Difference between revisions of "Of Stones and Sins"

Latest revision as of 20:39, 22 February 2015

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Statement of Purpose

This is a plot document, intended to provide information on various aspects of the ongoing TP. It will contain a brief summary of what has already transpired, as well as give some info on factions and characters that have been used thus far.

Summary

Part I

It is shortly after the Fifty Years War, the peasants are revolting against the nobility because of receiving no pay for their service in the war and also because of their horrid living conditions. Disease, famine, war, and the greed of the ruling class have driven them to desperation and beyond. The most significant of the Rebel Forces are the Corpse Brigade and the Order of the Ebon Eye. Opposing them are the Knightly Orders of the Northern and Southern Sky. Battles were waged all across Ivalice (some of which Union and Unaffiliated players participated in), both sides vying for supremacy. Though the knightly orders continued to dominate, due to having superior numbers, more resources, and better trained men, they had yet to suppress the rebellion... much to the dismay of the Royal Family.

The Church continues its mission of promoting peace in the region and providing succor to the faithful as well as promoting their faith outside the region (in fact, a cross-factional gala was held for this purpose). In Lionel, territory of the sitting Cardinal Delacroix, an event broke out in which the Marketplace of The Clockwork City was nearly destroyed (several Union members participated). The cause: an outbreak of monsters. An investigation was launched, by the Church's Office of Inquisition, to attempt to discover the cause of the outbreak (several Union members and Unaffiliated participated). The end result of the investigation was yet another investigation... this time into the activities of Baert Company, owned by Lord Ludovich Baert, which was entrusted with many important tasks by the Royal Family - including the operating of Ivalice's mines.

This investigation was lead both by the Royal Investigatory and the Office of Inquisition (Union members again were of help here), in response to the great furor caused by the incident in Goug. Baert was charged with corruption, willing violation of contract, mismanagement of Royal Assets, and criminally negligent manslaughter. During this investigation, suspicious activities (including an attempted assassination, once again stopped by Union members) occurred. Despite evidence supporting the charges, Baert was indemnified by both investigative parties. He would have gotten off with minor fines and reprimands, but he then made the mistake of attempting to end the life of Faruja Senra - who was in charge of the Inquisition's investigation. Due, again, to Union and Unaffiliated efforts... he failed. This time, he was taken into Church custody on separate charges and thrown into its prison.

Yet another great battle between the Order of the Northern Sky and the Corpse Brigade occurred, this time starting in the Fort City Yardrow and ending in the Yuguo Wood north of Ivalice. Unfortunately, both parties ran into a Judge Magister of Archadia who took them into custody for alleged border crossing. When the Royal Family, and the Duke Bestrald Larg, failed to comply with their exact demands - Archadia launched an offensive against the Fort City Yardrow itself with intent to seize it and force a meeting that they could better leverage against the Royal Family and Larg. There, with prisoners held near and the citizenry of the city as hostages, three Judge Magisters declared establishment of Archadian Order and there they remained until an offensive maneuver (by Union and Unaffiliated persons, in conjunction with the Corpse Brigade, Wiegraf Folles, and Zalbaag Beoulve and his men) forced them to return Yardrow to its rightful owners. Judge Magister Bergan of Archadia left with a warning, however... war had begun again.

Part II

Archadia's promised retribution for its defeat in Yardrow came swiftly, with the might of its imperial army descending upon Fovoham and seizing vast stretches of territory, putting the Duke Barrington at an immediate disadvantage in his own Dukedom. What they could not seize, the demons were keen to burn to the ground - as they tried to do firstly with outlying Woodfaire. Through the efforts of Union, unaffiliated, and Church interlopers, their advance was slowed considerably (See: Woodfaire Burning, for instance), but these efforts alone would not be sufficient to stem the tide. Aid from Fovoham's neighbors was slow in the coming even now, with many still apprehensive about going to battle with House Solidor and its Order of Judges so soon.

As war raged in Fovoham, Faruja dreamt of the demons he feared would soon swallow Ivalice whole. But though his greatest concerns were with the factions of men, particularly of the twin dragons of Archadia and Alexandria, deeper fears of even more sinister plots had begun to possess his thoughts like an itch that couldn't be scratched. He would soon find his fears all too real, as a mythical evil plucked from the very pages of the Zodiac Braves shambled its way into his very sanctuary... leaving a river of blood and sundered innocents in its wake. The fiend declared itself Hashmal the Bringer of Order, an undying abomination before God whose very existence precedes the birth of Ivalice itself. Despite its attempts to undermine Faruja's faith and his very psyche, and lay his allies low with its crushing strength, it was seemingly defeated... but at a steep cost.

No sooner had they escaped the gaping maw of death itself, however, and they had already to begin making preparations to interfere with Archadia's advances in Fovoham. In the interim, between their preparations being made and the long and arduous journey to Fovoham, Faruja and his allies briefly stop to answer a search for a missing man. It's a search that begins on the snowy plains of the Felmarian Highlands, and ultimately ends with yet another battle in underground mines. This one with a fiend not unlike the fiend they'd fought at the Church's sanctuary days prior, apparently antagonizing... a Dragon. A lady Dragon, or so it would seem, and her unlikely lover-to-be - the once proud Templar knight known as Beowulf Cadmus.

After rescuing Ser Cadmus and the scaly object of his affections, they make request for information on his doings and inadvertently learn more of the Church than they'd prefer to hear. Before he can give them the full breadth of his story, though, the changed object of his affections (thanks to a certain Lunar 'fox'...) flees from their presence causing Ser Cadmus to depart from them earlier than intended in pursuit.

Days later, Faruja and a now much familiar band of Union and unaffiliate allies enter into the accursed Yuguewood. Once haunted by the spirits of long fallen soldiers from an ancient and bloody war, her woods had (at least temporarily) recently been silenced as part of a civilian request by a band of mercenaries. Though unusually peaceful they were, the sight of a slaughter the allies happened upon quickly revealed all was not well. They had come in search of a supply wagon, and apparently they'd found it... or pieces of it anyroad. Their thorough search of the roads for the lost supplies and escorts eventually turned them up at a mausoleum guarded by a ferocious Marlboro. A mausoleum that was apparently also being desecrated by... Templarate. For the first time, it was revealed to Faruja that Lord Folmarv was not the 'man' he had thought him to be. A traitor to the Church and a fiend himself, Folmarv and a mysterious Templarate mage had come to awaken an ancient evil. Despite their best attempts to put an end to the traitor's designs, the allies failed and the fiends departed - leaving Faruja to question everything he knew about the organization to which he belonged...

Erstwhile, Archadia had made progress toward defeating the Lord Barrington - forcing him and his men to take refuge in the last bastion of safety in the land: Riovanes. Their making much headway toward forcing a surrender finally made the royal family and the other regional Lords to act - each committing a share of soldiers and supplies to the task of assissting the Duke. Faruja and company request an audience with one of the most revered of these Lords, on behalf of the Church, in the hopes of gaining favorable aid - both to deal with Archadia as well as to protect his own people from the wrath of Alexandria. A wrath that, as of late, had driven them to near extinction. The man he sought... was the Silver Noble Lord Marquis Elmdore. As luck would have it, the legendary Generals of the East and West Lions too had much to discuss with the Marquis about war. There, with his allies, and amidst three of the greatest warriors of Ivalice still living... plans were hatched to deal with their enemies and extend sanctuary to Faruja's beleaguered people as well.

The last of these were not plans Alexandria took kindly to. Sending the Red Rose and a contingent of its finest soldiers to Limberry, upon hearing rumors of Burmecian royalty sighted within its borders, Queen Brahne sought to destroy it for its interference. There the forces of Limberry in concert with Union and unaffiliated aid forces fought against the combined might of the Alexandrian Black Mages, Soldiers, and... the legendary General Beatrix: She Who Felled a Hundred Men. After a long, and difficult, battle Alexandria was driven back. But her fury now ignited would not be so easy to extinguish. The battle against Archadia, with the combined efforts of Ivalice's Lords working together, eventually sees the ouster of Archadia as well shortly after. And so, months would pass quietly after the enemies of Ivalice retreated to lick their wounds and reorganize. One could be forgiven for believing that, perhaps, the war might have been over...

...but it had not yet even begun. Near simultaneously, Archadia prepares for an offshore attack on Zeltennia from the island of Nelveska even as Alexandria launches its own attack upon the city of Goug. While a group of Union and affiliate allies join forces with the Zeltennian army to stop Archadia's latest advance, Faruja and his allies deal roundly with the attack on Goug shortly after - rescuing engineer hostages from the clutches of Alexandria Black Mages, Goffard Gaffgarion, a Black Waltz, and... a naughty Confederate Shinki riding astride a Behemoth (Fuki). Unfortunately, Alexandria manages to steal away one engineer even so... spiriting them away to the distant farm town of Dali for purposes unknown.

To be continued. (Will add appropriate links/entries for notable people and stuff soon.)

Factions

Archadia

One of Ivalice's northern neighbors. It is governed by the reigning House Solidor and the Imperial Senate (actually, a Council) of Archadia. The present, sitting, Emperor is Gramis Gana Solidor - Archadia's 11th Emperor. Despite his being called 'Emperor', Archadia is not a monarchy but an oligarchy. One where House Solidor wields absolute authority over the Imperial Ministry of Law, and the Imperial Senate schemes always to wrest control of Archadia's most powerful ministry from the family and restore it to Senate control. Serving as the ministers of the Ministry of Law, House Solidor's elite guard, AND the commanders of the Imperial Army are the Judge Magisters of Archadia and their Order of Judges. Archadia, as a country, operates as a war machine - every able man, who does not perform some other essential function, must submit to military service - and it seeks to consume all of its neighbors. Archadian quality of life is leagues beyond Ivalice's own, but it is bought at the cost of freedom. House Solidor's near absolute rule is a fairly recent event, with Gramis Gana Solidor being only the fourth emperor from House Solidor. Their technological superiority places them as one of the most powerful forces in the region.

Church of Glabados of St. Ajora

The Church is, as of now, one of the most powerful organizations in the region of Ivalice - and generally holds considerable sway even outside of Ivalice. Even so, there are powers which are even beyond the Church's ken (Archades). Its history spans more than a millennia of Ivalician existence, and its beginnings date back to the time of Pharism - and the age of the Holy Ydoran Empire. It is said that a savior arose, roughly 1,200 years ago, a veritable saint whose first miracle occurred when - as a newborn babe - he stood up and declared his village well tainted and that all who would drink of it would die. Many, supposedly, who drank from the well did die of the Black Death shortly after - and so began the life of the savior Saint Ajora Glabados. He would become a man known for slaying the Lucavi who threatened Ivalice alongside the legendary Zodiac Braves and also for toppling the Holy Ydoran Empire as well... inadvertently. It said that one of his disciples, a man called Germonique, was responsible for the act of treachery which resulted in Ajora being hanged by the Empire. The moment he died, Faram unleashed his unbridled wrath upon Mullonde - then capital of the Ydoran Empire - and sank it into the sea. What was left of Ajora's disciples went on to spread his teachings far and wide... and thus the Holy Church was born...

Part of the reason the Church is so powerful, is because it retains a stranglehold on a considerable body of magical knowledge (including some most ancient) and martial techniques (the Holy Sword, etc). Another, more significant, reason is because the Church has the support of the majority of the peoples who participate in its faith and operate the organization itself. Being that the Church is one of the least discriminating organizations on the continent - it has a vast pool of potential from which to draw; also, a vast pool to contribute to its coffers. The Church is, in fact, so wealthy and politically and military formidable that even the King of Ivalice would reconsider attacking it directly. Lastly, the Church has more or less infiltrated every level of society and even woven its way into the fabric of every day life. This is something which its leadership works very hard to maintain, to see that all future generations of men are swept up in the currents of its faith forevermore.

Feature Characters

Alphonse Delacroix

A hero of the Fifty Years War, and a famous Knight as well as a Cardinal working directly with the High Confessor. He oversees the Templarate - the High Commander of which is one Folmarv Tengille - as well as the administration of the region of Lionel and all of the territories within. He is known to be a charitable, good-hearted, man with a fierce warrior's spirit. At least, publicly.

Wiegraf Folles

A charismatic, idealistic, Knight with a fervent passion for class equality and the demise of the aristocratic system, Wiegraf Folles is a man feared greatly by the upper echelons of Ivalician society for his talent at disrupting the status quo. He, and the group of soldiers he lead during the War known as the Dead Men, became the backbone of a movement to avenge the unfair treatment of the common man after the war's end. As formidable with a sword as he is with a pen, the man works without end to see that the nobility of Ivalice pay their dues in full. Yet, despite his being the de facto leader of a terrorist organization, he strives always to prevent the Corpse Brigade from devolving into a band of brigands and common criminals committing unnecessary atrocities in the name of desperation.

Ludovich Baert

Owner and operator of Baert Trading Company - which engages in far more than trading. This business runs all of Ivalice's mining operations for the Royal Family, and is responsible for other highly sensitive national work as well. It is also rumored to engage in everything from shipping of monsters, slave trade, movement of illegal substances, and organized crime amongst other things. Not much of this has been proven, as yet. Even so, the Lord Viscount was taken into Church custody and is presently being held not only for the attempted assassination of an Inquisitor but also for his role in an incident which left Goug's marketplace destroyed and its miners and citizenry terrorized.

Zalbaag Beoulve

General of the Order of the Northern Sky and a celebrated hero of the Fifty Years War, Zalbaag Beoulve - despite his relative youth - is renowned for being one of the mightiest men in all of Ivalice. He hails from the family Beoulve, whose lineage has produced heroes and nobles nearly without peer for ages. He is a devout, serious, man whose uncompromising belief in the value of Law and Order has him on the front line of every major battle Ivalice has faced since the war - including personally devoting himself to stifling the rebellion that has recently arisen. His fervent passion for Law does not extend to legislation and politics, however; he leaves much of this to his elder brother Dycedarg Beoulve.

Original Characters

Glossary

Fifty Years War

(Note Kings all mentioned below are named only on a first name basis, excepting Ondoria Atkascha. Ivalice, Romanda, and Ordallia's royal families are all related by blood, but it's unlikely they're all Atkascha.)

A literal fifty year conflict between the nations of Ordallia and Ivalice, in which the result was Ordallian victory and Ivalice's falling into the state of poverty and civil war it is in now. To understand the depths of the depravity of this war, one must first understand that not only were Ordallia and Ivalice on peaceful and mutually beneficial terms - but also, their respective Royal Families were tied by blood at the time of the conflict. Before the war, Ordallia was ruled by King Devanne III and Ivalice by King Denamda II... Devanne's uncle by blood. Conflict arose in Zelmonia, a territory between the two nations which some time ago Ordallia had acquired, and up until the war Ivalice had provided indirect support to Zelmonia for the sake of its liberation. Zelmonia, at the height of this conflict, decided to petition King Denamda for direct aid. Before that could transpire, King Devanne III passed away - leaving a power vacuum in Ordallia. Devanne's cousin, Varoi VI was to be named the new King, but Denamda declared his own right to rule the throne of Ordallia by virtue of being Devanne's uncle. This was refused, and Denamda declared war against Ordallia.

Shortly after the war began, and as King Denamda II marched on the Ordallian capital of Viura with his men, the King fell ill short of the border and swiftly died. With their commander and King missing, Ivalice's forces were swiftly driven away from the land by Ordallian forces and the battle was once again even. Denamda IV, son of Denamda II, was quickly ushered to the throne of Ivalice shortly after. Sometime during this stalemate, one of Ivalice's northern neighbors Romanda (a military state like Archades, ruled by a relative of Varoi VI) decided to attempt to invade Ivalice as well. They were not strong enough to overcome the might of King Denamda IV and his armies, however, and after only three years were forced to retreat.

At this time, all three sides were suffering also from plagues, droughts, and extreme civil unrest wrought by the war. All three of these forces ensured no power had an easy road to victory. King Denamda IV died shortly after his victory against Romanda, due to being assassinated, and he was then replaced by King Ondoria Atkascha III. The new King was both sickly and weak-willed however, making him effectively a puppet figurehead for his domineering and scheming wife Queen Louveria. This was much to the Ivalician nobility's displeasure, and remains a cause of internal strife to this day.

King Varoi VI, of Ordallia, also died shortly afterward and was replaced by his son Prince Lennard Varoi. Due to the weakness of Ivalice's King, Ordallia soon forced Ivalice to sign peace treaty by invading Zeltennia - capital of the Order of the Southern Sky - even though the invaders were soundly repelled by the might of its general Cidolfus Orlandeau. It was this battle which officially earned him the name of 'Thunder God Cid'.

After the war, Ivalice plunged into such a state of weakness that it had not even the money to pay many of its own soldiers their dues and let them go. Angered beyond reasoning, the disaffected peasant soldiers who fought in the war formed the beginnings of what are now known as the Corpse Brigade (also the 'Dead Men') and the Order of the Ebon Eye.

Notable fighters in this war were: T.G. Cid, Barbaneth Beoulve, Zalbaag Beoulve, Wiegraf Folles, Duke Garrif Barrington, Goffard Gaffgarion, Gustav Margriff, Elidibus, and Cardinal Alphonse Delacroix.

Royal Family

Ivalice's current Royal Family is composed of King Ondoria Atkascha, his wife Louveria, and his two child Ovelia and Orinus. Atkascha's rule came to pass at the end of the Fifty Years War. It is not a favorable one amongst his country men, and is a source of internal strife, due to him being perceived as a weak King who is ruled himself by his even more unpopular wife. The Dukes beneath him wish, even now, to see him replaced. And this is not unknown to anyone, much less Louveria.

Rebel Forces

There are two peasant armies which make up the bulk of the civil uprising after the Fifty Years War: the Corpse Brigade, and the Order of the Ebon Eye. Both are composed largely of disaffected soldiers who were denied benefits after the War and sent away. But both have rallied many generally irate peasants not satisfied with their lot in life to the cause. The Corpse Brigade is lead by Wiegraf Folles, a passionate idealist and charismatic man who is as dangerous with a sword as he is with words. The Ebon Eye, meanwhile, lacks a significant unifying leader - which not only makes them less dangerous to the nobility in the long run but also much more volatile as well.

Knightly Orders

There are two major orders in Ivalice (a smaller one, called the Order of the Eastern Sky exists but is not significant in the context of the story): The Order of the Northern Sky, which is conscripted into the service of the Duke Bestrald Larg who is related to the Atkascha family by blood, and the Order of the Southern Sky which is in the service of Duke Druksmald Goltanna. The commanders of these forces, respectively, are Zalbaag Beoulve of Gallione and the man known as T.G. Cidolfus Orlandeau from Zeltennia. Each oversees their own respective territory of Gallione and Zeltennia, while the rest of the nation is owned primarily by its Royal Family, the Church, and the Duke Garrif Barrington as well as the Marquis Messam Elmdore.

Zodiac Braves

A group of Holy heroes whose legend dates back even to the age of the Holy Ydoran Empire. It is said that, during times of great danger for Ivalice, they will reappear to save it from its impending doom as they always have. Each carries a magical stone, upon the face of which is inscribed one of the twelve signs of the Zodiac. It is also said that these holy stones can be used to summon them.

Lucavi

A band of legendary demons whose strength is said to be able to shake the foundations of the world. The Zodiac Braves vanquished them long ago, however, or so it is said.

Logs

Cutscenes