Introducing the world and characters of Final Fantasy XVI

Hello everyone! This is Naoki Yoshida, producer for Final Fantasy XVI. Everyone here in the development team is currently working together on a massive scale to bring you an all-new game worthy of the Final Fantasy name. Our next major announcement is planned to take place in 2021, but ahead of that, we revealed the Final Fantasy XVI teaser website today.

In the teaser website, we’ve included a lot of new information and artwork to introduce you to the world in which the story takes place, and also some of the main characters of the game. So, let me briefly introduce the content of the site!

A Land Blessed in the Light of the Mothercrystals

Final Fantasy XVI’s adventure takes place in a land called Valisthea, which is studded with colossal mountains of glittering crystal called Mothercrystals. These Mothercrystals have towered over the realms around them for generations, blessing them with aether. This blessing of the Mothercrystals has allowed these realms to thrive, and their people to live in comfort.

Countless wars have been fought over the Mothercrystals all around the land, leading to the rise of nations such as the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, the Dhalmekian Republic, and the Iron Kingdom, each with their own culture and ideology. Ongoing skirmishes have forged an uneasy peace between these nations, but with the emergence of the ruinous Blight, that fragile peace is starting to deteriorate.

Three characters swept up by the winds of fate

There was a lot of speculation, but yes, the young knight and the tattooed man in the “Awakening” trailer are one and the same. His name is Clive Rosfield, and he’s the main protagonist of this game. The firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria, Clive is a Shield who protects his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix. Joshua bestowed the Blessing of the Phoenix upon him, giving Clive the ability to wield a part of the Eikon’s fire. However, as the story unfolds, he is swept up into a great tragedy.

Joshua Rosfield is Clive’s younger brother and also the Dominant of the Phoenix—Eikon of Fire. Dominants are special beings who have the power of an Eikon residing within them. As a Dominant, Joshua transforms into the Phoenix and fights to protect his nation. Even though he was born into royalty, Joshua treats everyone with kindness, but he does have his childlike side, too, with a particular dislike of carrots.

The two brothers find a confidant in Jill Warrick, who was raised alongside them. At an early age, Jill was taken from her homeland in the Northern Territories—a nation that swore loyalty to the Grand Duchy of Rosaria—to become a ward of the duchy, securing peace between the two realms. She spends her childhood years with Clive and Joshua as a member of the Rosfield household.

The Eikons and the Dominants that threaten the world

For those familiar with the Final Fantasy series, you may know Eikons as “Summons”, and they are without a doubt the most destructive and lethal creatures in Valisthea. Wielding powers that can level nations, Eikons reside within special beings called Dominants. How Dominants are treated depends on the realm—in some they are revered as royalty, while in others they are sent to the frontlines as weapons of war.

In the “Awakening” trailer, Eikons such as the Phoenix, Titan, Shiva, and Ifrit make an appearance. As for questions about how many other Eikons there are in Valisthea, who they are, and what will happen when they come to blows, well…you’ll just have to wait for a future reveal to find out!

I hope you get a chance to visit the newly launched Final Fantasy XVI teaser website, as you’ll find plenty more information and artwork there. Our next big announcement will be in 2021, so please look forward to it, and please keep looking forward to Final Fantasy XVI!

* This article was originally published here