately broken by the roaring arrival
of a fleet of airships. At first, the men who clambered down from the ships, which rested on the
cliffs far above, came to trade with the fishing villages. Eventually, the men in ships came and
never left.

Those early settlers were Niflheimish merchants who had grown wary of their countrymen, and
wished to establish a new nation, built on open trade and the acceptance of all religions and
nationalities. As Niflheimish peoples, they were industrious, and enjoyed the finer things in life,
but their respect of nature would set aesthetically pleasant Altissia far apart from utilitarian
Gralea.

As a gesture of respect to the indigenous people of the bay, the Altissians left the highest and
northern most plateau of the bay largely undeveloped, as this was where Leviathan was
believed to slumber. To this day, only a small ring of structures which branch off of a symbolic
central altar circle the northern steppe.
END OF CHAPTER NINE
⬆ 45
F&FT Part IX

Noctis’ Armiger ability first appeared in Final Fantasy Advent Children, as Cloud Strife’s ultimate
Limit Break. Cloud’s weapon in the film, the Fusion Sword, splits into several separate swords,
and is the inspiration for the 13 Royal Arms, as well as Noctis’ Engine Blade. Additionally, Cloud
was able to fly and warp-attack while utilizing his iteration of Armiger, and he left behind
multiple blue astral after images (seen above), just like Noctis. Tetsuya Nomura directed both
titles.

Final Fantasy VI featured an enemy named Chadarnook, which
haunted a portrait of a beautiful esper named Lakshmi. When
unwitting victims approached the painting, the woman
appeared before them in the flesh, naked and wreathed in
mist, enticing men to draw nearer - only then was
Chadarnook’s true form revealed.

A painting awaits in Altissia. Don’t worry if you didn’t address it
on this visit, as you will be able to return to Altissia via Umbra.
⬆ 46

CHAPTER 10 - The Heart of a King
“Across the water and onto the rails, the royal retinue makes for Gralea, the imperial capital.
Their objective; reclaiming the Crystal, that they might reclaim their homeland. However, the
ring's weight proves too much for Noctis to bear”

Recommendation - Explore the train and platform. Before reboarding the train to depart, play or
watch Episode Ignis. ⇨

Set-up
The depths of despair have sucked the life and sound out of the royal retinue’s world, leaving
their goal of reclaiming the Crystal the only certain avenue before them. Noctis fears that his
inability to save his beloved Lunafreya deems him unfit to rule, much less save the world, and
he has come to resent the ring that his
father, his beloved, and now he himself has
been made to carry. The ring is a symbol of
fate, a questioning of his ability, and a
reminder that he is less than his father was.
That such a small thing could place so
much weight on his shoulders, and force
him and those he loves down a fatalistic
path with no escape in sight... He would
have everything be so different, if only he
had ever been given the ability to choose
his own path, but he must continue once
again, down the unmoving rails of fate.

The royal retinue sails the Signet to Niflheim in silence. On arrival, they transfer the Regalia,
which was stored in the Signet’s hold, to a train destined for the Imperial capital of Gralea. Cor
Leonis has informed Noctis that an errant royal tomb awaits them in Fodina Caestino, just
outside the derelict mining town of Cartanica. The sacred grotto of Fodina Caestino had been
rich in magicite ore, which the Empire had long since exhausted, and Cor is uncertain if the
tomb is still intact after the conclusion of their mining efforts. Regardless, Cor has arranged for
the train to be delayed at Cartanica station long enough for the royal retinue to complete their
investigation.

Elsewhere - Leviathan was summoned in the extreme northern reaches of Altissia - a district
which was built on the highest steppes of the bay. While all structures in that region of the city
were utterly destroyed, the damage to the city of Altissia as a whole was surprisingly minimal,
due largely to the stepped topographical nature of the city, which had a mitigating effect on the
hurricane forces of Leviathan’s Revelation.
⬆ 47

First Secretary Claustra, wishing to protect her investment in Noctis’ crusade against their
mutual enemy, has defiantly made it publicly known that Noctis and Luna were instrumental in
saving Altissia, and that Noctis has survived the ordeal. She hopes that preemptively
establishing a positive narrative will offer the prince a modicum of protection from the Empire.
The Imperial strike force was obliterated by Leviathan’s Reckoning, and the remaining Imperial
forces have all but withdrawn from Altissia. It would seem the Empire has greater concerns than
an obedient Altissia, and First Secretary Claustra is pleased with the course of events.

After the considerable loss of life and equipment in Altissia, and the death of The Oracle, Ravus
has been labeled as a criminal by the Imperial run media, and is to be put to death for his
crimes. The media reports that Leviathan was felled by the mighty Imperial Army regardless of
Ravus’ incompetence as a leader. Some citizens speculate that Ravus was the mastermind
behind the terrorist attacks on the Lucian Citadel, which claimed the life of King Regis, and that
Ravus used the Oracle’s power running in his veins to summon the Astrals in the hopes of
overthrowing the Empire. He is a perfect illustration of the dangers of astral worship.

In reality, Ravus made clear his betrayal of the Empire while in Altissia and has been labeled an
enemy of the state. He has fled to his ancestral home in Tenebrae, hoping he will encounter
Noctis there for a final time. Verstael Besithia, Niflheim’s Head Scientific Research Officer, has
assumed control over the Niflheim military, and wishes to apprehend Ravus.

Aranea Highwind has witnessed unfathomable horrors in the Niflheimish Capital of Gralea. What
began as a daemon attack on the impoverished outskirts of the city has rapidly become a full
scale crisis threatening to consume Gralea, as the daemon horde has escaped quarantine and
overtaken much of the shadowy lower sectors of the city proper. The daemons are uncannily
strong and vicious, and to make matters worse, the horde is largely comprised of
unprogrammed Magitek soldiers which emanate from a breached laboratory within the city. As
the MT soldiers are familiar to the citizens of Gralea, they appear unthreatening until it is too late
to escape their blades.

The Niflheimish run media is falsely reporting that the impoverished citizens of Lower Gralea are
looting and rioting in protest of High Commander Ravus’ impending arrest. The wealthy
denizens of Upper Gralea, who live in the sunlit higher reaches of the city, appear indifferent to
the suffering unfolding beneath them, and are going about their daily business completely
oblivious to the growing threat of the daemon horde. The Crystal remains locked in Zegnautus
Keep, from where its light cannot push back the daemons.

Aranea, having witnessing firsthand the ultimate treachery of
The Empire unleashed on its own citizens, has abandoned
her orders of combating the unstoppable tide of daemons,
and has instead been evacuating refugees from Lower
Gralea.

⬆ 48
Fodina Caestino
Long ago, when the continents were one and Eos was very young, the sacred grotto of Fodina
Caestino sat at the center of the world. A single, narrow path wound into a depression in the
surrounding rock, to the center of the grotto, and the way was lit even in the night by pyreflies.
From the center of the grotto sprung The Well of Urd, and from the pristine waters grew a stout
ash tree. It was said that the Astrals would commune here at dawn, and that their memories
formed daily as dew on the leaves of the young tree, which was then collected in the well.

It was from this well, and from the fruit of this tree that mankind was born, and while men
evolved quickly, and spread wide across the land, there were those who stayed near the tree,
and frequented the grotto. One such young girl chanced to fall asleep aside the well, and woke
at dawn, wet with dew, to the sound of whispering. Though there was no one to be seen, the
girl called out, demanding the hidden speakers show themselves. Though the whispering
ceased, the speakers were not revealed.

The young girl returned, night after night, and though she heard whispers, she remained silent
and pretended to sleep long past sunrise, when only birdsong filled the grotto. After many
months, the whispers became full throated voices in the young girl’s ears, and the shimmering
forms of the congregated gods were slowly revealed to her. When at last she gathered the
courage to speak, the Astrals were stunned by the young girl’s insight.

The girl continued to visit the Astrals into her adulthood, and over time, she earned their trust
and respect. In time, she brought her own daughter to the well and left her there for the night.
To the pleasure of all, her daughter could hear a whisper at dawn. Thus the generational ritual
of House Fleuret was established.

Millennia later, when The Betrayer lie slain atop Ravatogh, and house Fleuret had been blessed
with the nourishing Light of Eos, the ash tree grew to colossal heights under the Oracles’ glow,
and the surrounding fields were thick with sylleblossoms. It was said that one could easily tell
where the Oracle had been by the presence or absence of sylleblossoms, and only Fenestala
Manor was more clearly loved by the Oracle than Fodina Caestino.

In that age, the Kings of Lucis frequented the free lands of
Tenebrae, and one King of Lucis in particular found great
solace in the grotto. His body was worn from years of
battling daemon hordes in his homeland, and he wished to
remain in Tenebrae for what he knew to be his final years of
life. The King’s sons were grown, and were ready to rule
Lucis in his stead, and so it was that he died in Fodina
Caestino, and was there entombed. The Oracle solemnly
ferried the ring, and the news of the king’s death to his sons,
just as the Oracles always had, and always would.
END OF CHAPTER TEN
⬆ 49
F&FT Part X

In Norse mythology, the gods gather at the cosmic
World-Tree Yggdrasil at dawn and share the events
of the previous day. The memories of the gods and
all living things gather as dew on the leaves of the
tree and are collected in the well beneath. Men
were born of its fruit, and the roots of the tree
bridge the nine worlds of Norse legend, including -
Asgard, land of the gods; Midgard, or “middle
earth,” where men live; Muspelheim, the fiery realm
of Surtr; Niflheim, the land of ice, mist, and
darkness; and Hel, the netherworld, from which the
Germanic word “hell” is derived. Hel is often
associated with Nifhel, or Niflheim.

The Buddha was said to leave lotus flowers in his wake in
place of footprints. In various mythologies, flowers
represent divinity, female fertility, as well as life, death, and
rebirth. Gentiana is a genus of blue flowering plants.

Modern Final Fantasy titles often
feature a heroine synonymous
with the goddess, who offers up a
gift to the hero through which he
achieves transcendence. Vanille,
Dagger, Aeris, Yuna, Rinoa, and
Lunafreya all fit this mold, though
some were faced with greater
sacrifices than others.
⬆ 50

CHAPTER 11 - In the Dark
Ignis' resolve forces a reconciliation between Noctis and Gladiolus, and restores harmony to
the group. With renewed vigor, the four friends reboard the train and head for Tenebrae, home
of the late Lady Lunafreya.

Set-up
Ignis, having long honed his senses, is adapting to blindness surprisingly well, and is even
proving to have new tricks up his sleeve. The battle at Fodina Caestino was reminiscent of the
royal retinue’s many successes as itinerant monster hunters, and their victory has greatly
restored their faith in one another, and in their mission of reclaiming the crystal.

Ardyn, wishing to toy with and divide the royal retinue, has secretly boarded the train at
Cartanica station.

Elsewhere - Acting High Commander Verstael Besithia has determined that Ravus Nox Fleuret
is hiding at his familial estate in Tenebrae, and has dispatched a special unit to apprehend him.
A sadistic and ruthless man, Besithia is not content merely to capture his quarry, and plans to
loose a captive daemon horde on Tenebrae so that Ravus might witness it burn.

In continuing her efforts to evacuate Gralean refugees, Aranea has returned to find Lower
Gralea at last void of human life. Landing instead in sunny Aldercapt Square, Aranea tries to
convince recalcitrant wealthy Graleans to leave the city with her. As the sun sets, Aranea
departs the capital city with an empty airship hold.
⬆ 51

Captains of Alder

The house of Alder had settled on a high plain far removed from Ravatogh, in a land they called
Niflheim. The plains were arid and abundant in hard soil, and the interior land consisted of
alpine deserts which were shrouded in near perpetual mist. The winters in both climates were
harsh. While the inventions of house Alder could protect its people from the elements, and
could easily transport them over great distances, it could not grow crops from unforgiving soil,
and so, they reluctantly opened commerce with Houses Fleuret and Lucis.

The Merchants of Alder brought back many things, including news of neighboring cultures. The
Merchants saw that Astral worship, which had been outlawed in Niflheim, was alive and well in
the world at large, and that the peoples of Lucis and Tenebrae were largely peaceful and
prosperous despite the threat of Starscourge. The Captains of Alder were now more weary of
the Astrals than ever, and they were deeply troubled by this news. The only way forward, they
said, was to erase the gods from history and trust in the ingenuity of man. There was no
Scourge in Niflheim - only in Lucis, and only because Lucis was not industrious enough to solve
their own problems.

Fearing that the other houses of men, Lucis in particular, would drag the world into another
Great War by aligning themselves with the Astrals and failing to modernize, The Alders began
amassing an army and researching means by which they might recreate the lost weaponized
technologies of ancestral Solheim without the aid of the Astrals.

Lucis and Tenebrae, seeing increased interest in the exportation of questionable materials to
Niflheim, approached The Merchants of Alder with their concerns. The Merchants found
themselves positioned in the midst of a tense situation, which would soon escalate into war if
they did not take action. Having seen firsthand the good intentions of Lucis and Tenebrae, The
Merchants could not abide their native Niflheim declaring war on the misguided pretense of
preventing war. Feeling obligated to forge another path, The Merchants secretly amassed
supplies in the virgin lands south of Lucis, and when the time was right, they announced their
defection from Niflheim to found an independent nation.

The Nation of Accordo would be built on peace, and all peace loving people would be welcome
there, regardless of origin or religion. To this end, The Merchants of Accordo instated a
permanent embargo on weapons, and on materials which could be weaponized. Niflheim,
facing an unwinnable war of attrition without the lifeline of the Merchants, would have to accept
this turn of events, for the time being. The Captains of Alder had persevered through many
hardships, and they knew their ingenuity would render this betrayal a mere setback in due time.
If they could not purchase the materials they sought, they would simply devise a way to rend
open the fickle land beneath their feet.

So it came to pass that there were four great houses of men, and all but one lived in willing
communion.
END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN
⬆ 52
F&FT Part XI

Though there have been a few agrarian
ancient civilizations in Final Fantasy history,
the majority of lost peoples and cities have
possessed machinery and knowledge which
far surpasses the sophistication of modern
man. While it is typical for modern societies to
attempt to recreate lost technologies, it’s just
as common for them to uncover pristine
artifacts and put them to use without
understanding the mechanisms by
which they work. At left is Lea Monde, a city of
ancient Ivalice featured in 1998’s excellent
action RPG, Vagrant Story.

It is implied that Niflheim never lost their technical prowess, but that ancient Solheim’s ability to
harness the elements without damaging the planet were lost when the Astrals departed from
Eos. Niflheim long since turned to mining elemental wellsprings and sacred sites to power their
machinery, although the new “lost” technologies Ardyn shared with Verstael Besithia are
derived from another source entirely...

In legends, magic rings frequently offer a beneficial ability to a ring
bearer in exchange for a burdensome price. The legendary Norse hero
Sigurd shares some similarities with Noctis. Sigurd slayed a serpentine
dragon similar in description to XV’s Leviathan. When he drank the
serpent’s blood at the behest of Odin (disguised as an old man), Sigurd
gained the ability to understand the speech of animals, much as Noctis
was able to understand the Astrals’ speech after falling Titan. Sigurd
came into possession of a magic ring, which ultimately spelled his
doom. XV’s ring is similar to the Norse concept of Valhalla, as it is a
gathering place for brave warrior kings to combine their souls for the
final battle against darkness. This idea isn’t without precedent, as some
ancient superstitions dictated that rings prevented the soul from leaving
the body, and disallowed demons from entering into it.

⬆ 53

CHAPTER 12 - End of Days
Ardyn uses a stitch in time to switch appearances with Prompto, and tricks Noct into hurting his
closest friend. Nevertheless, a king pushes ever onward, accepting the consequences, and
never looking back

Recommendation - Explore the platform and watch all cutscenes. Just before reboarding the
train to depart, save, and play or watch Episode Prompto. ⇨ This one is well worth buying!

Set-up
In the wake of Ardyn’s assault, Ignis recalls a royal tome which detailed a powerful Illusion
arcana of unknown origins, which a royal steward of old simply called “a stitch in time.” The
steward described a mischievous dark mage who was able to switch his appearance and voice
with that of any person he chose. The mage proved difficult to contain, and ultimately escaped
imprisonment by impersonating one of his jailers. It would seem Ardyn has somehow learned of
this technique, and has used it to divide the royal retinue.

Elsewhere - Prompto’s greatest fears have been realized - his home is lost, and his closest
friend has rejected him in the most hurtful way he can imagine. Prompto lies by the rails and
waits for the Imperial army to claim him, but the troops and capital ship are strangely absent.
Dejected and without direction, he traces the rails back to the fuel depot the train passed
through. Wandering the deserted compound, Prompto gazes up at the snowcapped mountains
in the distance and recalls a story his adopted father told him, about a small village in the
Niflheimish mountains. Perhaps that could be his direction. Somewhere he could belong. He
wondered now and then if his adopted father survived the attack on Insomnia, but he could only
imagine him as an absentee parent, absorbed in his government work at some Lucian facility,
and Prompto doubted such installations were still operating. They had never been close.

Prompto gathers winter gear, rations, a motorcycle, and a spare gas canister from a nearby
storeroom, and sets off into the unknown mountainous wilds of Niflheim, in search of a home.

END OF CHAPTER TWELVE
⬆ 54
F&FT Part XII

Magitek first appeared in Final Fantasy VI, and though
there have since been similar technologies which either
fed off of the life-force of magical creatures, or of the
planet itself, none have gone by the name “magitek” until
Final Fantasy XV.

Much as the Gestahlian Empire’s Magitek (FFVI) was
rapacious in nature, Niflheim’s early Magitek tanks and
mecha ran off of naturally occurring elemental spirit
energy of one form or another. Ardyn’s magitek
“knowledge,” which he shared with Verstael, was not the
lost technology of Solheim he sought, but rather, was a
new method of Ardyn’s own devising, which harnessed
the power of Eos’ daemons. It is a dark and unnatural
magic which would be
better left alone.

Final Fantasy Tactics featured a pair of assassins named Celia
and Lede, whom appeared as ordinary dancers, but were in
reality Ultima Demons masquerading in human form. In addition
to their masterful skills of illusion and murder, they possessed a
unique repertoire of attacks, including the mysterious “shadow
stitch,” which stopped a target in its tracks, allowing Celia &
Lede to toy with their prey as long as they pleased.

⬆ 55

CHAPTER 13 - Redemption
Having stolen Noctis' country, Crystal, and cherished companions, Ardyn waits implacably in
Gralea

Recommendation - Play as Noctis when given the choice. After you gain security clearance
level 6, enter the next available haven space, save, and accept the game’s offer to play as
Gladio & Ignis in Chapter 13 - Verse 2. ⇨ (both verses contain essential plot points, and you
won’t miss anything provided you play them in this way)

Set-up
Ignis’ suspicions are confirmed - Ardyn has command of time, teleportation, and illusion arcana,
and has likely availed himself of a hidden Astral Emissary accomplice. This explains how Ardyn
has secretly tracked the retinue throughout their journey, and much of how he has evidently
orchestrated recent events on a global scale, but his ultimate motives remain mysterious, as
does the nature of his recently revealed immortality. By using a kill switch which disabled the
train alongside Shiva’s corpse in Ghorovas Rift, Ardyn has once again aided Noctis in forging a
covenant with an Astral. At this proximity to the corpse, Gentiana was able to manifest as an
aspect of the goddess herself and granted Noctis the Glacian’s blessing.

As the train resumes its final approach to Gralea, the party observes that scant hours of light
remain in any given day, and that the well-oiled machine that was Niflheim has apparently
ground to a sudden halt. The Niflheim run media is broadcasting an emergency message on
repeat, the contents of which offer a vague warning of Imperial research gone wrong, and an
instruction for Gralean citizens to seek refuge in the city’s shelters.

Gralea’s automatic security protocols have been triggered by the daemon crisis, and the city is
entering a fail-safe lockdown mode. Strange armored daemons swarm the city skies and
skirmish with what few loyal air force soldiers remain. It is likely that this is all occurring
according to Ardyn’s plan, but the collapse of Niflheimish society suggests that the Chancellor
never had any interests in mind beyond his own.

Verstael Besithia, the ultimate product of Niflheim’s hubristic anti-Astral doctrine, has brought
doom upon himself, and his own people. With the aid of Chancellor Izunia, he sought to become
an undead machine god, and would have the peoples of Eos serve as his daemonified subjects.
It was his own escaped clone, Prompto, who ultimately brought him to justice, but unfortunately,
Verstael’s plans to destroy the city of Niflheim were already well underway. Emperor Aldercapt’s
whereabouts are unknown, but it is evident that his lust for glory blinded him to the treachery of
his subordinates.

⬆ 56

Gralea
Once a mere depression in the mountains of Niflheim which offered some shelter from the
winds, Gralea has grown into a vast semi-subterranean city which boasts a population of
millions. The city is divided into multiple strata, the lowest of which houses the city’s power and
waste management infrastructure. Just above this rests a series of government complexes, the
majority of which conduct classified business in the name of the Emperor and his immediate
subordinates. At the center of the city stands Zegnautus Keep, a great diamond shaped military
complex standing atop a slender central spire, which serves as the central nexus for all Imperial
operations.

Niflheim’s automated workforce initiatives have led to a growing income disparity issue among
its population, and the residential districts of Lower Gralea are dark, grimy, and populated by the
impoverished, unemployed, and imperial fugitives. Civil unrest is a growing concern which the
Empire has addressed via an increased military presence, and all entrances to Upper Gralea
have been outfitted with heavily reinforced checkpoints. Nevertheless, activist groups regularly
stage operations meant to sabotage Niflheim’s infrastructure, in the hopes of drawing attention
to their anti-empire sociopolitical and environmental causes. The Empire has labeled these
activists as Astral-sympathizing terrorists, and warns of their presence both at home, and
abroad.

In contrast, Upper Gralea sees a mixture of commercial and industrial zones, intermixed with
sectors dedicated to luxury housing for the wealthy families of Niflheim. The annual occupancy
rate of Upper Gralea is fairly high, but given that wealthy Graleans spend much of the year in
sunny Altissia, Gralea’s opulent mansions are often empty.
END OF CHAPTER THIRTEEN
⬆ 57
F&FT Part XIII

Final Fantasy VII’s Hojo, a scientist employed by the corrupt Shinra
Corporation, injected several test subjects with the cells of an
invasive alien species, in order to see if doing so would grant them
special powers. Many of his test subjects suffered severe mental
stress, and entered a permanent near vegetative state as a result.
Although they were not strictly clones, this plot line clearly
influenced XV’s Magitek soldiers, and it also explains why Prompto’s
hair looks so, familiar...

Avalanche was an activist group headed by Barret Wallace, whose
demonstrations against the Shinra Corporation’s illicit and
environmentally damaging practices often took an explosive form.
Avalanche was active in the city of Midgar, and claimed responsibility
for the destruction of two of the city’s mako reactors. As Gralea is an
obvious homage to Midgar, and there is a strong current of fake news
running through XV’s narrative, I saw it fit to include a more direct
allusion to Avalanche in Niflheim’s reported insurgents.

As a heavily mechanized futuristic city housing
the main antagonist organization’s headquarters
in a central spire, Gralea is a direct conceptual
descendent of Final Fantasy VII’s Midgar. As
such, it should be rife with class conflict, crime,
conceit, and suffering. This is not a condemnation
of big city liberal society, but rather, it offers
poignant commentary on the dangers of
unbridled capitalism.
⬆ 58

CHAPTER 14 - Homecoming
Noctis leaves his prison to find himself on Angelgard. His father's ship is moored at shore, none
the worse for wear. It now carries him back to Galdin Quay—back to his kingdom

Set-up
Noctis has entered Eos’ all-soul through the Crystal’s event horizon, and will sleep there while
the crystal’s full power is transferred into The Ring of Lucii. With Eos’ full brilliance contained in
the ring, Noctis might have enough power to combat Ardyn and cleanse the planet of
Starscourge. The Crystal will subsequently grow dim and inert, and its presence will no longer
drive away daemons. Noctis now knows the price of Eos’ salvation - his own life, to be collected
at the time of his final battle with Ardyn.

The brotherhood escapes Gralea via Aranea’s airship and retreats to Lestallum. Gentiana
appears before the retinue in transit and informs them that Noctis will return to Eos in several
years’ time via the gateway at Angelgard. She diverts the airship to Cape Caem to collect Cid,
who is presently returning there aboard the Signet. Gentiana states that she will alert the retinue
when the time has come to prepare for Noctis’ return.

Ardyn has returned to Insomnia’s Citadel, where he too will await that day.
⬆ 59

The World of Ruin

The barrier between The Crystal’s all-soul and the physical realm of Eos is weakest in
Angelgard, the winged rock off the coast of Galdin Quay. It is through The Unseen Door at
Angelgard that the Astrals themselves walk between worlds, and it is from there that they are
reborn should they lose their physical form.

Ifrit has shepherded his servant, Ardyn, out of death and back across Angelgard’s threshold
countless times over the millennia. In this way, Ardyn has attained the unwanted curse of
immortality, and has long toiled to sow his master’s seed in the minds of men, so that Ifrit might
one day return to Eos.

Long ago, Bahamut and Shiva attempted to seal Ardyn’s exit through the gateway, but their
warding relics, which remain on Angelgard to this day, proved ineffective against his dark
magics. Ifrit has long been too weak to cross the threshold in physical form, but in the years
since Noctis disappearance, The Betrayer himself has materialized on Eos thanks to Ardyn’s
efforts on his behalf. Through their presence, enough miasma has formed on Eos to ensure the
continuous spontaneous reincarnation of every unsent daemon soul the planet has known.

Now, the world awaits the rebirth of its savior, the True King, who is prophesied to return from
the very same threshold.

⬆ 60
Ardyn Lucis Caelum is The Betrayer Reborn. Having lived in service to Ifrit for millennia, he tires
of his immortality and wishes for an end to his story, but only the True King can deliver it to him.
To this end, Ardyn used his position as Imperial chancellor to greatly accelerate the coming end
of the world, which prompted the Crystal to dub Noctis the True King. Ardyn has long guided
Noctis on his path to gain the Astrals’ blessings, and the Kings’ Armiger, so that Noctis might be
deemed worthy of paying the blood price required to put Ardyn’s wicked soul to rest.

Ardyn has decorated the throne room of Insomnia with the collected corpses of Lucis’ heroes, in
the hopes that the macabre display will one day disgust and enrage Noctis. Ardyn sits on the
Lucian throne and ponders the future, while gazing at the dimmed Crystal hanging above him. In
Ifrit’s desired future, he and Ardyn will continue to rule over The World of Ruin as defiled kings,
ultimately defeating Noctis and extinguishing the Crystal’s light. With the Crystal destroyed, Eos’
dream will end, and her body will turn to dust. This eventuality pleases Ardyn as well, as he
would be awarded the personal oblivion he ultimately seeks, and he would have proven his will
as superior to that of the gods and their revoltingly wholesome Kings of Lucis. Whether Ardyn
finds oblivion alone or with the entirety of Eos is of little consequence, but fancying themselves
bards, both Ifrit and Ardyn see poetic justice in their snuffing out the entire world that spurned
them.

Altissia and Lestallum are enduring through the long night, but the lands beyond are blanketed
in darkness. All of Lucis has huddled beneath the lights of The Exeneris power plant, where
Searchlights aimed skyward sweep across the night to ward off winged daemons, and every
surface, from buildings to clothing, is adorned with lights and strips of reflective materials.

Thanks to research recovered from the Ghost City of Gralea, Ignis and Talcott Hester have
concluded that the Starscourge is a mutated protozoan parasite similar to malaria. The parasite
is transmissible via infected mosquitoes, in which case daemonification takes several days.
Niflheim’s weaponized scourge was far more potent, and exposure to their serum resulted in
near instant daemonification. Further, the miasma which daemons emit is pregnant with
protozoa, and while the miasma is not infectious, significant densities of the substance promote
the spontaneous formation of complex daemon life forms, from snaga to iron giants. In all cases,
the protozoa are vulnerable to light.

Along with the help of The Hunters, the leaders of the Lestallum resistance have established
extensive farmlands surrounding the city. The crops are lined with powerful grow lamps which
branch out from Lestallum and simulate continuous sunlight. Groups of Harvesters tend the
fields in packs, each guarded by a squad of Hunters. Harvesters and Hunters alike don Exeneris
thermal suits to avoid exposure to mosquitoes while in the fields, and various methods are
employed to keep the pests from entering the city proper.

END OF CHAPTER FOURTEEN
⬆ 61
F&FT Part XIV

Final Fantasy IX’s Iifa Tree was also synonymous with
the Norse legend of Ygdrassil. The Iifa tree was a
bridge between worlds, and its roots emitted a mist
which was comprised of unsent souls. When the mist
reached a significant density, it spontaneously gave
birth to monsters.

Interestingly, Eos’ Crystal has roots stemming from its
underside, suggesting that the Crystal is the seed from
which the tree at Fodina Caestino sprung.

Final Fantasy VI’s World of Ruin was an absolute blast to play
through, despite what its ominous title might suggest. It
reshuffles the entire world map, and weaves multiple tales of
loss and perseverance which unfold over several hours of the
game. Unfortunately, the developers whisk players through
XV’s World of Ruin in minutes. Here’s hoping for some DLC?

Final Fantasy X’s Sphere Grid paved the way for
the License Board, Crystarium, and Ascension
Grid. X’s HD remaster and XII’s Zodiac Age HD
remaster rectify the inherent linearity of these
modern systems, but XV’s grid is entirely on rails.
After two playthroughs, I’m nowhere near
completing it.
⬆ 62

CHAPTER 15 - End of The Road
Call Umbra and tour the world at your leisure. You might even find some new treasures buried
right under your nose...

Set-up
I like to think of this chapter as a gift given to Noctis’ soul by the Crystal - a simulacrum of the
physical realm, in which he has infinite time to ramble with his friends, solving all of Eos’
problems he couldn’t address in his short life, and the promise of reuniting with Lunafreya is
forever just over the horizon.

I’ve compiled a short playlist ⇨ of songs which recently caught my ear while I was driving
through the American southwest - a landscape which is evoked in the game. I find them
relevant, and I hope you’ll enjoy having a listen. The Johnny Cash track applies to Noctis’
despair following the events of Chapter 9, the rest are what I’d put in the credit roll.

⬆ 63
The Chosen King

A Great Lucian King of old had two sons, Ardyn and Albedo. His firstborn son, Ardyn, was kind,
charming, and of kingly stature, where Albedo was aloof, spindly, and more interested in
perusing the royal library than he was in ruling his people. Though their father was wise and
powerful, the King couldn’t keep his kingdom from struggling through his twilight years -
Starscourge had surged through the summers of late, and though the condition was seldom
seen in the Crown City, those living beyond the walls of Insomnia were often stricken with the
sickness. Beseeching the Crystal for guidance, the King learned that the Astrals and the Oracle
had sensed the arrival of The Betrayer Reborn. There were stirrings in the dark, and sightings of
necromancers in the shadows of the woods. The prophesied hour drew near, and the Crystal
chose Ardyn as the King of Light. The king was honored, but saddened by this news, for Ardyn
was favored and loved by all, and the blood price of cleansing Eos was known.

Ardyn accepted his fate graciously. Wishing to please his father and further solidify his rightful
place as chosen heir to the throne, Ardyn set out on a mission to see the world, hoping to learn
of his subjects and their struggles, while seeking out the tombs of his ancestors. The king
insisted that Ardyn take his brother Albedo with him, along with a few able bodied men of the
court, including young Calor Scientia, but Ardyn stole away in the night, alone, the wind in his
hair and a smile on his face. In truth, he would have preferred company, but his father’s steward,
Izunia Scientia, had spurred him on this course, and Ardyn now believed that a worthy king
should be capable of carrying himself alone, no matter the trial he faced.

It was at the altar of the first tomb that Ardyn was beset by a powerful daemon fiend, which
disarmed and wounded him. As the daemon closed in for the kill, Ardyn felt possessed to raise
his arm and perform a drawing - the same gesture by which those born of the line of Lucis were
able to draw forth the elements of fire, lightning, and ice from touchstones scattered about Eos,
and use it to cast powerful elemental spells. The daemon froze in place, on its face a spasm of
pain and disbelief, as Ardyn drew its life force into himself. The daemon fell to the ground,
lifeless, its corpse vanishing in a black plume. Was this the power by which he was to
emancipate Eos from the scourge?

Disoriented, Ardyn staggered onto the altar, claiming the Royal arm he sought, and exited the
tomb, where he climbed atop his steed and rode to the nearest town. It was there, while
recovering in the infirmary, that he came across a young boy afflicted with what must be
Starscourge - his skin grey and cracked, and a wan yellow light in his eyes - certainly, if the
Oracle did not arrive soon, this boy would die. Ardyn raised his arm and felt a warmth about his
head, accompanied by a faint unintelligible whisper in his ears. Perhaps a drawing would work
on this boy, to heal him... or to put him out of his misery. Ardyn performed the drawing, and to
his amazement, the boy's ravaged skin became flesh once more, and his labored breathing
became soft and even as he fell into a peaceful sleep. Ardyn cried tears of joy and held the
sleeping child close to his breast.

⬆ 64

Ardyn had found immediate and unexpected purpose in his travels, and from that day forth he
wandered from town to town, healing those whom the Oracle could not possibly reach in time.
Word spread quickly, and he was welcomed with crowds and cheerful cries wherever he
roamed. “Ardyn the Healer,” “Ardyn the True King,” he was called, and his fame dwarfed that of
even the Oracle.

One morning, as Ardyn lay sleeping in a fine room alongside a beautiful woman, in city far from
home, a distraught messenger barged in and delivered ill news from Insomnia - his father, the
King, had died. Ardyn was blind with grief, for he had loved his father dearly. Dressing himself
and exiting the palazzo, he found the usual throng of expectant peasants crying out for his help,
but instead of his typical kindness, Ardyn felt only impatience and anger, and he pushed against
the crowd with all his might. For an instant, a wan light shone in his eyes, and the throng fell to
the ground around him. The hopeful scurried away down side streets, terrified, and leaving a
shower of gil, gifts, and casks of wine behind.

Ardyn rode relentlessly toward Insomnia, stopping only to switch steeds at way posts, and he
was home within days. Arriving in the throne room, Ardyn saw his brother, Albedo, in
conversation with a beautiful fair-skinned woman and her dark haired handmaiden. Introducing
himself, he learned this woman was the Oracle. Ardyn scoffed, “Where have you been, Oracle?
A sylleblossom has not grown in Lucis for an age - my people are dying.” The Oracle ignored
Ardyn’s rebuke and informed all congregated that she was not here to heal the sick.
⬆ 65

The deceased King of Lucis, already laid to rest in his tomb, had chosen no heir, and it was
therefore the Oracle’s duty to crown the prince of her choosing. As the Oracle moved to retire
for the evening, Ardyn accompanied her, assuring her the choice would be simple, as the
Crystal had already chosen him over his brother. As the Oracle’s handmaiden closed the door to
their chambers, she gazed at Ardyn with a piercing, knowing glare, betraying a depth beyond
the years of someone her age.

Days passed, and while Ardyn and Albedo had chance to walk and speak with the Oracle, they
were not invited to discuss the inheritance of royal affairs. Ardyn, his impatience growing, began
to hear familiar phantom whispers about him, speaking in fits and starts of Albedo, warning him
that his brother was jealous of his abilities, and now sought to poison his name in the Oracle’s
mind.

At last, the Oracle called an evening court in the throne room. She stood upon the dais and
announced she had divined the identity of the next Lucian king, who was to be crowned at
sunrise the following day. The name she spoke was Albedo’s. Ardyn, caught by surprise, was
overcome with jealousy and rage and stormed out of the castle. He brooded long into the night,
his anger swelling higher and higher, but try as he might, he could not see a way to right his
destiny.

Stealing into the castle in the wee hours, Ardyn crept into his father’s chambers. Overcome with
rage at the injustice bestowed him by his feckless father, he thrashed about the chamber,
blindly overturning furniture and throwing whatever came to hand, until he was drained of
energy and sank to his knees. Opening his eyes, he came to see his reflection in a broken
mirror resting on the ground before him. HIs eyes shone yellow, and a familiar whisper rose in
his ears, this time fully intelligible, and rising into a voice like roiling gravel - “Wield the dark
seed you have drawn, sow a stitch in time and claim your throne.” Ardyn, guided by instinct, cast
the spell, and to his amazement, the face in the mirror was now his brother Albedo’s. Dark
laughter rose from the king’s chamber.

At the opening of the coronation ceremony, Ardyn appeared in the crowd, raving about Albedo
being an imposter. Ardyn was dragged away by the royal guard, and the ceremony resumed. As
dawn broke over the sea, the Oracle took Albedo’s hand in hers, the ring poised in her fingers.
A strange smile played over Albedo’s lips, and a wan yellow glow flickered in his eyes. The
Oracle hesitated, and Albedo snatched the ring from her hand, placing it on his finger. Ardyn
found himself transported to the astral realm of the Kings of Lucis, their translucent forms
towering over him in a semi-circle. One of the astral kings moved forward, and spoke in a voice
not unlike his father’s, saying “Ardyn Usurper, Pretender to the Throne, your flesh is unclean. In
forging a Covenant with The Betrayer, you have forsaken your birthright. Be gone from this hall.”
In the throne room, the ring fell to the ground alongside the unconscious form of Ardyn. The
spell was broken, and his true identity was revealed.

⬆ 66
Ardyn awoke in the dungeon, his wrists in chains suspended from the ceiling, a group of clergy
stripping him of his royal raiment. No doubt his brother was now king. Alone in the darkness,
Ardyn laughed to himself. No mere chains would keep him from his destiny. He would have
revenge on Lucis, on the gods, on Eos herself. The voice like roiling gravel filled the darkness.
“Soon,” it said. “The men of Lucis are mortal, and destined to fall, but in emptying yourself to be
filled with my seed, you are blessed with life everlasting. Ardyn, my servant, cultivate my seed in
the minds of men, that I might gain the power to return and grant your wish. You will not go
alone, for my emissaries will aid you in this task - use them as your eyes when blind, your ears
when deaf, and as your hands when shackled.” Just then, a familiar form materialized from the
shadows - It was the royal Steward, Izunia Scientia. “Now the real lessons begin,” he said.

(Ardyn’s chosen name of “Izunia” → イズニア → いずにあ = “Soon,” was borrowed from Ifrit’s emissary
Izunia, whose subversion of the early Lucian court inspired Ardyn’s subversion of Niflheim’s government)

⬆ 67
F&FT Part XV

Final Fantasy VI’s Espers were demi-gods who could mate with humans. The
offspring of such a union, while appearing entirely human, inherited magic abilities.
Though the Scientia line was not malicious after Izunia’s departure from Insomnia,
Ignis (Latin for “fire”) inherited his elemental sensitivities, uncanny intuition, and
artistic abilities from his diluted emissary ancestry. Of course, this is speculation on
my part, but XV draws heavily from VI, so it’s
entirely possible. Mull it over!

While the party typically obtains an airship in act III of any given
game, XV’s airship is only accessible after the credits. Odd
design choice, but I’ll take it, and I’ll listen to “Ride On,” VIII’s
excellent airship song.

Square’s Chrono Trigger pioneered the New game +
feature, which was required to see its 15 endings. XV
has just 1 ending, and a comparatively basic time travel
mechanic, but NG+ made writing this much easier.

Final Fantasy’s main antagonists are invariably tortured souls who lash out at the systems that
created them. They typically seek means of achieving godhood, either wishing to rule the world
with an iron fist, or simply to watch it burn.
⬆ 68
POST GAME
DISCUSSION
Notes on Lore and Mythology
In Eastern, African, Norse, and Native American mythologies, we see stories in which godly acts
create geographic features, including the bodies of dead gods forming mountains and
continents, and in which natural phenomena such as earthquakes, lightning, hurricanes, and
even the existence of lakes and tundra are attributed to specific deities. Similar elements are
present in the Eosian creation mythology of Final Fantasy XV. It's quite odd that we haven't seen
anything similar in the previous 14+ installments of Final Fantasy, but then, Final Fantasy has
often been focused on the monotheistic Judeo Christian mythology and tradition, which
excludes those elements.

The Judeo-Christian tradition is here in good measure as well, but interestingly, by basing things
in a semi-original polytheistic mythology, the development team didn't have to invert the Christ
story to create an “interesting” plot twist or reveal in the latter half of the game. So, there is no
“evil Jesus” figure in this game, rather, the Hexatheon narrative allows for a direct Lucifer
analogue in Ifrit, an Antichrist figure in Ardyn, and a return of the savior in Noctis, who
importantly, is a manifestation of Bahamut, as implied by the Astral sharing Noctis’ appearance
underneath his helm. This is a direct statement of the idea that we each reflect the god we
believe in and vice a versa.

⬆ 69

Notes on Pitoss & other Solheimish Ruins

On that note, I view the extant competing theories regarding Pitoss Ruins as unnecessary
complications of a simple tale which is repeated across various mythologies - there is a fire
theft, and a punishment. There is a favored god who is corrupted by his jealousy of men. Ifrit is
not Orpheus, and Eos is not Eurydice - there is no information to suggest Eos had a corporeal
godly form aside from the Crystal, and her manifestation as the Oracle. Further, Ifrit’s supposed
mission to rescue Eos from the underworld and the impending end of the world hinging on her
rescue, casts the remainder of the Hexatheon not only as callous and ignorant, but essentially
suicidal, which is incongruent with everything we know. Ifrit’s title of “pyreburner” is more easily
synonymous with his shepherding of souls (as I suggest) than it is with burning the body of Eos
to purify her of scourge. Further, the same ice spike is present on Angelgard as appears on
Ravatogh - this is a sign of Shiva’s magic, not Eos’ - though Shiva certainly does possess the
maternal aspects of Eos.

Ifrit is not the tragic unsung hero of this tale, nor is Ardyn. They are the villains, plain and simple,
and not only does misinterpreting them as otherwise muddle the narrative and meaning of the
larger story, it requires too many incongruent leaps in logic and storytelling. The difference in
being a villain or a hero is simple - both are faced with the same two paths, but only the hero
possesses the virtues which allow him or her to choose the correct path. Ifrit and Ardyn failed
this test. Eos is depicted as wrapped in vines in Pitoss, not because she was imprisoned, but
because that is the nature of the crystal - it is a living stone which gives birth to other life forms,
including the World Tree at Fodina Caestino which sprung from the Crystal - these roots are a
direct allusion to the myth of Ygdrassil in which the tree bridges the realms of Earth, the
underworld, and Asgard (the Crystal).

⬆ 70

Pitoss is an attempt at immortalizing the cautionary tale of Ifrit as per the Astrals’ instruction, and
it is a method of presenting said tale to a solitary questing King. As for the wacky level design,
Kitase said one of the developers created it on his own, without direction. Different rooms
reflect different areas or myths of Helheim, Hel, or Tartarus, and some evoke different scenes
from the game’s mythology. The imagery of Pitoss can strengthen a creation mythology, but it is
not a continuous mythological narrative in and of itself.

The extant ruins of Solheim all feature doors which only open under moonlight. Perhaps similar
doors adorned all Solheim’s cities, especially as that civilization did not yet have to worry about
the nightly effects of the Scourge, but Costlemark, Steyliff, and the entrance to greater Pitoss
are the only remaining ruins, likely because they are situated in undesirable locations, and Lucis
did not build on top of them. At any rate, these ruins appear to be significant holy sites of one
type or another, and the moonlight sensitive doors echo Solheim’s lost titular reverence for its
goddess. I suspect that Quetzalcoatl (found in Steyliff) and other similar elemental beasts are in
fact some of the 20 unaccounted for Astral emissaries, some of them tainted, but I’m not
interested in seeking out data on optional bosses and their affinities at present.

Notes on Spirituality

Of significant note are the large scale relics of the creation period scattered across the
landscape of Eos - the Meteor, Taelpar Crag, and the Rock of Ravatogh are all hulking
reminders of the existence of god, yet the game suggests that majority Eosians have still
managed to forget about, or discredit the possibility of the divine, much as modern Earthlings
have.

Members of the Imperial leadership, and presumably some of the Niflheimish people, are so self
centered and unaware that they reject the existence of the supernatural, while simultaneously
employing demons in an active quest to kill all physical manifestations of the gods.

The majority of Insomnia’s citizens, save for Ignis and a handful of other royal stewards (♪ it can
only be Ja-ared ♪), are unaware of history, or the world at large, as evidenced by even the
royal retinue’s near complete ignorance of daily life outside of the city walls. Insomnia’s citizens
largely take the King’s sacrifice for granted, and refugees of the greater Lucian continent are
even seen to misinterpret, diminish, and resent King Regis’ efforts (Kingsglaive), chief among
them Titus Drautos/Glauca, who so badly wanted to protect his annexed Lucian peoples that he
came to believe Niflheim’s anti-astral agenda was the ticket to Eos’ salvation.

While Altissia was built in part around the existence of Leviathan, that fact was lost to history,
and in modern day, Leviathan was viewed as part patron saint of Altissia, part novelty mythical
creature similar to the Loch Ness monster.

⬆ 71
While little is known of the Tenebraens, their belief in The Oracle does not require any faith, as
her healing abilities function regardless of their thoughts or feelings on the matter, as evidenced
by the effects of Luna’s physical contact with Ardyn. The people of Eos seem interested in
Lunafreya, however, they seem to view her and Noctis more as royal tabloid fodder akin to Kate
Middleton and Prince William than as a living holy figures. Additionally, as the population of Eos
is largely confined to cities, the light of which largely holds both Starscourge and demons at
bay, the majority of people would never encounter the Oracle’s miracle in person. This did of
course change in very recent history, as Lunafreya’s term as the Oracle saw a drastic increase in
daemons and Starscourge related sickness, but it’s unlikely that those who were healed would
be inspired to spontaneously live the remainder of their lives in devotion to a very vaguely
defined pantheon of gods. On the other hand, those who witnessed the Covenants and final
revelations of the Astrals would be hard pressed to deny their existence, but while hard visual
evidence can create faith, faith alone cannot create hard evidence, and the people of modern
Eos were largely only superstitious at best before the events of the game.

To reiterate - the striking visual representation of the divine on Eos, including the Meteor,
Taelpar Crag, the Rock of Ravatogh, the Wall of Insomnia, and the Oracle’s light, are all in plain
sight, but remain largely unseen by the populous - this presents a powerful analogy for man’s
(especially Western man’s) tendency to value himself over all else, and our tendency to obscure
the divine presence in nature by overloading nature with scientific interpretations of the objects
and phenomena we find within it. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet and look as
beautiful, but our knowledge of chlorophyll, chloroplasts, and DNA alters our appreciation of the
object. For some, the rose is now merely separated into quantifiable parts, and the object is
diminished - for others, the existence of quantifiable parts magnifies the divine mystery of
design. There is room enough for science and the mysterious wonderments of nature to coexist
- one need not obscure the other.

Also fascinating, is that the spiritual message of the game is not “god over science,” nor is it
“science over god,” (both being typical interpretations of JRPG sentiments) but rather “god and
science in measure.” This is quite insightful, and useful, as is the message of brotherhood
prevailing over the self-serving designs of one fallible man.

Notes on Starscourge
The evolution of Starscourge is quite interesting. As the Empire discovered, it was originally a
plague spread by mosquitoes, which struck me as an odd detail at first. However, the more I
pondered it, the more sense it made to me, and the more the details of Ifrit’s arc came clear. In
reality, protozoan parasites evolved alongside men - it was the expansion of agriculture which
allowed for a greater breeding space for mosquitoes. The resulting explosion of the mosquito
population vastly accelerated the evolution of the parasites the mosquitoes carried, to the point
that the parasites could eventually infect a wide variety of animals, including humans. While
early man on our planet could easily attribute this new illness to their imaginary gods, men on
Eos had very real gods walking their planet, and Eosians had just survived a battle between
their gods - so, this malarial variant plague was very literally cast upon them by Ifrit.

⬆ 72

The battle with Ifrit ended with what Earthlings would call the eruption of a volcano, the fallout of
which would block out the sun and threaten life on Earth. On Eos, the eruption of Ravatogh was
the punctuation mark at the end of a dark and deformed god’s life, and the aftermath which
blackened the skies was his legacy. Again, this would be a likely element in a creation
mythology on Earth, but on Eos it was very real. This was the source of the scourge. There is no
information in the present day game world, or in the provided lore that indicates the meteors
were the cause of the scourge.

In real life, similar parasites, called chromalveolates, are closely related to early plant life.
Dangerous parasites of this family include those responsible for malaria and red tide. Beneficial
varieties, which exist in the ocean, are responsible for processing vast amounts of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere, and for producing much of the oxygen we breathe, as well as
providing food for marine life.

Imagine versions of these organisms which share all of these traits, but have no benefits - an
inverted chlorophyllic cell which doesn’t thrive on light, but rather is destroyed by it, and instead
multiplies in the dark, creating pockets of miasma. An organism which doesn’t produce oxygen,
or food for sea life, but rather, produces atmospheric toxins which block the sun, make animals
and people sick, and which feeds on other creatures instead of providing for them. Finally, the
most dangerous form of this organism can be transmitted to complex living organisms via
mosquitoes, where instead of merely killing its host, it rapidly turns them into daemons. These
were Ifrit’s daemon tainted cells, which blanketed the land and seas as smoke, and merged with
extant parasitic organisms in the fields and waters. Mosquitoes then passed one variety of these
very aggressive organisms on to animals, and eventually humans, both of which were rapidly
converted into daemons on infection. In addition to spontaneously spawning daemons, the
miasmatic airborne particles block the sun, creating a greater density of miasma, and ever
greater numbers of spontaneously spawning daemons. The sun’s light was not enough to hold
the Scourge at bay. Without the King slaying the daemons, which themselves emit more miasma
in addition to claiming lives, and without the Oracle’s light to aid the sun in killing the parasites,
the world would be consumed. As the scourge is a plague occurring in the fields, I couldn’t help
but draw a few lines between the prophecies of the Judeo-Christian end times.

Working backwards from this point, we must ask - how did Ifrit become tainted? He succumbed
to the very things the game warns against. I saw poetic justice in his being the errant shepherd
of souls, thereby creating the very daemons which would eventually torture him and complete
his transformation into an unclean entity capable of infecting the entire world with his hate. We
all create and nurture our own demons. The rest naturally came into place as I identified each
myth the dev team borrowed elements from. I also enjoy the fact that one of the meteors Ifrit
summoned to destroy the planet eventually enabled Lestallum to persevere through his
darkness, giving the Royal Retinue the respite they needed to endure long enough to help
Noctis claim ultimate victory.

⬆ 73

Notes on The Empire

The Empire is an interesting study of a failed leadership hierarchy. The political profile of
modern Niflheim results from a combination of longstanding deeply negative sentiments,
including periods of self-enforced isolationism, and an oscillating belief in Manifest Destiny.
From the top down, the Empire is a purely self-serving organization - beginning with Aldercapt,
who only wants glory, and who has staffed his organization with similarly minded people. Glauca
had his own goals separate of the empire, namely giving his disenfranchised countrymen a safe
land to call home, but he chose dominion to achieve it. Ravus wanted to save his sister, and Eos,
and his motivations were contrary to the Empire’s. Ardyn wanted revenge on the Lucian line,
and an escape from his immortality - his every move during the game is contrary to Niflheim’s
interests. Besithia only wanted godhood, and the Empire was simply his best tool for achieving
it. Aranea felt indebted to the Empire but simply wanted a cause she could believe in. Ulldor
only cared for his own comfort at any cost. Loqi only cared what others thought of him, and what
place in history he might carve for himself. Little wonder that The Empire sowed the seeds of its
own destruction.

Notes on Upcoming DLC

Episode Ignis will likely detail Ignis’ actions leading up to, during, and shortly after the Imperial
attack on Altissia. I imagine he will discover several elements relevant to the main plot, including
Ardyn’s partial identity, and the nature of Ardyn’s ability to track Noctis and company. If the
player scrolls through all their daily photos between chapters 6 & 9, they will have seen
Gentiana’s appearance in them, and they will have heard specific remarks from the party
regarding this. It is known by the party that Gentiana is an astral emissary, as heard in their
remarks after encountering her in the woods, and that there were multiple emissaries for each
of the various Astrals, including Pryna and Umbra. Based on these photos, Ignis will deduct that
Ardyn has availed himself of a similar entity which is capable of remote viewing their actions,
and more specifically, perhaps he will even deduct that Ardyn is in league with The Betrayer.
After all, no civilization on Eos worships, or even mentions Ifrit, so it should be easy for a genius
in that universe to guess which Astral was The Betrayer of legend. Ardyn presents the only
motivation unknown to the party during the events in Altissia, so it would make sense for Ignis
to focus on mitigating that variable above the more direct and predictable methods that will be
employed by the Imperial forces. Perhaps Ignis will aim to collect evidence to this effect
regarding Ardyn, after which he will receive a warning - “You see too much,” as he is blinded.
Ardyn doesn’t want someone else to spoil the surprises he has in store for Noctis. Episode Ignis
will likely detail Ravus’ open betrayal of the Empire, and will help to illuminate why they labeled
as a criminal. V1.1 adds red lettering to denote passages which contain creative liberties.

Thanks for reading!

⬆ 74

We have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us.
The labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero path.
And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god.
And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves.
And where we had thought to travel outward,
we shall come to the center of our own existence.
And where we had thought to be alone,
we shall be with all the world.
-Joseph Campbell-
⬆ 75

FFXV Scenario Companion V 1.1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

FFXV Scenario Companion V 1.1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like