Disclaimer:
All of Final Fantasy is created, owned, and/or produced by SquareEnix and whoever else is in bed with them, all I own is this story. All OC's belong to either me or those who had created them.
Warning:
This story is for mature/adult readers only, as it contains blood, sexual themes and actions, and possible shipping(relationships) that may be disturbing to some viewers, do not read if you do not like, you have been warned.
Hello their all you fellow caravans, I am Moglia, a Moogle and chronicler for the Absolute Virtue Caravan, but you will learn more about us later, for now, let me introduce you to our world, the lush, beautiful and dangerous world of Lapalis!
~Moglia's Reference Guide~
Backdrop:
There is no recollection of how old our world is, though our history is filled with various 'origin' legends, its a bit fuzzy, and all we can agree on is that the Four Tribes of this land require, and have required for thousands of years, the Four Grand Crystals to survive the harsh environments that we have built our homes in. Initially, the Grand Crystals were used to simply keep monsters from entering the cities, and for harvesting Crystals of various types. However, we have been using them for far more purposes ever since a Great Rock fell from the sky and crashed far off in the distance, and covered the world in Miasma, or so the legends state. ~Kupo!
Because of that supposed event, and more so for survival, villages from all around, including the Four Grand Cities, are forced to send Caravans made up of their finest warriors, navigators, and scholars with the village Crystal Chalice in search of three drops of Myrrh every year, which can only be obtained from the ever elusive Myrrh Trees, and due to their elusiveness, this has caused fights between Caravans, and in turn, have made some villages very wary of each other. ~Kupo!
Our village, Urtia, has been thriving in our collecting of Myrrh, among other successes, but seeing as our previous Caravan was... Didn't make it back, we have been chosen to take their place. Unfortunately, many villages have already fallen to the Miasma, and the monsters that seem to thrive in their toxic environment, but as long as we are still kicking, we'll make sure that our village will not fade to dust. ~Kupo!
Lay of the Land:
We all live on one continent, seeing as traveling too far out to sea is a death sentence, we don't know if many lands reside beyond the sea. Our one continent has a giant lake, the Rio Grand, that cut down its center, ocean to ocean, and divides into even smaller lakes and rivers that run through the rest of the land. Their are also various climates throughout the continents, some wide expanses like the Oriboros Desert, or contained like the tropical Dorado Canyon located deep in the Oriboros Desert. ~Kupo!
Tribes:
As I have mentioned before, there are Tribes that make up the population of Lapalis, the four main ones being the Clavats, Yukes, Lilties, and Selkies, as each of their main settlements, also known as the Four Grand Cities, have a hold on the only Grand Crystals.
The other Tribes, though some idiots 'do' have the gall to call them 'sub'-tribes, consist of Chocobo, Carbuncles, and Moogles! Though there has been rumor of some sentient monsters banding together and creating hidden villages, but those stories hold little to no water. ~Kupo!
Below I have put a short description of each Tribe for later referencing on our travels.
Clavat: Clavats are humans, and almost by nature, seem to be negligent of their surrounding environment. Clavats are the youngest Tribe in recorded history, but have gained massive political power in nearly every tribe and village. Clavats often physically feature the strongest defense and powerful magic-casting abilities, and are often experts at smooth-talking.
A large Clavat community has been forged around their Grand Crystal, and also Grand City number one, Folten Gran, a city of luxuries and high class, nobles from each Tribe have marked this city as a place to live before they die, even from their own Tribe's main settlements. ~Kupo!
As it is quoted from the Ancient Selkie Poet, "As fast as any blade can strike, a Clavats tongue strikes with thrice the speed and force, and before any magic can down a man, a word of their's can down hundreds."
Yuke: Tall and mysterious creatures, a Yukes appearance is humanoid in shape, but their heads are always covered by helmets and their hands look somewhat like wings, yet oddly enough, they have a set of wings on their backs as well. They often have the highest magic and lowest attack. It is said they hide their faces to stabilize their intense magic from causing them to explode, leading it to be said that, "depending on the strength of the Yuke, the higher the magic the shorter they can be without their masks," but this has never been proven due to their eccentric shyness. They are able to charge magic attacks, and are one of only two races to be able to use -aga magic. As such Yukes are traditionally scholars or magicians.
Yukes are known to never 'disrobe' around another being, though it is said if you are able to make a strong enough bond with them, they will reveal their face, among other things. Seeing as many Yukes are solitary or shy, it is considered rare to see them with an outgoing or 'sunny' disposition. Many Yukes reside in the third largest city protected by powerful magic, Dui, the holding place of a Grand Crystal, and the oldest recorded Tribe in history. ~Kupo!
Another quote from the ASP, "Strong in magic, but weak at heart, their masks are near representations of how they are to the world, in themselves, trapped."
Lilty: Short, stout people, with reddish fur, leafy hair and something of a mane, Lilties are traditionally warriors rather than spell casters because they have the highest attack power and worst magical power of all the races. Lilties have also been known to be, energetic, and have some innate talent to build something out of almost nothing, as they are notable builders and inventors of many structures and inventions such as Caravan Carts and Air-Ships.
Myriads of legends will tell of a time when Lilties ruled the land with powerful soldiers keeping people safe from the threat of monsters, though no real evidence has been laid bare other than a couple of corresponding tales from different Tribes. Now Netopolis is the second largest city, holding a Grand Crystal, and is mostly inhabited by Lilties. ~Kupo!
If you haven't figured it out now, I really like ASP's poems, "Creatures of small stature with big ideas, they build as tall as their dreams, but sometimes fall 'short' of their own ambitions."
Selkie: A beast-like humanoid race. Selkies are covered in fur, and have tails depending on the various anthropomorphic mammals they resemble, and almost all examples of their race are in peak physical condition. Thievery is in their blood, as they are known for using their stealth and speed for taking items off of unsuspecting individuals, though most often steal out of need rather than habit, like someone I know... However, it is said if you gain a Selkies trust, they will be forever loyal, even to death. They are the only race able to go 'berserk' in battle, becoming far bigger and muscular, and even a bit feral, though they are only able to do so once a day and night. Their Tribes main city, with it's Grand Crystal, is Restoria, filled with Selkies who will rob anyone not of their own race. ~Kupo!
"They often take things and not realizing it, could it be symbolic of a void in their hearts?" ~ASP
Chocobo: A race of mostly flightless birds, characterized by their large feathers that come in an assortment of colors, though more so in yellow, distinct odor, that I think smells strongly of cherries and vanilla, and the unforgettable chirp, "kweh!"
Their often gentle nature allows them access to nearly any village, and they can reach them quite fast due to their quick feet, they are often hired as a mode of single person ground transportation, though they are strong enough to hold up to four people when fully grown. They have a high attack and speed, and are often very generous to a fault, but many villages have set up laws and ordinances to protect the Chocobo from themselves, so to speak. They have such excellent hearing, that the can be called by special whistles from anywhere, and it is said that no two whistles produce the same sound. Chocobo are resistant to Miasma, but can not live in it for more than a few days. They have no main village, but rather, they can be found in great numbers in the Four Grand Cities. ~Kupo!
"Soft hearts can lead to soft heads, but they have respect from others that guide their fate." ~ASP
Carbuncle: Carbuncles are a race of short, bipedal, green fox-like creatures with a fluffy tail and large bunny-like ears. They get their name from the red jewel on their forehead and are the least populated Tribe, but are the most mysterious, having little to no records in any books or scrolls. They can be found sleeping at almost all times, but when awakened, spout random information, for which they are known as Mad Textbooks. They are often lazy, but if befriended, can hunt down information relentlessly. ~Kupo!
They are immune to Miasma, can fly using their giant ears, and are known for their quirky personalities, often just 'moving in' with a family they like, also being seen as sign for good luck, which also holds no merit, the lazy freeloaders. Though not recorded, all Carbuncles will state they have a large village with a Grand Crystal as well, though this claim is often scoffed at by many as another random spout of madness. They are the only other race able to use -aga magic. Other than their claim, they have no notable villages, but are found in great numbers in random villages throughout the year. ~Kupo!
"Lazily floating through life, they hold secrets deeper than a Crystals origin." ~ASP
Moogle: Now I know there is a lot to say about us, but since our cheap-ass of a treasurer won't let me get to much paper, I will keep it relatively short. ~Kupo! Mysterious beings that tend to flock around Clavats, closer to man than beast. We communicate via our secret network Mognet, and we have a distinctive cry of "Kupo!" and fluffy appearance endear us to all. We are very short, just a little more so than Lilties, humanoid in appearance, we have a nearly mouse-like face with very small, flat muzzles, long ears that are debatably taller than the rest of our body, a pair of small yet surprisingly strong purple bat-like wings on our backs, usually have pink or white fur, and have a pom-pom hanging from our heads. Moogles are generally mild tempered and like to eat vines and Kupo Nuts. The "pom pom" on our heads resembles a red ball of fur on a thin, wiry antenna - emerging from our heads, which we are very sensitive about when they are being touched... You read me Togen! ~Kupo! Anyways, even though we have moderate physical and magical abilities, we are masters of status techniques, but due to our lack of combat prowess we are often found doing various types of jobs, ranging from letter carrying to merchant-ism, though this hasn't stopped many of us from choosing the road to combat! ~Kupo!
Though we do not have a Grand Crystal, we moogles are let known of a city just of us, and even though that's a secret, I can't erase this, and I only have a limited amount of paper.
As I was saying, Moogles are found in greater numbers where there are Clavats, and oddly enough, this is done completely on accident.
Due to our appearance and immunity to Miasma, some insane people have claimed that we are mole-bat monsters, but as we have 'proved', we are not. Oh, and it is known that we have a near 'manic' craving for Kupo-Nuts, so it would be wise to not tempt us with false promises, cause people have been hurt... ~Kupo!
"For a certain 'price', they may nearly give their soul."~ASP
Monsters: Not really a Tribe, but with those rumors of sentient groups of them, I am just covering my assets. Not much is known at the time about where they originated, but they have been a source for food and various other articles in any villages life, as the Miasma doesn't affect them, they are plentiful and thriving. Their are many legends that state of how those who die of Miasma poisoning turn into monsters, but again, their has yet to be any conclusive proof other than a few testimonies of families receiving letters, or outright talking to their 'deceased' loved ones in the form of some monster or another.
Monsters are not the only animals of Lapalis, but they are the only ones able to live in the Miasma, making the legend of the Great Rock falling seem more plausible than naught. Monsters are able to be tamed, mostly by a beast tamer, and though not recommended, Monsters that are trained make great pets I'm told, and for some odd reason are able to come into a Crystal settlement after being tamed. ~Kupo!
This was one of ASP's last quotes, though not entirely understandable when it was found, ASP had made a few more after this, but the tones of them were far different from Poet's previous works, "I feel their eyes watching me from the purple mist, with nowhere to go, my breaths are tainted with the lies of our Tribes, this mystery to be forever sealed in my lungs... Though I am afraid of my fate, it is beyond that of death, as my body burns, I write my final words, these words that hold so little meaning, but hold my entire lifes work in their grasp."
Settlements:
In order for any settlement to be made, a Crystal needs to be planted and watered with Myrrh, afterward it will produce a forced field of Miasma free air and monster repelling properties, large enough to support villages and cities when the Crystal grows large enough. ~Kupo!
Urtia: Our home town, led by our Elder, Krogen Malt, an elderly Clavat male with a long beard, is a fairly large fishing village on the side of a large lake known as Rio Grand, and is one of the central stops for many boats that pass by on the lake. Though it often changes with the season, it is normally chilly all year-round. Our Great Crystal stands in the center of our home, in a pond of the freshest water you'll ever taste. It is fairly peaceful, and we have great relations with surrounding villages seeing as we are their biggest suppliers of fresh fish. Aside from that, our villages previous Caravan went out on a Myrrh collecting mission, and after only two days on their journey... A wounded Yuke from the Caravan had managed to make it back, long enough to tell us that they were attacked, and everyone killed before his eyes by a Caravan of five, all with an article of Black and Beige clothing, before they let him go after wounding him heavily, and that was all he told us before he died right on the spot from blood loss. My older brother was a member of the Caravan, so I didn't take it to well. ~Kupo...
But seeing as our village would be over run if it couldn't receive the Myrrh, and being that our village has so little warriors, they looked to the young for its salvation, so it didn't take long for them to 'volunteer' me and five others from our village youths for the Myrrh collecting. ~Kupo.
Folten Gran: Holding place of one of the Four Grand Crystals, it is found Northeast of Urtia in the sub-tropical area. Queen Lian is the current main power of Lapalis, she rules over the largest city in both stature and influence. Their Grand Crystal lies underneath the city, hidden from view, as the topside holds the Castle where the Royal Family and their Royal Guard are based. ~Kupo!
Outside the large walls of the castle, the Nobles make their home, the rest of the city is pretty much made of shops of all kinds, most specializing in fun and luxury, much to expensive for those that actually worked to build it up. ~Kupo!
Dui: Holding place of one of the Four Grand Crystals, it is located Northwest of Urtia in the desert region. Amidaous is the Elder of this large city that rest on the side of a steep cliff-face. Their Grand Crystal floats parallel to the gravity defying city. The city literally stands sideways on the side of the cliff, giving all first time visitors a sense of nausea as their new sense of direction is turned on its side, no pun intended. It mostly consists of libraries and academies for magic, and the houses where their residents rest. I wonder how you would hold an umbrella when it rains. ~Kupo!
Netopolis: Holding place of one of the Four Grand Crystals, I really need a sentence stamp. This city is located to the South of Urtia in the mountainous arctic tundras. ~Kupo!
Their city is actually inside a mountain, underground, it has many schools for mechanics and fighting, and have their Grand Crystal sticking out from atop the mountain they are in. Currently a democratic-republic, Theodore, Tiranous, and So are the current leader heads. They have their city lit with lights powered by their Grand Crystal. Guess its a city for shut-ins.
Restoria: Holding place of one of the Four Grand Crystals, is just East of our village, one mile on the opposite side of Rio Grand. It is a large island that holds it's Grand Crystal half sunken in the center of their city. The city, if I can call it that, lies in a the same climate as our village. Its leader, Valirona, rules over the city with an iron fist, and is said to have the strength of one hundred men, she personally leads her Caravan. Restoria consists mainly of waterways, vaults, and shops, and though they often hold rare items, they were most probably stolen. ~Kupo!
Caravans:
A Caravan is a party of a villages best adventures, or in our case, those they can manage to scrounge up, and given a Caravan Cart, almost like a very large, olde wagon shaped mobile home, though some Caravans from the Grand Cities are said to use Air-Ships, which are basically boats that are strapped with balloons and propellers, and thus given the ability to fly. ~Kupo! These are often made in small groups, that way, they are able to move around more freely to avoid both monsters and other, more hostile villages Caravans. Not only that, but when one is a part of a Caravan, their are set jobs that are either needed or recommended in order to have it function properly enough, and one person may do more than one job if they are able to, or forced to. ~Kupo...
Captain: The leader of the group, often needs to be level headed and good at decision making, veterans of travel that often base their plan by experience. Unfortunately, our Captain, a Clavat named Thadeous Voli, is quite the shy Clavat, albeit a bit handsome, which makes him nervous most times when he is approached for or commented on his looks, and though our village elder made him head of the excursion, I think he was more 'pressed' into putting him in charge. ~Kupo.
Treasurer: The secretary of the group, and as the name suggests, they are in charge of finances, they pick our quests and distribute our pay from those quests. I don't know if I had done something wrong to deserve this, but as luck would have it, Togen Klil, a Selkie Possum-morph, is our cheapskate of a Treasurer, who is not only cheap, but a perv and only to me!
Champion: Our strongest warriors, in either magic or might, or both. Being as she is a Lilty, Tinus Poraious has great strength, but she is boisterous and lazy, all at the same time, nothing like her twin brother.
Chronicler: The one who keeps records of the journey and maintains communication. I am our groups Chronicler, and as such, I help record new information that may be useful for later journeys. ~Kupo!
Chef: A Chefs job is to know what foods we can and can't eat, and to prepare them, the edible ones I mean. Its said that an army marches on its stomach, so why not Caravans? Anyways, this is something our Captain seems to enjoy doing, and he does it well!
Sage: They help in healing and medicine, they are to know various ways to help injured members of the party. This is Togen's job, nuff said. ~Kupo.
Navigator: They can decipher stars and land masses based off of information gathered, and they plan the routes for the party. Tunis Poraious is the nerdy one of our Lilty twins who is always buried in his maps and charts, always trying to 'plan a better route'. ~'Kupo!'
Scholor: They deal in the magic for the party, such as dispelling curses obtained in a fight or even adding that plus two to an attack so you can KO a Lesser Malboro in one hit. Shella Nevella is our female Yuke friend, she is almost as shy as our Captain, but is nevertheless a good person to talk 'too', though not often 'with'.
Crystals:
Crystals come in various shapes and sizes, and their color determines their element.
Crystal Color: The color of a crystal determines its element, clear is neutral, ruby is fire, sapphire is water, emerald is wind, topaz is earth, amethyst is lighting. These are not permanent, and change quite often depending on the final element the Crystal Chalice puts off before its Myrrh is drawn into the village's Crystal. ~Kupo!
Elements: Five different main elements, these determine a Crystals attribute, and whether they can cross a Miasma Stream of the same element. These can also have side effects such as adding lighting to an attack at random times or producing a spring of fresh water.
Crystal Chalice: A goblet made of Mythra, a rare element that forms underneath land masses where Great Crystals and higher guard over. These are fixated with a Lesser Crystal at the tip of an ark that goes over the opening of the cup. Mythra is the only material able to hold Myrrh with absorbing it, like Crystals, or having it phase through ones hands and into the earth, and because of the small Crystal, it is able to draw it out from Myrrh trees. The goblet is able to produce a small field of safety from Miasma, but weak enough to allow monsters passage. It is nearly impossible to spill the Myrrh once drawn into the chalice. ~Kupo!
Grand Crystals: Only four are widely known of and recorded. These Crystals are kilometers tall and wide and produce Liquid Crystal that drips off and pools before hardening. Depending on how much is pooled, they can harden to create Great Crystal Seeds or Lesser Crystals. However, they only produce a single Great Crystal Seed every seven months, so these are only given to those who pass a trial in one of the Great Cities known as, The Hero's Test.
It is said that these Crystals have played a role in creating the three Tribes. No Monster is said to be able to pass its barrier, and it is able to purify the air for at least a ten mile radius. ~Kupo!
Greater Crystals: A few meters larger than Great Crystals, this is the largest a Great Crystal is said to grow to, and it obtains the power to ward of Greater Level Monsters while extending its Miasma deflecting influence for at least five miles.
Great Crystals: Meters larger than a Great Crystal Seed, they protect against Miasma for at least one mile, growing the more Myrrh it gets. At this level, it can repel Great Level Monsters. It takes a few years of Myrrh exposure to reach this height of power. ~Kupo!
Great Crystal Seeds: These are the start off point for any settlement. They start off about two feet tall and wide, depending on its shape, but grow three times their size after their first taste of Myrrh. Oddly enough, it will not grow, even with Myrrh, if it is moving during the exposure. When not in motion, it produces a field to deflect Lesser Monsters, and produces pure air for about one-third of one mile before obtaining Myrrh, steadily growing after that. ~Kupo!
Lesser Crystals: These Crystals are abundant, and used for various purposes. They do not have the ability to absorb Myrrh, but only to draw it out from Myrrh Trees. These, are often used in buffering an accessory, and even in Steam-Engines. They do not have the ability to repel Monsters, at least not naturally, and they do not grow, but when fused with a Crystal Chalice, or Mythra to be precise, they can produce a small radius of Miasma-free air for about three yards, which grows a yard for every drop we gain.
Myrrh Trees: Now you were probably wondering what I meant by elusive, huh, but if not, don't tell me, it word hurt my feelings. ~Kupo!
The only source to acquire Myrrh, and because of their habit of dying after taking Myrrh from them, they are called elusive. Though technically, they don't die, but move to a different location, and often not in the same place. These trees can be described as weeping willows with dim glowing, white, leaves. And as an added 'bonus' they attract some pretty strong Monsters to the area. ~Kupo...
Myrrh: This near metaphysical liquid not quite understood, not even by the most advanced Scholars. It is necessary to gain at least three drops of this every year in order to 'recharge' a Crystal. A Lesser Crystal is able to draw the liquid from Myrrh Trees, but cannot absorb it, leaving it to somehow pass through all matter and just fall through the earth, unless you have Mythra to hold it long enough to take it to a Great Crystal. ~Kupo!
And I guess that's all you'll need to know from me for now, and please, if you happen to pass our Caravan, kill Togen, or at least knock him into a coma for me. Thank You! ~Kupo!!
