Final Fantasy XIV

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1. #1Lore: Adventurers' Guildselective

   Keys: Adventurer Guild, Adventurer's Guild, Adventurers' Guild

   The Adventurers' Guild is an organization for adventurers, founded under the idea that an idle man is a dangerous one. By offering work to those who seek it, they are less likely to turn to banditry. Fewer bandits means a lesser burden on the commonfolk and the city guard who protect them.

   The guild does not actually perform tasks, but rather serves primarily as an intermediary, finding takers for the great variety of tasks that townsfolk entrust to it. Hubs for these activities can be found in any major city-state in the realm, and representatives roam Eorzea seeing that members do not take advantage of their guild-given authority.

   The crest of the guild bears a sword, a shield, and a staff. A design that reminds all of the guild's historical origins , it is a promise to aid citizens and fight on their behalf.

   When Ala Mhigo fell to the Garlean Empire in 1557, the city-states of Eorzea banded together against this common enemy with an urgency born of alarm. An age of calm came over the realm, a lull in the fighting betwixt nations. However, many sellswords found themselves out of work in this peace and began to grow dangerously discontent.

   Amidst the disquieting atmosphere, one man arose to create a new path for mercenaries. His name was Lodewicus the Leal, the famed leader of a sellsword company. He drew his companions together and founded an organization where people could hire a guardian, be it to slay monsters, act as their bodyguard, or fight on their behalf. Calling itself the Adventurer’ Guild , the group became an outlet for dissatisfied mercenaries, connecting those who joined with the tasks that best suited their skills.

   At present , the guild receives ever more varied requests from townsfolk, and adventurers throughout the realm can be found working not just as hired swords, but as tradesmen and gatherers as well. The number of guild members continues to climb, and these adventurers appear to be aiding greatly in reconstruction efforts after the Calamity.

2. #2Lore: Grand Companyselective

   Keys: Grand Company

   For thousands of years, Eorzea has been victim to a catastrophic cycle of destruction and rebirth that periodically envelops the realm and threatens all who live upon her soil; each time faced with a tragedy seemingly worse than the last, however, the peoples of Eorzea have found some way to persevere. One method, seemingly going back hundreds of generations, has been the establishment of comprehensive command centers which combine the military, economic, and technological resources of a city-state in order to better prepare it for the coming doom. These are the Grand Companies of Eorzea.

   The last recorded emergence of the Grand Companies was nearly 1,500 years ago, at the end of the Fifth Astral Era and the arrival of the great deluge which triggered the dark period known as the Sixth Umbral Era. It was through these companies that the then warring city-states were able to put aside their bitter differences and join together to form an alliance and ensure the realm survived.

   As the Sixth Astral Era drew to a close, the three city-states of Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, and Ul'dah once again revived the Grand Companies—a final attempt to forestall the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era. With a number of remarkably talented adventurers among their ranks, they stood fast against the beast tribes and the savage might of the primals, as well as the Garlean Empire, the invaders from the north.

   Despite their valiant attempts, however, the Calamity could not be avoided, and the lesser moon, Dalamud, descended upon the Carteneau Flats. From its core emerged the elder primal Bahamut, who rained fire upon the realm. So it was that the Seventh Umbral Era began.

   Five years on from the devastation, aided by adventurers, the Grand Companies of Eorzea now strive to raise the realm from the ashes.

3. #3Lore: Gilselective

   Keys: Gil, money

   When the Sixth Umbral Calamity came, laying waste to the land and swallowing up once-proud nations of magi and wise men, the currencies minted and circulated by these civilizations lost their value, and the economy of Eorzea returned to a primitive system of barter and trade. As the realm recovered and rebuilt itself after the dawn of the Sixth Astral Era, the currencies of Mhach and Amdapor came back into limited use, their values assigned roughly according to the worth of their component metals.

   As city-states and nations came to flourish, certain interests took steps to mint their own currencies, with Sharlayan and Ishgard quick to follow suit. As contact between nations in these times was limited at best, no effort was made to introduce a universal standard, and for years, many myriad currencies were exchanged throughout the land. This changed in the years of peace that followed the Autumn War. Trade and diplomatic relations between nations flourished, and for reasons of economic convenience, the demand for a universal currency became stronger.

   In the year 1477 of the Sixth Astral Era, the leaders of Eorzea's six great city-states came together and reached the decision to mint a universal currency to be used the realm over. So it came to be that gil, a coinage once used by the ancient Allagan empire, was reinstituted as the standard currency for all the land.

   In times of eld, coins would typically bear designs inspired by heroes, leaders, or religious imagery of the nations that minted them. With the introduction of gil as a universal currency, a consensus of experts from all nations made the decision to adopt neutral designs—ones not rooted in the traditions of any one culture or nation—in the interest of avoiding needless debate. To this end, the face of Nymeia the Spinner was chosen to grace the one-hundred gil coin.

   An exception to the rule can be found in the commemorative one-gil coins issued by the grand companies for Foundation Day, which are emblazoned with the images of the leaders of the respective city-states.

4. #4Seasonal Event: The Risingselective

   Keys: The Rising

   The Rising began five years after the Seventh Umbral Calamity, in which Dalamud brought untold ruin to the realm. During that crisis, a group of heroes risked life and limb to save Eorzea from the coming doom, but despite their noble deeds, they are remembered by naught else than their title—Warriors of Light. To honor their story and ensure that it too would not be buried under the sands of memory, the Rising was conceived. The festival was to be held in each of the three city-states—though it has become customary that Ul'dah hosts the grandest of displays. Past events held within these high walls include a dramatization of the Battle of Carteneau by the Crystal Caravan puppet troupe, a stained glass exhibit organized by Ul'dah's renowned goldsmiths, and performances of poignant and prophetic songs by the realm's most recognizable wandering minstrel.

5. #5Seasonal Event: Heavensturnselective

   Keys: Heavensturn

   Heavensturn marks the start of a new year, when the Twelve select one among them to keep vigil over the realm during the next passing of the twelve moons. The Far East maintains a similar custom—yet in their legends, one from among twelve animals is instead chosen to serve as the Far Eastern gods' intermediary.

   In recent years, it has become Heavensturn tradition to see Eorzea visited by a Hingan delegation, a bugyo donning a helmet in the likeness of the year's totemic animal at its fore. Much to the delight of commoners and adventurers alike, these festive visitors shower revelers with rice cakes, draw the willing into delightful dances, and bring East closer to West, if only in spirit.

6. #6Seasonal Event: Valentione's Dayselective

   Keys: Valentione's Day

   Valentoine's Day honors Countess Arabelle de Valentione, who cast aside a sheltered life to set forth on a search for true love. Although eras have come and gone since, her tale inspires would-be and longtime lovers to lay bare their hearts, conveying their feelings through gifts of sweet confectionaries. Much like Arabelle herself, envoys from House Valentione now venture far and wide to set ardor abloom across Eorzea.

7. #7Seasonal Event: Little Ladies' Dayselective

   Keys: Little Ladies' Day

   This tradition began with the Legend of the Lost Lady and bloomed into a grand celebration wherein every little lady is treated as a princess. During this special time of the year, the royal seneschal lovingly organizes events to recognize and inspire the realm's ladies and their doting seneschals both.

   Legend of the Lost Lady Three centuries past, the plucky princess Edvya, tired of being sequestered within palace walls by her overprotective father—the sultan Baldric Thorne—exchanged garb with a miller girl and wandered off into town in search of adventure. Upon learning of his daughter's disappearance, the sultan was stricken with panic. He summoned the palace guard, ordering them to tear the city apart to see that no harm befell his precious princess—and tear the city apart they did. The poor miller whose daughter assisted the princess in her escape saw his house nigh ripped from the ground, while the family was threatened with imprisonment and worse. To the good fortune of all, Princess Edvya was soon found just outside the palace walls, and was quick to reveal the truth of recent events. Racked with guilt, the sultan had the miller's house rebuilt by his most skilled craftsmen, and offered to personally serve as seneschal to the miller girl for a day to atone. Rumors of this unforeseen display of humility were quick to spread through Ul'dah. So well received were they, in fact, that the sultan declared one day from each solar year on which he would select, via lots, a common girl from the city and serve as her personal seneschal, as he had done with the miller's daughter.

8. #8Seasonal Event: Hatching-tideselective

   Keys: Hatching-tide

   Among the myriad festivals that decorate the Eorzean calendar, Hatching-tide is a relatively recent one. In the year 1572 of the Sixth Astral Era, with the Seventh Umbral Calamity looming on the horizon, a young woman residing in Gridania named Jihli Aliapoh had a vision in which twelve wise sages descended from the heavens, each sitting astride a large egg. These sages were none other than the Twelve Archons, heroes of legend who guided the realm safely through the Sixty Umbral Calamity.

   In Jihli's dream, the Archons announced themselves with these words: "Rise, young Dreamer, and make ready the vessel for our return." As the moon Dalamud loomed overhead and news of this vision spread, the people wondered if it was a prophecy—a message that the Archons would once again rescue them from certain doom.

   From within the murky depths of rumor arose a group of people who attested to having a similar dream to Jihli's, alongside many who professed their belief in her cause. There "Dreamers" decorated eggs in a dazzling fashion to match those upon which the Archons supposedly descended and distributed them to all and sundry, creating a festival the likes of which the realm had never seen.

   Although the Archons of Jihli's vision ultimately did not appear when the Calamity beset the realm, the Dreamers were not met with scorn after it subsided. Prophecy aside, the people had found comfort in Hatching-tide and the sense of community it created, and would continue to do so for years to come. Not in the least discouraged, Jihli and her fellow Dreamers play a pivotal role in the celebration even now.

9. #9Seasonal Event: The Make It Rain Campaignselective

   Keys: The Make It Rain Campaign

   Although the Make It Rain Campaign is billed as a celebration, unlike the other festivities held throughout the year, what exactly it celebrates is a question without answer. Held by Manderville & Manderville at the aptly named Manderville Gold Saucer, the main function of the Make It Rain Campaign appears to be to lure customers so that they can spend what coin they have on the many diversions within.

   To that end, it has proven extremely effective. During the event, the amount of Manderville Gold Saucer points—a form of currency usable only within the confines of the Saucer—rewarded by its games is increased, and gamblers flock to the gleaming tower in droves. As if the allure of winning an arguably useless currency were not enough, on occasion adventurers are hired to lend mystique to the proceedings—or reduce the overabundance of mystique already present, depending on the day.

10. #10Seasonal Event: Moonfire Faireselective

    Keys: Moonfire Faire

    In the year 1572 of the Sixth Astral Era, as the Seventh Umbral Calamity approached, a strange meteorite fell to the earth on the outskirts of Owl's Nest, a quiet mountain hamlet located in the eastern lowlands of Coerthas. From the steaming mass of rock emerged a monster of flame and fury, which came to be called a Bombard. It ballooned in size as it lay waste to the surrounding countryside, and as it approached Ishgard, a brave contingent of Temple Knights sallied forth to repel it. Although they fought valiantly, their lives were lost when the Bombard exploded with terrible force, leaving the Gates of Judgement threatening to collapse and the holy capital shaken and vulnerable.

    Soon after this incident, similar meteors began to fall across Eorzea in distressing numbers. The leaders of each nation gathered with haste, and in secret commissioned the Adventurers' Guild to assemble a group of heroic warriors and strategists to combat this strange new menace. Thus were the Cascadiers born, and in order to keep the citizens of the realm from losing heart in face of yet another threat, the Moonfire Faire—known as the "Firefall Faire" in its nascent form—exploded into being.

    From then on, each time the Bombards appeared, the Moonfire Faire would match their wrath with revelry, making their arrival a source of happiness rather than dread. Even now, long since the last appearance of the Bombards, the Adventurers' Guild holds the event with regularity as part of their efforts to stoke the fires of interest in the guild. In recent years, it has taken to using Costa del Sol as a staging ground, under the patronage of the wealthy merchant Gegeruju.

11. #11Seasonal Event: All Saints' Wakeselective

    Keys: All Saints' Wake

    All Saints' Wake is an ancient tradition revolving around Daniffen, Randolfe, Llafymae, and those other paragons of virtue elevated to serve as saints of the Twelve, who during this time of year are said to be called to the heavens for a feast of deific proportions. While none would argue that the saints are deserving of such favor, during this revelry our realm is bereft of their divine protections, allowing fell creatures to come out of hiding and work their wicked devices. Legend has it that a parade of evil led by a pumpkin-headed fiend comes to march through our mundane streets, working malicious magicks—which traditionally spurs most folk to return home before sunset and barricade themselves indoors with kith and kin until dawn.

    In modern times, scholars have suggested that this custom and the legend that inspired it began as a way to keep people justifiably wary, as the season coincides with the breeding periods of several species of nocturnal predators. Regardless of tis origin, however, in recent years the Adventurers' Guild has done its utmost to set hearts at ease, and All Saints' Wake has become an occasion for merrymaking, rather than a source of dread. Helped along by delightful delicacies, dramatic displays, and troupes of entertainers—including the remarkably dedicated Continental Circus—the revelry is such that the Twelve can observe from on high.

12. #12Seasonal Event: Starlight Celebrationselective

    Keys: Starlight Celebration

    The Starlight Celebration is a time of generosity and fellowship, reminding us that even a customary courtesy can warm the heart. It also reminds us of darker days in Eorzean history, which serve to make such deeds shine all the brighter.

    Several generations ago, a sanguinary struggle claimed countless lives and left full as many orphans homeless and hungry. Taking pity upon their plight, a company of Ishgardian knights sought out these children each night, furnishing them with food and shelter within their barracks. As doing so was prohibited, however, the knights had the children slip in while swathed in their scarlet jackets.

    These orphans went on to convey the same kindness to others that they had once received. On the coldest week of the year, they took to sporting scarlet and passing out presents to the children of the realm. And over time, their deeds developed into the festival known as the Starlight Celebration, wherein children offer prayers to Nymeia and adults clad in scarlet play at being the Saint of Nymeia and his helpers.

    The event has also absorbed local traditions of different regions; for example, in Gyr Abania, the people craft snowmen at the first snow, praying that they will be visited by further quenching snowfall and remain safe throughout the winter. This charming tradition, as well as other events and foodstuffs from abroad, have steadily become Starlight mainstays.

13. #13Lore: Aetheryteselective

    Keys: Aetheryte

    Aetheryte, these massive crystals can be found throughout Eorzea, allowing adventurers to travel great distances in an instant. When first attuning to an aetheryte, adventurers will learn the spells Return and Teleport, which are necessary to use these aetherial constructs. For the ever-wandering adventurer, attuning to as many aetherytes as possible will ensure swift transport to nearly any location.

14. #14Lore: Aetherselective

    Keys: Aether

    Aether is the foundation of all life and magic on Hydaelyn. Aether is found in all living beings and is an essential building block of creation. The various schools of magic have learned to draw upon aether and use it to empower their spellcraft. The study of Aether is known as Aetherology.

    Life: Through all things—people, animals, plants—aether is observed to flow. It is a current that gives life and energy. When something dies, aether no longer passes through it. Living beings will slowly lose aetheric density as they grow older. When food is consumed, the body converts some of that energy into aether, sustaining life on multiple fronts. While aether flows through everything, those currents can also be stopped. Scholars liken this to the "atrophication of a limb cut off from the heart". Without sufficient aether, the people and the planet would perish.

    Magic: manipulating aether that deviates from its natural tendencies is what scholars call Magic. Though the effect achieved by various schools of magic such as Thaumaturgy and Conjury are vastly different, the method employed is essentially the same. Scholars have observed a more primitive form of aetherial manipulation in lesser creatures, such as a Raptor breathing fire or a Biast unleashing a levin-bolt are the most basic forms of aetherial manipulation found in nature. This form of "magic" utilizes aether from their bodies or the surrounding environment and is used to hunt or protect themselves from harm. Some who study the arcane arts use specific items or tools to strengthen their magic or focus their aether—Arcanists and their Carbuncles for example.

    Elements: Aetherial energies are divided into six different elements-Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, Ice and Earth. These elements dictate how things will behave and interact with one another in nature. For instance, areas that are more "Fire-aspected" will have hotter and drier climates than those that are Water or Ice-aspected. This will also affect the flora and fauna of an area as well, affecting how a being can navigate the world, with Wind-aspected creatures being able to soar through the skies, or Earth-aspected beings having hardy scales, like the scalekin. In addition to these elements, there are also two poles: Astral and Umbral. These poles also affect the nature of the elements, with Astral alignment being a more active form of energy, and Umbral being more passive. Astral Fire exhibits high volatility, where as Umbral Fire will generally affect dryness. Naturally, some elements exist in a naturally Astral state, while others exist in a naturally Umbral state. These inter-elemental relationships help give balance and maintain each other. Elements in the naturally Astral state are Earth, Lightning and Water. The naturally Umbral elements are Fire, Wind and Ice.

    Crystals: When living beings die, the aether within them will eventually flow back into the Lifestream and continue circling the world in the aetherial current. However, if a living being suffers a mortal wound, that life energy will sometimes instead pool and pass over into the corporeal realm, manifesting as a crystal. This can be a damaged piece of nature, a living being, or even the land itself. These crystals will become elementally aspected and store a massive repository of that element, which can then be used in any manner of ways. Fire-aspected crystals are often used in smithing for their ability to increase the temperature of forges. Given the intense concentration of aether in these crystals, consuming one will drastically alter the elemental and aetherial balance within the body, most likely leading to death. Aetherologists believe that existence is made up of two different planes: the Corporeal realm, where all things take a physical form, and the Aetherial realm, a nonphysical realm without substance, but contains the essence of all creation. When something dies in the Corporeal realm, its aether passes between realms and back into the Aetherial realm, where it enters back into the Lifestream and continues its flow around the world. When new life is born into the Corporeal realm, it is granted energy from the Lifestream, creating a balance between the two realms. Each plane affects the other, and their proximity to one another dictates the scope of influence. When the two planes are close to one another, the Corporeal realm benefits by becoming rich in "Ambient aether"-aether richly charged with life aspect. In places where the realms are distant, the surrounding area generally has a harsher climate and is devoid of life. The planes are tied together in such a way that if one is damaged, the other would suffer as well, and if one is destroyed, the other would fail as well. The Aetherial realm is also influenced by being in close proximity to the Corporeal realm by allowing for the maintenance of corporeal will when in a state of pure aether. Taking advantage of this, beings of the Corporeal realm can take advantage of this and use the Lifestream to travel between various points through teleportation. Magic is used to reduce a being to aether and pass into the Aetherial realm, and move from place to place. Aetherytes, which are aetherically charged crystals, are used as beacons of sorts directing the being where to go. The movement is almost instantaneous. These Aetherytes form naturally at the locations where the realms are closest to one another, and are equally surrounded by life as civilizations tend to crop up with them at their center. Without these beacons, entering into the Aetherial realm would simply cause a living being to enter back into the Lifestream, slowly breaking down into the basest components of life and continuing the cycle.

    Hydaelyn: It is a widely held belief by scholars that somewhere deep within the planet rests a mass concentration of life-aspected aether, and have named this phenomenon the Mothercrystal. The belief goes further by stating that the Mothercrystal indicates the planet is a living being and represents a biological entity. As evidence to support this theory, scholars point to seers who have incredible visions of the future, or those who gain incredible strength in times of peril, and state the phenomena are actually the planet conveying its will to help those who protect it. They refer to this as Hydaelyn's Will.

    Aetherial Sea: Sharlayan scholars constantly study the planet in order to predict its fate. They have observed that the further down towards the core one ventures, the more blurred the lines between the two planes becomes. It is believed that if one traveled far enough down, they would be able to observe the Aetherial realm while maintaining corporeal form. To this end, the Sharlayans built the Antitower deep underground to explore this hypothesis. However, before they were able to make contact with the Mothercrystal, they fled back to Sharlayan. Later, this hypothesis would be tested and confirmed when the Warrior of Light entered into The Aitiascope in order to entreat with Hydaelyn. They were fully able to reach the Mothercrystal and survived the Aetherial realm intact.

    Primals: While Arcanists have devised methods to call upon semi-sentient familiars using their own aether, this is not the only method of summoning available. Another method involves the combining of corporeal aetherial energy with spiritual aetherial energy in the form of prayer in an elaborate summoning ritual to bring forth a physical manifestation of an ideal in the form of a god known as a Primal. This method of summoning has become increasingly common amongst the beast Tribes of Eorzea, who use this power to enforce their will upon the land and those who would stand in their way. These beings are also known as Eikons, a name derived from records of the Allagan Empire. When summoned, these beings will protect or empower those who have called them forth. They can also impress their will onto those with weak wills through using their own aether. This method of control is known as Tempering and was until recently thought to be incurable. This is due to the way the aether of the primal corrupts the aether of their victim. The problem with these summonings is that even if they are brought low, they can be quickly recalled via another summoning ritual. Repeat summonings can have a drastic effect on the aether of Hydaelyn and can reduce the surrounding area into a wasteland.

15. #15Lore: Garlean Empireselective

    Keys: Garlean Empire

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

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

    In the year 1557 of the Sixth Astral Era, a mere thirty-six years from the Empire's founding, the Garleans brought their campaign of conquest to Eorzea, swiftly bringing the city-state of Ala Mhigo to its knees. Yet following the subjugation of Ala Mhigo, the Empire suddenly ceased its aggressive expansion.

    For more than a decade, the continent of Aldenard knew relative peace. In the year 1572, however, the Garlean army once again began its inexorable advance. Using the calamitous arrival of the Seventh Umbral Era to sinister advantage, the Empire prepares to gather the lands of Eorzea into its steely embrace...

16. #16Lore: Company of Heroesselective

    Keys: Company of Heroes

    The Company of Heroes were a group of death-or-glory mercenaries formed in the year 1562 of the Sixth Astral Era and famed for the defeat of the primals, namely Titan and Leviathan, plaguing Limsa Lominsa back when beastmen first began to summon the beings. This effort, however, had little effect on the overall balance of power within the realm, and they lost many of their best in the never-ending cycle of summonings. They disbanded in 1572, ten years later, in the wake of the Calamity.

    When Titan was summoned once more, twelve years after the Company struck him down in 1565, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn sought their help. After some effort to earn the trust of the scattered members, the Scions learned from them of an aetheryte that could be used to teleport directly into the primal's sanctuary. With Titan's defeat, the Company of Heroes yet again─if only indirectly─helped to cull the primal threat.

17. #17Lore: The Rejoining

    Keys: Ardor, The Rejoining, Rejoining, Umbral Calamity

    An Umbral Calamity, also called a Rejoining, or an Ardor by the Ascians, is a recurring phenomenon in Eorza. Throughout the millennia, a procession of seven Calamities has wracked the world, each possessed of a different elemental aspect, and the majority of which brought ruin to the civilizations of Eorzea in their era.

    In the wake of these Calamities are short periods of disarray as the peoples of the land struggle to recover from the devastation known as "Umbral Eras", with the subsequent "Astral Eras" referring to the realm's return to peace and prosperity before the next Calamity occurs.

    Each Calamity marks the Rejoining of one of the thirteen reflections of the planet Etheirys to the Source, killing all life on the reflection in addition to the widespread devastation experienced on the Source.

18. #18HISTORY: First Umbral Calamity

    Keys: First Umbral Calamity, Rejoining, Umbral Calamity, Calamity of Wind, Calamity, Ardor · Secondary: First

    The First Umbral Calamity or Calamity of Wind marked the beginning of modern history on the Source, heralding the First Umbral Era. While scholars once debated on the elemental aspect of this Calamity, the coming of the Sixth Umbral Era allowed scholars to determine that the First Umbral Calamity was one of wind─possibly in the form of terrible hurricanes, tempests, or tornadoes.

    The tale of Good King Moggle Mog XII seems to allude to the events of this Calamity, telling of a time when the skies that were once home to all moogles became embroiled in a battle between the gods. Good King Moggle Mog XII helped his brethren flee to the safety of the lands beneath the clouds, though he was forced to remain behind. The moogles of Moghome have also spoken of a wind-driven disaster previous to the first five calamities, seemingly corroborating the events of the legend.

    The First Umbral Calamity was responsible for Rejoining the Fifth shard to the Source.

19. #19HISTORY: Second Umbral Calamity

    Keys: Rejoining, Umbral Calamity, Calamity of Lightning, Second Umbral Calamity, Calamity, Ardor · Secondary: Second

    The Second Umbral Calamity or Calamity of Lightning came on the heels of the First Astral Era, an age where mankind learned to forge stone tools and established settlements and towns, which grew into kingdoms that soon went to war, each seeking to expand their domain. To forge their tools and weapons, mountains were gutted and skies blackened.

    Nature was despoiled for countless years until the balance tipped. Volcanoes spewed black smoke that covered the skies and plunged the realm into eternal darkness. Bolts of lightning rained down from the skies for a full year and a day, forcing mankind to seek shelter in underground caverns that became breeding grounds for pestilence. In their desperation, the people prayed for salvation, giving birth to the earliest forms of magical incantations.

    The Second Umbral Calamity was responsible for Rejoining the Twelfth shard to the Source.

20. #20HISTORY: Third Umbral Calamity

    Keys: Rejoining, Umbral Calamity, Calamity of Fire, Calamity, Ardor, Third Umbral Calamity · Secondary: Third

    The Third Umbral Calamity or Calamity of Fire resulted from the dramatic shift to religious worship in the realm that followed the decline of kingdoms and discovery of magic. These churches became as corrupt and powerful as the kings that preceded them, and their desire for control began an age of holy wars, witch hunts, and genocide.

    Theologians believe that the gods grew weary of mankind's hubris and decided to humble them. The sun grew large and an intense heat parched the land. Wildfires spread, reducing fields and forests to wastelands, the people stricken with famine. Fossil evidence found in the desert Grand Wake in Thanalan suggests the deserts that now make up southern Eorzea were once a lush grassland lost in the fires of this Calamity.

    The Third Umbral Calamity Rejoined the Second shard to the Source.

21. #21HISTORY: Fourth Umbral Calamity

    Keys: Rejoining, Umbral Calamity, Calamity of Earth, Fourth Umbral Calamity, Calamity, Ardor · Secondary: Fourth

    The Fourth Umbral Calamity or Calamity of Earth brought the fall of the ancient Allagan Empire that dominated the Three Great Continents throughout the Third Astral Era under the guidance of the Ascian Emet-Selch. As Allag began to decline, a scientist named Amon attempted to revitalize his stagnant nation by resurrecting the first Allagan emperor, Xande.

    As Allag entered a campaign of conquest against the southern continent of Meracydia, Xande forged a pact with a powerful voidsent known as the Cloud of Darkness to destroy the world by opening a portal to the Void. This involved the imprisonment of the elder primal Bahamut within an artificial satellite later known as Dalamud to funnel the primal's aether into the Syrcus Tower to rip open a massive voidgate and allow the Cloud of Darkness to usher in an age of strife and chaos. As Allagan citizens, including Warriors of Light, marshaled a resistance against Xande in a failed attempt to prevent Dalamud's activation, Emet-Selch approached Amon and inducted him into the Ascians as "Fandaniel", Amon's original self back in the unsundered world.

    While the Syrcus Tower had been fortified to handle the immense aether being funneled into it, the ground beneath it gave way and set off a chain reaction of tremors that shook the entire realm, toppling mountains and tearing the land asunder. The Allagan Empire's power grid was destroyed as the Syrcus Tower, its primary power source, sank beneath the earth. Xande and his followers remained within the tower, saved by powerful time magics woven by a clone of Amon.

    The Fourth Umbral Calamity Rejoined the Third shard to the Source, and spurred on Fandaniel's personal agenda to finish Xande's work.

22. #22HISTORY: Fifth Umbral Calamity

    Keys: Rejoining, Umbral Calamity, Calamity, Ardor, Fifth Umbral Calamity · Secondary: Fifth

    The Fifth Umbral Calamity or Calamity of Ice is shrouded in mystery, much like the preceding Fourth Astral Era. It began the Age of Endless Frost, a seemingly never-ending winter that brought raging snowstorms and giant rivers of ice. Much of the Bloodbrine Sea located north of Eorzea was frozen solid and massive icebergs appeared even as far south as the Sea of Jade east of Gyr Abania. The Miqo'te tribes, once exiled to Ilsabard by the Allagan Empire nearly two millennia prior, migrated en masse across the frozen sea, circumventing the peaks of Gyr Abania that previously prevented their return. Meanwhile, the Lalafell residents of Aloalo Island completely disappeared when their island home froze over. It is later revealed that they used an artifact called the key to escape into the ninth reflection, where they came to be called as Milalla.

    The Fifth Umbral Calamity Rejoined the Sixth shard to the Source.

23. #23HISTORY: Sixth Umbral Calamity

    Keys: Sixth Umbral Calamity, Rejoining, Umbral Calamity, Calamity of Water, Calamity, Ardor

    The Sixth Umbral Calamity or Calamity of Water brought an end to the War of the Magi that waged for two and a half centuries. In the year 1510 of the Fifth Astral Era, the Battle of Amdapor ended in a stalemate as the voidsent Diabolos was sealed by the white magi of Amdapor. Not long after, the realm's scholars and seers brought word that a massive flood was about to occur, believed to be a result of the overuse of the land's ambient aether by white and black magi leaving an overabundance of water-aspected aether.

    A deluge swept over Eorzea, destroying the city-states of Nym and Mhach while the peoples of the realm sought higher ground. The people of Nym fled to the mountains of O'Ghomoro, while their Royal Marines empowered defensive wards around their maritime city. This proved ineffective, protecting Nym from the first tidal wave only for it to be swept away in subsequent ones.

    Though most citizens from the realm fled to the peaks of Gyr Abania, the magi of Mhach created the Void Ark in a vain attempt to escape the destruction. The elementals, silent throughout mankind's despoiling of the realm's aether, overtook the abandoned ruins of Amdapor, transforming its surrounding area into South Shroud and hiding its structures behind elaborate glamours.

    As the floodwaters rose, those traveling to Gyr Abania became lost in the dark of night, but spied a streaking comet in the night sky. Seeing this as the symbol of Rhalgr, the Destroyer, they followed its light to the safety of the highlands. The descendants of these refugees would later go on to found the Fist of Rhalgr and the city-state of Ala Mhigo, and both would adopt the comet in their cultural symbolism.

    During the devastation came a group of saviors from abroad known as the Twelve Archons. Heroes akin to the Warriors of Light in their day, they saved countless people from the flood. Among them, Nyunkrepf Nyunkrepfsyn, a Roegadyn from the Northern Empty, came to Eorzea aboard a great vessel known as Nyunkrepf's Hope intent on saving as many people from the rising waters as possible. When a great wave threatened to capsize his vessel, he teleported his charges away. Though he intended to transport them to his homeland in the northern seas, they were moored in the peaks of Gyr Abania instead. Once people began to battle one another over resources, he took his charges across Abalathia's Spine, setting sail for the northern seas where their descendants later founded the nation of Sharlayan.

    To stem the realm's tumultuous aetheric currents, magi of Amdapor and Mhach collaborated to create a massive ziggurat. These magi, with the aid of an Elezen fencer named Count Ganelon, founded the art of red magic to preserve their respective arts without need of ruining the environment. The art largely died out after the Sixth Umbral Era possibly due to the persecution of the learned, or due to the notorious difficulty of mastering the art.

    The Sixth Umbral Calamity Rejoined the Tenth shard to the Source.

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