A Brief History of the Earth

Although little formal history is presented within the game itself, the Earth of Final Fantasy IV nonetheless contains many clues to the events that have transpired in the past. This history section will present a fleshed-out reality to those clues and bring them together in an organized, logical, and coherent manner. Although these divisions are mostly artificial and not clearly defined by a specific event, these periods best represent the events hinted at within the game itself.

Origins: Myth and Legend

Until fairly recent times, written records simply did not exist. As such, there is practically nothing known concerning the origin of the peoples of the Earth. Indeed, this very subject continues to be a point of debate among the sages and scholars and a source of strange, exotic tales spun among bards everywhere. Even the wisdom passed down through oral tradition among the various people of the Earth is of little help, as it too varies widely from region to region.

However, most scholars believe that some great event or disaster took place early in the history of the Earth, with the result that the three races were scattered across the face of the world, leading to generations of development in relative isolation. It seems likely that at this point most of the peoples of the Earth were simple, nomadic hunters and fishers, absorbed entirely with the simple task of eking out a living within the vast, untamed wilderness of the Earth.

Many stories and legends also seem to have their origin within this otherwise obscure period in the history of the Earth. Although some few such legends as simple fabrications retold around the fires by starlight, many scholars believe that hidden within such tales are fragments of the truth, concealed within the embellishments of countless retellings. Some tell of amazing phenomena in the night sky, as stars grew brighter in the night sky and then suddenly disappeared. Others tell of powerful, monstrous creatures that wrecked havoc among the people until valiantly slain by a celebrated hero. Still others tell of feared individuals possessing powers both mysterious and mighty who lingered long after a natural lifespan in the darker places of the Earth. But no doubt the most retold and well-known legend from this period speaks of the appearance in the sky of a strange new moon, proclaimed by some to be the herald of a new age to come...

The Lunarians: Exile

Far removed from the Earth, across the vast emptiness of space, there existed a planet situated between Mars and Jupiter. Although larger than the Earth, this planet was otherwise remarkably similar, possessing comparable levels of water, vital elements, gases, and atmospheric conditions. This planet was also ecologically rich, with an abundance of life comparable if not greater than that of Earth. The dominant species of this planet was a race of beings that possessed an uncanny physical resemblance to humanity. These beings were highly advanced, possessing technology and mental powers that far surpassed that of those living upon the Earth. Long before the people of Earth eked out basic survival through hunting and fishing, these beings journeyed among the stars and studied the very mysteries of life itself. And at the center of their advanced technology was a rare form of crystal that could store vast amounts of energy, which could then be tapped for a wide variety of usage.

The name of this planet and its advanced inhabitants will never be known, for those who came afterwards refused to speak those words. For, as was later revealed, this planet suffered a catastrophic disaster, culminating in the complete annihilation of the planet itself. Of the millions of the planet's inhabitants, only several thousand escaped the complete destruction of their homeland. These survivors fled their doomed planet on a large space-faring ship, traveling towards what had been identified as the most likely world to be suitable for their new home: a small, far-away planet known only as the Blue Planet. Although the distance was certainly not as great as traveling to even the next nearest star, the vast space that separate their dying homeworld from the Blue Planet was great. Fortunately, these beings had long ago perfected a technology that would allow them to sleep as they traveled across space, awaking upon reaching their destination with little apparent aging despite the actual passing of years. And so these survivors slept for many years as their ship traveled across the galaxy, until finally awakening just as their ship entered into orbit around the Blue Planet.

They discovered that Earth seemed the perfect place to begin a new life. As previously mentioned, the planet was very similar to their lost home, and its abundant resources could easily be used to eventually reconstruct the same level of technology that had dominated their homeworld. However, these beings also recognized that by doing so they would greatly interfere with the natural progression of the native intelligent races that lived upon the Earth. And so they watched these peoples, careful to remain concealed and keep the natives from discovering their presence. Eventually, it was decided by a significant majority that the risks involved in resettling their people upon this new world to the native populations was simply too great, and with great sorrow and reluctance these beings returned to their ships.

Although the exact details will probably never be known, it would seem that following this decision there was great debate as to what the next step of action should be. Many advocated simply resupplying their vessels and leaving their home galaxy entirely, searching for an inhabitable planet based on the data they had gathered about the closest stars to this galaxy. Others, weary of such travel, pressed instead for a smaller, long-term settlement either upon the Earth or upon one of its nearby planets or moons. But, by far the most disturbing proposal came from one the most powerful, brilliant, and respected of these ancient beings who went by the name of Zemus. He declared that if they could not settle the Earth without interfering with the natural evolution of its native populations, then those populations should simply be eliminated, or at the very least enslaved. Nothing, he argued, was more important than the survival and eventual prosperity of their race now that their homeworld was forever taken from them. Fortunately for the people of Earth, such a proposal was unthinkable to most of this ancient race. Instead, they proposed a new plan. By scrapping their large star-faring ship and supplementing these materials from those mined from the Earth's moon, these beings were able to create an artificial moon and set it in a similar trajectory as the Earth's true moon. Upon this new home they devised a great crystalline structure, built from a rare mineral discovered deep within the core of the Earth's true moon. In commemoration of completing this awesome task, these beings named their new home Lunar, calling themselves Lunarians.

This new home, however, did not satisfy Zemus' ambitions. Although he stood alone among his brethren, he simply could not tolerate living in such a shell of a world when such a perfect, unspoiled planet seemingly loomed so close. In time, Zemus' bitterness and anger grew, as did his desire to destroy the people's of Earth who, he believed, had robbed his people of their only hope for survival. In the mean time, the Lunarians continued to study the peoples of Earth. Despite their obvious simplicity, many of the Lunarians recognized the striking resemblances between the two races, and indeed began to look upon them with increasing fondness. Many dreamed of the day that they would be able to communicate freely with the natives of Earth and of the marvels that the combined wisdom of their peoples might create. This dream, however, was tainted with sorrow, for many of the survivors of their dead homeworld knew they probably would not live long enough to see such a day.

It was then that the Grand Council presented a new plan to the people of Lunar. Since it would be a very long time before the people of Earth were ready to accept the coming of an advanced race to their world, it simply was not feasible for the Lunarians to simply linger and die upon their new world awaiting such a day. Instead, the Lunarians would return to sleep, awaiting the day when the peoples of two worlds could finally come together and share their hopes, their dreams, their knowledge, and their fates. This plan was nearly unanimously approved, and immediately preparations began to put this bold plan into action. Zemus, on the other hand, absolutely refused to go along with the decision of the Grand Council, and instead withdrew further from his brethren, and in his brooding solitude his hatred towards those of Earth continued to grow. Yet so great was his brilliance, so eloquent his speech, that Zemus managed to even convince some of his brethren to join him in withdrawing from the plans of the Grand Council, and instead plotting a more ambitious method to deal with the people of the Blue Planet.

In the end, Zemus and those who shared his vision decided upon a devious plan. The actions of the Council left little doubt that the Lunarians as a whole would oppose any direct attack upon the peoples of Earth themselves. So instead, Zemus dreamed of an alternative that would instead give the peoples of Earth the power to destroy themselves. Descending to the Blue Planet in secret, Zemus and his followers began construction of a gigantic tower, which would stretch from deep within the core of the Earth to high above the tallest mountains. Delving into the ore-rich Khalisto Mountains, and utilizing key elements mined from the Earth's moon, this great, towering monolith was constructed.

Although the Lunarians watched the construction of this massive tower with no little fear, it was believed by most that Zemus would not dare to assault the peoples of Earth. Indeed, many believed that Zemus and his followers had simply chosen to distance themselves from their brethren and chose to live on the Blue Planet, perhaps even to monitor the evolutionary development of the local populations. But while the building of this monumental structure had been done openly, the next step in Zemus' plan would be done in secret.

Deep within the core of the Lunar moon, Zemus and his followers began to construct the ultimate weapon, which they hoped would herald the destruction of all the peoples of the Earth, clearing the way for the Lunarians to settle the planet and reconstitute their former homeworld. This weapon was constructed with the greatest technological knowledge of the Lunarians, and crafted into a vaguely humanoid form. Never before had the combined wisdom of the Lunarian people been used to forge a tool of destruction of this magnitude, and the result was powerful beyond imagining. Upon activation, it was believed that this automated machine could single-handedly wipe out nearly every living creature on the face of the Earth, and it was believed that nothing could stop it.

The only flaw in this plan was the necessity of building such a monstrosity in secret deep within the core of Lunar. Accordingly, it would be necessary to somehow transport this weapon to the Blue Planet itself. Zemus had constructed just such a device within the massive tower on Earth. This device was known as the Dimensional Elevator, which would allow virtually anything to be teleported from the core of Lunar to the gigantic tower on the Blue Planet. However, the Dimensional Elevator required a vast amount of energy to undertake such an incredible task. Only the combined power of eight of the rare crystals the Lunarians had brought into exile with them would be capable of unleashing such energy.

By this time, most of the Lunarians had begun their long sleep. Only a handful of Lunarians remained awake, watching over the last members of their exiled race. In a bold stroke, Zemus and his followers took advantage of the situation, returned to the crystalline home of the Lunarians, stole eight of the crystals, and immediately descended by ship to the surface of the Blue Planet. Zemus, however, had been betrayed by one of his most trusted allies, who had alerted the Grand Council to his plans. As Zemus and his followers reached the underground entrance to the tower, a mighty force of Lunarians were there to meet them. Almost no detail of this battle is known, for the Lunarians refused to speak of it. On that day, a millennia of peace among the race now known as Lunarians was broken. What is known is that at the end of the battle Zemus and his minions were defeated. They were forced into a deep slumber, and sealed away within the core of Lunar, there to sleep until the appointed time. Top

The Rise of the Five Kingdoms

Unaware of the drama unfolding in the heavens above them, civilization began to emerge from the chaos of Earth’s ancient, unrecorded past. Two distinct people-groups, referred to as the Easterlings and Westerlings by most scholars, grew and expanded rapidly in the areas south and east of the Misty Mountains. Over the next nine hundred years, these two peoples would populate and settle the five major kingdoms of the Earth.

Most scholars believe that the Westerlings mastered the refining of copper into bronze sometime around the late fourth century. Of the several competing human tribes living in the area south of the Misty Mountains, it was the small tribe of Baron who mastered the forging of bronze weapons, allowing them to dominate their neighbors through a series of brutal battles. In time, the Baron tribe established a permanent outpost near the terminus of the River Rushing. This fortified outpost eventually gave this tribe undisputed dominance of the region, subjugating several other tribes and forcing others to flee far to the north across the Misty Mountains, to hide deep within the shelter of the mountains themselves, or to flee southward across the sea to the deserted isle of Eblana. Thus, by early within the seventh century, this region was firmly controlled by the militaristic Baron tribe, giving birth to the kingdom that would one day dominate the entire continent.

Meanwhile, the scattered nomadic tribes known as the Eastlerings who lived in and around the Great Desert began to establish small outposts near the valuable fresh water sources throughout the region. The largest of these outposts, which was called Damcyan, was established at the northern end of the largest pass through the Golden Mountains that divided the Great Desert. Following a series of hard-fought battles, the Muir tribe assumed complete control of this area, giving them undisputed access to the coveted gold mines within the nearby mountains. The Muirs made wise use of this wealth, exchanging it with tribes all across the desert for much needed supplies as well as luxuries. This, in turn, led to the creation of the first permanent settlement east of the Misty Mountains, which was built at the site of the Damcyan outpost, thus establishing what would one day become the center of a major kingdom encompassing much of the continent east of the Misty Mountains.

Around the middle of the seventh century, the remnants of the largest tribe to escape the wrath of Baron began to settle in the fertile forests to the north and west of the Misty Mountains. Although their flight had at last led them to a place of refuge, the brutal battles and harrowing journey through the mountains had exacted a heavy toll on these people, especially among the men. Perhaps for this reason, it was the battered and war-weary women who soon assumed leadership of their people, eventually establishing several villages along the Winding and Emerald Rivers. Although these villages were originally governed by local leadership, a series of sharp disputes during the mid-seventh century were resolved by the establishing a new settlement in the north known as Toroia, from which the entire region would be governed by representatives from each of the villages. From this point on, these peoples ascribed the name of this village to themselves, becoming the Toroians and establishing what would become the largest kingdom in the entire region.

Around the same time, the refugees who had fled south across the sea from the militaristic power of Baron finally made landfall upon the island of Eblana. Disease and starvation took a heavy toll upon the survivors, threatening to completely exterminate the tribe. Yet, through a combination of determination and newfound mysticism, this fragmented tribe constructed a new settlement in the shelter of the Akhito Bay, which would grow and develop over the next three hundred years in complete isolation from the rest of the world.

By the early eighth century, the kingdoms of Baron, Toroia, and Damcyan were firmly established. As the years had passed, tribal identity among these various groups had been replaced with a more national identity, and limited contact and trade between the three kingdoms began and increased slowly. Following a short but fierce war with a small group of mysterious mages within the Misty Valley, Baron’s control encompassed the entire region south of the Misty Mountains. Similarly, the kingdom of Toroia had undisputed claim to the entire northwestern region of the continent, although in truth their influence at this point was directly primarily along the Winding and Emerald Rivers. In contrast, Damcyan still controlled only the northern half of the Great Desert as well as much of the Golden Mountains. Although many recognized the value of uniting the region under a single banner, a sizable minority firmly resisted this unification.

Although historical sources are somewhat sparse on this matter, it would appear that in time this minority in Damcyan came under increasing persecution. In addition to their resistance to national unity, this group also rejected the traditional polytheism of the Damcyan people, insisting instead upon a monotheistic faith. It was not long before this persecution gave rise to open conflict between the two groups. In the end, fearing a war that would decimate both peoples, the minority instead chose to flee far to the east to escape the oppression. Not long afterwards, the entire northeast region of the continent soon came under the banner of Damcyan.

The refugees fled north and east from the Great Desert, eventually completing a harrowing summit of Mount Hobbs and descending into a region virtually untouched by human habitation. Inspired by the fertile greenery, tranquil bays, and natural beauty of the land, they eventually settled along the southern edge of the Azure Bay. Freed from the religious intolerance of their homeland, these people labored long and hard to construct a magnificent temple complex upon the site, dedicating it to the Light and declaring themselves a new people, united in their purpose and devotion. And thus was the kingdom of Fabul established. Although their isolation brought no small amount of hardship and struggle, eventually this once-haggard people would forge a kingdom controlling all the lands east of Mount Hobbs.

By the middle of the ninth century, sea travel had become common between these four kingdoms, driven especially by merchant ships that sailed between them, bringing with them goods from afar as well as news of the wider world. In time, these merchant vessels also discovered the settlements of Agart and Silvara, bringing much needed resources to these fledging civilizations. Around this same time, the renown samurai Kenji Wazai traveled throughout the four kingdoms, bringing with him tales of the exotic kingdom of Eblana. Yet, fearful of outside influence upon his beloved homeland, its located remained a secret from the rest of the world until late in the ninth century.

Thus, by the end of the ninth century, the five kingdoms of the world were firmly established, with trade and contact between them growing ever more frequent. Boundaries between the kingdoms were firmly established, and the vast regions of wilderness were slowly settled and occupied by the world’s ever growing population. Yet this predominantly peaceful existence would soon give way to a war that would reach throughout the entire known world. Top

The Lunarians: Prelude to War

For many centuries, the Lunarians had slept, almost completely unaware of the development of human civilization upon the Blue Planet. Only a handful of their race remained awake, watching over their sleeping brethren and keeping an uneasy vigil over the slumbering Zemus and his minions who had been sealed deep within the Core of the Lunarian Moon and isolated behind a special crystal barrier that trapped their mystical powers.

But, as human civilization reached the end of the ninth century, Zemus began to stir deep within the Core. While his body remained in the deep slumber that had been forced upon him, his mind began to reach out to those imprisoned with him. In time, this mental touch awakened them from their slumber. Of these, none were more powerful than four Lunarian wizards, each renown for their mastery over the four elements of life. With the aid of their master’s dark powers, they began to struggle against the power of the crystals that kept them sealed within the Core.

These events did not come to pass unnoticed. Several of the Lunarians were awakened from their slumber, and a council called to discuss the growing menace of Zemus’ powers. Among those awakened was a renown seer known as Klu Yah. During their heated discussions, he cautioned his brethren that Zemus’ mental powers might extend even to the developing peoples of Earth. In time, he persuaded several like-minded Lunarians to assist him in the construction of a small, orbiting platform from which to more closely watch the evolution of these fledging civilizations. Construction began soon thereafter, and a close watch over the Earth was kept from that time forward.

During these early years of observation, Klu Yah developing an increasingly fondness for the peoples of Earth. He marveled at the speed of their evolutionary development, and longed to share with them some of the great marvels of his people to ease their burdens and speed the day when the two races might coexist. To that end, he began construction of a space-faring ship to travel between Lunar and the Earth, that he might see interact firsthand with the people of Earth. Thus, only twenty-five years after awakening, Klu Yah descended to the Earth in a vessel that in time would become known as the Big Whale.

For thirty years, Klu Yah lived upon the Earth, traveling across the face of the known world and beyond, visiting each of the five kingdoms and revealing to them small advances in both technology and mysticism. During his travels, he also established a small town on an otherwise uninhabited continent as a center of study and the preservation of knowledge, arcane lore, legends, and history known as Mysidia. While all the peoples of the Earth benefited from his knowledge, it was here at Mysidia that he revealed the most. Under his tutelage, the magical arts advanced far beyond what had ever been imagined.

During what would be his last sojourn in Mysidia, Klu Yah even fell in love with a young woman. In time, the two were married, and she bore him two sons who were named Golbez and Cecil. Yet, after the second child’s birth, those closest to him remarked that a strange sorrow had come over him. He spent a great deal of time with both children despite their young age, and wrote a great deal in carefully sealed documents that were only to be opened following his own death. For, it had been revealed to him that the fate of both the people of Lunar and the Earth were inexplicably tied to the fates of his two children.

Not long after their births, Klu Yah received word that the worst had occurred. Using their combined powers, four of Zemus’ most powerful minions had temporarily broken through the crystal’s seal on the Core and escaped Lunar, taking with them the eight crystals with which Zemus had long ago taken to power the Dimensional Elevator in the Tower of Babil. Knowing time was short, Klu Yah summoned the small group of Lunarians from the small observation platform orbiting the Earth and, joined by several of the most powerful mages of Mysidia, rushed to the Tower of Babil to defeat Zemus’ minions.

Once again, the Tower of Babil beheld a cataclysmic battle between the Lunarians, as Klu Yah and his allies fought against the elemental magic of Zemus mighty minions and their dark servants. Augmented by Zemus’ powerful mental prowess, the battle seemed hopeless. One by one, many of the Lunarians and Mysidian mages were slain, until only a handful remained. Despite grievous wounds, the elemental lords then combined their mystical powers, unleashing the most powerful spell of all, known as Meteor. But, they had badly miscalculated, for this potent spell drained away what little strength remained to them along with their very flesh, transforming them into little more than evil souls who faded away with a great cry.

Yet, the spell had also decimated the remaining Lunarian forces, nearly slaying them all to a man. His wounds mortal, Klu Yah channeled his last incantation, sealing away the power of Meteor until its appointed time. And then he died. In the end, only a young Mysidian mage by the name of Pietros, thrown away from the spell’s radius by mere happenstance, managed to survive. With the last ounce of his strength, he sent an urgent telepathic message to Mysidia, urging them to come with all haste.

The bodies of each of the fallen Lunarians and wizards were recovered, along with the eight crystals, and returned to Mysidia. There, the sealed documents written by Klu Yah prior to his death were opened. It seemed that he had indeed foreseen his death, and ordered that the eight crystals be scattered and hidden across the face of the earth, that Zemus might never again attempt to destroy all life on Earth. In addition, the seer had left specific instructions that his body was to be buried within a specially prepared crystalline chamber on a mountain known as Mount Ordeals, a place already revered among the people of Mysidia. Most puzzling of all, among his possessions was an elegantly crafted sword that blazed with holy power, with a mysterious legend inscribed on the blade. This, too, was to be placed within Klu Yah’s tomb on Mount Ordeals.

All these things were done in secret, and soon few living upon the Earth knew anything concerning the fate of Klu Yah, the elemental crystals, the mysterious legend, or the strange individuals who had descended from the heavens to combat the threat of unspeakable horror. And thus did the Lunarians, along with the space-faring ship and the orbiting observation platform, all but pass out of knowledge of those living upon the Earth. Top

The War of the Crystals

In the year 960, only seven years after the death of Klu Yah, the mechanical genius Cid Pollendina, Master Engineer of Baron, unveiled before the reigning king the culmination of his life’s work: a cargo galleon retrofitted with a steam engine powered propulsion system that enabled the ship to sail through the sky. The King was greatly impressed by this craft that was dubbed an airship, and ordered that the kingdom’s existing navy be converted into a fleet of these new craft. It took another seven years of frenzied work by Cid and his team of engineers, but on the New Year’s Celebration of 968, the kingdom of Baron officially commissioned their new fleet of airships which were dubbed the Red Wings.

Command of the fleet was given to a young man by the name of Cecil Harvey, who despite his youth had distinguished himself in service to the crown, particularly in his mastery of the arcane powers of the Dark Knights, Baron’s small but elite military force. Under his command, the Red Wings immediately began to train for combat operations involving the fleet, despite the peace that had reigned in the kingdom for many generations.

Around this time same time, astronomers on the island of Agart began to observe a dramatic change in the color of one of the two moons that orbited the planet, changing from a pale white to blood red. Powerful monsters began to stir in the dark places of the Earth, and attacks from these malevolent creatures rose sharply. Travel became increasingly dangerous, isolating the kingdoms from one another. Many feared that dark days were ahead. They were right.

Just before midsummer in the year 970, Commander Cecil received orders from the King to assault the town of Mysidia with the Red Wings in order to locate and recover a rare magical artifact known as the Crystal of Water. Despite doubts and misgivings by his crew, the Red Wings initiated a successful raid, striking deep into the town, recovering the crystal, and taking captive several mages from the town for interrogation. Yet, shocked and dismayed at the audacity of the King’s command, Cecil voiced his own doubts to the King following his return, and as a result was stripped of his command and ordered to personally deliver a sealed package to the small village of Mist, accompanied by his childhood friend Kain Highwind. And thus began the War of the Crystals.

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