Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Dec 4, 2007 0:44:30 GMT -5
Spira (Final Fantasy)
Map of SpiraThe world of Final Fantasy X is known as "Spira". It consists of one large landmass divided into three subcontinents, surrounded by small tropical islands. It features diverse climates, ranging from the tropical Besaid and Kilika islands to the temperate Mi'ihen region to the frigid Macalania and Mount Gagazet.
Although it is predominantly populated by humans, Spira features a variety of races. Among them are the Al Bhed, a technologically advanced but disenfranchised sub-group of humans with distinctive spiral-green eyes and unique language. The Guado are somewhat less human in appearance, with elongated fingers and other subtle differences. They also have a natural propensity for magic and conjuring monsters. Still less human in appearance are the large, lion-like, one-horned Ronso, and the frog-like Hypello.
Spira's wildlife population introduces several new concepts into the series. Although most creatures are drawn from real animals, such as cats, dogs, birds and butterflies, a few fictional species appear, such as the gigantic, amphibious shoopuf and the emu-like chocobo. Both are used primarily for transportation purposes. Most other unusual creatures encountered in Final Fantasy X are fiends.
Spira is very different from the mainly European-style worlds found in previous Final Fantasy games, being much more closely modeled on Southeast Asia, most notably with respect to vegetation, topography, architecture, and names. Nomura has identified the South Pacific, Thailand and Japan as major influences on the cultural and geographic design of Spira, particularly concerning the geographic locations of Besaid and Kilika.[4] He has also said that Spira deviates from the worlds of past Final Fantasy games most notably in the level of detail incorporated, something he has expressed to have made a conscious effort to maintain during the design process. Though a southeast Asian theme is dominant, like other games in the franchise, Final Fantasy X borrows elements from many other cultures, featuring references to demonology, Hindu, Norse, Arabic and other mythologies. Psychology is also represented, with Carl Jung referenced by the aeon Anima.
Final Fantasy X begins late in the story, with the main character, Tidus, waiting with his allies outside the ruined city of Zanarkand. From this in medias res beginning, Tidus proceeds to narrate the series of events leading up to his present situation, and this extended flashback sequence spans most of the game's storyline. It begins in an unruined Zanarkand, a high-tech metropolis and Tidus' home city, where he is a renowned star of the fictional underwater sport blitzball. When Zanarkand is suddenly attacked by Sin during a blitzball game, Tidus — along with his long-time mentor, Auron — is sucked into the creature and awakens to find himself alone in the ruins of a deserted temple.
Tidus is then rescued by Al Bhed divers in the area, and one of them, Rikku, tells him that Zanarkand had been destroyed one thousand years earlier. He has little time to dwell on the significance of this news before Sin attacks once again, separating Tidus from the others. He eventually washes up on the tropical island of Besaid, where he meets Wakka, the captain of the Besaid Aurochs, a blitzball team. Impressed by Tidus' blitzball skills, Wakka asks Tidus to join the Aurochs in an upcoming tournament in Luca, suggesting that he may meet someone he knows there.
Tidus is introduced to Yuna, a young summoner who is following in the footsteps of her deceased father, the High Summoner Braska, who temporarily vanquished Sin ten years earlier. Braska's guardians were Auron and Jecht, Tidus's missing father, who had been assumed dead at sea ten years earlier.[14][15] Tidus also meets Lulu and Kimahri, who, along with Wakka, are to serve as Yuna's guardians, journeying with her on her pilgrimage to the ruins of Zanarkand. There, she plans to acquire the power to summon the "Final Aeon" and use it to defeat Sin.
A screenshot of Yuna's guardians launching a rescue attempt at her wedding with SeymourThe party travels by boat to Kilika Island — where Sin is encountered yet again, decimating most of the town and its villagers — and then to Luca. After the blitzball tournament, the party encounters Auron, who joins them. Not long after, following another encounter with Sin where a crusader fleet is decimated, they are joined by Rikku, who is revealed to be Yuna's cousin.[16]
The party also encounters Seymour Guado, the leader of the Guado and a maester of Yevon, while in Luca. Although he initially presents himself as an ally, it later becomes apparent that he is an enemy who wishes to become Sin, so that he may use its power to kill everyone in Spira in what he believes to be an act of compassion. For this reason, he attempts to force Yuna to marry him, so that he may become her Final Aeon, and thus transform into Sin.[17] Although Seymour is killed after his first battle with Yuna's guardians, he becomes an Unsent and attacks the party again many times.
Around the same time, Tidus becomes increasingly fond of Yuna, but discovers, to his horror, that if she completes her pilgrimage and uses the Final Aeon against Sin, she will die. Aware of her fate, Yuna intends to give her life to provide the people of Spira with the Calm, the brief period of peace that follows Sin's destruction. Complicating matters further, Auron reveals to Tidus that his father Jecht is alive, but no longer human, having now himself become the unwilling embodiment of Sin.[18] Tidus resolves to find a way to free his estranged father and permanently destroy Sin without sacrificing Yuna's life.
As the player approaches Zanarkand, Tidus learns that he, Jecht, and the Zanarkand they hail from are all "dreams", summoned entities akin to aeons.[19] Their city, Dream Zanarkand, was created one thousand years earlier, when a conflict known as the "Machina War" led to Yevon, Zanarkand's ruler and a powerful summoner, taking desperate measures to preserve its memory.[20] He had his city's surviving people become fayth so that he could use their memories of Zanarkand to create a new city in its image, far removed from the warfare on the Spiran mainland.[21] Sin was also created at this time, given form by Yevon himself to serve as "armor" protecting himself and the fayth.[22][23] While continuously summoning Dream Zanarkand, Yevon lost his humanity and became known as "Yu Yevon" (or "the Curse of Yevon"),[24] a being existing solely to maintain Dream Zanarkand's existence.[25] Over the next one thousand years, Sin would persistently attack the people of Spira to keep them from gaining the technology to learn of Dream Zanarkand's existence.
Tidus attempts to embrace Yuna as he fades awayOnce the player completes Yuna's pilgrimage to Zanarkand — ending Tidus' extended flashback sequence recounting most of the game's events — she and her companions learn from the unsent spirit of Lady Yunalesca — Yevon's daughter and the first summoner to have defeated Sin[26][27] — that the Final Aeon is created from the spirit of one close to a summoner, and that when Sin is defeated, Yu Yevon's spirit then possesses it, transforming it into a new Sin.[28] Additionally, it is revealed that Auron himself is an Unsent, having been killed by Yunalesca ten years earlier when he confronted her in rage after the deaths of Braska and Jecht.[29] After the party defeats Yunalesca, Yuna and her guardians decide to seek a new way to defeat Sin: one that will permanently destroy him and will not require any sacrifices. Without having acquired the use of a Final Aeon, the party attacks Sin directly using a forbidden machina airship salvaged by the Al Bhed, and enters Sin's shredded body.
Inside Sin, the party battles Seymour, Jecht's imprisoned spirit, and Yu Yevon, defeating each and sending their spirits to the Farplane. Thus, they are able to end Sin's cycle of rebirth forever. Auron dissipates and goes to the Farplane as well, having fulfilled his promise to Jecht and Braska to guard their children. Lastly, the spirits of all the fayth of Spira are freed from their imprisonment, dispersing the aeons, Dream Zanarkand, and Tidus in the process. Although Yuna mourns the loss of Tidus, in a speech to the citizens of Spira, she resolves to help rebuild the world now that it is free of Sin. However, she asks that they never forget the people who have been lost along the way.
Map of SpiraThe world of Final Fantasy X is known as "Spira". It consists of one large landmass divided into three subcontinents, surrounded by small tropical islands. It features diverse climates, ranging from the tropical Besaid and Kilika islands to the temperate Mi'ihen region to the frigid Macalania and Mount Gagazet.
Although it is predominantly populated by humans, Spira features a variety of races. Among them are the Al Bhed, a technologically advanced but disenfranchised sub-group of humans with distinctive spiral-green eyes and unique language. The Guado are somewhat less human in appearance, with elongated fingers and other subtle differences. They also have a natural propensity for magic and conjuring monsters. Still less human in appearance are the large, lion-like, one-horned Ronso, and the frog-like Hypello.
Spira's wildlife population introduces several new concepts into the series. Although most creatures are drawn from real animals, such as cats, dogs, birds and butterflies, a few fictional species appear, such as the gigantic, amphibious shoopuf and the emu-like chocobo. Both are used primarily for transportation purposes. Most other unusual creatures encountered in Final Fantasy X are fiends.
Spira is very different from the mainly European-style worlds found in previous Final Fantasy games, being much more closely modeled on Southeast Asia, most notably with respect to vegetation, topography, architecture, and names. Nomura has identified the South Pacific, Thailand and Japan as major influences on the cultural and geographic design of Spira, particularly concerning the geographic locations of Besaid and Kilika.[4] He has also said that Spira deviates from the worlds of past Final Fantasy games most notably in the level of detail incorporated, something he has expressed to have made a conscious effort to maintain during the design process. Though a southeast Asian theme is dominant, like other games in the franchise, Final Fantasy X borrows elements from many other cultures, featuring references to demonology, Hindu, Norse, Arabic and other mythologies. Psychology is also represented, with Carl Jung referenced by the aeon Anima.
Final Fantasy X begins late in the story, with the main character, Tidus, waiting with his allies outside the ruined city of Zanarkand. From this in medias res beginning, Tidus proceeds to narrate the series of events leading up to his present situation, and this extended flashback sequence spans most of the game's storyline. It begins in an unruined Zanarkand, a high-tech metropolis and Tidus' home city, where he is a renowned star of the fictional underwater sport blitzball. When Zanarkand is suddenly attacked by Sin during a blitzball game, Tidus — along with his long-time mentor, Auron — is sucked into the creature and awakens to find himself alone in the ruins of a deserted temple.
Tidus is then rescued by Al Bhed divers in the area, and one of them, Rikku, tells him that Zanarkand had been destroyed one thousand years earlier. He has little time to dwell on the significance of this news before Sin attacks once again, separating Tidus from the others. He eventually washes up on the tropical island of Besaid, where he meets Wakka, the captain of the Besaid Aurochs, a blitzball team. Impressed by Tidus' blitzball skills, Wakka asks Tidus to join the Aurochs in an upcoming tournament in Luca, suggesting that he may meet someone he knows there.
Tidus is introduced to Yuna, a young summoner who is following in the footsteps of her deceased father, the High Summoner Braska, who temporarily vanquished Sin ten years earlier. Braska's guardians were Auron and Jecht, Tidus's missing father, who had been assumed dead at sea ten years earlier.[14][15] Tidus also meets Lulu and Kimahri, who, along with Wakka, are to serve as Yuna's guardians, journeying with her on her pilgrimage to the ruins of Zanarkand. There, she plans to acquire the power to summon the "Final Aeon" and use it to defeat Sin.
A screenshot of Yuna's guardians launching a rescue attempt at her wedding with SeymourThe party travels by boat to Kilika Island — where Sin is encountered yet again, decimating most of the town and its villagers — and then to Luca. After the blitzball tournament, the party encounters Auron, who joins them. Not long after, following another encounter with Sin where a crusader fleet is decimated, they are joined by Rikku, who is revealed to be Yuna's cousin.[16]
The party also encounters Seymour Guado, the leader of the Guado and a maester of Yevon, while in Luca. Although he initially presents himself as an ally, it later becomes apparent that he is an enemy who wishes to become Sin, so that he may use its power to kill everyone in Spira in what he believes to be an act of compassion. For this reason, he attempts to force Yuna to marry him, so that he may become her Final Aeon, and thus transform into Sin.[17] Although Seymour is killed after his first battle with Yuna's guardians, he becomes an Unsent and attacks the party again many times.
Around the same time, Tidus becomes increasingly fond of Yuna, but discovers, to his horror, that if she completes her pilgrimage and uses the Final Aeon against Sin, she will die. Aware of her fate, Yuna intends to give her life to provide the people of Spira with the Calm, the brief period of peace that follows Sin's destruction. Complicating matters further, Auron reveals to Tidus that his father Jecht is alive, but no longer human, having now himself become the unwilling embodiment of Sin.[18] Tidus resolves to find a way to free his estranged father and permanently destroy Sin without sacrificing Yuna's life.
As the player approaches Zanarkand, Tidus learns that he, Jecht, and the Zanarkand they hail from are all "dreams", summoned entities akin to aeons.[19] Their city, Dream Zanarkand, was created one thousand years earlier, when a conflict known as the "Machina War" led to Yevon, Zanarkand's ruler and a powerful summoner, taking desperate measures to preserve its memory.[20] He had his city's surviving people become fayth so that he could use their memories of Zanarkand to create a new city in its image, far removed from the warfare on the Spiran mainland.[21] Sin was also created at this time, given form by Yevon himself to serve as "armor" protecting himself and the fayth.[22][23] While continuously summoning Dream Zanarkand, Yevon lost his humanity and became known as "Yu Yevon" (or "the Curse of Yevon"),[24] a being existing solely to maintain Dream Zanarkand's existence.[25] Over the next one thousand years, Sin would persistently attack the people of Spira to keep them from gaining the technology to learn of Dream Zanarkand's existence.
Tidus attempts to embrace Yuna as he fades awayOnce the player completes Yuna's pilgrimage to Zanarkand — ending Tidus' extended flashback sequence recounting most of the game's events — she and her companions learn from the unsent spirit of Lady Yunalesca — Yevon's daughter and the first summoner to have defeated Sin[26][27] — that the Final Aeon is created from the spirit of one close to a summoner, and that when Sin is defeated, Yu Yevon's spirit then possesses it, transforming it into a new Sin.[28] Additionally, it is revealed that Auron himself is an Unsent, having been killed by Yunalesca ten years earlier when he confronted her in rage after the deaths of Braska and Jecht.[29] After the party defeats Yunalesca, Yuna and her guardians decide to seek a new way to defeat Sin: one that will permanently destroy him and will not require any sacrifices. Without having acquired the use of a Final Aeon, the party attacks Sin directly using a forbidden machina airship salvaged by the Al Bhed, and enters Sin's shredded body.
Inside Sin, the party battles Seymour, Jecht's imprisoned spirit, and Yu Yevon, defeating each and sending their spirits to the Farplane. Thus, they are able to end Sin's cycle of rebirth forever. Auron dissipates and goes to the Farplane as well, having fulfilled his promise to Jecht and Braska to guard their children. Lastly, the spirits of all the fayth of Spira are freed from their imprisonment, dispersing the aeons, Dream Zanarkand, and Tidus in the process. Although Yuna mourns the loss of Tidus, in a speech to the citizens of Spira, she resolves to help rebuild the world now that it is free of Sin. However, she asks that they never forget the people who have been lost along the way.