Final Fantasy XIII

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1. #1Gran Pulse

   Keys: Pulse, Gran Pulse

   A world wild and fragile, vibrant and untamed. Gran Pulse. It's a place ruled by the brutal struggle for survival, and the callous and uncaring whim of the fal'Cie. There is no such thing as mercy...only a never-ending string of trials that weed out the weak, and leave only the strong.

   Gran Pulse, also known simply as Pulse to the citizens of Cocoon. The artificial world of Cocoon floats in its atmosphere. Gran Pulse can be considered the parallel of Cocoon as a world of natural evolution where animals and plants can grow to tremendous sizes.

   The savage world derives its name from that of the god Pulse. Its vast wilderness is populated by creatures ranging from the monstrous to the deadly, and its fal'Cie seem to have taken a decidedly less friendly approach toward human dealings than those of Cocoon, cultivating the land for settlement, but demonstrating little concern beyond that.

   At one time in its history, Gran Pulse was home to a thriving civilization and many great cities. Now it is home to many great ruins, and people are nowhere to be seen.

   The people of Cocoon are made to believe Gran Pulse is a living hell for humans. To remain in control, Cocoon's governing body, the Sanctum, keeps the populace in fear of a Pulsian invasion. The fear was strengthened by the War of Transgression, a war between Cocoon and Pulse many centuries ago where a Pulsian army attacked Cocoon. Cocoon's shell was cracked, and many Pulsian artifacts and warships are now found in areas near Cocoon's outer-rim, like the Vile Peaks and the Hanging Edge.

   In truth, the citizens of Gran Pulse were no different than the people of Cocoon, as they saw the floating world as the source of evil and eventual invasion. The fal'Cie of Cocoon would steal resources from Gran Pulse, and lure Pulsians to Cocoon with promises of a paradise, fueling the hatred between the two worlds.

   At the time of Final Fantasy XIII, the civilization of Gran Pulse has nearly been wiped out with lingering architecture its only living testament. The buildings of Yaschas Massif and Oerba suggest an advanced culture, though primitive in comparison to the highly advanced Cocoon. It is unknown how Pulsians died out, but it is suggested many were transformed into l'Cie during the war, and as a result Pulse is populated by monsters and Cie'th.

   Resting in Cocoon's shadow, the sprawling and enigmatic lowerworld of Pulse is home to a multitude of terrors. The land is commonly believed to be inhospitable to human life, and a strict ban on interworld travel forbids citizens of Cocoon from venturing there to challenge this hypothesis. Not even members of the Sanctum's upper echelon can claim to have seen the surface with their own eyes, but the attempted invasion by the world's savage armies several centuries ago is well documented. Widespread fear of a repeated assault persists among the populace even today, with colloquial references often likening the world to a manner of living hell.

2. #2Cocoon

   Keys: Cocoon

   Cocoon. A paradise crafted by the inscrutable fal'Cie some thirteen centuries past. Cocoon is a floating continent. It floats in the sky above the land of Gran Pulse (known simply as Pulse to the people of Cocoon) like a low-hanging moon. Cocoon's altitude from Gran Pulse is about the arm's length of the fal'Cie Titan, and it is about the size of the real world North America.[1] Although Cocoon has the appearance of a small planetoid, it is hollow and its inhabitants live inside of the shell, making it similar in concept to a Dyson sphere, albeit at a much smaller scale. Cocoon is a futuristic paradise filled with highly advanced technology which protects it against the supposed intruders from the planet below. It is ruled by the Sanctum.

   From her lofty seat, the world of Cocoon has long enjoyed tranquility. The interior of her spherical shell supports several sprawling cities and a population numbering in the tens of millions. Although a variety of dangerous beasts prowl the wilds, advanced technology and the protection of the world's fal'Cie keepers ensure residents a peaceful and prosperous existence. Travel to the lowerworld of Pulse is forbidden, but given their deep-seated cultural fears of the place, Cocoon citizens would not even think to venture beyond the paradise they know.

   Cocoon was built by the fal'Cie many centuries ago under the premise of protecting humanity from the savage world of Pulse. Its current population numbers in the tens of millions. Cocoon is a colossal sphere on whose inside shell people live.

   Cocoon is home to many futuristic cities, such as the floating capital of Eden, the port city of Palumpolum, the beach town of Bodhum, and the carnival city of Nautilus. There are expansive highroads located in the Hanging Edge, the exotic nature reserve of the Sunleth Waterscape, and ruined city of Bresha located on the outer-rim of Cocoon.

   Six centuries ago, a great war between Cocoon and Gran Pulse was waged called the War of Transgression, which is responsible for the large crack in Cocoon's outer shell which exposes its interior.

   The people of Gran Pulse believe Cocoon to be a false paradise built by the devil Lindzei, who lured people to live there with sweet promises only to enslave them and steal their souls. Gran Pulse inhabitants see the people of Cocoon as impending intruders and the source of evil in the world; as Oerba Yun Fang puts it, "Cocoon's a floating nest of vipers ready to strike". Similarly, the people of Cocoon are made to believe Pulse is an aspect of hell, and its forces are poised to invade their beautiful world.

   Cocoon is an artificial world built and powered by the fal'Cie, who are responsible for running everything from the artificial sun, Phoenix, in the center that provides the world with light and warmth and controls the weather, to cultivating the land and providing food and water, to keeping the world of Cocoon floating within Gran Pulse's atmosphere. Eden is a floating city from where the rest of Cocoon is governed. Distant landmasses are visible on the skies of Cocoon beyond the cloud coverage, and the nocturnal "starry skies" are, in fact, the lights of far off cities.

3. #3l'Cie

   Keys: l'cie, L'cie

   L'cie are beings, usually humans, "branded" by divine entities and given great physical and magical power, as well as a Focus to fulfill.

   Regardless of what setting they appear in, l'Cie have certain traits in common: they are primarily humans (though non-humans can be chosen as well) chosen by agents of the world's gods (fal'Cie or Crystals) as servants to fulfill a Focus or similar task. The tasks range from being protectors of said agents, fulfilling a task to realize the gods' agenda, or some other purpose.

   Gods Pulse and Lindzei created l'Cie and fal'Cie to help perform the tasks given them by their creator Bhunivelze. l'Cie are generally bound to fulfill their given tasks, but under certain circumstances (human willpower or divine intervention), they can act independently, even going against the will of their masters.

   l'Cie draw their powers from crystals, which in turn are linked to the deities they serve via their fal'Cie contractors. The l'Cie's mental and emotional state is important, as those mentally unstable or conflicted suffer side-effects and can become Cie'th: becoming Cie'th takes different forms in different worlds, with the main symptoms being transforming into crystalline monsters. Becoming Cie'th is associated with negative emotions, such as anger, hatred, or despair.

   Fulfilling one's Focus has the l'Cie enter crystal stasis, whereupon the l'Cie's soul is trapped in the mortal realm as a crystal epitaph. l'Cie in stasis are thus not truly dead, are said to dream, and can still be restored to normal under certain conditions. Fulfilling one's given Focus is not the only way for a l'Cie to enter crystal stasis; it can also be be done via the l'Cie's own strength of will. Some view crystal stasis as a type of immortality.

   The beings known as fal'Cie possess the power to enthrall unwilling human instruments, compelling the victims to serve their will. These individuals, known as l'Cie, are marked with indelible brands. They gain the gift of magic, but also bear the burden of completing a task known as a Focus for their fal'Cie master.
   Pulse l'Cie—tools of fal'Cie from the world below—are considered dangerous enemies of Cocoon's society. As there exists no means of removing the l'Cie brand and the curse thereby imposed, Pulse l'Cie are hunted relentlessly.
   
   During the War of Transgression, a number of warriors were made into l'Cie to engage the forces of Pulse alongside the Sanctum fal'Cie. Since that time, there is no record of a Cocoon fal'Cie taking a human as a l'Cie.
   It is possible that there have been unrecorded cases, but even if that is so, any and all accurate information about the nature of Sanctum l'Cie has been lost in the intervening years. Even Sanctum researchers have been able to achieve no more than speculation.
   
   The brands that mark a l'Cie as one of the fal'Cie's chosen change gradually, passing through several different stages. When the "eye" at the center opens—the brand's final stage—the l'Cie becomes a Cie'th.
   A brand's rate of progression depends partly on the difficulty of the l'Cie's Focus. It is also linked closely to the individual's mental state, with severe psychological trauma sometimes spurring rapid advancement. In the most extreme cases, severe fear and shock at being made a l'Cie has turned newly made l'Cie to Cie'th at the instant of their branding.
   

4. #4Fal'Cie

   Keys: Fal'cie

   They are ageless immortals often responsible for the creation and maintenance of the land where humans dwell, and indirectly govern their lives.

   Fal'Cie are an existence beyond human comprehension, possessed of incredible magic power. The ones responsible for Cocoon's construction are protectors of humanity, but there are others of their kind as well: the fal'Cie who dwell on Pulse and name themselves enemies of Cocoon.

   Humans who encounter Pulse fal'Cie are cursed by being turned to l'Cie and ordered to destroy Cocoon. It is for this reason that most ordinary citizens support the Purge—anyone who may have come into contact with one of these fal'Cie represents a dire threat.

   The Sanctum fal'Cie are the unfathomable entities that constructed the floating shell of Cocoon in ages past, and even now watch over the world's human inhabitants. Each is assigned a specific task that supports the existence of Cocoon's grateful populace, such as generating energy or manufacturing food. The fal'Cie rarely intervene directly in the governing of society, leaving that responsibility to appointed human representatives.

   One theory states that, including the lower hierarchy, the total number of Sanctum fal'Cie exceeds eight million.

5. #5Guardian Corps

   Keys: Guardian Corps

   The Guardian Corps is an organization on Cocoon. It is a military department of the Sanctum, tasked with more domestic issues compared to PSICOM.

   Lightning's standard attire is a variant of the Guardian Corps female uniform, with a white coat with light green shoulders, no leggings, and various other additional details.

   The Guardian Corps is the branch of the Sanctum military responsible for maintaining peace and stability within Cocoon.

   Within their assigned jurisdictions, the soldiers of the Guardian Corps fulfill the role of police officers and protectors, working to eliminate all manner of criminal activity as well as rampaging wildlife. As a unit that works alongside the general population, it rarely employs heavy weaponry or cruiser-class airships. However, the Corps does retain squads of highly mobile shock troops.

   A counterpart to PSICOM, Guardian Corps soldiers are often assigned to protect citizens and secure cities during times of strife. In the days before the main events of Final Fantasy XIII, Guardian Corps regiments investigated the town of Bodhum and the nearby Pulse Vestige, as the Sanctum was concerned about Pulse "infection".

   Divisions

   Wide-Area Response Brigade (GC-WARB)
   

   Also known as "The Cavalry", the GC-WARB covers a large area of Cocoon and with the main command airship acting as their base. Lindblum, commanded by Cid Raines.

   Bodhum Security Regiment (GC-BSR)
   

   Guardians of Bodhum, and where Lightning had served alongside Amodar.

   Woodlands Observation Battalion (GC-WOB)
   

   Patrols the forests of Gapra Whitewood.

   Palumpolum Security Division (GC-PSD)
   

   Patrols the town of Palumpolum.

   Nautilus Security Regiment (GC-NSR)
   

   Guards the massive theme park Nautilus.

   The Homeguard
   

   Guards the capital city of Cocoon, Eden. Known as Capital Guard Division (GC-CGD) in Japanese.

   The Guardian Corps is the branch of the Sanctum military responsible for maintaining peace and stability within Cocoon.

   Within their assigned jurisdictions, the soldiers of the Guardian Corps fulfill the role of the police officers and protectors, working to eliminate all manner of criminal activity as well as rampaging wildlife. As a unit that works alongside the general population, it rarely employs heavy weaponry or cruiser-class ships. However, the Corps does retain squads of highly mobile shock troops.

6. #6PSICOM

   Keys: PSICOM

   PSICOM, short for Public Security and Intelligence Command or Public Safety and Intelligence Command, is a military force. Commanded by Colonel Jihl Nabaat and directed by Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch, they are heavily armed soldiers clad in full-armor that employ machine guns in battle. Although their appearance can vary, they are best recognized by the glowing yellow eye sockets on their helmets.

   PSICOM is referred to as "Public Security and Intelligence Command"

   The Sanctum military is composed of two main branches: the Guardian Corps, responsible for maintaining security in various jurisdictions throughout Cocoon, and PSICOM -- Public Security and Intelligence Command.

   PSICOM is a military force charged with protecting Cocoon from Pulsian incursion. In contrast to the lightly armed Guardian Corps, PSICOM employs an array of advanced heavy weaponry and cruiser-class airships.

   Despite being tasked with defending Cocoon from Gran Pulse invasions, the likes of which has not occurred since the War of Transgression centuries past, PSICOM is considered the superior military branch of the Sanctum. PSICOM have the most technologically advanced equipment and artillery in Cocoon at their disposal, including giant robots, airships, and transgates for summoning special genetically-modified monsters. Even with these advantages, however, the lack of actual deployment for any PSICOM divisions but the elite Eden force has left them inexperienced.

   The Sanctum military is composed of two main branches: the Guardian Corps, responsible for maintaining security in various jurisdictions throughout Cocoon, and PSICOM - Public Security and Intelligence Command.

   PSICOM is an elite special operations unit charged with protecting Cocoon from Pulsian incursion. In contrast to the lightly armed Guardian Corps, PSICOM employs an array of advanced heavy weaponry and cruiser-class airships.

7. #7The Sanctum

   Keys: Sanctum

   The Sanctum is the theocracy controlling the continent of Cocoon under the leadership of Galenth Dysley and the guidance of the fal'Cie Eden.

   Cocoon’s central government, the Sanctum, holds supreme executive, legislative, and judicial power. It also maintains directive authority over the military.

   Despite the fact that Cocoon was built by the fal'Cie, and not by humans, fal'Cie opt to participate only superficially in governmental affairs, leaving Cocoon's administration entirely at the discretion of the human Sanctum and its Primarch, Galenth Dysley.

   The Sanctum quarantines and exiles anyone from Cocoon whom it believes has been influenced by the outside world. The Sanctum has two main military forces: PSICOM and Guardian Corps, which consist of ordinary soldiers, monsters, automated machines, and military airships.

   The Guardian Corps are in charge of domestic issues, while PSICOM is tasked for defending Cocoon from a Gran Pulse invasion. PSICOM is considered superior to the Guardian Corps, but they are deployed less often, leaving them in many regards inexperienced. Notable officers of the Sanctum include Yaag Rosch and Jihl Nabaat of PSICOM, and Cid Raines and his subordinate Rygdea of the Cavalry unit of the Guardian Corps.

   The first female Primarch to represent the Sanctum was Ivory Marilia.

8. #8Sanctum Fal'Cie

   Keys: Sanctum fal'cie

   Lindzei fal'Cie Orphan final form

   Fal'Cie Orphan.

   Lindzei's fal'Cie were created to maintain and protect Cocoon, which they proclaimed a utopia to lure humans into moving in. Despite being relied on by the citizens, the Cocoon fal'Cie are unsympathetic toward them and view them as tools to suit their needs as sacrifices. Due to their inability to deviate from their task to preserve Cocoon, the Cocoon fal'Cie manipulate the Pulse l'Cie to destroy Cocoon for them. After the Catastrophe, the Cocoon fal'Cie became dormant and Cocoon deteriorates until it collapses in 500 AF.

   Orphan: Representing sunlight and in an unborn state, Orphan resides in a pocket dimension from where it powers the other Cocoon fal'Cie via the fal'Cie Eden that acts as an intermediary.
   Eden: The fal'Cie responsible for monitoring all functions of Cocoon, whom Cocoon's capital is named after. Siphoning its power from Orphan, Eden communicates with a Sanctum representative and is believed to be the authority in Cocoon by its citizens.
   Phoenix: The fal'Cie in charge of Cocoon's weather, it shines like a sun in the middle of Cocoon while overseeing numerous fal'Cie who manage the wind and rain.
   Carbuncle: Responsible for the production of food in Cocoon.
   Kujata: Provides Cocoon with power. It is based at the Euride Gorge and is the fal'Cie who made Dajh Katzroy a l'Cie.
   Barthandelus: The Cocoon fal'Cie's leader who masterminds the events of Final Fantasy XIII in the guise of Primarch Galenth Dysley to ensure his kind's reunion with their Maker through Cocoon's destruction. Barthandelus is the fal'Cie who turned Cid Raines into a l'Cie.
       Menrva: Barthandelus's familiar and a living construct holding his power while he is in human form.
   Palamecia: A colossal fal'Cie modified by the Sanctum to serve as PSICOM's airship.
   Leviathan: Provides Cocoon with purified water.
   Siren: It is unknown what this fal'Cie's function is, but it is located in a shrine in Bodhum and is glimpsed during a cutscene between Snow and Serah. It is a humanoid figure holding a wing-shaped harp. Although not named in-game, the Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega guide identifies it as Siren.
   Protera: Lifts and moves the Pulse Vestige from Bodhum. Pulse Vestige guardian Its appearance is detailed in the Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega, where it is described as a "Shield fal'Cie". The Palamecia was carrying the Vestige at Hanging Edge.
   

   The Sanctum fal'Cie are the unfathomable entities that constructed the floating shell of Cocoon in ages past, and even now watch over the world's human inhabitants. Each is assigned a specific task that supports the existence of Cocoon's grateful populace, such as generating energy or manufacturing food. The fal'Cie rarely intervene directly in the governing of society, leaving that responsibility to appointed human representatives. One theory states that, including the lower hierarchy, the total number of Sanctum fal'Cie exceeds eight million.

9. #9Sanctum L'Cie

   Keys: Sanctum L'Cie

   During the War of Transgression, a number of warriors were made into l'Cie to engage the forces of Pulse alongside the Sanctum fal'Cie. Since that time, there is no record of a Cocoon fal'Cie taking a human as a l'Cie.

   It is possible that there have been unrecorded cases, but even if that is so, any and all accurate information about the nature of Sanctum l'Cie has been lost in the intervening years. Even Sanctum researchers have been able to achieve no more than speculation.

10. #10Wide-area Response Brigade

    Keys: Wide-area Response Brigade

    The Wide-area Response Brigade is a Guardian Corps unit commanded by Brigadier General Cid Raines. The brigade is famous for its unofficial name, the 'Cavalry'. A mobile unit without a designated jurisdiction, the Cavalry patrols the uninhabited expanses between cities, ready to respond to emergency situations at a moment's notice. For this purpose, the brigade commands a cruiser-class airship - the sole exception in the Guardian Corps.

11. #11The Lindblum

    Keys: The Lindblum

    Due to the expansive area it patrols and the need for mobility, the Wide-area Response Brigade has no fixed base. The Lindblum is the command shop of the brigade and serves as both home and headquarters for its soldiers. It is heavily armed and armored for a Guardian Corps craft, but is easily outclassed by the anti-Pulse gunships built for the main PSICOM fleet.

12. #12The Palamecia

    Keys: Palamecia

    The flagship of the Sanctum Skyfleet, this imposing craft is an anti-Pulse juggernaut built using the latest in military technology. The Palamecia bristles with powerful weaponry, and its multiple decks hold several dozen warships, as well as hundreds of crew members.

13. #13Bodhum Security Regiment

    Keys: Security, Security Regiment, Bodhum Security Regiment

    The Bodhum Security Regiment is a section of the Guardian Corps stationed in the coastal community of Bodhum. Public security issues rarely arose in the sleepy seaside town, and with little trouble from the local fauna, the regiment was one of the least active units of the Corps. During long spans of downtime, BSR troops were often sent to aid in exterminating dangerous wildlife in frontier regions.

14. #14Woodlands Observation Battalion

    Keys: Woodlands Observation Battalion

    This unit is part of the Guardian Corps, but unlike the Bodhum Security Regiment, the Woodlands Observation Battalion patrols non-residential areas. Its main duty is to prevent wild creatures from encroaching on suburban districts.

    The battalion also provides the bulk of security personnel for the Gapra Whitewood bioweapon research facility, despite the facility's status as a PSICOM-run initiative.

15. #15Palumpolum Security Division

    Keys: Woodlands Observation Battalion

    As the name implies, this Guardian Corps unit is stationed in the city of Palumpolum. In order to properly patrol the immense Capital of Commerce, the division consists of a large number of troops broken down into many small regiments.

    As a force primarily entrusted with maintaining public security, it is not outfitted with heavy combat equipment. However, the division is known for its high morale, and its soldiers were drafted to serve under PSICOM's Colonel Rosch during the l'Cie operations.

16. #16Nautilus Security Division

    Keys: Nautilus Security Division

    This Guardian Corps unit is responsible for maintaining the security in Nautilus, the popular City of Dreams. With the fun-filled amusement park requiring little supervision, the Nautilus Security Regiment spends much of its time practicing combat maneuvers.

    This regiment's highly trained soldiers are often deployed in support of PSICOM operations, and many of its members joined the sweep teams searching for fugitive l'Cie in the Vile Peaks.

17. #17The Homeguard

    Keys: The Homeguard

    This Guardian Corps unit is stationed in the capital city of Eden. The most elite soldiers in the Corps, the Homeguard is on equal footing with PSICOM in terms of sheer military might.

    As part of an organization that accepts only the best troops the army has to offer, Homeguard veterans are well respected in Cocoon society even after their retirement.

18. #18Bioweapons

    Keys: Bioweapons

    The Sanctum has developed a vast arsenal of weaponry to defend against the constant threat of Pulse, and these living weapons are one of many fruits its research has borne.

    Ordinary Cocoon wildlife transformed into efficient killing machinery through selective breeding, intense training, and physical augmentation, bioweapons retain all the raw power and feral fury of their natural counterparts while obeying the commands of their handlers with unwavering loyalty.

19. #19AMP Technology

    Keys: AMP, Antimatter Manipulation Principle

    Antimatter Manipulation Principle (AMP) form the foundation for a variety of technological wonders, enabling phenomena ranging from phase-space interference to the manipulation of gravitational force.

    Humans ordinarily lack the means to wield magic, but through the use of manadrives - another product of the principle - it is possible to synthesize its effects.

    The Grav-Con Unit is a military-issue manadrive device, which generates a modified gravity field that allows whoever the field surrounds to perform feats of near-superhuman agility and survive jumps from immense heights. Lightning uses it in the Purge train to break free of her captors, and in Hanging Edge to jump and land safely from a skybridge. Sazh follows her and survives due to the residual landing circle left behind by her using it. The Grav-Con Unit disappears from the key items inventory by Chapter 3. Later in Eden, Lightning gains more of them off-screen (just after fighting Anavatapta Warmech, the Grav-Con Unit reappears in the Key Items menu) and the party uses them to descend onto the streets from the skyway. The item again disappears from the menu after gaining the final Crystarium expansion.

    The technology enables powers similar to magic that is otherwise only usable by l'Cie and fal'Cie. Manadrives can also be charged and then used to unleash a powerful magical attack, though this technique is only used by some high-ranking Sanctum forces. Cocoon's airships and gunships use manadrives as a propulsion system.

    A variant of this is the Gravity Bomb, which works in a similar way, but is used as a replacement for rappel cables typically used by real life military units for raids. In Lake Bresha, while Snow is trying to get Serah out of her crystal prison, PSICOM airships fly in, and PSICOM units jump off and land safely using these devices. Summoning gate concept

    Summon portal, The PSICOM transgates are generally used for transporting genetically-modified monsters from the Cocoon labs to the battlefield. The gates are used by Barthandelus to transport monsters from the Fifth Ark to Eden.

    The strength-boosting emblems on Snow's coat are AMP technology, and Hope's boomerangs use civilian AMP technology, allowing him to manipulate their direction once they have been thrown.

20. #20The Pompa Sancta

    Keys: Pompa Sancta

    This festive nighttime dance parade depicts the events of the War of Transgression in a stylish and dazzling display of pageantry. Held in Nautilus, the production portrays Cocoon fal'Cie as Eidolons who combine their powers with those of flamboyant 'Sanctum l'Cie' in order to overthrow the villainous l'Cie of Pulse.

    In the show's dramatic finale, a Pulse l'Cie transforms into an abomination reminiscent of Ragnarok before finally being slain by a righteous l'Cie from Cocoon.

21. #21NORA

    Keys: NORA

    The paramilitary organization known as NORA is a group composed of like-minded youths, assembled by Snow and self-funded by the operation of a seaside café in Bodhum.

    Functioning as a neighborhood watch of sorts, NORA members patrol the vicinity of Bodhum for trouble. Most often, "trouble" consists of encroachment by dangerous forms of wildlife.

    NORA had never openly acted out against the Sanctum prior to the Purge, and because of this, the military had been content to turn a blind eye to the group's activities.

22. #22Chocobos

    Keys: Chocobos

    These large, yellow birds are always crowd favorites.

    Wild chocobos are almost unheard of on Cocoon, but thanks to the antics of a certain TV program's feathery main character, owning chocobo chicks has become the latest fad among children.

    Although the tiny chicks are easy to handle when young, their rapid growth as they approach adulthood has forced an increasing number of families to donate their oversized avian pets to zoos and farms.

23. #23The Hanging Edge

    Keys: Hanging Edge

    It is a series of highroads and railways at Cocoon's outer rim. It used to be a bustling metropolis but was abandoned after the War of Transgression, and has since been a restricted zone, blocked by barriers only authorized vehicles can pass through.

24. #24Pulse Vestiges

    Keys: Pulse Vestige

    The fal'Cie sculpted Cocoon in antiquity, using resources harvested from the world below. When Cocoon's shell was fractured in the war, they repaired it with raw materials again gathered from Pulse - buildings chief among them. Remnants of these structures, termed Vestiges, can still be found throughout Cocoon today.

25. #25Bodhum

    The modest city by the sea is the hometown of Lightning and Serah, as well as that of Snow and the members of NORA. Known for its relaxing, resort-like atmosphere, the location is a popular destination for vacationers.

    Bodhum's largest tourist draw is its annual beachfront fireworks display

    Bodhum is a seaside town that, contained the Pulse Vestige. Bodhum is famous for its long white beaches and the annual fireworks display. It is a popular tourist destination, seeing that the Euride Gorge power plant, another tourist attraction, is located nearby. The town is guarded by the local Guardian Corps unit.

26. #26Lake Bresha

    Keys: Lake Bresha

    Lake Bresha is located near Cocoon's outer rim, directly beneath the Hanging Edge. Once a bustling center of activity, this desolate area is now home only to monsters that lurk amongst the centuries-old remnants of civilization.

    The final wave of power released by the falling Pulse fal'Cie has locked the waters of the lake in solid crystal form, creating a beautiful and unsettling landscape.

27. #27The Vile Peaks

    Keys: The Vile Peaks

    The Vile Peaks are built of debris the castoffs of material originally lifted up from Pulse by the fal'Cie and used in the construction of Cocoon and later additions of landmass. These towering piles of refuse now serve as lairs for all manner of beasts, including lowerworld mechanical horrors that, intentionally or not, hitched a ride with what became the building blocks of Cocoon. The Sanctum military endeavors to clear out the dangerous inhabitants of the peaks, but some say they leave the job half done to discourage civilians from entering the lowlands.

28. #28The Gapra Whitewood

    Keys: The Gapra Whitewood

    The Gapra Whitewood is the border zone that separates the wilderness of the Vile Peaks from the civilization of Palumpolum. Under the jurisdiction of the Sanctum military, the Whitewood serves as an experimental facility for conducting research into bioweapons.

    The security of this classified area is built in the design - the paths winding through the trees are deliberately confusing, causing intruders to become hopelessly lost.

29. #29The Sunleth Waterscape

    Keys: The Sunleth Waterscape

    Off-limits to civilians, this unusual nature reservation is often visited by Sanctum officials engaged in ecological field studies. Research into the local ecosystem is conducted via climate-control mechanisms installed in the area. These mechanisms provide direct access to the fal'Cie in charge of manipulating weather conditions.

30. #30Euride Gorge

    Euride Gorge is located near the town of Bodhum. The area is best knows for its energy plant, a facility whose output is generated by the fal'Cie Kujata.

    Many school students can be found visiting the plant to learn about the role the fal'Cie have in society, but the gorge also see a large number of tourists who come to view the spectacular scenery.

    Euride Gorge sits at the site of a volcano. It is a power plant, generating power to the Cocoon populace, thanks to the fal'Cie Kujata that resides within.

31. #31Palumpolum

    Keys: Palumpolum

    The city holds a lively marketplace, said to be uncommon in a world where most people use online shopping, and is thus called "the Capital of Commerce."

    Palumpolum is one of the biggest cities on Cocoon. Retail stores line the streets—a rarity in a society where online purchases are the norm.

    With the goal of promoting their 'hands-on' approach to commerce as a tourist attraction, the local government actively encourages businesses to set up shop in Palumpolum.

32. #32Nautilus

    Keys: Nautilus

    Centered around the ever-popular Nautilus Park, the 'City of Dreams' is essentially a giant fairground built by the Sanctum for the amusement of Cocoon's citizens, Tourists visit from all corners of the world, keeping the city busy and bustling all year round.

    Known as the capital of entertainment on Cocoon, Nautilus is the home of the popular Pompa Sancta parade, and houses an amusement park featuring tame chocobos of a smaller build than their Gran Pulse variety. It is known as the "City of Dreams", and is shaped similarly to a Nautilus shell.

    Nautilus Park is the crown jewel of the Sanctum-built City of Dreams. it houses numerous attractions constructed with the latest technology, but the true stars of the park are the chocobos and sheep found in the family-friendly petting zoo.

    With the wilds of Cocoon crawling with all manner of vicious beasts, people find the presence of the docile park animals to be a rare and reassuring change.

33. #33Nautilus Park

    Keys: Nautilus Park

    Nautilus Park is the crown jewel of the Sanctum-built City of Dreams. it houses numerous attractions constructed with the latest technology, but the true stars of the park are the chocobos and sheep found in the family-friendly petting zoo.

    With the wilds of Cocoon crawling with all manner of vicious beasts, people find the presence of the docile park animals to be a rare and reassuring change.

34. #34The Fifth Ark
35. #35Eden

    Keys: Eden

    This city, Cocoon's capital, shares its name with its fal'Cie patron. Host to the world's centers of culture and government, it functions as the heart of human society on Cocoon.

    At the city's core rises the monumental Edenhall, seat of the Sanctum's administration.

    known as the "Seat of the Sanctum", is the capital city of Cocoon. Eden University is there - one of the most prestigious schools on Cocoon.

36. #36Vallis Media

    Keys: Vallis Media

    This is the area where Lightning and her companions set up camp after their escape from Cocoon and emergency landing on Gran Pulse.

    The valley has been formed through great shifts in the earth's crust and centuries of erosion, and scattered among its twists and turns are mechanical remnants of Gran Pulse civilization. Half-buried in the ground and overgrown with vegetation, these abandoned artifacts tell the tale of a fallen age.

37. #37The Archylte Steppe

    Keys: The Archylte Steppe

    This great plain covers a vast expanse of Gran Pulse.

    With an unobstructed view clear to the horizon, creatures can easily spot intruders into their territory. Perhaps this explains why so many beasts of the steppe are merciless predators—victors of the unending struggle for survival.

38. #38The Yaschas Massif

    Keys: The Yaschas Massif

    his mountain group stretches across a southern region of Gran Pulse. The area's geography is diverse, consisting of scenic highplains, sheer escarpments, and deep fault valleys, with mammoth fallen trees a common sight across its landscape.

    At the massif's southernmost tip lies the ruin of the fallen city-state of Paddra. Once the flourishing center of an advanced culture, it is now nothing more than a Cie'th-infested archaeopolis.

39. #39The Mah'habara Subterra

    Keys: The Mah'habara Subterra

    Mah'habara is an underground labyrinth of tunnels excavated by the fal'Cie Atomos. The advanced civilization of Gran Pulse once established mining operation here, targeting the mineral and ore deposits exposed by the fal'Cie's digging. Long-abandoned engineering and excavation drones are now the only traces of human society that remain, the miners having disappeared long ago.

40. #40Sulyya Springs

    Keys: Sulyya Springs

    These subterranean springs rest within the mountainous northern reaches of the Archylte Steppe. A unique environment, the springs have spawned an equally unique and diverse ecosystem.

    The bioluminescent plants that line the waterfront represent a particular danger to unwary visitors. Their beautiful, ghostly plays of light often draw unsuspecting onlookers to the water's edge, where the area's guardian fal'Cie is quick to strike.

41. #41Taejin's Tower
42. #42Oerba

    Keys: Oerba

    This settlement is located in the remote north of Gran Pulse. Crystal sand blanketed the village after the War of Transgression, leaving the surrounding lands barren and lifeless.

    Villagers from several different clans had settled in Oerba and all lived together in communities, sharing their houses with the fal'Cie Anima as the village protector. After the War of Transgression, Oerba was abandoned, left devoid of life other than Cie'th and other monsters.

    when the war ended, the environment on Pulse was in ruins and human survivors had no alternative but to leave, and this is how Oerba became a ghost town. The village's outskirts are covered in a layer of snow-like crystal dust. Although it is not explained how the crystal dust came to be, it could be a result of Oerba's proximity to Cocoon.

43. #43The Faultwarrens

    Keys: The Faultwarrens

    The Faultwarrens are a gauntlet of steep walls and deadly drops ruled by Titan, the fal'Cie believed to be responsible for managing the ecosystem of Gran Pulse. Creatures selected by Titan are pitted against one another in fierce battles with survival as their prize and predation the price of defeat.

    Only the most formidable of creatures emerge from the Faultwarrens' trials alive, but those that do so go with Titan's blessing.

44. #44Pulse fal'Cie

    Pulse fal'Cie Dahaka artwork

    Dahaka.

    While some Pulse fal'Cie search for Etro's gate through terraforming and observation, some become revered as patron deities in Gran Pulse villages, such as Anima of Oerba and the nameless fal'Cie of Paddra who became inactive for unknown reasons, despite still being able to enact its purpose to project images from the Oracle Drive.

    Unlike their Cocoon-based brethren, Pulse fal'Cie are mostly indifferent to human presence yet still brand them when the need arises. Most Pulse fal'Cie remain active prior to the Catastrophe and afterward some are either destroyed or become inactive. During the events of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the Pulse fal'Cie appear to have become dormant, and are likely destroyed when the Apocalypse commences.

    Anima: Originally located in Oerba, it turned Vanille and Fang into l'Cie prior to being transferred to Cocoon where it entered hibernation. By the events of Final Fantasy XIII, Anima is reactivated as it turns Serah, Lightning, Snow, Hope, and Sazh into l'Cie with a Focus to become Ragnarok and lay waste to Cocoon.
    Atomos: A spherical fal'Cie who digs underground passages in the Mah'habara Subterra before the events of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII where it remains immobilized within the Dead Dunes.
    Bismarck: Protects the Sulyya Springs; trespassers into the waters are eliminated.
    Titan: Forces an artificial selection process to produce more powerful species on Gran Pulse. In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the remains of his body are scattered across the Dead Dunes.
    Dahaka: Based at Taejin's Tower, Dahaka roams about Gran Pulse's skies in search for Etro's gate before Lightning's group enters its domain and destroys it.
    

    Fal'Cie are an existence beyond human comprehension, possessed of incredible magic power. The ones responsible for Cocoon's construction are protectors of humanity, but there are others of their kind as well: the fal'Cie who dwell on Pulse and name themselves enemies of Cocoon.

    Humans who encounter Pulse fal'Cie are cursed, being turned to l'Cie and ordered to destroy Cocoon. It is for this reason that most ordinary citizens support the Purge - anyone who may have come into contact with one of these fal'Cie represents a dire threat.

45. #45Pulse l'Cie

    Keys: Pulse l'cie

    The beings known as fal'Cie possess the power to enthrall unwilling human instruments, compelling the victims to serve their will. These individuals, known as l'Cie, are marked with indelible brands. They gain the gift of magic, but also bear the burden of completing a task known as a Focus for their fal'Cie master.

    Pulse l'Cie - tools of fal'Cie from the world below - are considered dangerous enemies of Cocoon's society. As there exists no means of removing the l'Cie brand and the curse thereby imposed, Pulse l'Cie are hunted relentlessly.

46. #46Cie'th

    Keys: Cie'th

    When a fal'Cie takes a human to be one of its l'Cie servants, that person is given a Focus to be completed. Should the l'Cie fail to fulfill this Focus before his or her brand advances to its final stage, that l'Cie becomes a Cie'th.

    Mired in eternal sorrow and regret, and robbed of all free will, Cie'th are damned to wander the world, unliving and undying, until their corrupted flesh at last can move no more. For Cie'th, there is no salvation.

47. #47Brands

    Keys: brand, Brands

    The brands that mark a l'Cie as one of the fal'Cie's chosen change gradually, passing through several different stages. When the "eye" at the center opens - the brand's final stage - the l'Cie become a Cie'th.

    A brand's rate of progression depends partly on the difficulty of the l'Cie's Focus. It is also linked closely to the individual's mental state, with severe psychological trauma sometimes spurring rapid advancement. In the most extreme cases, severe fear and shock at being made a l'Cie has turned newly made l'Cie into Cie'th at the instant of their branding.

48. #48Crystal stasis

    Keys: Crystal stasis

    For l'Cie, successful completion of a Focus holds the promise of eternal life in the peaceful slumber of crystal stasis - or so the legends say. Yet to spend an eternity as an immobile crystal is not so very different from death. The people of Cocoon consequently fear being marked as a l'Cie, equating the fal'Cie's brand with a death sentence.

    Faced with only the choice between eternal damnation as a Cie'th and eternal imprisonment in crystal, it comes as little surprise that many l'Cie decry their fate.

49. #49Eidolons

    Keys: Eidolons

    These mystical entities reveal themselves before only a select few l'Cie. It is said that they are saviors, come to rescue helpless l'Cie who find themselves bound to a Focus against their will. If this is true, they offer a salvation few indeed would seek willingly: without exception, Eidolons attack the l'Cie whose presence they grace.

    There have been no l'Cie in Cocoon for centuries, and as a result, no way of determining the truth behind tales of these beings. To the citizens of Cocoon, they remain the stuff of bedtime stories.

50. #50The War of Transgression

    Keys: War of Transgression

    Several hundred years ago, the armies of Pulse attempted to invade Cocoon in a conflict known today as the War of Transgression. The Sanctum's fal'Cie were able to repel the lowerworld forces before they breached Cocoon's interior, but not before they managed to seriously damage areas lying near the world's outer rim.

    Details surrounding the clash remain shrouded in mystery, but the government's swift and decisive response to this violent Pulsian transgression minimized casualties and greatly boosted public faith in both the Sanctum and their fal'Cie.

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