Category:Field Record

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The Field Record is a collection of Lore entries about various NPCs relating to The Bozjan Southern Front, where all such entries are found.

72556.png1. Bajsaljen Ulgasch
Field Record
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Rarity: ★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 54

Birthplace: Bozja

A native of Bozja and leader of his people's resistance movement, Bajsaljen works to free his conquered nation from the tyranny of the Garlean Empire and reestablish the region as an independent state.

In his youth, Bajsaljen studied the medicinal sciences. His academic achievements saw him conscripted into the imperial army to serve as a medic, a career which in turn earned him the rights of citizenship. Such status allowed him the opportunity to marry and sire a child, but his happiness would be short-lived─while the Hrothgar was called away on campaign to suppress an uprising, his family perished in the now-infamous Bozja incident.

A devastated Bajsaljen later deserted the Empire, fleeing his unit along with several comrades, and it was not long until their underground activities brought them into contact with the Resistance.

During his time in the imperial army, he had not been one to dwell upon the cruelties of life. The events of the disaster, however, left him a changed man─few can match the hatred and bitterness he now feels towards his former masters.

Yet even so, Bajsaljen strives to master his emotions, for history has taught him that anger alone will not suffice to deliver his people the freedom they desire. Instead, he focuses his energies upon the newly reformed Gunnhildr's Blades and their sacred weapons, as he leads the fight to drive the IVth Imperial Legion from his beloved homeland.

72557.png2. Marsak Apella
Learned from: Field Notes on Marsak
Fate(s): All Pets Are Off
Field Record
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Rarity: ★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 42

Birthplace: Bozja

Like many others, Marsak was a conscript in the imperial army. His duties often took him far from home, and he was thus spared the fate of his parents and siblings when destruction visited Bozja Citadel. Following the tragedy, he escaped the military to join the Resistance, and now serves as Bajsaljen's right-hand man.

In addition to attending to the Resistance leader, Marsak is responsible for procuring funds and supplies, as well as the training of recruits. Where the warm-natured Hrothgar truly shines, however, is in his capacity as a liaison with outside allies such as Hien of Doma or the East Aldenard Trading Company, contacts with whom he has built a trustworthy reputation.

This amiability extends even to the citizens of the Empire, amongst whom he was once raised. Marsak, by his own quiet admission, chooses to save his animosity for the imperial state rather than its people. Although some might consider such attitudes too soft-hearted, it is this gentle manner which sets the otherwise guarded minds of his counterparts at ease.

An avid student of Rostik's gunbreaker techniques, Marsak is also admired for his martial talents, and has earned his name as a stalwart shield for the Bozjan Resistance.

72558.png3. Xeven Svanasch
Field Record
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Rarity: ★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 47

Birthplace: Bozja (unverified)

Xeven is a member of Gunnhildr's Blades, and assumed to be a native of Bozja...though none claim to know this for certain. Notoriously reticent, the little he has divulged of his past suggests his road led through many lands─Thavnair to the south, Hingashi to the east, even the imperial capital of Garlemald to the north─in his quest to master the arts of the arcane.

His obsession with magery began with a journey to Eorzea. He had traveled with his father to Gridania, desperate to find a cure to the wasting disease which afflicted his mother. Their efforts, however, were to be in vain─the illness took her life even as they sought the means to her salvation. Knowing only that his mother's ailment began with the Empire's occupation of Bozja, the young Xeven's grief soon grew into a wrathful hunger for vengeance against those he held responsible for her passing.

He considered the magecraft he had witnessed in his travels, and swore to take that knowledge back with him to Bozja. He would make his own study of the world's magicks, and bring those powers to bear against the imperial invaders.

Yet although Xeven succeeded in creating a unique school of spellweaving, he refrained from sharing this expertise with others. He simply could not risk his wisdom─focused as it was on dealing destruction─becoming the catalyst for misery in the hands of an unscrupulous practitioner.

Xeven himself soon became a peerless mage, his presence on the battlefield akin to a vengeful god, inspiring awe and terror in equal measure. He does not fear death. He tempts it─welcomes it, even. Such fatalism stems from a prophecy pronounced upon him by a seer of unknown origin, whom he chanced across in the ruined halls of Dalmasca. Though the words spoken were foreign to his ear, Xeven was nevertheless able to divine their meaning: when the fires of revolution stained the skies of Bozja, his doom would be at hand.

And now that the southern front is consumed by turmoil, he believes it is there that his grave awaits. He will not seek to avoid this fate, but carve a red trail through his foes as a proud blade of Gunnhildr, until such time as his inevitable demise rises up to claim him. He does not fear death.

With every moment that passes, the prophecy edges ever closer to fulfillment.

72559.png4. Isolde Covey
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★

Race: Hyur

Age: 26

Birthplace: Lea Monde, Dalmasca

Isolde's parents were respected Bozjans who fled to Dalmasca when war engulfed their homeland, only to look on helplessly as their new haven was forced to join the growing number of imperial provinces. Exhausted by conflict, the Coveys declined the Empire's offer to return them to Bozja with their fellow refugees, electing instead to settle in Lea Monde. Thus was Isolde born a provincial citizen, and educated in the imperial doctrine. Her heart, however, was ever drawn to the traditional music and dance of her Bozjan heritage─the frenzied tempo of its rhythms; the soaring peaks and plunging valleys of its melodies. Its lyrics told the tale of her people's lives and bond with nature, stories of love plucked on strings and beat on drums. Atop this was layered the dancers' song, strident voices blending with the booming steps of their furious measure.

From a young age, Isolde dreamed of becoming such a dancer, and so intense was her passion that others began to see her as the hope for a new generation of performers. To realize this dream, however, she would also need to learn the bow. The weapon doubled as an instrument in Bozjan dance, using one bow to saw on the string of another, or twanging the bowstring to keep time. But custom dictated that the bow be no mere prop. As a mark of respect for their ancestors, who were once nomadic hunters, all dancers were fully trained in its use.

Thus when Isolde joined the Resistance she was already an accomplished archer, her steady hand and keen eye soon earning her a place as one of Gunnhildr's Blades.

Yet even amongst the ceaseless violence, she harbors an abiding love and respect for what the people of the land once had...and hopes they might one day have again. Isolde yearns for peace to come swiftly, not only for the sake of Bozja, but for the Empire as well.

72560.png5. Stanik Alubov
Field Record
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Rarity: ★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 36

Birthplace: Bozja

Long before he joined the ranks of Gunnhildr's Blades, Stanik had dreamed of becoming a hero.

Life under imperial rule was, for the great majority of Bozjans, a daily struggle against poverty, and the same held true for Stanik's parents─a slow day at the little stall they ran meant no food on the table that night. No coin could be spared to send Stanik to school, and that, too, was not uncommon. Stanik himself did what he could to earn money, whether that be minding the neighbors' children or polishing boots on the street, but no matter how bad things were, he never resorted to thieving. His parents had always taught him that being poor was no excuse for poor morals.

At the age of fifteen, Stanik presented himself at the imperial army's conscription office for evaluation, and was accepted as a soldier. He did this not because he sought a soldier's glory, but rather to ease the burden on his parents by giving them one less mouth to feed.

Of his meager wages, he sent home what he could. Though it be but a pittance, it sometimes helped Stanik feel like the hero he yearned to become. The letters he received in return were his sole source of comfort, evidence as they were that his parents yet survived.

Stanik was stationed at a distant post when reports of the “incident” flooded in. A message arrived from his parents five days later, and he felt a rush of relief...until he saw the numbers neatly printed in the corner. It was dated one day before Bozja Citadel all but ceased to exist...

72561.png6. Blaz Azetina
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 25

Birthplace: Doma

Blaz is a samurai, and direct descendant of the founders of the Verdant Path, an illustrious martial school famous for teaching everything from unarmed combat to swordplay to spear techniques.

The school had a history of forbidding its disciples from engaging in uprisings, adhering to the philosophy that martial perfection was to serve the enlightenment of the soul─not sharpen tools for base conflict. When insurrection broke out in Bozja, however, there were students whose hatred for the Empire overwhelmed their stoic sense of obedience. Those who joined the fight were expelled, and so did the Verdant Path avoid confrontation with the Empire's forces.

Despite being the youngest child of the school's founding family, Blaz's father also chose to rebel against his teachings and lend his blade to the Bozjan cause. In the end, however, the uprising was crushed. Blaz's father took shelter in Doma, where he was to eventually wed, and, as time passed, be blessed with a son.

Blaz, following in his sire's martial footsteps, entered a prestigious samurai school, and mastered the katana at a young age. Some years later, when Hien returned from exile to lead his nation in revolution, the eager Hrothgar seized the opportunity to repay his family's debt to Doma. Once Doma's liberation was secured, Blaz made ready to strike out on his own. But after hearing rumors of the Eastern alliance and the new uprising in Bozja, he knew his road must lead to his father's homeland.

The Verdant Path was experiencing upheaval of its own at this time, with the newly appointed schoolmaster championing the cause of rebuilding the Bozja of old. Blaz was welcomed with open arms, and even offered a position to teach the arts of the samurai. He declined the honor. Though his father had since passed on, Blaz was determined to carry on his legacy. He would join the Resistance and the ranks of Gunnhildr's Blades, swearing an oath to see the nation of Bozja reborn.

72562.png7. Velibor Azetina
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 24

Birthplace: Zetina's Grace, Bozja

Velibor is a knight, and second cousin to Blaz. And, like Blaz, he is a direct descendant of the founders of the Verdant Path, an illustrious martial school famous for teaching everything from unarmed combat to swordplay to spear techniques.

This prestigious institution has existed for over two hundred years, and its adherents rose up in strength to defend the city-state of Bozja against the Garlean Empire's incursion. As the invasion rolled on, however, Basch van Gabranth, then legatus of the IVth Legion, grew reluctant at the slaughter of so much promising martial talent. He promised the Verdant Path amnesty and protection, if it would but swear fealty to the Empire. The schoolmaster accepted, and by surrendering himself to the invaders' justice were his disciples spared further bloodshed.

It was Velibor's grandmother who inherited the schoolmaster's mantle, and she upheld Gabranth's pact with unflinching rigidity─tempers would flare and groups would form to rebel against the occupying forces, but any student she caught joining these uprisings was immediately expelled. Thus did the Verdant Path endure. It was on her deathbed, however, that she muttered these words to her successor, Velibor's father: “I have honored our promise to Gabranth, as my husband wished. His sacrifice was an act of love, to ensure that we survived. But you, my son, are not beholden to this oath. A new age is upon us...”

Blaz arrived to find the Verdant Path now aligned with his own purpose, and Velibor discovered in his second cousin a kindred spirit. He remembers their first meeting, and the sense that a missing part of his soul had returned. Indeed, Velibor felt his distant relative more a brother in truth. Within a short while, they were engaged in friendly rivalry, their mutual encouragement leading to the invention of new martial techniques.

Even as their companionship blossomed, the school took steps to formalize its allegiance to the Bozjan Resistance, and Velibor, along with some few dear comrades, was invited to join the vaunted Gunnhildr's Blades. This day, as on every other, is his greatsword poised to fall upon the oppressors of his people.

72563.png8. Aggie Glover
Field Record
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Rarity: ★

Race: Hyur

Age: 17

Birthplace: Martrvje, Bozja

An ancient and diverse settlement home to some two hundred thousand inhabitants, the Bozjan harbor city of Martrvje draws in laborers from malms around with the promise of plentiful employment. Yet despite its prosperity, this haven also shelters its fair share of vagrants and orphans. Whether it be through war, illness, or imprisonment at the hands of authorities, many are the children who lose their parents to unfortunate circumstance and end up huddled beneath the streets in sewers and drainage tunnels. Aggie had been one such child.

She never knew her parents, nor the name she was given at birth. “Aggie” was what the imperial clerks chose to call her on that brutal winter's day when they first found the five-year-old shivering outside, alone and half-frozen.

She claims to have little memory of the time before she was rescued, aside from the taste of zefir─a sweet marshmallow confectionery which remains her favorite food. She has no recollection of where or with whom she lived. Back then, she seemed unable or unwilling to even speak.

The clerks took the silent Aggie to be raised at the illustrious Verdant Path, a school of martial learning. And her transformation was nothing short of miraculous─the dead-eyed, listless child that was taken in from the cold came to life in the company of her classmates. She showed an incredible aptitude for reading and writing, devouring every scrap of wisdom her instructors set before her. Before long, she had blossomed into a young girl full of smiles and affection, her cheerful mood never failing to brighten a room.

Blaz and Velibor were the two with whom Aggie felt the most connected. Determined not to be outdone by their martial prowess, she devoted herself to the study of fist-fighting, and through a combination of hard work and natural talent, rose to the rank of master by her sixteenth nameday.

When her battle brothers left to join the Resistance, she would not be left behind. And there in the muddy camps, amongst soldiers prone to fits of despair or fury, Aggie was once again a welcome ray of sunshine. She became their living banner, a rallying presence on the field. They cheered when she was selected for Gunnhildr's Blades, Blaz and Velibor loudest of all, but she suspected Bajsaljen had based his decision more on politics than merit. Still, she saw no point in provoking argument. Aggie would continue as she always had, fighting the good fight and lifting the morale of her comrades.

72564.png9. Llofii pyr Potitus
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★

Race: Miqo'te

Age: 19

Birthplace: Valnain, Dalmasca

A former member of the IVth Imperial Legion's mage detachment, Llofii is guilty of one of the gravest crimes an imperial soldier can commit: desertion during combat. This she did in order to free a monoceros, a creature of great worth to her unit, at the cost of all that she had achieved in the legion, and on pain of death. Such a brazen act may seem irrational to her comrades, but to the young Miqo'te, it was perhaps the most rational decision of her life.

Owing to the inability of native Garleans to wield magic, the Empire seldom incorporates the use of spellcraft in their military, but when they do, as is the case with the IVth, they take a meticulously scientific approach. Employing various creatures from wild animals to voidsent as test subjects, imperial mages study the magical arts of faraway lands and adapt them for use by people who possess limited affinity with magic. As a talented summoner, Llofii was charged with this task.

With her abundant reservoir of aether and precise touch in spellcasting, Llofii was far ahead of her class at the military academy. Upon graduation, she enlisted in the IVth Imperial Legion, where she completed a grueling initiation to earn a place in the mage detachment led by Sadr rem Albeleo. Yet though initially filled with pride, she would come to be racked by disillusionment in Bozja, where she was confronted with the cruel treatment that was forced upon test subjects.

One subject placed in Llofii's care was a monoceros, a rare and majestic beast with the power to vanquish undead beings. Despite her railing conscience, she bit her lips and dutifully conducted experiment after experiment upon the wretched creature, but her blood froze in her veins when she received the parchment bearing her next instructions and read the word: “Vivisection.” It was then that she came to a gut-wrenching realization: the spells she helps to create are born of suffering. Burning with guilt and regret, the Miqo'te made her choice: she would set the monoceros─and herself─free.

72565.png10. Hernais pyr Longus
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Hyur

Age: 24

Birthplace: Mons Falconis, Landis

When Hernais first enlisted in the legions, he shared the midland marshals' unfavorable impression of Lyon rem Helsos. The Beast King's tactics were unconventional and unpredictable, subject to sudden changes as he surveyed the shifting tides of battle─certainly no such rough-and-tumble strategy was taught at any officer academy. The man himself was uncouth in word and appearance, and apparently preferred the company of creature to man. They dismissed him as they would any borderland barbarian.

Hernais's opinion was flipped on its head, however, when he witnessed Lyon's handling of the insurrection in Dalmasca four years ago. While it was true the Beast King spoke brusquely, he knew each of his subordinates by name, and was well versed in their strengths and weaknesses. When battle was joined, he did not lead from the rear─indeed, he was often the first to leap into the fray. “Only the weak perish” was his constant refrain, and the young officer saw the truth of his words as the inept and the cowardly fell in droves before the strong.

Lyon's strategy sent his pets to the front lines to die in place of soldiers, and, while initially bemused, Hernais came to understand the man's fondness for the beasts. He doted upon them like children that might not wake to see the morrow, cherishing every moment they stalked the boundary ‘twixt life and death. Needing no more convincing of Lyon's savage greatness, Hernais requested placement with the War Beasts that he might serve as his new mentor's herald.

The following is an excerpt from Curious, the Mons Falconis town gazette.

Reporter: Your comrades in the IVth Legion have dubbed you the “Tenacious” and compare you to some well-trained cur. Do you take umbrage at being so described?

Hernais: I care not. They are simply envious.

Reporter: And what makes you think that?

Hernais: Most of these fools can scarce hide their ambition. They smile and scrape and follow orders, while inside they chafe at the indignity.

Reporter: A soldier must do as a superior commands, but is not a brief flicker of defiance only natural...?

Hernais: Not for me. Not anymore. With the whole of my heart, with the entirety of my soul, do I walk the trail of the Beast King. Let them mock my name! I accept it as a badge of honor, and may none question my loyalty!

–-

Reporter: ...So spake pyr Longus. Have you any comments for your subordinate, sir?

Lyon: To be honest, I'd completely forgotten the boy until you shared that story just now. Ah, yes, he's an eager little bastard─like a terrier! All fury and gnashing teeth! Pity that type doesn't last long amongst the big dogs.

Reporter: I...er...thank you for your time.

72569.png11. Dabog aan Inivisch
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 34 (estimate)

Birthplace: Bozja

A hypertuned soldier of the IVth Imperial Legion's magitek unit, Dabog pilots two of the latest warmachina to be conceived by the Empire: the scorpion-type Vigilia and the flying armor Gabriel.

In recent years, many of the Empire's weapons have been sent to Valnain, where they undergo enhancement under the supervision of Senior Engineer Sicinius mal Vellutus. Two notable fruits of this project are Vigilia and Gabriel, which are designed to be controlled both physically and mentally for superior responsiveness and maneuverability. Piloting these units, however, demands a heightened state of mental sensitivity verging on telepathy, and only those soldiers who have been augmented with magitek can achieve the requisite synchronization between man and machine.

While theoretically sound and showing promise in the laboratory, this new interface technology remains in its infancy, and being all too familiar with the fickleness of the flesh, Sicinius resolved to test it fully in Bozja in preparation for the outbreak of conflict in Dalmasca. For this he required a test subject, and the person chosen was Dabog─a cruel twist given that the Hrothgar was not a soldier of the IVth but of the enemy, the Bozjan Resistance.

The death of his parents and siblings in the Bozja incident prompted Dabog to join the Resistance, and for more than a decade he fought tirelessly against his hated Empire. Even when he was taken prisoner two years ago, he never stopped fighting, and ever sought a way to flee his captors. But on one such attempt, he plummeted from the castrum wall, the long fall shattering his spine. The chirurgeon's diagnosis was grim: he would not live out the week.

In the IVth Imperial Legion, testing is only permitted upon living men when their safety is absolutely assured, and be it friend or foe, all individuals are to be treated with compassion. Thus has the legatus himself decreed. Perverting his commander's noble intent for his own ends, Sicinius reasoned that he was saving a man's life, and proceeded with his testing in secret.

So it was that Dabog was reborn a hypertuned soldier and returned to the battlefield at the helm of fearsome new warmachina. And owing to a further act of so-called compassion on Sicinius's part, he is spared the pain of having to kill his former comrades─for he no longer remembers them.

72570.png12. Dyunbu pyr Potitus
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★

Race: Miqo'te

Age: 24

Birthplace: Revenia, Dalmasca

A member of the IVth Imperial Legion's mage detachment, Dyunbu employs her puissant healing magicks to bolster her comrades in battle.

In the wake of Emperor Varis's assassination, the various wings of the Garlean military had braced themselves for another bloody war of succession, but few could have anticipated the unprecedented collapse of the chain of command in the motherland. Yet where others saw chaos, Dyunbu, a stout believer in Noah van Gabranth's ideals, espied an opportunity to realize her commander's goal of establishing an independent new nation.

The Empire's seemingly inevitable disintegration had cast a pall of uncertainty over the fate of countless soldiers, and none felt greater apprehension than those who hailed from the provinces. To such weary souls separated from hearth and home, Dyunbu extolled the virtues of the cause, encouraging them to cast aside past allegiances and join her in the promised land, while making clear her vehement disapproval of those who would align themselves with the Resistance. Such unbridled zeal places her amongst van Gabranth's most loyal, and one cannot help but wonder whence arose her convictions. To find the answer, one must glimpse into her past and see the path she walked which led to her adopting the surname Potitus, common among Miqo'te with imperial citizenship.

Orphaned at a tender age, Dyunbu grew up on the streets of Revenia. Though citizenship was not an unusual aspiration for those of her lot, she knew none who wanted it as badly as she did. Believing education to be the key to raising herself up, she took to stealing into the local school and learning as a student in all but name. Her efforts would not be in vain, for when she was eventually placed into imperial care, her impressive ability with letters came to the attention of officials, who sent her to be formally educated at the army reserve academy.

It was there that she first encountered van Gabranth's ideology, and it resonated with her to the very core. In the years that followed, she would enlist in the IVth and become the legatus's staunchest adherent, fighting every battle and weaving every spell in the name of her dreamed-of utopia.

72566.png13. Clarricie quo Priscus
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★

Race: Elezen

Age: 33

Notorious among both friend and foe for her ostentatious presence on the battlefield, the true nature of this centurion of the IVth Imperial Legion's contingent of beasts remains shrouded in mystery.

Two facts are certain: Clarricie joined the ranks of the IVth Imperial Legion some ten years ago, and is one of the few beastmasters recognized for her talents by the “Beast King” Lyon rem Helsos. Beyond this, countless stories are told. Some call her a witch, saying they have observed her speaking to her pets in unholy, bestial tongues the likes of which have never been uttered by mortal mouths─indeed, that the monstrosities in her charge obey her every command because she herself is one of them. Others claim this is but a lie spread by those looking to smear her name, and that Clarricie is rather a saint, a figure of surpassing compassion and charity who tends to her wounded pets and comrades with self-sacrificing love and devotion, fighting to protect them as if she were the warrior goddess Gradia herself.

Perhaps both tales are true, and whether Clarricie appears as a witch or a saint depends only on the eye of the beholder. What cannot be denied are the nigh-countless triumphs she has claimed in war, and the profound fear she strikes into the heart of any foe unfortunate enough to meet her dangerously alluring gaze on the battlefield.

Little is known about her origins, save that she was born as one of the Eschva, a nomadic people that wandered across borders in the olden days. When the Empire came, they refused to settle, leading Legatus Gabranth to propose a compromise: they could maintain their itinerant lifestyle on the condition that they volunteered a dictated number of their strongest men to serve in the imperial army for a fixed period of time. The Eschva accepted these terms, and Clarricie's newlywed husband was one of those chosen to serve. A formidable beastmaster in his own right, he was recruited into Lyon's contingent, but tragically and suddenly lost his life on his very first mission─just months after he and Clarricie swore their vows. Feeling a strong sense of responsibility and pity for the poor girl, Lyon personally paid her a visit in Gabranth's stead, apologizing for causing her beloved's death under his watch. Lamenting the thought of any other Eschva women being widowed as she had been, she entreated Lyon to accept her into his ranks in her husband's place, a petition which the Beast King was all too happy to accept. Since that day, Clarricie wears the masks of both a witch and a saint, fighting for her husband's honor and memory, and to achieve an era of peace for her people that her beloved will never see...

72567.png14. Sartauvoir quo Soranus
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★★

Race: Elezen

Age: 61

Birthplace: Mannatheihwo, Landis

An influential centurion of the IVth Imperial Legion, Sartauvoir quo Soranus does not originally hail from the Empire. After the successful invasion of Bozja, the IVth was ordered by Emperor Solus to proceed to their next target, the Kingdom of Dalmasca. Legatus Basch van Gabranth secretly feared Dalmasca's war mages and─seeking to fight fire with fire, as it were─hatched a plan to form his own contingent of powerful sorcerers. To accomplish this, he set his eyes on the subjugated former Republic of Landis─in particular, Mannatheihwo, the only city in the republic to boast its own company of mage-knights. Though it was common practice for the Garleans to disband the knight companies of the nations it conquered and absorb them into the imperial army, their hatred of all things magical compelled them to quash the mage-knights of Mannatheihwo entirely. Fearing for their lives, these sorcerers had fled their homes and scattered across once-proud Landis. Knowing this, Legatus Gabranth set out in search of them.

One such mage was Sartauvoir, who had taken up residence in a small farming hamlet a stone's throw from the city where he concealed his identity, posing as a local tutor and academic. Discovered and approached by the IVth, the proud mage initially rebuffed their advances, but began to take an interest in their offer upon hearing of Legatus Gabranth's vision, similar and yet fundamentally different from that of the Empire he so despised. Realizing what Sartauvoir could offer them, the IVth─patiently, yet persistently─reached out to him on multiple occasions, trusting the mage would have a change of heart. One day, Sartauvoir was greeted at his place of learning by a soldier unfamiliar to him. Though the soldier stood alone, was advanced in years, and carried not even a dagger in his hand, Sartauvoir knew in an instant that even his most potent incantations would be no match for this man. So it was that he exchanged words face-to-face for the first time with Basch van Gabranth, and so it was that the mage─struck to his very core by the legatus's words─did swear to him his undying loyalty.

In the nigh thirty years since, Sartauvoir has served the IVth well and true. Though he has honed his already-potent skills to greater heights of power under the tutelage of Sadr rem Albeleo, his pride as a mage-knight of Mannatheihwo still burns within him as fierce as the blazing infernos he wreaks upon his foes. And yet he wields his magicks not in the name of wanton destruction, but rather in the hope of realizing the long-held dream of Noah van Gabranth─the same dream once held by his father...

72568.png15. Sicinius mal Vellutus
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Garlean

Age: 42

Birthplace: Garlemald, Garlean Empire

Senior Engineer of the IVth Imperial Legion's magitek detachment, Sicinius honed his skills as a researcher at the Resonatorium in the service of Lord Aulus mal Asina. When the facility was decommissioned after the fall of Ala Mhigo and the findings of its team transmitted to Garlemald, the accomplished Sicinius received orders to return to the imperial capital. He rebuffed his superiors' advances, however, and instead requested a transfer to the IVth Legion, which he knew to be in pursuit─and if the rumors were true, already in possession─of lost reliquaries and forbidden knowledge of ancient Allag. The IVth, for their part, having heard whispers of Sicinius's consummate aptitude as a magitek engineer, had extended an invitation for him to join their ranks, making the two a natural fit. Upon joining the legion, his talents were quickly recognized by Legatus Gabranth and his second-in-command and leader of the archaeological expedition, Menenius rem Lanatus. Profoundly moved by Gabranth's vision for a new nation, Sicinius swore an oath of loyalty, and was thus rewarded with his current position of senior engineer.

In recent days, he continues his research with yet greater zeal, in hopes of restoring ancient warmachina and other technology recovered from the Ridorana Lighthouse, which stands in the Valnard Sea in the southern reaches of Dalmasca. Sicinius began his experimentation with the so-called laborer-class models, and it is believed the project has progressed to a point where he is looking to deploy these new machines on the field of battle. Indeed, it is said that he has volunteered to depart for the front lines of the war against the Bozjan Resistance, hoping to collect data on the potency of his latest toys firsthand─a trait doubtless inherited from his esteemed former master...

72571.png16. Sadr rem Albeleo
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Elezen

Age: 37

Birthplace: Ul'dah

Pilus prior of the IVth Imperial Legion, Sadr rem Albeleo serves under Menenius sas Lanatus in the legion's Bozjan subjugation forces. A mage of surpassing skill, he particularly favors the lost and forbidden arts of ages past, incantations which he is known to practice on his prisoners of war─often with the expected grisly and gruesome results. The utter lack of care he displays for any mortal life has earned him the fear of friend and foe alike.

Once a member in good standing of the Ul'dah Thaumaturges' Guild, he was swiftly expelled by Mumuepo when the guildmaster observed the young mage's penchant for acts of unspeakable cruelty. Chased from the sultanate by an angry mob, Albeleo took to wandering the realm in search of yet more powerful magicks of destruction and summoning. Upon arriving in the province of Dalmasca, he fell in naturally with the IVth Legion and their assemblage of soldiers of various talents, and soon after was entrusted by Legatus Gabranth with command of a regiment of mages. In the fifteen years since, he has trained many in the arcane arts, and with only the most talented able to survive his harsh methods, he succeeded in creating a unit whose name would be spoken of in fear across Eorzea.

Feeling naturally drawn to Menenius and his archaeological expedition, Albeleo was quick to volunteer for the effort against the Bozjan Resistance, and so it was that he came to this land with a shard of auracite recovered from ancient Ivalice...

72572.png17. Lyon rem Helsos
Learned from: Field Notes on Lyon
Fate(s): Beast of Man Duty: Castrum Lacus Litore
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★★

Race: Hyur

Age: 68

Birthplace: Arnsbeirgs, Landis

Pilus prior of the IVth Imperial Legion, known also by the epithet “the Beast King.”

A mainstay of the IVth, the indomitable Lyon has faithfully served two generations of Gabranth legatuses─first the father, Basch, with whom he shares a homeland, and now the son, Noah. Having known the latter as an infant, he forgoes protocol and refers to his commander as his “dear boy” as he always has.

Since the beginning of his military career, he has exhibited tremendous talent for warcraft, swiftly rising through the ranks to become a centurion and distinguishing himself during the invasion of Bozja well before his twentieth nameday. Now a grizzled soldier of eight and sixty, it would seem that Lyon's best days are far behind him, but his vaunted skill at arms betray no signs of decline; on the contrary, his wealth of combat experience makes him all the more fearsome as he charges into battle at the head of his beast contingent in clashes against the Bozjan Resistance.

Yet as often as he has proven his worth to the IVth, Lyon also has a notorious reputation for being unpredictable. A warrior through and through, he relishes battle for its own sake, and is known to seek out worthy foes against whom to test his mettle, mission be damned. Not even strategies of his own conception are exempt from his impulses, and his comrades are no longer surprised when they discover that he has abruptly sallied forth on his own.

His conduct has garnered him the ire of his superior, Tribunus Menenius sas Lanatus, but not even demotion seems to faze the old Hyur. Having no patience for Menenius's love of machination and maneuvering, Lyon is often heard to say: “A warrior lets his weapon do the talking.”

72573.png18. Menenius sas Lanatus
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Elezen

Age: 55

Birthplace: Garlemald, Garlean Empire

Tribunus of the IVth Imperial Legion, Menenius serves as the Garleans' chief intelligence officer, recruiting and dispatching spies, gathering information, and providing counsel to Legatus Gabranth in all matters of war. Furthermore, he commands the archaeological mission to the southern provinces of Dalmasca and Bozja, seeking to gain technological knowledge and arcane reliquaries from Allag and Ivalice of power surpassing anything born of present-day knowledge.

Recently dispatched to Castrum Lacus Litore after this key strategic point was the target of a massive strike by the Bozjan Resistance, Menenius oversees three armies: to wit, the beast army led by Lyon rem Helsos, Albeleo and his contingent of mages, and the tribunus's own pride and joy─a fearsome detachment of magitek warmachina.

In the days of the republic, the Lanatus family boasted a long and august lineage, until Menenius's grandfather Thyrus opposed and incurred the ire of then-Dictator Solus zos Galvus. Banished, Thyrus died famished and in ignominy, but nevertheless his son Lucius was taken in by the IVth Legion, which had been dispatched to the fringes at the time. Possessed of a sharp mind and innate aptitude for military strategy, Lucius earned the favor of Basch van Gabranth, who named the young man his second-in-command. Determined to restore his family's good name, Lucius, at his legatus's behest, married an Elezen noblewoman of diminished circumstances, adopting her son as his own─this was Menenius.

A close friend and confidant of Noah van Gabranth since their early years, his loyalty to the Gabranths─both father and son─is absolute. Perhaps for this reason, he is willing─even eager─to accept the most unsavory jobs, making him uniquely suited to his current role. His methods are known to be cruel and inhumane, earning him a reputation as one who will justify any means to accomplish his ends. In truth, however, even his worst atrocities are motivated by a burning, yet forever-unseen passion to serve the Gabranths to the best of his abilities.

When the Garlean war of succession broke out, Legatus Gabranth chose the path of independence, realizing his long-held dream. As a result, however, the IVth Legion ceased to receive provisions or reinforcements from the Empire, rendering their position increasingly precarious as their battle with the Resistance dragged on. It was this grave situation that inspired Menenius, devoted as ever to serving the Gabranths, to propose his most ingenious operation yet, one that might breathe new life to their ragged ranks, throw the Resistance into chaos, and one day lead to the formation of a proud new nation. And so the legend of Save the Queen was born...

72574.png19. Misija Votyasch
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Roegadyn

Age: 29

Birthplace: Bozja

A covert operative of the IVth Imperial Legion charged with infiltrating the Bozjan Resistance.

Like so many others, Misija grew up in one of Bozja's sprawling slums. Owing to an imperial initiative, she was afforded the chance to receive an education, and through hard work won a scholarship to attend the imperial capital's most prestigious institution. There, she studied in fields such as folklore and archaeology, and attained conversance in Bozjan history and culture─knowledge which serves her well in her mission for the IVth.

It was none other than Misija who proposed to the Resistance the idea to reforge the blades of Gunnhildr as a means to resurrect the primal Save the Queen─all in the interests of her legion, whose ends she serves absolutely. Her loyalty can be attributed to two factors, the first being rooted in the deep-seated inequality that pervades Bozjan society.

Since the days of old, the ruling nobles and merchant families of Bozja have held the lion's share of the nation's wealth, a Garlean census conducted following annexation revealing that seven out of ten earned less than half the average income while one in three lived in squalor. The situation improved somewhat when Bozja became an imperial province, but homeless children remained a common sight in the major cities, and Misija's was but one of many begrimed faces among them.

As a young girl, she survived by selling what scraps she could salvage from waste heaps, but many were the days when no food passed her lips, and hunger was her constant companion. It seemed as though this harsh life must continue forever when salvation came in the form of an imperial initiative. A welfare body was established to rescue homeless children, and it proceeded to take them off the streets and place them into institutional care. Yet resources were stretched thin, and more often than not those in need were left to fend for themselves due to naught save the whim of the gods.

Misija was one of the lucky ones, and she did not waste the opportunity given to her. Yet despite her many remarkable achievements, she faced discrimination from the Bozjan upper class, who continued to regard the poor as little more than vermin. Nigh daily, she was subjected to injustice and indignities, each occasion further stoking the fire of hatred she harbored for her betters.

Her grievance towards her homeland did not end there. Though few are privy to this fact, Misija is descended from the last Queen Gunnhildr, and the knowledge that her noble ancestor was betrayed by her own protectors is a source of great bitterness for her.

All of this served to deprive her of any sense of allegiance for Bozja, and she would instead pledge herself to the IVth. Since the time of the previous legatus, it has been the legion's creed to welcome all regardless of such things as race, faith, gender, and birth. What counted is one's ability and loyalty, both of which Misija possesses in abundance. Given her troubled past, it is of little wonder that she would find a home in the IVth, and there is no telling how far she will go to achieve her goals.

72575.png20. Gunnhildr
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

In days of yore, civil war raged on amongst the races of Bozja. This bloody, protracted struggle was at long last brought to an end when the land was united under the rule of a single queen. “Gunnhildr” was the name and title given to this first monarch, and one all those who followed her would inherit.

The queens of Bozja were not chosen from families of illustrious lineage, but rather from among the shamans who communed with the ancient gods. Only those deemed most favored by the gods─as manifested in their ability to read the stars─were chosen for the role, regardless of race or heritage. Though the vast majority of the Bozjan queens were Hrothgar, this was merely a matter of mathematics, as Hrothgar boasted the largest population of the land's many races.

When ancient Allag's hubris brought the Fourth Umbral Calamity upon the land, the nobles and oracles who made up Gunnhildr's Blades─the de facto ruling party of Bozja─sought to unleash the power of the legendary Save the Queen, that their nation might be spared from catastrophe. Yet Gunnhildr herself, wounded in battle against the Allagans and deathly fearful of forever losing her humanity, resisted. Sensing opportunity, the Blades contrived a plan to protect their position by instilling a minor shrinemaiden of the Votyasch tribe as queen, in hopes that the power of the blade would claim her own life. And yet this queen deemed disposable turned out to be anything but, wielding the blade to deliver salvation to her homeland and thence being transformed into a veritable god of war. Possessed of immeasurable power and a heart both pure and free, she struck profound fear into the hearts of those who had sought to manipulate her, and for this, she was assassinated by the very Blades who had orchestrated her ascendancy in the first place.

And yet, though her tragic life was brought to a premature end, her soul would live on in the form of the aether that inhabits the blade, a secret which the charlatans who betrayed her would realize all too late...

72577.png21. Lilja Sjasaris
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Viera

Age: 19

Birthplace: Rabanastre, Dalmasca

A new recruit to Garlond Ironworks, Lilja first awakened to her talents as an engineer while receiving an imperial education in her native Rabanastre. Her academic accomplishments won her acceptance to the prestigious Magitek Academy in the imperial capital, but ere she could relocate to commence her studies, resistance forces launched a large-scale offensive that transformed Rabanastre into a battlefield. The young Viera was forced to seek refuge in Doma, where she sustained herself by repairing machina and designing custom contraptions. Word of her uncommon expertise chanced to reach the visiting Jessie, who offered her a place at the Ironworks. Having been an admirer of the organization due to its part in the liberation effort, she accepted without a moment's hesitation.

Despite her cheery and optimistic facade, Lilja was a conflicted soul. Like no few Dalmascan orphans, she was taken into imperial care and underwent schooling intended to instill a sense of allegiance to Garlemald. And while most of her peers remained fiercely loyal to their homeland, only giving their tutors lip service, Lilja could not muster up the selfsame passion. For though she could not approve of Garlean rule, it seemed to her that the alternative, a Dalmascan monarchy, would not improve the lot of the common man.

Further blurring the lines of her loyalty was the respect she came to hold for the occupying IVth Imperial Legion, which did not forcibly conscript civilians to its ranks. During a public address, its commander, Legatus van Gabranth, proclaimed that it falls to each man to use his talents to forge his own way in life. Lilja was among those present when these words were uttered, and they spoke to her more than any nation's standard ever could. Nevertheless, she could ill turn a blind eye to the many wrongs the Garleans committed against those they subjugated.

All of this served to make of Lilja a woman who opposed the Empire, yet not strongly enough to take up arms against it, the seeming contradiction giving rise to a storm of self-doubt. In joining the Ironworks, however, she was able to quell her inner turmoil by focusing on a new objective: to simply be herself, a free spirit unburdened by whatever chaos may unfold around her. Witnessing the likes of Cid and Jessie devoting themselves to their work, she recalled the words of van Gabranth─and duly set about using such knowledge and skill as she possessed to the best of her ability.

“Hm, perhaps I'm overthinking it...but what if we were to─” “Ahem. You're definitely overthinking it, Lilja. Let's actually make the thing, shall we?” “Yes, I suppose you're right, Jessie... Ah! There was one other idea I had...” “<groan> Liljaaa...”

72578.png22. Bwagi Ennze Panca
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Bangaa

Age: 48

Birthplace: Valnain, Dalmasca

Bwagi is a member of the resistance group Lente's Tears, serving as their liaison with the Eastern alliance. Versed in the workings of machina, he is also charged with the maintenance of the airship Ia'sar. Despite being a fusilier by training, Bwagi struggled to master the slender swords employed by the style. He compensates for this weakness with his superior marksmanship, which sees him unerringly strike distant targets even with short-barreled weapons.

As a young Bangaa, Bwagi was scarcely a soldier blooded when he fought the Empire as part of the Dalmascan Royal Fusiliers. When the kingdom fell, his unit was incorporated into the imperial army, but he was disinclined to serve his conquerors, choosing instead to embark upon a rambling journey. While he had many a memorable moment during his wanderings, nothing is so close to his heart as his visit to the industrial city of Abdella in Garlean-occupied Landis.

As he strolled through the streets, he came upon a play being performed by a troupe of Eschvan nomads, who were known as much as a source of foreign rumors as they were for their song and dance. The play was a whimsical affair depicting the love lives of ordinary folk, but to Bwagi, who had lived his entire life under a grim pall of conflict, it was anything but ordinary. Even as he was moved by the tale, he was struck by the jovial mood of the city, which had since regained normality following its conquest. This was his first experience of peace, and it proved heady. Taken by a sudden longing, he begged to join the troupe...only to be politely rejected.

Soon thereafter, Bwagi reunited with his erstwhile comrades, and together they formed a pirating crew. But he never forgot the joy he felt that day in Abdella, and took it upon himself to lighten spirits whenever possible. His japes were more often daft than droll, but he persisted and beamed inside for every grin he succeeded in drawing from his crewmates.

Alas, the carefree days of reaving were not to last, for his leader, Ba'Gamnan, would fall under the influence of an auracite. The stone fed upon the battle-hardened Bangaa's burning hatred for the Empire, warping him into the draconic abomination Yiazmat, and only in death was he set free. Desiring to carry on his respected brother-in-arm's legacy, Bwagi chose to lend his strength to the Resistance, and with this decision a grim determination returned to his countenance, where it will remain until such time as his homeland is free once more.

72586.png23. Rostik Liubasch
Learned from: Field Notes on Rostik
 Quest: Fit for a Queen
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Hrothgar

Age: 56

Birthplace: Bozja

A key figure of the Bozjan Resistance, Rostik fights to free his country from the tyrannical clutches of the Empire.

He is the son of an elite gunbreaker who served Bozja in its days of independence, and there can be little doubt that the path he has walked has been in the footsteps of this great man─a man of whom Rostik himself remembers scarcely a thing.

In those days, the Garlean Empire marched mercilessly and inexorably on the scattered small countries in the southern reaches of Ilsabard. Fearing for his son's safety, Rostik's father entrusted the child to his elderly master before departing for the front lines, from which he would never return.

Though hailed as a hero by his people, the man's bravery was ultimately in vain, and once-proud Bozja fell under the imperial yoke. The young Rostik vowed that he would one day be strong enough to defend his beloved homeland, and devoted himself to training as a gunbreaker under the selfsame master who once taught his father, eventually being conscripted by the imperial army. I will be my nation's shield─or so he swore to himself. Yet Rostik was doomed to suffer a fate as tragic as his father's─if not more so. While he was serving the Empire, the Bozja incident occurred, and his beloved homeland was razed to nothingness.

After the fall of the citadel, Rostik awaited his chance and fled the army. For a time, he fought like a beast thirsting for vengeance, launching reckless strikes against imperial forces from seemingly every direction. Yet there was a limit to what one gunbreaker─no matter how skilled─could do against an entire army. One day, Rostik was ambushed by an imperial regiment, and suffering grave wounds, was left to die alone deep in the forest.

In a turn of good fortune, before succumbing to his wounds, he was discovered by Bajsaljen, who had seen the gunbreaker fall in battle against their common foe, and took him in, tending to his injuries. Persuaded by the cerebral Resistance leader to abandon his rage-driven quest for revenge, Rostik now fights to protect his countrymen, imparting his impressive skills to a new generation of gunbreakers as a mentor to his subordinates.

So it is that the art of the gunbreaker, once in danger of extinction, came to be preserved through the years. Indeed, the high-ranking Resistance officer Marsak and Thancred, the “Scion” who he met through a curious twist of fate, are among Rostik's countless pupils. Rostik continues his fight to this day, that he might see his techniques handed down to posterity, and his nation one day reborn.

72579.png24. Mikoto Jinba
Learned from: Field Notes on Mikoto
 Quest: Fit for a Queen
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Au Ra

Age: 24

Birthplace: Sharlayan

An Archon of Sharlayan, Mikoto studied aetherology at the Studium, and earned her mark via her contributions to the field. When not conducting research, she can be seen lecturing at the academy. Through the introduction of Jessie Jaye of Garlond Ironworks, she was invited to Kugane, where she demonstrated her academic prowess in the examination of an auracite. She would subsequently be called to Gangos to shed light upon the nature of the crystal focus, an artifact of Bozja.

Though possessed of a keen mind, Mikoto can occasionally be oblivious to her surrounds; when speaking on the subject of aetherology, she has a tendency to rattle off a flurry of advanced terminology to the confusion of those present. Yet by the same token, she is not easily flustered, maintaining her composure in times of danger and duress.

Like the Warrior of Light, Mikoto is blessed with the Echo, her manifestation of the power allowing her to see into the future. While resembling prophetic dreams and divinations, the visions that are revealed are events that cannot be changed, and given that she cannot see them at will, nor clearly, Mikoto does not regard the ability as particularly useful.

Mikoto has an identical twin sister named Kagura, but aside from their appearance and thirst for knowledge, she could not be more different from her sibling. Where she is calm and measured, Kagura is headstrong and forthright. And though Kagura won her Archon's mark earlier than Mikoto, she incurred the ire of the Forum for openly criticizing their policies and was ultimately stripped of her title. She left Sharlayan in disgust, and has not been seen since.

For as long as Mikoto could remember, she and Kagura did not see eye to eye, and conversations were nonexistent between them. Upon entering the Studium, they both went about their own business and seldom saw each other, and it was not until Kagura was already gone that Mikoto learned of what had happened. Though Mikoto may have had little interest in people, preferring instead the reliable company of tomes, her complete ignorance of her sister's trials underlined their estrangement.

Nonetheless, Mikoto could not help but worry for her sister, and though it was no fault of her own, she felt ashamed for not having done more to aid her. Her anguish did not go unnoticed by her senior Moenbryda, who took it upon herself to reach out to her lest she do something ill advised. Taking Mikoto under her wing, she would find every opportunity to make conversation, be it about academic matters or the mundane. In time, the boisterous Roegadyn would become like to a sister she never had, someone with whom she could share her hopes and dreams and disappointments. Their relationship was the catalyst for Mikoto to harbor an interest in others as well as the world beyond the Studium's walls. Yet despite Moenbryda's encouragement, it would be some years before she worked up the courage to take to the field. Even after the two had both graduated, their friendship would continue, every anticipated reunion seeing them while away the hours in chatter.

So it was that the news of Moenbryda's death came as a terrible shock to Mikoto. Unable to accept her friend's passing, she spent days in denial. It was only when she received a missive from Urianger confirming events that the painful reality finally set in. She wept as if her heart would break, and cursed herself for having helped to create the aetheric siphon. Had I only known what it was for... Had I only been there... For long moons such thoughts tormented her. But one day, she clenched her jaw, donned her traveling garb, and set out into the field for the first time.

Since that day, Mikoto has not shied from venturing forth, and gladly takes on tasks from outside groups such as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. What matters is that she strives for the benefit of others─as her dear friend once did.

72580.png25. Misija Votyasch
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

Race: Roegadyn

Age: 29

Birthplace: Bozja

A covert operative of the IVth Imperial Legion charged with infiltrating the Bozjan Resistance.

Q. Upon joining the Resistance you provided your name and personal history, and we are in the process of verifying the truth of those details. If there were any falsehoods, now is your chance to correct them. A. It is regretful that the incident destroyed any evidence I might provide, but I swear that the information I gave was entirely truthful.

Q. Why, then, did you betray the Resistance to our enemy? Why turn traitor? A. “Turn traitor”? I was never on your side to begin with. My mission was to infiltrate your ranks.

Q. You were sent to spy on us. A. Correct.

Q. And what was your objective? A. I was to ensure the forging of the Resistance weapons, and the reformation of Gunnhildr's Blades. Once Save the Queen was safely in the possession of the IVth Imperial Legion, the plan was to summon the “eikon” and bend it to our will.

Q. An elaborate scheme that ultimately ended in failure. Have you learned from your mistakes? A. My only mistake was to underestimate the talents of Eorzea's champion. I knew that a seer's powers were essential to delve into the memories, but never did I dream that the renowned “liberator” would become so integral to the process. Or perhaps Mikoto simply felt uneasy, and sending for him was a means to guarantee the success of our work.

Q. Whichever the case, your operation is in shambles. What will the legion do now? A. I haven't the slightest idea. And even if I did know, why would I tell you?

Q. As we have discussed many times before, you have no reason to revile the nation we seek to build. It will be a society in which every citizen is treated as an equal, where poverty and bigotry are evils of the past. And yet still you choose to work against us. A. Altering the course of this country will not be a simple matter of claiming its helm. Establishing new laws and enforcing your ideals will be done amidst a storm of protest.

Q. Who in their right mind would oppose us? A. Consider the situation from my perspective. The imperials have imposed their order upon Bozja for half a century, but have all their subjects accepted their rule, as I have? Do all enjoy the same treatment? The same standing?

Q. The Empire invaded us. Even if its laws were just, we could not help but chafe beneath the yoke of its occupation. Your comparison is flawed. A. And I say it is two sides of the same coin. Even should you seize control and attempt to reform what you see as “evil,” there will always be those who cry oppression.

Q. I find that hard to believe. A. Then you lack imagination. Many folk are shortsighted and resistant to change. Some will prove so stubborn that you will have to kill them before they accept the new order you hope to impose. Even as you plan to kill me.

Q. Your punishment is yet to be decided. A military court will deliberate your fate once the nation has been liberated. A. A foregone conclusion. Why even bother to discuss it further?

Q. You are not beyond redemption. A. Do not tease me with talk of salvation. If you mean to execute me, then bring out the headsman's axe.

Q. I mean to save you. We both have our convictions, but mine do not demand your death. A. ...You are a gentle soul. People such as you and Bajsaljen are the pure stream trickling through the mud and muck which now suffocates poor Bozja. I pray the source of your kindness never runs dry.

This document records the interrogation of covert operative Misija Votyasch, as conducted by liaison officer Apella three days after the suspect was apprehended. Several remarks herein have been flagged as inappropriate for Resistance personnel, and the file is to be stored in the “full clearance only” section of the archives.

72581.png26. Gunnhildr
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★

“Gunnhildr” is both name and title, inherited by every queen who ruled over the Bozja of old.

The last potentate to be ordained as such─the last Queen Gunnhildr in history─was born Nevembya Votyasch, ancient ancestor of Misija.

The bloodline of the Votyasch tribe has given rise to generation after generation of seers, and thus when a seven-year-old Nevembya showed signs of great promise, she was taken to study at the shrine. She learned to read the stars and the winds, and divined secrets in numbers; she immersed herself in prayer, spiritualism, and the performance of sacred dance. The reward for her devotions was a place amongst the twelve shrinemaidens, the personal servants of Queen Gunnhildr.

This shining era came to an abrupt end, however, when the hubris of the Allagan Empire brought about the Fourth Umbral Calamity. Bozja was plunged into chaos as great earthquakes caused the land to buckle and shift, the ragged rents in the ground spewing forth plumes of flame. In a desperate bid for self-preservation, the ruling class agreed that the power of Save the Queen should be invoked, and a champion summoned forth to deliver Bozja from destruction. But Queen Gunnhildr, knowing her essence and identity would be consumed by the ritual, refused their entreaties. Thus stymied, the statesmen raised Nevembya to the throne with unprecedented haste, imbuing their “disposable” figurehead with the authority to wield the sacred blade.

Meaning “pure and selfless” in the old tongue, Nevembya was true to her name─though unaware of the reason behind her rapid ascension, she dutifully took up the sword and poured her life energies into the weapon. In answer to her sacrifice, a mighty entity was made manifest, and Bozja─and her people─were saved.

What the instigators of this miracle did not anticipate was that the humble shrinemaiden would survive the rite, and return to her mundane form. In Nevembya flowed the blood of seers, and with her heritage came the power of the Echo. Though she had received no formal training in the art, she would often see visions of the past of others─a talent she never questioned as aught more than her birthright. But it was this very blessing which sheltered her soul from the dominating presence of the entity, and allowed her to wield its might as she saw fit.

This revelation filled the statesmen with abject terror. They plotted to murder their young queen with Gunnhildr's sword, and struck when she was most vulnerable. Believing the act to be righteous, that none could hold such tremendous power and remain uncorrupted, the commonfolk did nothing to defend her. And even as she lay dying, watching her lifeblood seep out across the floor, Nevembya did not curse her assassins. She knew her aetherial strength was unnatural, unpredictable─it had to be contained lest Bozja suffer further devastation. She would die secure in the knowledge that her people were safe. That was enough.

In that instant, a blinding light issued forth from the blade. Nevembya had, for one brief moment, wished to live just a little while longer, and as her soul slipped away from her body, both her fervent desire and a small portion of her aether were drawn into the sacred sword.

The first sight the last of Bozja's queens beheld upon her resurrection was a circle of Gunnhildr's Blades. Am I to be slain once more, then...? Towering waves of rage, grief, and rancor such as she had never felt before surged within her. Why!? Why must my life be forfeit!? Consumed by emotion, raw and unchecked, Nevembya unleashed her will. They shall kneel before me in worship. I am Gunnhildr. I am queen!

But another Nevembya watched the scene unfold in horror, her unheard voice screaming out in protest. This is wrong! This cannot be! Trapped within her own mind was the Nevembya from the days before she was crowned, the Nevembya who would do anything to protect her beloved Bozja. She understood that to take life, even that of the villainous, was to forge a chain of vengeance. And that chain would stretch on and on until all were strangled within its links...

72582.png27. Trinity Seeker
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★

Enthralled at the behest of Misija, these three members of Gunnhildr's Blades─Aggie the Ironfist, Velibor the Baleful, and Blaz the Merciful─have been warped even further, their bodies meshed into a single, abhorrent entity which serves the queen without question.

Several malms north of the harbor city of Martrvje, the land rises into a series of gently rolling hills. At the top of the highest slope looms a massive wall, an imposing barrier constructed of closely fitting limestone blocks and as thick as the outstretched arms of two grown Hyurs. Scarcely a quarter of the original edifice remains, however, with the scars of centuries plainly evident upon its crumbling facade.

Once beyond this encircling wall, a small settlement can be found nestled between two hills. This compound houses the illustrious martial school known as the “Verdant Path.” The school encompasses what was once a Bozjan shrine, the many spires of the central building marking the site where a host of holy men and women would practice their devotions. When not engaged in spiritual endeavors, it is said they tempered their bodies with physical training, a rudimentary fighting style upon which the Verdant Path was later founded.

When the Garlean Empire invaded, adherents of the school rose up in strength to defend the city-state of Bozja. As the incursion rolled on, however, Basch van Gabranth, then legatus of the IVth Legion, came to lament the slaughter of so much promising martial talent. He promised the Verdant Path amnesty and protection, if it would but swear fealty to the Empire. The schoolmaster accepted, and by surrendering himself to the invaders' justice were his colleagues allowed to continue their instruction.

One such teaching was the technique of “Three as One.” It was simple in concept, yet difficult to master, requiring three disciples to synchronize their actions in order to fell opponents far too powerful to engage alone.

During their training days, Blaz and Velibor were ever on the lookout for a third to complete their Three as One trio. Their incomparable skill, however, meant that none of their fellows could ever measure up to them in an even contest. Only one disciple refused to admit defeat, rising to her feet again and again. That student was Aggie, a girl who came to the school as an orphan, ragged and withdrawn, but now lit up the room with her infectious grin. Blaz and Velibor loved her as a little sister, and it was for this very reason they were hesitant to add her to their ranks. The day was near when Bozja would rise in rebellion, and the Verdant Path would lend its strength to the Resistance. And what sort of brother would drag his younger sibling off to war? One so bright and full of promise should be spared the horrors of such a battle, where blood would answer for blood in unrelenting conflict.

Yet Aggie was not to be turned from her chosen path. She earned the rank of master, and trained until she was able to claim one of every three matches she fought against the cousins. Blaz and Velibor were compelled to recognize her achievements, and at last accepted her as their third. Their decision was swayed not by Aggie's desire to fight, but by their need to protect her if she insisted she must. They swore to be her shields, come what may.

And what twisted fate did come. They exist now only as the trinity seeker─three as one, forevermore.

72583.png28. Queen's Guard
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★

The queen's soldier. The queen's knight. The queen's gunner. The queen's warrior. All four were once members of Gunnhildr's Blades, and all four now serve the queen as her unquestioning thralls.

Mladen the Vanished Before his “recruitment” as the queen's soldier, this unfortunate Hrothgar was known as Mladen the Vanished.

A second-generation Bozjan refugee born and raised in Doma, Mladen learned the arts of the ninja before joining the Liberation Front. In the days which followed the retaking of Doma Castle, he crossed over to Bozja to pledge his strength to Bajsaljen, where he taught ninjutsu to his new allies and gathered intelligence on the IVth Imperial Legion. Mladen was absent from the ill-fated assault on Castrum Lacus Litore, having been part of a unit deployed to northern Bozja. But tragedy caught up to him nonetheless when he was later enthralled on the southern front.

A solitary man with no living relatives, he would often quip that he could fall in battle with a light heart for there were none to mourn his passing. Perhaps, in some buried corner of his present cursed existence, that thought yet brings him comfort...

Adis the Spirited Once a noted member of the Resistance, Adis the Spirited now stands hollow and obedient as the queen's knight.

Adis hailed from Dirbenc, a remote region of Bozja. After receiving the standard imperial education, he served in the Garlean army as a centurion until the Bozja incident drove him into the arms of the Resistance. Although a commander of men, the hot-blooded Hrothgar was infamous for charging ahead into the enemy's midst, whereby he would call out rival officers to engage in single combat. Such selfless, reckless bravery inspired his men and demoralized the foe, and no few young Bozjans sought to follow his example. His final act was to fight a rearguard action on the southern front, ensuring the escape of as many allies as possible until the queen's undeniable aether overwhelmed him at the last.

When the survivors reached the safety of Gangos, their wails of grief echoed through the encampment. They had lost the best of them, and the entire company, their faces streaked with tears, wished they could have fallen in his stead.

Tugeim the Swiftram The queen's warrior is the aether-corrupted form of Resistance member Tugeim the Swiftram.

As a trueborn Bozjan who could trace her lineage back to one of the old nation's ruling families, Tugeim was afforded the rights of a free citizen in imperial society─a privileged position that she discarded in favor of joining the Resistance movement. Ostensibly one of the noble class despised by Misija, she herself never belittled the commonfolk through word or deed, and although her habitual reticence often led to misunderstandings, she was in truth the staunchest supporter of Bajsaljen's efforts to impose a fair and balanced social order.

In battle, this imposing Roegadyn would wade into enemy ranks like a war-goddess incarnate, swinging an axe longer than she was tall with terrifying ease. Enthralled and empowered by the queen, she can now manipulate the forces of gravity itself...

Ratimir the Pale Even before his transformation into the queen's gunner, Ratimir the Pale was feared among his enemies as a harbinger of death.

A hunter who dwelled in the wilds of Bozja, Ratimir left his simple life to take up arms against the Empire when the citadel was destroyed. As he saw it, imperial hubris had led to the deaths of countless innocents, and he would not leave his countrymen unavenged. Already skilled in the use of a firearm, his was a natural progression to the role of Resistance marksman.

Ratimir's legend began on the night an imperial company assaulted the encampment at Gorava. The surprise onslaught threw the Resistance ranks into helpless confusion, the lack of a coherent defense elevating the offensive into outright slaughter. The survivors rallied and sought to win free of the attackers, but the net was drawn too tightly to escape. As they waited grimly for their demise, one of the advancing imperials suddenly slumped to the ground. From the stygian darkness beyond the flame-lit camp, the sound of a firearm cracked again and again, and each time it spoke, another imperial soldier fell. The death toll mounted, and it was now the aggressors' turn to feel the cold grip of panic.

If they could have pierced that inky veil, they might have spied the determined features of Ratimir as he methodically dismantled the encircling force. When morning came and the weary Resistance troops surveyed the carnage, they found thirty-six imperial corpses with bullet wounds to the head.

Ratimir the Pale. Ratimir, the living legend. How fortunate for the queen to come into possession of so formidable a weapon...

72584.png29. Trinity Avowed
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★

Stanik the Unwavering, Xeven the Vengeful, and Isolde the Eagle-eye: these three brave souls─their corporeal forms twisted and warped beyond comprehension─continue to dutifully serve their queen as an odious amalgamation possessed of unholy martial and magical power.

Our tale takes us back to some moons before the Battle of Castrum Lacus Litore, to the western shores of Igalj Kelo. Those well versed in Old Bozjan will know that, just as Lacus Litore means “lakeside” in the language of the Empire, Igalj Kelo means “mirror of water” in that ancient tongue. It is said that on clear days when the wind was still, nary a ripple would form on the lake's surface, which would reflect the bright sun and majestic blue of the skies above.

It was here the Bozjan Resistance mustered their forces in secret at Volod, until one day when they were unceremoniously rooted out by the imperial army. Knowing his men stood no chance against the Empire's might in a face-to-face conflict, Bajsaljen ordered a full retreat from the outpost, dispatching his three most trusted lieutenants to cover those in flight. Stanik, Xeven, and Isolde succeeded in uniting with the surviving troops, but were ambushed on their return by Albeleo and his regiment, who sought to take advantage of the situation by picking off the Bozjans in their weakened state.

Surrounded on all sides, the three fought bravely, expertly employing the rocks, the trees─even the corpses of their ill-fated countrymen as a defensive wall against their foe. In the end, however, the Garleans' sheer firepower proved too much to overcome. Knowing they faced total eradication otherwise, Stanik and Xeven entrusted their wounded men to Isolde, then engaged in a diversionary attack, which succeeded in confusing the imperials, and thus buying much-needed time for her escape. Stanik and Xeven, however, now found themselves alone and entirely at their foe's mercy─it was only a matter of time before their enemy closed in and finished them off once and for all.

Gazing up at the moon for what they thought would be the last time, they sat together and waited for the inevitable. As dawn began to break, they heard in the distance an imperial officer barking the order that would herald their impending doom. Our fight ends here─the two men said to themselves, when a hauntingly beautiful melody rang out through the air.

It was Isolde, bending her bowstring to play an old Bozjan folk tune─their sister-in-arms had returned, and she had brought reinforcements with her.

The evening before the Battle of Castrum Lacus Litore, Stanik entreated Isolde to play the same melody for old times' sake. Xeven, enjoying a strong drink as he was wont to do, closed his eyes and reflected back on the night he had all but known would be his last. One day, this war too will be but a memory, he thought, and come then he would share a toast with his friends to the tune of Isolde's bow...

72585.png30. Save the Queen
Field Record
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Rarity: ★★★★★

A trigger weapon forged by the fallen Allagan Empire, Save the Queen was born from painstaking study of eikons and a desire to simplify and streamline the process by which they were summoned. Such devices─of which this holy blade stands as a prime example─serve as the catalyst by which an eikon may be called forth.

As for how this legendary sword did come to ancient Bozja, none can say. In light of Bozja's military weakness, it is inconceivable that they could have seized or stolen it themselves, and there is little reason to believe that Allag favored the Bozjans so much to have presented it as a gift. A more likely possibility is that an Allagan apostate who no longer looked kindly on the empire defected to Bozja and gifted his new countrymen the artifact of his own accord.

In any event, the fact remains that the holy blade of Bozja, that which could be wielded only by the hand of Queen Gunnhildr, was a trigger weapon─a relic of Allagan ingenuity.

The mechanism by which it is powered is a wondrous thing.

In the days of ancient Ivalice, the crystal known as auracite was worshipped as a reliquary. Come to this world from the heavens on the wings of Ultima, the High Seraph, it houses power beyond mortal comprehension─a power that resonates with the desires of man, giving them concrete form. It was in their quest to artificially improve upon this natural phenomenon that the Allagans did create such a fearsome weapon, which forges the wielder's deepest desires into a trigger for calling forth an eikon. Having succeeded in the summoning, the Allagans then sought a means by which to bend said eikon to their will, and─after much trial and error─came to the conclusion that this could only be accomplished by one possessing the power of the Echo. The discovery was a testament to the terrifyingly boundless knowledge of the Allagans.

In time, Misija─having heard tell of the blade and the tragedy of Bozja's final queen─sought to manifest its primal power, with herself as conduit. Yet summoning alone would not suffice─she required a means by which to retain control over her body and will throughout the process. For this, she would need the power of the Echo. So, with knowledge gained through the Empire's vast information network, she located a Sharlayan scholar by the name of Mikoto, known to possess the gift. Having succeeded in kidnapping her quarry, Misija employed techniques developed by Lord Aulus mal Asina at the Resonatorium to reproduce Mikoto's powers within herself, thus becoming Resonant.

Misija then sought to use the residual aether left in the blade by its former wielder─the woman born as Nevembya Votyasch─and her memories to conjure the shade of Queen Gunnhildr. While these reserves were sufficient to temper the Resistance warriors who stood before her, however, they were woefully insufficient to accomplish her ultimate goal of becoming an eikon. When she learned that a fount of abundant aether such as she required could be found in the ruins of the ancient Bozjan palace Delubrum Reginae, her path was clear. There, with the power of the great crystal housed in its innermost chambers, Misija at long last made the holy blade's true power her own.

So it was that the queen stood before the Warrior of Light, with years of bitterness in her heart, that she might see Gabranth's vision made real by her own hand...

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