~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Final Fantasy XIII-2 "Fragments & Datalog" Version 1.0 February 2012 by bivium6 (bivium6@yahoo.com) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~*~~ Table of Contents ~~*~~ 1) Fragments by Category Fragment Items Chaos Crystal Black Hole Gem White Hole Gem Entropy Board Falcon's Compass Control Device Password 1 Control Device Password 2 Paradox Scope Monster Bits Gogmagog Fragment Alpha Gogmagog Fragment Beta Gogmagog Fragment Gamma Atlas Fragment Aloeidai Fragment Mutantomato Fragment Proto Fal'Cie Adam Fragment Zenobia Fragment Amethyst and Luvulite Fragment Miniflan Fragment Goblin Fragment Ghast Fragment Kalavinka Fragment Fragment of Invincibility Ugallu Fragment Ochu Fragment Gorgyra Fragment Long Gui Fragment Yomi Fragment Twilight Fragment Alpha Twilight Fragment Beta Academic Reward Academic Rank: Monster Professor Academic Rank: Paradox Professor Idea Circuit Enigma Codex Difference Engine Travel Guide: New Bodhum Travel Guide: Bresha Ruins Travel Guide: Yaschas Massif Travel Guide: Oerba Travel Guide: Sunleth Waterscape Travel Guide: Academia Travel Guide: Augusta Tower Travel Guide: Vile Peaks Travel Guide: Archylte Steppe Travel Guide: A Dying World Great Mog Wisdom Delicate Crystal Time's Stardust Time's Shell Time's Coral Spinning Moonstone Sparkling Runestone Astonishing Limestone Thrilling Milestone Lovely Starstone Bubbly Stone Scorching Firestone Dewy Bloodstone Mossy Rosetta Stone Bittersweet Chiffon Tremulous Muffin Beloved Cinnamon Selfish Pancake Farewell Madeleine Teatime Mont Blanc Dishonest Mille-feuille Pink Parfait Bounty Hunter's Prize Ruthenium Ring Rhodium Ring Palladium Ring Osmium Ring Iridium Ring Platinum Ring Mythril Ring Adamantite Ring Crimson Memories Waltraute's Flower Gerhilde's Blossom Ortlinde's Bloom Schwertleite's Flower Heimwige's Nightshade Siegrune's Spiritbloom Rossweisse Skyblossom Book of Avalon Book of Shambala Book of Valhalla The Honor of Blitz Squad Torreno's Last Light Baxter's Last Light Falcon's Last Light Ray's Last Light Thunder's Last Light Sarge's Last Light Blitz Squadron Mission Report Fate's Recollection Heart Prism Vita Lyrica Anima Miseria Unio Mystica Ars Symphonica Pathos Jewel Misery's Bead Amur's Sphere Innocence's Sacred Sphere Orb of Clotho Sword of Lachesis Mirror of Atropos Giant Egg Extraordinary Egg Woolly Stone Setzer's Dice Cartesian Board Laplacian Board Quiz Mastery Quiz Rank: Private Quiz Rank: Sergeant Quiz Rank: Lieutenant Quiz Rank: Colonel Quiz Rank: General Stoic Virtue Epicurean Song Lyceum Knowledge Academia Wisdom Graviton Core Graviton Core Alpha Graviton Core Beta Graviton Core Gamma Graviton Core Delta Graviton Core Epsilon Graviton Core Zeta Graviton Core Eta An Affectionate Message Words of Light Father's Song Vanille's Fruit Fang's Crown Hope's Message Noel's Message Serah's Message Chocochick Down Lucky Coin Priceless Gift Lapis Lazuli Heliodor Ore Carnelian Celestine Cosmo Aura Oracle of Etro Ultima Brand Omega Brand Chaos Brand Crimson Crystal Azure Crystal Forest Crystal Amber Crystal Violet Crystal Etro's Sorrow Pulse's Resolution Lindzei's Desire Mwynn's Tenderness Bhunivelze's Sleep Paradox Ending Transcript: A Giant Mistake Transcript: Vanille's Truth Transcript: Mog's Marvelous Flan Plan Transcript: Test Subjects Transcript: The Future is Hope Transcript: Beneath a Timeless Sky Transcript: Heir to Chaos Transcript: Fate and Freedom 2) Datalog Significant Persons Lightning Serah Farron Snow Villers Oerba Dia Vanille Oerba Yun Fang Hope Estheim Sazh Katzroy Alyssa Zaidelle Mog NORA Chocolina Yeul Noel Kreiss Caius Ballad Paradoxes Time Gates Artefacts Historia Crux Paradoxes Cocoon's Fall: The Prophecy The Crystal Pillar Gates of Augusta Paradox and Memory Atlas Proto Fal'Cie Adam The Thirteenth Ark Society Fal'Cie and L'Cie L'Cie and Cie'th Catastrophe Magic Summoning The Gran Elevator The Academy Proto Fal'Cie Project Man vs. Machine Duplicates Time Capsule Graviton Cores The New Cocoon Locales Cocoon and Pulse New Bodhum The Bresha Ruins and the Purge Academia Augusta Tower Serendipity The Coliseum History and Myth The Goddess Etro Valhalla Guardians Heart of Chaos Eyes of Etro Oracle Drives The Farseers Unseen Chaos Etro's Gate Death of a Goddess An Immortal Wish 3) Legal Stuff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~*~~ 1) Fragments by Category ~~*~~ ______________________________________________________________________________ Fragment Items 8/8 ______________________________________________________________________________ Chaos Crystal - Item Info A shard of twisted time, frozen in crystal. It is a key component in the paradox weapon, which is being developed in Academia of the 5th century AF. This remarkable and extremely rare substance is formed by spacetime singularities, and is believed to be the seed substance that causes Time Gates to manifest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Black Hole Gem - Item Info A stone recovered from inside a faeryl. This substance was responsible for summoning up a tempest, sucking up huge numbers of monsters, and sending them flying to another spacetime. Faeryl monsters like to swallow crystals that sit in their stomachs and ignite the flames they breathe from their mouths. This particular monster must have swallowed the fragment by mistake, thinking it another crystal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ White Hole Gem - Item Info Countless flan are emerging from the gate in the Sunleth Waterscape and disrupting the balance of the ecosystem. This fragment is the twin of the Black Hole Gem. It has the power to take monsters absorbed by a Black Hole Gem, generate a rift in spacetime, and disgorge those same monsters into a different era and place. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Entropy Board - Item Info The Entropy Board allows you to activate a switch in Augusta Tower (200 AF). Use the board to replace circuits crosswired across time periods and bypass the malfunction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Falcon's Compass - Item Info This compass was given to you by Falcon of Blitz Squadron, in the Vile Peaks, 200 AF. A Security Regiment compass logs the actions of its possessor. By analyzing the data it holds, it is possible to deduce the identity of the previous owner. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Control Device Password 1 - Item Info This is one of the passwords needed to access the Atlas control device (100 AF, Bresha Ruins), which was locked by some unknown person. Access to the control panel was lost when the researcher who held the passwords disappeared from the site. After that, the Academy changed its password management policy to avoid similar incidents in the future. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Control Device Password 2 - Item Info This is one of the passwords needed to access the Atlas control device (100 AF, Bresha Ruins), which was locked by some unknown person. The encryption technology appears to use the paradox to enhance lockdown security. A virtual space exists inside the control device. Enclosed within is a temporal rife-to get the password, the puzzles in the rift have to be solved. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Paradox Scope - Item Info The 'Paradox Scope' is a lens that shows the possibilities of different timelines. The bearer gains the ability to sense the crossroads of history. The scope bends the rules of the universe and makes the impossible possible. As a result, you may find yourself able to do things such as defeat unbeatable foes, and experience a future that should have never come to pass. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ______________________________________________________________________________ Monster Bits 21/21 ______________________________________________________________________________ Gogmagog Fragment Alpha - Best of the Bestiary Gogmagog is a giant of the Void Beyond. Banished from this world for violating the laws of time, the beast forever wanders the Void in search of escape. Many enchantments were needed to contain its immense power. The charms and magic seals that cover the beast are mute testament to the courage of those who banished it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gogmagog Fragment Beta - Best of the Bestiary Ancient documents provide scant information about the true nature of Gogmagog. Researchers believe that there may be two Gogmagogs, and that the name refers to the species, not the individual. Others believe that Gogmagog is a fal'Cie who was punished for trying to travel the timeline. This may well be the most compelling explanation for the beast's immense power. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gogmagog Fragment Gamma - Best of the Bestiary The legends are not clear on the reason why Gogmagog searches for an escape from the Void Beyond. Some say that what he truly seeks is oblivion. Should he find a way out and be reunited with his lost half, only then will he find release. A certain passage in the legend reads thusly: 'Gogmagog once believed he had found his missing half within the Void Beyond-it was, however, but a shadow of his past self, searching endlessly through the mists of time.' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Atlas Fragment - Best of the Bestiary Atlas is a giant war machine that was excavated from the Bresha Ruins. The technology appears to be of human origin, rather than fal'Cie. This suggests that it is a relic from a future civilization. The machine can be operated through its crystal-controlled AI and sensory perception apparatus. Academy scientists hypothesize that the machine was built to combat large- scale fal'Cie, but stress that their research is still in the early stages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aloeidai Fragment - Best of the Bestiary Aloeidai is the mortal enemy of the giant Gogmagog. The legends say that in order to exact revenge against Gogmagog, who had caused him to be banished from hi homeland, Aloeidai cursed Gogmagog to wander forever in the rifts between eras. Aloeidai loathes all things that live in this world, and when he is defeated, he twists the surrounding spacetime in an effort to take his enemies with him into death. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mutantomato Fragment - Best of the Bestiary Mutantomatoes are flan mutations that arose suddenly in Cocoon's Sunleth Waterscape nature preserve. Researchers believe that the creatures feed on the crystal latticework that runs through the interior of Cocoon and helps support it in the sky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Proto Fal'Cie Adam Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The Proto fal'Cie known as Adam was built by humans. Some of the memory modules of the fal'Cie Eden, which once controlled Cocoon, were transplanted to the artificial fal'Cie. In 400 AF, the automated Academia defense networks began to attack the population they were tasked with protecting. However, the time traveler Serah Farron was able to eradicate the malfunctioning systems. At least, according to certain records of unknown providence. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zenobia Fragment - Best of the Bestiary Zenobia is one of the fearsome group of Cie'th known as the 'Undying.' After descending upon the Haerii Archaeopolis and wreaking untold havoc, she disappeared from the pages of history. In 400 AF, Zenobia was summoned through a crack in spacetime by the Proto fal'Cie Adam, and became the harbinger of death for the seeress Yeul. It is said this moment was 'seen' and recorded within an Oracle Drive. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amethyst and Luvulite Fragment - Best of the Bestiary Pacos Amethyst and Pacos Luvulite are crystalspawn born in the chaos of Valhalla. Amethyst was once a pure chuck of ice floating on the seas of entropy, while Luvulite was a pool of molten magma that erupted from the unstable ground. Once both mad matured to a certain size, they took on the apparent shape and cunning of beasts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Miniflan Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The self-styled miniflan musketeers are a gang of five kinds of flan who somehow acquired self-awareness. The group consists of cool Blue, emo Black, lady Pink, mischievous Yellow, and their hot-blooded leader, Red. Red is a regular miniflan. As for the others, it is not clear if they will turn the same color as they age. In any case, scientists are praying that they won't grow any bigger. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Goblin Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The goblins that inhabit the Archylte Steppe of Pulse are highly intelligent carnivores who lay traps for their prey and hunt in packs. For this reason, they are a direct threat to the hunters who also live off the plains. Climate change can cause a decline in prey and force the goblins to wander closer to human settlements in search of food. They love a good fight and like to pounce on unwary humans. We recommend staying in large groups when traversing goblin-infested lands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ghast Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The Cie'th, including monsters such as the Ghast, are created by fal'Cie from living humans. When people who have been made l'Cie are unable to fulfill their Focus, they are transformed into Cie'th. Places where fal'Cie were once active are often infested with large numbers of wandering Cie'th. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kalavinka Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The Kalavinka Striker is a bioweapon that was deployed by the elite PSICOM forces of the defunct Sanctum government of Cocoon. It was believed these weapons were all lost in the catastrophe, but at least one apparently fell into the Void Beyond. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fragment of Invincibility - Best of the Bestiary The War of Transgression that pitted Cocoon against Pulse took place 700 years before the catastrophe. The common wisdom on Cocoon is that the war was sparked by a Pulse invasion; however, Pulse records claim that the culprit was a 'demon from Cocoon.' Historians remain divided to this day. The people of Pulse had always feared invasion from the sky, and made preparations accordingly. These included 'immortals,' war machines of immense strength and durability that were able to fight fal'Cie even when half-destroyed. The ancient weapons where designed for a defensive war on the ground, not offensive airborne assaults. Some historians claim that this proves it was Cocoon that instigated the war. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ugallu Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The monster Ugallu once descended upon ancient Paddra. Many a l'Cie and mighty warrior faced the beast, but none were able to subjugate it. Only the seeress Paddra Nsu- Yeul of the Farseers knew the true extent of the menace it posed. Ugallu was a monster from the seeress's future. Its very existence in her time was a contradiction, an impossibility. If it was not destroyed, the tear in spacetime would grow until it consumed the entire nation. So the seeress made the fateful decision to break her own vows and seal the beast within the Void Beyond. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ochu Fragment - Best of the Bestiary Ochus are wild plant-monsters that live on Gran Pulse. Variants include the small microchu and its close cousin the neochu, as well as the rapidly mutating chaochu. Because the ochu and its relatives inhabit similar environments, they are fierce rivals for food and resources. On Pulse, evolution acts on populations remarkably quickly; new varieties and species emerge in a matter of years. That said, however, the ochu and neochu have been in competition for much longer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gorgyra Fragment - Best of the Bestiary There was once a female warrior of Paddra, bound to serve the goddess, who was tricked by an enemy and almost caused the seeress to be killed. Now, the seeress loved the warrior like a sister, and she forgave the mistake. But the warrior did not, and as penance she asked a fal'Cie to turn her into a Cie'th. When the warrior finished her prayer to the fal'Cie, an ominous voice rang through her head. 'I have heard your plea. You shall lose your five senses, be plunged into black flames, and wander the eternal darkness. Your words shall be a song of agony; your screams a curse of death. And thus shall you remain, until a merciful one destroys your soul and frees you from your torment.' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Long Gui Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The long gui is one of the largest monsters on Pulse. All members of the oretoise family have long life spans, and some researchers believe that long guis are actually shaolong guis that have survived even longer than normal. Others assert that they constitute a distinct species. Evidence exists to support both sides of the argument, but as the creatures live for centuries, generations must pass before a consensus is reached. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yomi Fragment - Best of the Bestiary The Archylte Steppe becomes a very different place when thunder rolls across the heavens, for it heralds the coming of Yomi, one of the host of the Undying that is also known as the Wings of Death. Why does it only appear with the lightning? The answer lies in its former life. Yomi was once a great hero, driven to prove that he was the most powerful warrior of his age, but he was struck down by lightning on the steppe before he could complete his quest. Now he wanders the very same steppe where his life was so suddenly cut short. Amidst the crashing thunder and howling wind, no one hears his tormented screams. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Twilight Fragment Alpha - Best of the Bestiary The malevolent Twilight Odin is the 'dark shadow' that enveloped the Blitz Squadron in the Vile Peaks, 10 AF. This entity exists outside time and can manifest in several eras at once. The source of its power, however, is but a single fragment, and the loss of this crystallized memory would weaken the shadowy being across every age. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Twilight Fragment Beta - Best of the Bestiary The creature known as 'Twilight Odin' appears as a shadowy twin of the original Eidolon. In truth, it is a formless being of chaos that seeped into the mortal world from the Unseen Realm. This malignant force used a crystallized memory found in the Vile Peaks as a mold, and assumed the form of Odin. The memory belongs to a certain l'Cie who saved Cocoon. It was in the Vile Peaks that she first faced and overcame the equine Eidolon warrior. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ______________________________________________________________________________ Academic Reward 15/15 ______________________________________________________________________________ Academic Rank: Monster Professor You have investigate and created detailed reports on every known monstrous life-form. In recognition of your contribution to the Academy's Weapon Development Department, I hereby confer upon you the honorary title of Monster Professor. Academy Lead Advisor, Hope Estheim ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Academic Rank: Paradox Professor You have recorded topographical data and provided complete and detailed maps for every notable paradox location. For your contribution to the Academy's paradox research, I hereby confer upon you the honorary title of Paradox Professor. Academy Representative Telaf Raeland ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Idea Circuit - The A.Z. Files I got a message the other day, and when I saw who it was from, well golly, I nearly keeled over in surprise. It was from Hope Estheim himself! I remember when Elida used to be classmates with him in middle school. It's hard to forget the names of the people who were involved in the catastrophe. Anyway, he said he was really interested in my report about the gates, and wanted to know if I'd be willing in joining his team. Team Alpha. Wow. With them, I'd have all the resources I need to continue my research. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enigma Codex - The A.Z. Files We're learning more and more about the properties of spacetime. We know that when the future is altered, the past is reorganized to maintain the logic of the timeline. Even people's memories are overwritten with the new reality. And we also know that multiple possibilities do not co-exist. In the end, one timeline is chosen, and that becomes the true history. I wonder what happens to the other possibilities, the ones that aren't chosen. And in which of the those worlds will I end up? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Difference Engine - The A.Z. Files I still don't know if it was me or my friend who died that day. No matter how many times I check that gravestone, the doubts remain. Timelines that are not chosen eventually disappear. Other possibilities only exist for as long as spacetime is broken. When the paradoxes are resolved, and the true timeline restored, will it be like the main in my dreams says it will? Will I disappear forever, gone even from the memories of the people who remain? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: New Bodhum - Area Information New Bodhum is a seaside village located some distance from Cocoon's pillar. Most of the residents are refugees from the former Cocoon town, Bodhum. The residents are trying to recreate the fireworks festival for which old Bodhum became famous. If they succeed, the town is sure to become a major tourist destination. From the Editor's Desk: Be sure to drop by NORA House, a peaceful cafe right on the beach that serves up a fatally delicious dish of deadly whitefish. When we asked the very attractive chef what exactly was in it, she told us 'It's better that you don't know!' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Bresha Ruins - Area Information The Bresha Ruins are the remains of an ancient city that once stood on the shores of Lake Bresha, one of the eeriest sights on Cocoon. During the events of the Purge that immediately preceded the fall of Cocoon, a Pulse fal'Cie turned the waters of the lake into crystal. From the Editor's Desk: Even burning flames became crystallized, creating spectacularly evocative and unusual landscapes. However, because the waters of the lake are now frozen solid, the famous fish restaurants that once dotted the shore are sadly no more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Yaschas Massif - Area Information The Yaschas Massif, in Pulse's southern reaches, is home to the ancient ruins of Paddra. Paddra was the only advanced civilization of ancient Gran Pulse, but after the War of Transgression between Pulse and Cocoon, it began a long decline that ended in its complete disappearance. From the Editor's Desk: The tough, mountainous terrain is a popular draw for mountaineers and other outdoor types. We recommend visiting Paddra, awe- inspiring even in ruins. Also worth a hike is the viewing platform next to the dormant fal'Cie. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Oerba - Area Information Oerba is an abandoned village located in the northern reaches of Pulse. The sand that covers the ground is powdered crystal that fell during the War of Transgression. In recent times, large numbers of Cie'th have been seen in the area. Presumably, they were created from living humans to serve some mysterious fal'Cie purpose. Cie'th are former l'Cie who failed to complete their Focus. From the Editor's Desk: Oerba is a designated Special Protected Zone, so visitors are not allowed. However, you might get permission from the Academy for an airship flyover. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Sunleth Waterscape - Area Information The Sunleth Waterscape is a nature preserve located inside Cocoon. After the catastrophe, the various fal'Cie that controlled the weather became dormant and the light of the fal'Cie Phoenix, which once served as Cocoon's sun, dimmed considerably. For these reasons, the native biosystem has broken down and the site is now a haven for monsters. From the Editor's Desk: Jars of concentrated miniflan mucus are sold exclusively at the local Academy branch office. Known as Firaga for the Tongue, the spice is wildly popular with chefs who need to give their dishes an extra dash of hellish heat. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Academia - Area Information Academia is the capital city of the settlements that have sprung up around the base of the Cocoon pillar. In the east is the merchant's area, with Grand Avenue running down the middle, and in the west is the residential district called New Town. To the north stands the headquarters of the Academy organization, a popular sightseeing spot for visitors and locals alike. From the Editor's Desk: After a full day of shopping, we recommend heading to the Academy HQ building and checking out the night views from the restaurant on the top floor. The restaurant is run directly by the Academy, and it serves up dishes that tickle the intellect as well as the palate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Augusta Tower - Area Information Augusta Tower is the giant electronic brain of Academia. The AI mind that occupies the tower stores precious data and records from centuries ago that cannot be found anywhere else. Apparently, there are freelance data miners who do nothing but search the archives for new information discoveries. From the Editor's Desk: When the tower was first built, a number of galas and parties were held featuring the tower mascots, Augy and Towpy. When the tower was closed to the public the mascots were discarded, to the dismay of small children everywhere. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Vile Peaks - Area Information Located in Cocoon, Vile Peaks is a massive dumping ground of waste and refuse. When the fal'Cie built Cocoon, and during later modifications, large quantities of material were lifted up from the surface of Gran Pulse. The unused surplus was discarded here, and now it is infested with roaming war machines of ancient Pulse. From the Editor's Desk: Forget about sightseeing. Not even the military is allowed full access. That said, there are a few brave collectors of retro war weapons and relics who sneak in here to scavenge for parts... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: Archylte Steppe - Area Information The Archylte Steppe is a broad plain located in a remote corner of Pulse. The few explorers who reach the steppe return with reports of a tribe of fiercely independent nomadic hunters who have lived off the land here for centuries, cut off from the rest of human civilization. The actual location has not been made public, but tourists with a bent for adventure might consider renting an airship and putting together their own expedition. From the Editor's Desk: Some believe that the hunters are descendents of the original inhabitants of Pulse, while others claim they are a lost tribe of Cocoon. If you could get close enough to win their trust, they might tell you their story. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Travel Guide: A Dying World - Area Information One of the prophecies recorded on the Oracle Drive excavated from the ruins shows a mysterious place called the Dying World. It appears to be inhabited by descendants of the ancient Paddra Farseers, as well as refugees from Cocoon. Scientist believe that this world is our distant future. From the Editor's Desk: Frankly, we're not sure if anyone would actually want to visit the place. But "We'll take you to the ends of the earth!" is our motto, so we've sent our crack intern researcher to check it out. We'll let you know the moment we hear from him again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ______________________________________________________________________________ Great Mog Wisdom 21/21 ______________________________________________________________________________ Delicate Crystal - The Wisdom of Moogles A time labyrinth is a work-in-progress space that its creator couldn't be bothered to finish because of a paradox, kupo. We can transform it into what it should be by resolving the paradox, kupo! I'll bet the creator was lazy and irresponsible, kupo! What? That sounds like me? N-no, it doesn't, kupo! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time's Stardust - Mog Confidential Ever wondered how moogles fly so fine in the sky? It's all thanks to our magic bobbles, kupo! They're made of crystal, kupo, and they conjure up an anti-gravity field that never lets us down. Our little wings are just for show, so people won't get jealous of our brilliant bobbles. Hehe. Now you know something no one else does, kupo! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time's Shell - Mog Confidential Tick-tock, the moogle clock runs on clockwork, kupo. If I forget to wind it up, it'll stop dead and we'll be in untimely trouble! ...And you want to know something really super secret? My moogle body is actually a puppet, and the real me is inside the clock! I am totally, absolutely telling the truth. Kind of. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time's Coral - Mog Confidential I have to do everything that Lightning tells me, kupo. Everything! In Valhalla, the losers obey the winners. It's the law, kupo. Where did I fight Lightning, you ask? In Valhalla, of course! It was an exciting duel. She threw down scissors three times in a row, kupo! I wasn't expecting that. Maybe I should have picked swords after all, kupo... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spinning Moonstone - Mog Trivia Fragments are little nuggets of information like frozen shards of time. You just have to touch them to fill your head with what's inside, kupo. You see, they are made of the same crystal that's inside the Oracle Drive. That's how they hold memories and stories and so much more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sparkling Runestone - Mog Trivia Snow is a stray cat that Yuj found, kupo! Gadot was just joking when he said they should call her Snow, but the name stuck and that was that. But in fact, everyone in the town has their own name for her, such as Esmeralda and Mewmew. It's one thing to call a girl cat 'Snow,' but when you give her a dog name like Spot, that's just wrong, kupo! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Astonishing Limestone - Mog Trivia The survival knife was a birthday present from Snow and Serah to Lightning, kupo. Serah treasures that knife because it reminds her of Lightning, but Gadot toot it, polished it, and then left it lying on the beach. It was a good thing I found it, kupo. But why did Gadot clean it, then leave it out to get rusty in the salt air? It makes no sense. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thrilling Milestone - Mog Trivia When Snow proposed to Serah, he gave her a very special necklace, kupo. It's shaped like the planet Cocoon, and it symbolizes how Snow and Serah will be together forever-just like Pulse and Cocoon, kupo! That was the idea, anyway. But the marriage is on hold until they find Lightning again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lovely Starstone - Mog Trivia The NORA Special is a dish served up tasty hot at the NORA House in New Bodhum. The cook is Lebreau, the best chef on all of Pulse, kupo! The menu changes every day, kupo. But whatever it is, Lebreau uses only the freshest veggies from the garden and fish from the ocean-it's a surf 'n' turf treat. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bubbly Stone - Mog Trivia Guess what? Gadot designed and built most of the buildings in New Bodhum, kupo. They're not exactly fine art, but they're tough and built to last, just like the architect. Not to mention, they're comfy like an old sofa, kupo. It's just the same as people. When it comes to homes, it's what's inside that counts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scorching Firestone - Mog Trivia When he used to live on Cocoon, Maqui sold all kinds of weird gadgets at a place called Lenora's Garage, kupo. These days, there are a lot of researchers over at the Academy who are getting good use out of his skeleton key set. He was trying to keep his little side business confidential, but Lebreau soon twigged what he was up to. She's got a nose for profits, that's for sure, kupo! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dewy Bloodstone - Mog Trivia When the folk of New Bodhum have a gripe or need advice, they always turn to Yuj. Gadot's too scary, Lebreau's too busy, and Maqui's too wacky. If Snow doesn't get back soon, he might find he's out of a job. It's hard staying king of the hill, kupo! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mossy Rosetta Stone - Mog Trivia There used to be this hit vidshow called 'The Katzroy Files,' kupo. The lead character was an unlucky detective who kept a chocobo chick in his hair. He wasn't much of a detective, but he was honest and always looked after his family. He was very popular, kupo. Apparently, he was based on a real person. I wonder if it's anyone I know, kupo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bittersweet Chiffon - Cuddly Chronicles Mog has been alone ever since he can remember. One day, a chocobo chick fell into the Void Beyond and asked him a question. 'Say, are you a Mog who's a moogle? Or are you a moogle who's also a Mog?' Mog replied, 'I'm a moogle, of course, and my name is Mog! And what a strange question from a chocobo chick with no name!' When she heard that, the chocobo chick fluttered her wings angrily, and said, 'I DO have a name, I do!' It was an encounter that stayed with Mog for a long time. Even now, he sometimes thinks back to that day, and wonders what happened to that little chocobo chick... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tremulous Muffin - Cuddly Chronicles Poor Mog had never met anyone of his own kind. One day, a group of quivering flan were whisked into the Void Beyond. 'Look at him, he's all round and white! He can join us! Then we'll be six!' 'Welcome to the miniflan musketeers-all for one, and one for all!' And so, just like that, Mog was a flan. One of the flan said, 'We flew here from the forest of Sunleth! Come fly back with us! 'But you didn't fly here, you were just carried into the Void Beyond,' objected Mog. Befuddled, the flan looked at each other...and then suddenly, all five of them were sucked into another gate! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Beloved Cinnamon - Cuddly Chronicles You know how Mog can turn himself into a weapon? Well, one day, in the Void Beyond, he met a monster much like himself. It was a flying weapon called a Centaurion Blade. It told Mog that these days, it wasn't fighting many battles. 'Are you a summoned weapon, Mog? Can you turn into a sword?' Mog replied, 'Of course I can, kupo!' And just like that, he turned himself into a handsome sword. Now, when Mog is a weapon, he can't move on his own. If he did, he'd just get in the way of whoever was trying to use him. When he explained this, the Centaurion Blade shook his pommel sadly. 'You are not one of my kind,' he said, and then disappeared. 'What a rude sword, kupo!' said Mog, and he stayed cross for a long time after. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Selfish Pancake - Cuddly Chronicles Mog had no idea if he was a monster, or an Eidolon, or just a simple monster. But one think he knew for sure, he wasn't a stuffed toy! After all, he told himself, how many stuffed toys can fly? One day, Mod got sucked into a weird and scary corner of the Void Beyond where he met a giant monster called Adam. 'Are you a fal'Cie?' asked Adam. 'Are moogles my brethren?' 'No, moogles are moogles!' Mog replied proudly. Then Adam said, 'I have no use for stuffed toys,' and disappeared before Mog had a chance to reply. 'Watch your manners, kupo!' shouted Mog after him, but Adam was gone, never to be seen again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Farewell Madeleine - Cuddly Chronicles One day, Mog heard rumors about another creature that looked just like him. So he set off through the Historia Crux to find the monster people called an imp. For sure, the imp and little flapping wings, just like Mog, and it could even hover in the air. But the more Mog looked, the less moogly the creature appeared. 'Are you a kind of imp?' asked the monster. 'Er, no, my eyes don't stick out nearly as much as your,' replied Mog. Well, this made the imp madder than anything, and he called his ahriman friend and chased Mog all over the Crux. No matter how much Mog protested that he meant it as a compliment, the imp would not forgive him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Teatime Mont Blanc - Cuddly Chronicles Mog could never remember how he ended up in Valhalla. The first monster he met was mighty Odin, towering over him. 'There is only one law in Valhalla,' intoned Odin. 'The weak must obey the strong.' Then, suddenly, he attacked! 'Seems like a silly law to me,' said Mog, 'but if that's the way it has to be...kupo!' With that, he launched himself gallantly at his giant foe, only to be swatted down in an instant. 'Well, I guess I lost, and that makes you the boss. What do you want me to do, kupo?' But Odin just glared down at him, and said, 'Bah! I have no use for one as weak as you.' Mog learned a valuable lesson-sometimes, words can hurt more than enormous boss monsters... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dishonest Mille-feuille - Cuddly Chronicles Valhalla is a world where only the strongest survive. Those who are born weak must hone their strength and skills in battle against more powerful foes. Mog heard that one of the strongest monsters around was the Knight Valfodr, so he decided to issue a challenge. Valfodr was not the kind of monster to show mercy, even when battling the puniest of foes. Despite his total, crushing defeat, Mog was pleased with the outcome. Now, he thought, he was ready to serve the mighty. But instead, Valfodr rejected him, saying, 'I have no use for one so weak.' Still, he left Mog alive and without a scratch. Maybe Valfodr wasn't so bad, after all? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pink Parfait - Cuddly Chronicles Lightning first found Mog lying on the shores of chaos, in the heart of Valhalla. Mog was trying to live down his title as the Weakest Monster of the Void, so he challenged Lightning to a duel, which he promptly lost. Mog assumed that Lightning would treat him like all the other victorious foes, and leave him where he lay. But instead, she said, 'Come. Get up, Mog.' He couldn't believe his moogle ears! 'You want me to follow you?' 'That's the rule, right? You lost, and now you have to do my bidding.' After that, Mog vowed he would serve Lightning for the rest of his life, no matter what, kupo. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ______________________________________________________________________________ Bounty Hunter's Prize 8/8 ______________________________________________________________________________ Ruthenium Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up Look, I'm gonna spell it out for you, nice and clear. The Bresha Ruins are suffering from a serious monster problem. There's a big reward for anyone who can shut down the infestation once and for all, but in the meantime, the government's handing out bounties for single monsters. We've got no choice if we wanna keep Cocoon safe for humans. The government has assigned us agents the task of handing out the bounty to registered mercs. We used to demand the head of every monster as evidence, but some heads are pretty hard to collect-from bombs, say. So now it's all automated and recorded direct to the kill count. Today's Kill Count: 13 monsters confirmed dead 6 hunters injured, none seriously ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rhodium Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up The mercs around here love their gold, yes they do. And silver, and gems, and whatever else they can turn into cash. Back in the old days, we used debit cards; almost no one carried hard currency. But when the paradox screwed up the entire system and no one could prove how much they owned, well... That was the nail in the coffin for virtual money! We'd always had a black market currency, under the authorities' radar-you know how people don't like paying taxes. Anyway, it was simple enough to switch over to that. And now even the government uses it. So metals are king again, and everyone loves their gold. Today's Kill Count: 17 monsters confirmed dead 3 hunters injured, 1 seriously ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Palladium Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up Monsters were too hot to handle today. Lots of casualties. Score one for the monster army, I guess. We gotta get more hunters on the job, or we're gonna be in a world of trouble. What's that? Why don't we leave the monsters alone, you say? Nah, wouldn't work. The government tried abandoning these ruins once, years ago. Oh, man, that was a disaster, let me tell you! The monsters kept comin' and comin'. They poured out of the ruins, out of the Hanging Edge, and started appearing in our cities. If we'd let things go on, Cocoon would have turned into one giant monster nest. So we introduced a bounty system and started to drive them back, bit by bit. Today's Kill Count: 3 monsters confirmed dead 20 hunters injured, 6 seriously ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Osmium Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up Monster extermination operations in the Bresha Ruins are being assigned to mercs by government agents. The Academy has adopted a total hands-off policy. Hmph. I guess this is all the government is good for now. We sit around and hire other people to do the dirty work for us. The Academy scientists are sucking up all the resources for that big project of theirs, and the government gets the crumbs. Still, if the gate research is completed and the monster infestation problem isn't solved, the Academy'll find it harder to steal our funding. Today's Results: 26 monsters confirmed dead. 10 hunters injured, 3 seriously ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iridium Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up The government sent me to one of the branch offices, so I have no idea what happened in the ruins, which means no report today. ...Although, I could tell you about my trip, I guess. I went to the old commercial city of Palumpolum, and I couldn't believe how many people are still living there. I guess it's not surprising. The city was barely touched in the catastrophe, and the provisional government was located there for a while. The residents have even kept the old name. Guess they like it. Today's Kill Count: 15 monsters confirmed dead 10 hunters injured, none seriously ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Platinum Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up We had our first fatalities today. They were fools who ignored orders, but still-you don't like to see it happen on your watch. We'll raise a toast to them tonight. It's getting hard to keep up with the kill count. The mercs are expanding the area of operations throughout the ruins. The improvements in the AMP tech are amazing, but we're still trying to figure out how to deploy the weapons effectively in the field. Lots of confusion, lots of mistakes, which means more work for me. Today's Kill Count: 36 monsters confirmed dead 2 hunters killed, 35 hunters seriously injured ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mythril Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the kind of monsters that come out of the paradox. We get wild beasts, ancient Pulse weapons, everything. Even military security bots attacking civilians. I wish I knew how they get up here into Cocoon. A lot of stuff that comes out, we have no idea what era it comes from. We get advanced bioweapons from the future, extinct monsters, creatures from what must be some other dimension. According to the eggheads, it's the gate that does it, pulling in beasts from all over the timeline. Today's Kill Count: 27 monsters confirmed dead
	5 hunters injured, 1 seriously

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adamantite Ring - Bresha Ruins Monster Mop-Up

	We've got some interesting news to report.
	It's about the mystery device that was
	unearthed in the Bresha Ruins in 5 AF.  I'm
	talking about the control device for Atlas.
	Turns out the technology in this thing is a lot
	more advanced than in the giant itself.

	We could actually build Atlas today, with our
	current know-how.  The problem is, the
	engineers haven't been able to figure out
	how the device works, and we'd have no way
	to control the giant.

	The controller appears to read human
	thoughts and transform them into physical
	action by some kind of...telepathy.  No one
	knows who built it, or how.  It's like an object
	from another world.  A real paradox.

	Today's Kill Count:
	33 monsters confirmed dead
	17 hunters injured, 5 seriously



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

Crimson Memories 10/10
______________________________________________________________________________


Waltraute's Flower - Message of the Orbs

	The crimson orbs hold the memories and
	remorse of people who were taken from this
	world through tears in the fabric of time.  The
	spheres hover silently above the ground
	until someone draws near whose heart is
	sensitive enough to hear their message.

	The crimson orbs are born as a rite of
	penance, sealed in time.  The stronger the
	remorse, the greater the price that must be
	paid before the burden can be lifted.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gerhilde's Blossom - Message of the Orbs

	Eidolons are beasts that dwell in Valhalla.
	L'Cie chosen by Etro are pitted against
	Eidolons in a trail by combat.  Those who 
	emerge triumphant receive a crystal called
	'eidolith,' which they may use to summon the
	beast to fight at their side.

	The weak must obey the strong.  This is the
	inviolable law of Valhalla.  Like any other
	denizen of the Unseen Realm, Eidolons are
	bound to answer every call of their master.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ortlinde's Bloom - Message of the Orbs

	In the city of Paddra sits a fal'Cie, sent there
	by the might god Pulse.  The fal'Cie channels
	the visions of the Farseer seeress and
	records what she sees on the Oracle Drive.

	The people of Paddra pay homage to the
	fal'Cie and worship Pulse who stands above.
	Devotedly, they bow their heads to the fal'Cie
	and the prophecies; fearfully, they kneel
	before Etro, the goddess of death whom the
	seeress serves.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Schwertleite's Flower - Message of the Orbs

	In ancient times there was a mighty spell
	that could summon meteorites and cast
	them upon the heads of foes.  The meteorites
	had crystalline cores, grown abnormally
	large in another spacetime.

	The attributes of the meteorite would differ
	depending on the nature of its core crystal.
	Some meteorites even held within them rare,
	otherworldly crystals knows as 'artefacts,'
	which in special circumstances might be
	used to open portals to other places-and
	other times.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heimwige's Nightshade - Message of the Orbs

	Caius, the peerless hero celebrated in
	Paddra legend, was a Guardian, appointed to
	serve and protect the seeress.  The sagas
	sung of his countless victories, of foes
	vanquished in the thousands.  He was called
	'Caius of the Ballads,' but despite his
	renown, none knew his true origin.

	He took the name 'Ballad' because of the
	one battle that nearly killed him.

	The foe was a fellow warrior of the Farseers.
	Overwhelmed by the strength and skill of his
	opponent, Caius was driven back and back,
	until it was only a matter of time before the
	final blow would fall.  But their duel was
	interrupted by an enemy attack, and during
	the ensuing battle Caius's opponent gave his
	life defending the seeress.  Caius believed
	that it was he who should have fallen in her
	defense.  Thus, to honor the fallen warrior, he
	took his name.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Siegrune's Spiritbloom - Message of the Orbs

	The most famous of the prophecies left by
	the seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul concerns the
	descent of the monster Ragnarok in the
	great battle for Cocoon.

	Long before this came to pass, the seeress
	named the two 'sisters' who would summon
	the beast.  'They shall come from the far 
	north, and the black-haired one shall be of
	the family Yun, and the red-haired one of the
	family Dia.'  The truth of the prophecy was
	later confirmed by the priests of Oerba.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rossweisse Skyblossom - Message of the Orbs

	At the height of Paddra civilization, the
	seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul of the Farseers
	prophesized its destruction.  In one of
	history's great ironies, the prophecy itself
	ignited the civil war that destroyed the 
	nation.

	The seeress realized that her very words
	had the power to change history and the
	future, and so, with her Guardian Caius and a
	few select escorts, she left the city for the
	wilderness.

	She covered her face with a veil, cast off the
	crown that made her ruler of Paddra, and
	became simply Yeul the Seeress.  Soon after
	that, she and her small band of followers
	disappeared from the pages of history.	

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book of Avalon - Words of the Seeress

	Hark, and hear the secret words of the
	Farseers.

	Only those blessed with chaos by the 
	goddess may travel the portals of time.  Even
	the fal'Cie, with all their great power, could
	not enchant the blessed and make them turn
	against the goddess.  The goddess's
	protection is nearly absolute.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book of Shambala - Words of the Seeress

	Hark, and hear the true words of the
	Farseers.

	On the day that the power of the l'Cie shook
	Cocoon from the sky, the goddess took pity
	on the people, forgave them their sins, and
	reached out a hand of salvation.  In that
	instant, two sisters were touched by
	Valhalla's might, and chaos was settled deep
	in their hearts.

	The symbol of Valhalla that shines on their
	garb is proof of their status.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book of Valhalla - Words of the Seeress

	Hark, and hear the sacred words of the
	Farseers.

	The weak must obey the strong.  This is the
	inviolable law of Valhalla.  Each monster that
	falls in battle becomes the servant of the
	victor.  For those whose hearts brim full with
	chaos, the power to bend monsters to their
	will extends beyond the borders of the
	Unseen Realm.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

The Honor of the Blitz Squad 7/7
______________________________________________________________________________


Torreno's Last Light - Blitz Squadron Chronicles

	Immediately following the catastrophe, the
	Guardian Corps took control from the
	Sanctum, Cocoon's then-governing body.  A
	provisional government was formed,
	consisting primarily of military personnel.

	The Cavalry, an elite unit of the Guardian 
	Corps, spearheaded the administration.
	Seeking to rebuild society on the strength of
	human science and free from dependence on
	the fal'Cie, they founded an institute called
	the 'Academy.'  Slowly but surely, the
	provisional government transferred authority
	to this new organization.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Baxter's Last Light - Blitz Squadron Chronicles

	Since the Academy's inception, its founders
	planned to focus heavily on social sciences
	and eventually merge with the existing 
	government.

	The responsibility for defending the populace
	from Pulse's hostile creatures also passed
	to the institute, and so, drawing on
	personnel from the former Guardian Corps,
	the Academy Security Regiment was born.

	Blitz Squadron is a part of that regiment-an
	elite unit trained specifically to neutralize
	paradox-related threats.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Falcon's Last Light - Blitz Squadron Chronicles

	Blitz Squadron's first duty was an operation
	at Lake Bresha.  The device used to control
	Atlas had been stolen by an anti-government
	group, and the squadron retrieved it within a
	single day.  It was a testament to the 
	efficiency of the Academy Security Regiment.

	The criminals in question were former
	PSICOM military, people opposed to the new
	society the Academy was striving to build.
	Even after the catastrophe, many residents
	remained on Cocoon, and more than a few of
	those pushed for the fal'Cie to be restored.
	This was one of the incidents that occurred
	in the midst of general unrest.	

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray's Last Light - Blitz Squadron Chronicles

	Along with the monsters and bioweapons
	from other time periods that appear near the
	gates, there are also many unique creatures
	whose natural habitat is in the Void Beyond.
	These creatures are known as 'Rift Beasts.'
	
	It was Blitz Squadron that learned the 
	ecology of nektons and meonektons.  The
	former swim freely through the Void, while
	the latter attach themselves to a particular
	spacetime.  It was the squadron's expansive
	compilation of data that allowed the
	Academy to build theories on the non-space
	that connects the gates.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thunder's Last Light - Blitz Squadron Chronicles

	In 9 AF, Blitz Squadron was given orders to 
	apprehend an anti-government group basing
	its operations out of the Pulse frontier
	lands

	The mission was a success, and at the
	group's base they discovered evidence of
	some incredible research.  The terrorists had
	obtained data on Atlas, the Bresha Ruins 
	giant, and were attempting to build their own
	mega-soldier.  This incident would later prove
	to be the catalyst for an unexpected debate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarge's Last Light - Blitz Squadron Chronicles

	In 9 AF, Blitz Squadron foiled an anti-
	government group's attempt to construct
	their own Atlas.  This incident sparked a
	heated debate among the members of the
	Academy.

	One faction insisted that they delete all Atlas
	data files to prevent future misuse, while
	another claimed that the construction of the
	giant weapon was a necessary evil.  If Atlas
	was indeed a future weapon, they argued,
	someone must build it or history would face
	another paradox.  With no conclusion
	forthcoming, the data files were eventually
	stored within Academy headquarters to
	await a final judgment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blitz Squadron Mission Report - Blitz Squadron Chronicles

	In 10 AF, Blitz Squadron, an elite Academy
	Security Regiment unit, returned from duty
	in the Vile Peaks.  During their mission, their
	entire airship vanished...and the crew along
	with it.  All hope for their survival was lost,
	until they miraculously reappeared three
	weeks later.

	During an awards ceremony that took place
	some time after, the squadron's leader was
	asked how they team got its name.  He
	revealed that it was an homage to one of
	their former squadmates from their Guardian
	Corps days, who went by the code name
	'Lightning.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

Fate's Recollection 18/18
______________________________________________________________________________


Heart Prism - Lenora's Garage Latest

	You're not going to believe this.  More and
	more people in New Bodhum have been
	learning spells after moving here from 
	Cocoon!

	It makes sense that Serah has magic powers,
	'cause she spent time dreaming in crystal,
	but when kids start screaming 'Fire!' and
	conjuring flames out of thin air, you have to
	start wondering.

	We asked Serah how she does her magic
	tricks, and she said something about
	'channeling the crystal within'-whatever that
	means.  Well, maybe some mysteries are not
	meant to be understood...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vita Lyrica - The NORA House Chronicles

	Serah has left on a journey, too, so things
	are going to get busy around here.  She was
	the only one who knew how to cook all the
	NORA House dishes; with her gone, it's just
	me holding down the fort.

	Serah used to get good grades back in 
	school.  History was her favorite subject.  She
	was teaching the kids the odd class here and
	there, but Snow and her were talking about
	building a proper school right here in New
	Bodhum.  When they get back, we're all going
	to pitch in and make it happen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anima Miseria - The NORA House Chronicles

	The last time Serah saw Lightning was right
	before she was turned into crystal.  She told
	Lightning about her plans to marry Snow, but
	when Lightning refused to bless their
	marriage, she took off running.  That's no way
	to say good-bye.  Those two still have
	unfinished business.

	Here in New Bodhum, Serah spent a lot of
	time looking up at the night sky, talking to
	Lightning.  She's never been able to let go.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unio Mystica - The NORA House Chronicles

	Back in Bodhum, on Cocoon, there was this
	weird relic called a Vestige which had been
	lifted off Pulse back when Cocoon and Pulse
	were fighting.

	Turns out that it was an old Pulse temple,
	and there was a fal'Cie inside that turned
	Serah into a l'Cie.  It seems crazy to think
	now that no on thought to check inside
	before they set it up next to our hometown.

	When Serah got turned into a l'Cie inside the
	Vestige, the Cocoon fal'Cie used the incident
	for their own purposes.  Serah's not a l'Cie
	anymore, and the brand is gone from her 
	arm, but she's still able to use magic.  I
	wonder if the power just stayed inside her
	after she was cured.  Or is it new, from
	somewhere else?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ars Symphonica - The NORA House Chronicles

	Everyone in NORA came from Bodhum
	originally, but there's not a soul living there
	anymore.  When Cocoon fell and almost
	smashed into Pulse, the whole town was
	wiped out.

	Funny thing is, no one was in the town thanks
	to the Purge that the Sanctum and PSICOM
	carried out.  Does that mean the Purge was a
	good thing?  Well, I wouldn't say that.

	Bodhum used to be famous for its fireworks
	festival, and our cafe would be busy as
	anything the night of the show.  I hope 
	someday we can bring those good times
	back here in New Bodhum.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pathos Jewel - NEW: Lenora's Garage Latest

	This new column, penned by your favorite
	junk and gadgets dealer, introduces newbies
	to the ins and outs of machines of all kinds.

	The crystal used inside the ancient Oracle
	Drive devices is a really amazing material.  It
	resonates with the thoughts of nearby
	people and reconstructs them in its atomic
	structure!

	Plus, if you inject energy into the crystal,
	you can freeze the structure into place.  So,
	if you think about something really hard, and
	then run a current of energy through the 
	crystal lattice, you can trap the images that
	were inside your head.  Scientists have even
	figured out how to date the recordings.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Misery's Bead - NEW: Lenora's Garage Latest

	Since I started dealing junk parts, I've been
	building quite a collection of broken weapons
	components.  I've divided them into tow main
	categories: military weapons and ancient
	weapons.

	Military weapons include things like
	bioweapons and mechs that were used by
	the old Cocoon military.  A lot of the top-
	secret stuff features streamlined designs
	and AMP (Antimatter Manipulation Principle)
	technology.

	The ancient weapons are mostly military 
	hardware that extinct Gran Pulse
	civilizations left behind.  These relics tend to
	be tough and heavy, like construction
	machinery, but some are really weird 
	contraptions using far-out technologies.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amur's Sphere - NEW: Lenora's Garage Latest

	We'd been having problems with our
	automated delivery system, and customers
	were complaining they didn't get their goods.
	For a virtual shop like us, this is a serious
	problem.  Then again, I only started this as a
	hobby, so do I really care if we go under?

	Well, anyway, we patched the problem by
	borrowing space on the Moogleworks
	system, which is why some of you have been
	greeted by a squeaky 'Welcome, kupo!'...Say,
	wouldn't it be wild if that shop was run by a
	real live moogle?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Innocence's Sacred Sphere - NEW: Lenora's Garage Latest

	The upgrades we do on wristwatches make
	them pretty much indestructible.  It all
	started when Snow asked us to customize a	
	watch for him, with a guarantee that it could	
	survive absolutely anything he might throw
	at it.

	Not sure why he'd want to try and wreck his
	own watch, but the customer knows best, I 
	guess.  Besides, the way Snow runs around
	like a behemoth with its head cut off, I figure
	he should worry more about himself than his 
	watch.

	People complained about how the earlier
	models looked, so we've brought my pal Yuj
	on board to spiff up the design.  If anyone
	knows about matching outfits, it's Yuj.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Orb of Clotho - The Book of Haerii

	This is the prophecy as told by Clotho,
	messenger of the otherworld.

	Great Fenrir is the fal'Cie of the skies above.
	By the will of the might god Pulse, Fenrir
	ceaselessly wanders the heavenly vault,
	searching for the great door lost at the
	equinox of existence.  This is the destiny of
	the fal'Cie Fenrir.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sword of Lachesis - The Book of Haerii

	This is the prophecy as told by Lachesis,
	messenger of the magic world.

	Ragnarok the beat shall bring down Cocoon.
	After the War of Transgression, two girls
	from the far north shall come to Cocoon, the
	nest of Lindzei, and transform into the beast
	that destroys it.  Until the end of time, this
	day shall be known as the Day of Ragnarok.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mirror of Atropos - The Book of Haerii

	The is the prophecy as told by Atropos,
	messenger of the heavens.

	The Thirteenth Ark is the fortress that 
	protects the heavenly vault.  When the heroes
	gather unto mighty Pulse to do battle in the
	war that must be fought, this shall be the
	stronghold.  Know now and remember that 
	the Ark shall by the salvation of all Pulse's
	children.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Giant Egg - A Research Director's Notebook

	What was the ultimate purpose of the
	Paddra Oracle Drives?  The dominant theory
	is that they were archiving devices for
	preserving images of the future.  These
	'archives' appear to consist of broken
	fragments of the seeresses' prophecies.

	To gain a clear picture of the timeline, it will
	be necessary to amass a large collection of
	these images and then piece them together.

	We have noted that the ancients stopped 
	recording visions after a certain point in
	history.  Did the process of recording to the
	Oracle Drive become an empty ritual?  Was
	some other means found to preserve the
	prophecies?  Or did the visions of the future
	grow so terrible that the Farseers thought it
	best they never be seen?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Extraordinary Egg - A Research Director's Notebook

	I still find it difficult to believe.  Today, we
	uncovered a recording of Snow in the
	machine.  There was nothing unusual about
	the image itself.  We expected that Snow
	might be traveling the timeline.  What shocked
	me was the brand.  He bore the mark of a 
	Gran Pulse l'Cie.

	Since the catastrophe, the Pulse fal'Cie have
	had nothing to do with human affairs.  They
	have shown no interest in attacking Cocoon,
	and they have no reason to make anybody a
	l'Cie.  Which leaves only one possibility-Snow
	himself asked for the brand.

	What is happening to Snow, in that distant
	future?  What terrible need drove him to take
	the l'Cie brand?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woolly Stone - The Melancholy of the Lambs

	We're the sheep of Gran Pulse
	and our wool is the best,
	We grow it this thick
	so it keeps off the pests.
	But the men chase us down
	with scissors and shears,
	And cut it all off
	before it covers our ears.

	Our Rough Wool is strong	
	and makes saddles and carpets,
	Our Thick Wool makes hats
	and booties and blankets.
	But it's our fine Fluffy Wool
	that holds them in thrall,
	When plucked at the roots,
	it's the best wool of all.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Setzer's Dice - A Gambler Speaks

	They say the future isn't certain.  But neither
	is the past.  Until someone checks, no one
	knows if a tossed coin comes up heads or
	tails.  For a brief moment, both possibilities
	exist.  The coin is heads-and-tails, potential
	realities overlapping.  A paradox.

	You've seen the evidence all around you. 
	Don't tell me you haven't.  Treasure boxes
	that appear out of nowhere, landscapes that
	shouldn't be there, gates that shimmer and
	flicker.  This is what happens when worlds
	collide.  It's like I always say... There's
	more to this universe then meets the eye.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cartesian Board - Valhalla Analects

	The Void Beyond is a chasm between the
	seen and unseen worlds.  It is a space made
	of shadows that are cast long and dark from
	Valhalla itself.  Many form closed, incomplete
	worlds that are known as temporal rifts.

	There are other kinds of places here, too,
	such as palaces and battle arenas molded
	from nothing more substantial than hopes,
	dreams and passions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Laplacian Board - Valhalla Analects

	There is no death in the Void Beyond.  Souls
	who long to die instead live within dreams
	that are spun from the fabric of their 
	deepest desires.  Once trapped within these
	dreams, they have no means of escape.

	Next time you look into a mirror, peer closely
	at the edge.  Do you see the ghostly 
	shimmering?  That is the world of dreams,
	known to some as the Mirror World.  It is an
	eternal place of wishes fulfilled and happy
	memories made real-yet the ghosts who
	inhabit it know not they are prisoners of
	eternity.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

Quiz Mastery 9/9
______________________________________________________________________________


Quiz Rank: Private - Figures of Note

	Captain Rygdea is a former Cocoon soldier.
	Following the catastrophe, he played a
	central role in running the provisional 
	government.
	
	Rygdea crushed the budding resurgence of
	the former administration by revealing the
	Sanctum's manipulation by the fal'Cie, and
	their subsequent slaughter of innocent
	civilians during the Purge.

	He lent his support to the Academy
	scientists who sought to promote 'human
	independence,' and encouraged the shift in
	authority from the government to this new
	institute.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiz Rank: Sergeant - Figures of Note

	Elida Karmic is a singer hailing from
	Palumpolum, Cocoon, and was popular
	during the 10s and 20s following the
	catastrophe.

	Her most memorable appearance was during
	the New Nautilus Auditorium Opening
	Concert, where director of the New Cocoon	
	Project, Hope Estheim, handed her a 
	bouquet of flowers.  Karmic and Estheim
	were classmates all through middle school.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiz Rank: Lieutenant - Figures of Note

	Colonel Yaag Rosch was an officer in the
	Sanctum's elite PSICOM Division.

	Along with PSICOM officer Colonel Nabaat,
	he acted as one of the primarch's
	staunchest supporters.  During the
	catastrophe, however, he chose to abort the
	operation ordered by the fal'Cie.  Rosch	
	redirected the military's efforts into 
	evacuating citizens, and in doing so saved
	countless lives. His fate following those
	events is unknown, but it is assumed he was
	killed in action.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiz Rank: Colonel - Figures of Note

	Bartholomew Estheim was originally an
	economist for a Sanctum-affiliated institute.
	Following the catastrophe, the newly formed
	provisional government employed him as a 
	financial advisor, where he was instrumental
	in the founding of the Academy.

	He is the father of Hope Estheim, the
	director of the New Cocoon Project.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiz Rank: General - Figures of Note

	Lieutenant Amodar was a soldier in Cocoon's
	Guardian Corps.  Although he once retired
	from duty in disgust at the military's handling
	of civilians during the catastrophe, Amodar
	re-enlisted to help protect people from the 
	hostile creatures of Pulse.

	The lieutenant's unique appearance was 
	used to create a duplicate-a 4D attraction
	code-named 'Captain Cryptic' that proved
	incredibly popular with children.  The original
	Amodar is said to also have been fond of
	quizzes and trivia.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stoic Virtue - Academy Datafile

	The deterioration of the crystal pillar
	supporting Cocoon continues, and it will only
	be a matter of years before a complete
	structural collapse occurs.

	Academy scientists are moving forward with
	plans to create a 'metashield'-an invisible
	cushion of force that will soften Cocoon's
	impact significantly, thereby minimizing the
	damage to Pulse's surface and preventing a
	catastrophic upheaval in the lowerworld's
	ecosystem.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Epicurean Song - Academy Datafile

	With our continuing progress into paradox
	research, we've come to learn that the
	future can influence the past.  Once events in 
	the future are decided, the past is altered to 
	support that outcome.

	For people in the future, the past is like an 
	unopened box.  Say, for example, at a certain
	point in time, someone makes a discovery in
	a set of ruins and learns a fact about the
	past.  In that instant of understanding, past
	reality is defined.

	But then the question must be asked: who,
	along the entire span of history, is 
	considered to be 'in the future'?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lyceum Knowledge - Academy Datafile

	The language of the human race has changed
	little since ancient times.  Records show that
	the tongue spoken by the people of Paddra
	almost a thousand years ago is functionally
	identical to that used by the present citizens
	of Academia.

	Although the language is much the same, it
	seems strange that the alphabets of Gran
	Pulse and Cocoon should vary so widely.
	Perhaps this variation stems from the fact
	that human language was not a naturally	
	occurring phenomenon, but a tool given to
	us by the fal'Cie.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Academia Wisdom - Academy Datafile

	The last Primarch in Cocoon was the ill-fated
	Cid Raines, who was killed in a coup d'etat
	shortly after his rise to office.

	The Cavalry, the military unit leading the
	rebellion, once followed him without question
	in their bid to overthrow the Sanctum.  They
	considered his acceptance of the
	government's highest position as
	incontrovertible proof of his betrayal.

	Captain Rygdea, member of the Cavalry and
	instigator of the coup d'etat, was the driving
	force behind the provisional government 
	formed following the catastrophe.  Although
	he spoke little of his former commander, he
	did have this to say of Cid Raines: 'He was
	exactly the sort of man we needed for this 
	new age.'


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

Graviton Core 7/7
______________________________________________________________________________


Graviton Core Alpha - The Hero's Trail

	Well, this is it.  I'm off to find Lightning.  Serah
	says her sister is alive, and if I don't believe 
	her, who will?  And this isn't just about
	Lightning.  Fang and Vanille are waiting for me
	to find a way to help them outta that pillar, 
	too.

	I'm going to leave my engagement pendant
	with Serah.  It's not the right time to get
	married, not while we still don't know the 
	truth.  Besides, I still need to get Lightning's
	blessing!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graviton Core Beta - The Hero's Trail

	Whoa, that was one crazy dream.  I didn't
	really get that talk about gates and artefacts
	and stuff, but ya gotta do what big sis tells
	ya, right?

	Looks like this journey is going to take
	longer than I figured.  But, Serah, and Gadot	
	and the gang, they'll understand.  Right?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graviton Core Gamma - The Hero's Trail

	Hey, Serah, can you hear me?  It seems like
	wherever I go, I leave this graviton ore stuff
	in my steps, which you're going to need at
	some point down the road.  Guess that means
	I should keep walkin', even if it doesn't get
	me anywhere.

	Who knows, maybe you'll hear this message
	some day, through the crystal.  At least then I
	won't have been talkin' to myself the whole 
	time.  So, Serah?  If you're listening, take care
	and come home safe!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graviton Core Delta - The Hero's Trail

	So, this is Oerba, where Fang and Vanille 
	came from.  You know, I always figured they'd
	be the last ones to turn to crystal and sleep
	forever.

	Although I guess they'd slept for centuries
	before they met up with us; I only ever knew
	them when they were up and runnin' around.

	If I'm going to free them, I need to get
	stronger-much stronger.  Strong like I was
	back then.  When I was a l'Cie.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graviton Core Epsilon - The Hero's Trail

	I passed by someone when I was in the
	Historia Crux.  He was sleeping, just bobbing
	along time's current.  I didn't get a good look
	at him, but crazy hair looked really 
	familiar.  It was Sazh-I'd bet my favorite
	bandanna on it.

	Thing is, last I heard he was piloting some
	airship.  I hope he didn't get caught up in any
	of this trouble.  He's had enough bad luck for
	one lifetime.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graviton Core Zeta - The Hero's Trail

	Hey, Serah.  It was good to see you-but hard
	to say good-bye again.  Don't worry about
	me, though.  I found my own gate.  And now
	I'm followin' my path.

	Hey, and Noel?  You there?  You make damn
	sure Serah finds her sister, you hear me?
	Together, you can do it.  I know you can.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graviton Core Eta - The Hero's Trail

	So here I am, in the Void Beyond.  I heard
	there's some kind of coliseum place up
	ahead.  I've got something I need to do there.

	All I have to do is climb on Shiva and head
	straight in.  Only one thing I'm worried about...
	What exactly is that Caius guy up to?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

An Affectionate Message 15/15
______________________________________________________________________________


Words of Light - Message from Lightning
	
	There is no time in Valhalla.  Events happen in
	chaotic order.  Noel Kreiss, I already sent you
	to Serah's side.  And yet, here I am in a place
	where we have yet to meet.  You get used to 
	it, I guess.

	My battles with Caius rage on, our conflict
	eternal.  But should I lose even once, and
	existence by destroyed, an empty void is all
	that would remain.  I cannot lose the war for
	Valhalla.

	I'm sorry, Serah.  This nightmare realm is
	where I need you to be...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Father's Song - Message from Sazh

	Hey there, Serah, I've got some 'intel' for you.
	Well, it's something I heard from Lightning in
	a dream.

	They guy you're fighting, he's got some
	serious backup.  How'd it go?  'Winged and
	fanged, born from chaos.  A cursed beast of 
	blackest night.'  I'd tell you more, but her
	voice go cut off all of a sudden.

	Me?  Right now I'm in some weird kinda
	palace.  I get this feeling I'm gonna run into
	someone I know, but I never seem to find
	'em.  But don't you go worrying about ol'
	Sazh.  You just watch your back!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vanille's Fruit - Vanille's Echo

	I've wanted to apologize to you for so long,
	Serah.  I'm the reason you were turned into a
	l'Cie.  It's my fault you had to suffer.  I
	couldn't say it before, so I'm saying it now.
	I'm sorry.  I'm so very sorry.

	Did you know that you were the first miracle
	in all of this?  You defied your l'Cie fate and
	turned to crystal of your own will.  It was
	your miracle that showed Fang and me that
	we had the power to save Cocoon.

	So don't ever stop believing in yourself.  You
	can make another miracle and protect
	Cocoon.  I know you can do it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fang's Crown - Fang's Echo

	I meant to apologize when we met, but I 
	never did.  So, Serah, this is my chance.
	Everything was my fault.  You were made into
	a l'Cie because I messed up.  Sure, I helped
	you out a little, but that doesn't make things
	right.  Vanille and I, we'll repay our debts by
	keeping Cocoon in the sky.

	It's not so bad.  I have Vanille here with me,
	after all.  Don't you worry about us, you just
	get yourself to Lightning.  That Caius guy
	she's fighting?  We've heard his name before.
	He's bad news-a real monster.  So hurry
	along, and help your sister out.  You're the
	one she needs to see more than anyone in
	this world!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope's Message - A Letter from Hope

	Serah, can you hear me, out there in the
	future?  I'm sending you an access code for a
	supply sphere.

	I trust this may help you in the fateful battle
	to come.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noel's Message - A Letter from Noel of the Future

	Hey, Noel.  You're not going to believe this, 
	but this message is a message from you.  I'm just a
	little further ahead in the timeline than where
	you are now.

	I've got a warning for you, my past self.  
	Things are going to get a lot harder from
	here on out.  But just remember to hang in
	there, no matter what.  You just might
	surprise yourself; you're a lot tougher than
	you think.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serah's Message - A Letter from Serah of the Future

	I don't know where I am.  I can't hear anything.
	I can't see anything.  It's cold, and dark, and
	I'm all alone.  This place is...dead.

	But I don't have any regrets.  I fought to the
	end.  I never ran away.  I just hope someone
	will remember me, now that I'm gone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chocochick Down - A Letter from Dajh

	Daddy went away for a while.  He said he was
	going to help Serah and her friends.  Let's do
	it Daddy!  I want to help, too!

	Hey, remember my daddy's chocobo chick?
	Well, its a girl.  So I've decided to call her
	Chocolina.  Cool, huh?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucky Coin - Sazh's Soliloquy

	You wanna know what I think?  This place
	I've ended up at, it's like a paradise for dead
	folk.  See, some people die before they have
	a proper chance to live, but here they can
	enjoy themselves and forget about their
	regrets.

	Maybe in the beginning it was just a fairy
	tale, but some kind of cosmic switcheroo
	made it as real as day.

	Thing is, I'm not suppose to be here.  I
	guess when Dajh and me got caught up in
	that mess a few years back, the powers-that-
	be thought I got killed or somethin'.  But I
	didn't.  I'm as alive as can be.  So I'm leavin'
	and headin' back home to Dajh-just as soon
	as I hit one more jackpot!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Priceless Gift - Sazh's Soliloquy

	The casino owner told me somethin'
	interesting the other day.  He said there's a
	Coliseum out in the Void Beyond.
	Supposedly, dead heroes from all over-or at
	least, copies of them-gather there to duke it
	out for honor and glory.  Of course, I'm no
	hero, so it's got nothing to do with me.

	Makes me wonder, though.  This palace is for
	dead people, and that Coliseum, too.  Do you
	have to be dead to get into the Void Beyond?
	I sure hope not, cause I'm not done livin'!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lapis Lazuli - Dreams of the Daughters

	In the future, Fang and I are called the
	'daughters of the goddess,' right?  It's kind
	of embarrassing, to be honest.

	When they say goddess, I guess they mean 
	Etro.  I remember her.  When Fang and I first
	tried to hold up Cocoon, we felt this...kindly
	strength, surrounding us.  It was the same 
	feeling as back when I first turned to crystal.

	I bet Fang doesn't remember it as well as 
	me, but I think maybe it was the goddess we
	felt.  Although the priests back home always
	made her out to be much scarier than that.
	So maybe I'm wrong?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heliodor Ore - Dreams of the Daughters

	While we're here, sleeping inside the pillar
	that holds up Cocoon, Lightning is fighting to
	protect Etro.  I wonder why.  Etro is a cruel
	goddess.  She sends Eidolons to persecute
	dying l'Cie and slaughters her 'children' as
	carelessly as we swat flies.

	I don't really know what Lightning's game is,
	but I can tell you this.  She's in a really bad
	place.  Once she set foot in there, she had no
	way to get out.  It's hard for her to be heard 
	while she's in there, too.  So, Serah, you've
	got to help.  Listen to your heart-you might
	hear Lightning if you do.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carnelian - Dreams of the Daughters

	Hope visited again.  We always know when he
	does.  He comes to check on the pillar.  Fang
	and I are lost in our dreams, but even so, we
	know when our friends are close.  We can feel
	them in our hearts.

	We're fine here, inside the crystal.  But I
	worry about the future.  I...I caused so much
	trouble for the people of Cocoon.  And for
	Serah, and her sister, and their friends and
	family.  Hope, we're counting on you to save
	the future and stop the tragedy from
	happening all over again!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestine - Dreams of the Daughters

	That idiot Snow is hell-bent on going to the
	Coliseum.  There's nothing there, except dead
	fools fighting for a glory that no one will ever
	know.  Is he really that obsessed with
	becoming strong?  The worst part is, he's
	doing it for our sake.

	I really wish we could tell him to forget
	about us and help Serah and Lightning.  It
	was our fault they got caught up in this
	mess in the first place.  If things keep going
	the way they are, maybe our nightmares'll
	come true, and those two girls won't ever
	see each other again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cosmo Aura - Dreams of the Daughters

	Serah, can you hear me?  Fang and I just had
	the most wonderful dream.  We were in a 
	place I didn't know, with a young man and
	woman who I've never met.  They were
	laughing together, enjoying the moment.  They
	were so happy.

	When I think that we're helping to build a
	future for people like that, the weight of
	Cocoon doesn't seem that heavy at all.  Fang
	and I are here inside the crystal, but even so,
	we can feel you in our hearts.  So, Serah,
	don't give up, okay?  You can make a future
	where everyone can be happy again.  I know you
	can.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

Oracle of Etro 13/13
______________________________________________________________________________


Ultima Brand - Words of Protectors Past

	The Heart of Chaos does not grant the 
	Guardian power-it eats away at their
	physical self.  Caius did not gain an immortal
	body, but was cursed with eternal life.

	Heed my words, Noel.  You are the last
	protector, and the only one who can wrest
	the Heart's strength from Caius.  In the
	instant you strike the life from his body, you
	shall either inherit the curse, or break its
	eternal grip.  Only your will can sway fate one
	way or the other.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Omega Brand - Words of Protectors Past

	The eidolith that summons Bahamut is set
	into the hilt of Caius's greatsword.  Bahamut
	is an Eidolon of Valhalla-a gift from the
	goddess of chaos to her l'Cie.

	No one now living knows why Caius
	possesses the crystal eidolith of a l'Cie.  It
	was centuries, nay, more than a thousand
	years past that he became a Guardian, and
	his companions of that age have long since
	departed this mortal realm.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chaos Brand - Words of Protectors Past

	A massive battle once raged on Gran Pulse.
	Paddra was besieged by a great army that
	sought the life of the seeress.  In the face of
	this assault, Caius chose to perform an
	'incarnate summoning.'  This ritual merged his
	essence with that of the Eidolon Bahamut,
	and drew forth all their latent power.

	An incarnate summoning expends the life 
	force of the summoner, and thus did Caius
	perish.  But he returned from death's domain,
	an immortal heart heating within his breast.
	That dark summons is now his to wield at
	will-as long as the Heart of Chaos pumps 
	eternity through his veins.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crimson Crystal - Tablet of Memory

	Valhalla is a world that is connected to every
	age, every timeline.  When the seeress of the
	Farseers gazes into the future, Valhalla is at
	the heart of the vision.

	The seeress also has the power to send her
	inner voice through Valhalla and then to the
	time and place of her choosing.  However,
	only those with great chaos in their hearts
	are able to hear the words of the seeress.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Azure Crystal - Tablet of Memory

	In the heart of Valhalla stands Etro's temple.
	The throne that sits within, the throne of the
	goddess, is always empty.

	No one can say how long the goddess's
	temple has stood in this place.  In a world
	where time does not exist, such a question
	has little meaning.  Some speculate, however
	that the goddess built the temple with her
	own hands, as a prison for some long-
	forgotten enemy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forest Crystal - Tablet of Memory

	The seeress of the Farseers knows the exact
	moment she will die.  However, she is 
	forbidden to change the timeline in order to
	save herself.

	The seeress has no choice but to accept her
	preordained end.  This is the law of the
	Farseers.  Each change of the timeline
	creates new victims, spawns new tragedies,
	and not even the seeress can tell how great
	those losses shall be.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amber Crystal - Tablet of Memory

	Valhalla, where the temple of the goddess
	stands, floats on the vast ocean of chaos
	into which all things must flow.  There is no
	beginning or end to chaos.  Those that fall
	into its waters are condemned to float for
	eternity in the rift between life and death.

	The ocean of chaos has drowned the
	Pedestal of Time.  There, on that holy of
	holies, did the goddess Etro first step into
	the Unseen Realm.  But as her power waned,
	the sacred spot where her foot touched soil
	sank beneath the sullen waves.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Violet Crystal - Tablet of Memory
	
	The seeress of the Farseers has left us
	many prophecies, but amongst them the
	most enigmatic must surely be this: 'When
	Valhalla consumes the sky, a new star
	flashes like lightning, and in the heavens
	twinkles distant hope.'

	What does it mean when 'Valhalla consumes
	the sky'?  What is the new star that flashes in
	the sky?  Does this prophecy foretell a future
	of salvation-or destruction?  No one can
	say.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Etro's Sorrow - Yeul's Confessions

	Etro granted the most selfless of gifts.  Her
	power and strength flowed through the gate
	to the Unseen World, and with each passing 
	second she drew weaker and weaker.

	Now the goddess sleeps within the Heart of
	Chaos.  Should she cease to exist, then the
	power that she granted to humanity, the
	power that makes their universe whole, will
	disappear.  When the sands of time run out
	on the goddess, so too do they on the world
	of man.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pulse's Resolution - Yeul's Confessions

	When the people of Cocoon first came down
	to the surface of Gran Pulse, magic filled the
	earth.  Among the people, there were those
	who awakened to this power.  I saw it happen.
	I saw time distorted and twisted.

	When the timeline was changed and history
	broken, fissures appeared in the wall that
	separates the spirit and the material.  The
	crystal power that was once bestowed only
	upon the l'Cie was released, and it
	permeated deep into the soil.  Now normal
	humans can spin enchantments and spells-if
	they know how.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lindzei's Desire - Yeul's Confessions

	The part of the humans we call 'soul' is a gift of
	the goddess.  In all our hearts flickers a
	small piece of the chaos of Valhalla.

	From Valhalla, you can see every age, every
	timeline.  I see the future because Valhalla
	lives in my heart.  The Eyes of Etro is not a
	unique gift, reserved for the special.  Every
	human who claims a soul can gaze into the
	future.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mwynn's Tenderness - Yeul's Confessions

	Our bodies are made of the blood of the
	goddess.  Our souls are formed of the chaos
	which she bestowed upon us.  The Farseers
	were an ancient people who embraced the
	chaos more than any other.  They were
	Pulse's oldest tribe, and I was their seeress.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bhunivelze's Sleep - Yeul's Confessions

	In the physical world, it contains within its
	form endless chaos.  By the will of the 
	deities, it gives birth to all things.  I 
	speak of crystal.

	The eternal dream world of the crystal lies
	within the Unseen World.  Even the gods long
	to find their way to that place.  In all crystal, 
	the heart that shines mostly brightly is called
	Bhunivelze.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
______________________________________________________________________________

Paradox Ending 8/8
______________________________________________________________________________


Transcript: A Giant Mistake - Excerpts from an Alternate History

	'Okay.  So ultimately, it was the Academy
	themselves who built Atlas?'

	'Looks like it,' replied Serah, scanning the
	data they had just recovered.  'It started
	when the forces who were trying to restore
	the old Cocoon reactivated the dormant
	fal'Cie.'

	'Atlas was a weapon built to protect humans
	from the fal'Cie?'

	'Yeah...' said Serah, before lapsing into
	silence.  Noel followed her gaze skyward.  If
	the Academy had not built Atlas, more and 
	more of the fal'Cie would have been
	awakened by the other side.

	But even so, was there no other way to
	counter the threat?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript: Vanille's Truth - Excerpts from an Alternate History

	Long ago, in ancient times, Cocoon and Pulse
	fought a terrible war.  Two women called Fang
	and Vanille released a monster and began to
	march on Cocoon.  At that moment, the
	goddess unleashed a powerful spell and
	turned them both into crystal statues.
	Their slumbering forms were placed in a
	temple in Oerba, which, in time, was lifted up
	into Cocoon itself.  There they slept until,
	hundreds of years later, a young girl 
	wandered into the temple and was made a l'Cie.

	That girl's name was Serah.  This was the 
	moment that marked the beginning of the 
	thirteen days of the Purge.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript: Mog's Marvelous Flan Plan - Excerpts from an Alternate History

	It all began with a chance meeting with a
	single flan.  Mog translated from the flan
	tongue to humanspeak, and back again.  The 
	flan had some incredible news.  'The true
	Royal Ripeness has been born, kupo!'
	(Although, the flan didn't really say 'kupo.')

	'Does that mean we failed?  We didn't change
	history after all?' asked Noel.  Mog nodded in
	response.  Noel and Serah looked grave.  How
	could they hope to defeat the greatest flan 
	that ever lived?  It was even more powerful
	than the original Royal Ripeness!  The 
	situation was bleak indeed.

	Unless...'I have an idea, kupo! Mog can save
	the day, kupo!' Noel and Serah had never
	seen Mog so confident.  They looked at each 
	other gloomily.  They weren't looking forward
	to hearing Mog's idea....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript: Test Subjects - Excerpts from an Alternate History
	
	'Let's go!' barks the officer.  At his command,
	several soldiers pound into the elevator.  This
	is Augusta Tower, central information
	processing facility.  The men are members of 
	the resistance.

	It is 400 AF.  After the Cie'th Incident, the
	Proto fal'Cie Adam now rules Academia.
	Adam is manufacturing an army of military
	fal'Cie which it will use to control the human
	population.

	But humanity is fighting back.  The soldiers
	have infiltrated the tower in an attempt to
	steal the machines' crystal supple and put a
	halt to the fal'Cie production.  At the same 
	time, something is changing inside the 
	captive Noel and Serah...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript: The Future is Hope - Excerpts from an Alternate History

	Snow was riding the highways of time when
	he came across a gate projecting strange,
	flickering images-images with showed
	Serah.

	Snow saw her receiving an artefact from an
	unknown young woman, hesitant, unsure of
	the gift.  Then as he watched, the scene
	changed, and changed again, and again, a	
	tumbling kaleidoscope of visions, countless
	fragments of histories Snow has never 
	known.

	'Damn!  Someone is trying to rewrite history!'

	Snow realized he had to act fast.  He leaped
	onto trusty Shiva and headed for the gate.  A
	new adventure was just beginning-the hunt
	for the thirteen crystals!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript: Beneath a Timeless Sky - Excerpts from an Alternate History

	Yeul knows that this was the world she
	wanted.  'Noel is here, I'm here.  That's all I
	need.  No Caius.  Just us.  We can start over
	again, and this time make it better.'

	But Noel wants more.  He wants a future.  He 
	wants everything.  People, life, all of it, the
	bad as well as the good.

	Yeul lifts her head.  'If that's what Noel wants,
	then I want it, too.  Look, Noel, a star is 
	falling.  A new door is open.  Perhaps beyond
	it, the real future is waiting...'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript: Heir to Chaos - Excerpts from an Alternate History

	Across Noel's mind flitted one of Caius's
	memories.  A memory from a thousand years
	ago: Caius fighting a warrior and losing,
	pushed to the brink of defeat.

	But the gods refused to bless either of
	them, and the warrior was called to Valhalla
	before the duel reached its climax.  Caius
	might have been saved from his curse of 
	eternity.  Instead, he had to wait.  Wait for the
	birth of Noel.

	Noel's eyes snapped open.

	'You make your own myths, Caius.  But I'm
	going to save everyone my way.  Yeul, and
	Serah, and yes, you, too.'

	So saying Noel's mouth curled into the old,
	familiar smile.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transcript: Fate and Freedom - Excerpts from an Alternate History

	'Hey, can moogles talk?' Dajh has dropped by
	NORA House to play, and as usual he's
	peppering me with questions.

	'Of course they can.  They know lots of 
	things, and love answering just about any
	question you might have.'

	'Hohoho.  Since when did you become a 
	moogle expert?' laughs Sazh as he strides
	into the house.

	He has a point.  Why do I think I know about
	moogles?  I mean, they're just make-believe
	creatures from children's books.
	Yet...somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm
	sure I've met one.

	'What's wrong?' Dajh is looking up at me,
	wondering why I've suddenly become so
	quiet.

	I tell him it's nothing.  But it isn't nothing, and
	for the rest of the day, my head is full of
	thoughts of moogles...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~~*~~  2)  Datalog  ~~*~~

______________________________________________________________________________

Significant Persons 14/14
______________________________________________________________________________


Lightning
	
	Lightning is now the goddess's champion,
	and has sworn to protect Etro's temple in
	the Unseen Realm of Valhalla.  She fights
	a never-ending battle against Caius Ballad, the
	man who would destroy the goddess and
	unleash the energies of chaos upon the 
	world.

	From Valhalla, where the entire span of
	history can be seen, Lightning sends her
	voice to past companions and guides them
	to where the timeline needs them most. After
	a brief reunion with her sister in a future
	New Bodhum, the former soldier entrusts
	Serah and Noel with a mission to prevent the
	prophesied fall of Cocoon, while she herself
	prepares for a final confrontation with Caius
	in the city beyond time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serah Farron

	Serah began her journey through time to
	search for her sister, Lightning, who
	somehow slipped through the cracks of
	history.  She is a gentle person at heart, but
	shows her strength of will when faced with
	difficulty or hardship.

	During the events leading up to her
	departure from New Bodhum, Serah was
	'blessed' with the ability to see changes to
	the future-a power known as the 'Eyes of
	Etro.'  This power has its source in the
	chaotic realm of Valhalla, and each ripple in
	history drains a little more of her life force.

	Even knowing the danger in which this puts
	her, Serah is determined to accompany Noel
	as they strive to make changes and bring
	hope for the world of tomorrow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snow Villers

	Snow is Serah's fiance and a former l'Cie.
	Three years ago, he proved himself a hero
	when he saved Serah alongside Lightning.
	After the catastrophe that befell Cocoon, he
	left on a journey to find Serah's missing 
	sister.  The determined NORA leader has 
	vowed not to return until he is successful,
	and left Serah with an engagement necklace.

	Snow once escaped the cursed fate of a
	l'Cie, but his arm still shows the glowing
	brand of servitude.  It appears the
	irrepressible hero encountered more than
	just Time Gates during his journey to find
	Lightning.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oerba Dia Vanille

	Vanille was born in the Gran Pulse village of
	Oerba.  She fought against Cocoon in the War
	of Transgression hundreds of years ago, but
	turned to crystal before her Focus was
	complete.  The catastrophe that occurred
	centuries later was set in motion when she
	awoke from crystal stasis.

	After meeting with Lightning and Snow,
	Vanille decided to fight for the home of her
	new friends, and sacrificed herself to save
	Cocoon.  Even now, the Gran Pulse native
	sleeps within the crystal pillar that supports
	the fallen shell.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oerba Yun Fang

	Fang is a l'Cie from the same village as 
	Vanille.  She transformed into the monster
	Ragnarok during the War of Transgression
	and came close to destroying Cocoon.  In her
	moment of triumph, however, an irresistible
	force intervened and scorched her brand.
	Fang and Vanille then fell into a premature
	crystal slumber.

	When she awoke with Vanille several
	centuries later, their actions started a
	catastrophic chain of events.  Fang eventually
	redeemed herself by being part of the
	miracle that saved Cocoon, and now sleeps
	within the crystal pillar alongside her fellow
	Gran Pulsian.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope Estheim

	Hope is a high-level advisor for the Academy.
	He proposed, and came to direct, the New
	Cocoon Project started in 10 AF.

	To oversee the completion of the project,
	Hope and Alyssa Zaidelle entered a time
	capsule in 13 AF, and awoke in the year 4XX
	AF.

	A charismatic figure overwhelmingly popular
	with the people, Hope feels a duty to protect
	the project's founding ideals.  Even more so,
	he is consumed with a need to rescue Fang
	and Vanille from their slumber within the
	crystal pillar.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sazh Katzroy

	Sazh is one of the former l'Cie responsible
	for protecting Cocoon.  With a chocobo chick
	as his constant companion, this courageous
	father three himself into battle to rescue his
	son, Dajh, from a fate worse than death.

	In his regular occupation, Sazh works as a
	top-class pilot.  He continued to fly airships
	after the fall of Cocoon, but one day he
	simply disappeared along with his son.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alyssa Zaidelle

	Alyssa has been promoted to Hope's main
	assistant, and is the foremost researcher in
	the field of Time Gates and paradoxes.  It was
	her report on the events that took place in
	the Bresha Ruins in 5 AF that caught Hope's	
	attention and led to her rapid rise in the 
	Academy.

	There are some who believe she is using 
	Hope to further her own ambitions, but her
	knowledge of spacetime theory is such that
	the young director entrusts her with an
	entire branch of research.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mog
	
	Mog is a small, mysterious creature covered
	in white fur.  He has bat-like wings that he
	often beats as he flits around, but his power
	of flight does not appear to rely on them.

	Mog has a crystal bobble that reacts to the
	presence of anomalies, and he is proficient
	at finding lost objects, but his most
	astounding feature is his ability to transform
	into a weapon.  With the right components
	available, Mog is capable of evolving into
	even more powerful weaponry.

	Lightning came across Mog in Valhalla, and
	asked the strange little being to act as
	Serah's protector and good luck charm.

	Although he closely resembles the fictitious
	moogles described in Cocoon's fairy tales,
	the connection is uncertain.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NORA

	NORA is a vigilante group of young do-
	gooders from the Cocoon town of Bodhum.
	No strangers to fending for themselves, the
	group went on to found the settlement of
	New Bodhum in the harsh environment of
	Pulse.

	NORA consists of four core members: the
	intimidating Gadot, Snow's right-hand man;
	the amiable mood maker, Yuj; the mechanical
	genius, Maqui; and the NORA House resident
	chef, Lebreau.

	Snow, NORA's founding member, is presently
	away from New Bodhum.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chocolina

	Chocolina is a time-traveling merchant who
	can be found all over the world.  There are
	reports of this mysterious trader appearing
	in almost every age in history.  Some rumors
	say that she is a certain creature that took
	on human form...

	Aside from offering an assortment of wares,
	Chocolina is also an expert craftsperson,
	able to synthesize special weapons and
	items from raw materials.  She will, however,
	always insist on collecting a fee.

	Chocolina derives great joy from offering her
	services to needy time travelers, and seems	
	to know much about Serah and Noel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeul

	Yeul is a seeress, burdened with the power
	of prophecy-her life span grows shorter
	with every vision of the future.  She dies at a
	young age, only to be born once more among
	the Farseer people.  Each reincarnation has
	the same appearance and ability, and is given
	the name 'Yeul.'

	The Yeul who Noel befriends is the last
	seeress.  She promises the young hunter that
	they will meet again, before breather her
	last.  The last vision she sees is not one of
	despair, but of hope.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noel Kreiss

	Noel is the last child of humanity, born in a
	world 700 years after the catastrophe.  He is
	the hunter from the future who encouraged 
	Serah to step out of the present and into the
	flow of time.

	Noel is one the Farseer tribe, and became
	the seeress Yeul's protector at a young age.
	The earnest hunter yearned to best Caius in
	combat, but was abandoned by his mentor
	before he had the chance to prove himself.
	Finally, unable to save Yeul from her mortal
	fate, Noel was left alone, the last human on 
	earth.

	Noel refused to give in to despair, and when
	he reached out his hand to Etro, the goddess
	sent him to Valhalla to meet with Lightning.
	Thus began Noel and Serah's mission to save
	the future.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caius Ballad

	Caius Ballad is a former l'Cie and the
	immortal Guardian of the seeress, Yeul.

	Everything this man has done for the past
	several centuries has been for the purpose
	of freeing his charge from her curse of
	eternal reincarnation.  If he can kill the
	goddess and send the artificial Cocoon
	plummeting into Pulse, the resulting flood of
	volatile chaos through Etro's Gate would
	shatter the boundary between Valhalla and
	the mortal realm.  Life and death would cease
	to hold meaning, and Yeul's cruel fate would
	finally be undone.  Or so Caius believes...

______________________________________________________________________________

Paradoxes 11/11
______________________________________________________________________________


Time Gates

	Time Gates appear as strange glowing
	portals, and each requires a specific
	'artefact' to activate it.

	By passing through these gates and traveling
	outside the timeline, it is said one can
	eventually arrive in Valhalla.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artefacts

	Artefacts are the keys that activate Time
	Gates.  These objects can appear in any form,
	and are only identified as 'things that
	shouldn't exist' or 'items from another time,'
	making the search for an artefact a difficult
	task.

	Artefacts are strongly tied to their 
	possessors, and are also said to take on
	completely different shapes depending on
	the person who handles them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Historia Crux

	The Historia Crux is the crossroads that lies
	between the Time Gates.  It is a separate
	dimension connecting one age to the next.

	This surreal plane is said to be the border of
	the chaotic realm of Valhalla, and only those
	with an affinity for the power of chaos are
	able to use it to travel through time.  Even
	the godlike fal'Cie are not free to enter the
	Historia Crux as they please.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paradoxes

	Following the appearance of the gate that
	appeared in New Bodhum in 3 AF, Time Gates
	began showing up in a multitude of locations.
	The research institute, the Academy, gave a
	name to the anomalies that accompany the
	arrival of these gates and cause impossible
	things to happen-they called them
	'paradoxes.'

	In any location where a paradox is present,
	people report strange occurrences, such as
	the sudden appearances of unusual
	monsters, and odd connections to other
	times and places.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cocoon's Fall: The Prophecy

	In the Oracle Drive images that Hope shows
	at the Yaschas Massif, there is a scene that
	clearly shows Caius causing Cocoon to fall.

	Oracle Drives are said to hold the
	prophecies of the seeress.  And in Noel's
	world, seven hundred years in the future,
	Cocoon has already fallen.  From these two
	facts, it is predicted that the crystal pillar
	will crumble within the next few centuries,
	and send the massive sphere plummeting
	towards the surface of Pulse.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Crystal Pillar

	During the catastrophe of 0 AF, a gigantic
	crystal pillar appeared and caught Cocoon in
	its embrace.  This miracle was the work of
	Fang and Vanille, two women who sacrificed
	themselves to achieve the impossible.

	In the centuries that follow, however, erosion
	weakens the massive structure.  This second
	threat to Cocoon triggers a war among its 
	people, and the resulting violence brings the
	sphere crashing to the ground.  The
	apocalyptic age in which Noel was born is 
	what remains of the world after those tragic
	events come to pass.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gates of Augusta

	ACADEMY DATANET FILE

	This information is accurate as of the year
	200 AF.  The highest floor of Augusta Tower
	is the site of the gate that behaves differently
	from a standard time portal, instead leading
	to a 'virtual space' within the AI mainframe.

	To activate this special gate, one must climb
	to the top floor of the tower and directly
	access the AI's core.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paradox and Memory

	Something strange is happening to Noel's
	memory.  The affected parts appear to be
	anything related to Yeul, Caius, and the
	history of Cocoon's fall.

	The problem is not with Noel-interference in
	history has destabilized the past, giving rise
	to another type of paradox effect.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlas

	Atlas is a massive, humanoid war machine
	found within the Bresha Ruins, and it began
	an uncontrolled rampage when the paradox
	effect was triggered.  Only the left hand of
	Atlas was uncovered, but the rest of its
	invisible body is thought to exist in a 
	different spacetime.

	Despite being excavated in the ruins of an
	ancient city, the technology that powers the
	giant is far beyond the capabilities of that
	age.  Researchers theorize that Atlas is
	actually a man-made weapon pulled into
	present from some future time period.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proto Fal'Cie Adam

	ACADEMY DATANET FILE

	Proto fal'Cie Adam is an artificial fal'Cie that
	oversees the city of Academia.

	This man-made entity handles all of the roles 
	previously filled by the Cocoon fal'Cie.  Adam
	is an all-powerful being who protects the
	lives and interests of the citizenry-a fal'Cie
	for the people.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Thirteenth Ark

	ACADEMY DATANET FILE

	The Thirteenth Ark is an ancient Gran Pulse
	military facility capable of sustained self-
	levitation.

	The floating fortress is currently deserted,
	and a number of Academy research teams
	have been sent inside to investigate.
	Scientists are primarily interested in the
	mechanism that allows the Ark to remain
	afloat without a constant supply of power
	from the fal'Cie.

	The purpose of the facility remains unclear.
	Some theories posit that the Ark was in 
	operation during the war between Pulse and
	Cocoon.


______________________________________________________________________________

Society 13/13
______________________________________________________________________________


Fal'Cie and L'Cie

	The fal'Cie are supernatural entities that
	once governed the floating paradise of
	Cocoon.

	These godlike beings possess the power to
	curse humans, transforming them into 'l'Cie.'
	Lightning and Serah were once enslaved as
	l'Cie, and given the task of destroying 
	Cocoon.

	Lightning defied the will of the fal'Cie, and
	steered her fate down a different road.
	Following the catastrophe, the fal'Cie of
	Cocoon fell into a slumber.  A different group
	of fal'Cie exists on Gran Pulse, but they
	show little interest in the activities of
	humans.	

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

L'Cie and Cie'th

	L'Cie are cursed human servants of the
	fal'Cie.  Those chosen to serve find their
	bodies marked with a 'brand,' and are given
	orders in the form of a vague vision.  This 
	vision is known as a 'Focus,' and l'Cie are
	granted magical powers in order to fulfill
	their abstract destiny.

	L'Cie that complete their Focus are
	transformed into eternal crystals.  Those who
	fail to do so within the allotted time are
	stripped of their brand, and become hideous
	monsters known as 'Cie'th.'  These mindless
	creatures are bereft of emotion and reason,
	and lose all semblance of humanity.

	Serah was once chosen as a l'Cie, but
	through the heroic efforts of her fiance and
	her sister she was safely returned to her
	human self.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catastrophe

	Three years ago, mankind stared into the
	face of extinction when Cocoon almost 
	crashed onto the surface of Pulse.

	The sphere's fall was halted by Lightning's
	companions, Fang and Vanille.  Their
	desperate sacrifice summoned a massive
	pillar that cradled the plummeting Cocoon in
	its crystalline branches, averting an
	unimaginable disaster.  The two l'Cie now
	sleep within the pillar in crystal form, and
	there are some who believe Lightning
	slumbers alongside them.

	A new age began from that day forth, with
	each subsequent year marked by the letters
	AF, or 'After the Fall.'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magic

	'Magic' is the ability to draw on the crystal
	power residing within oneself and make
	possible all manner of incredible feats.  This
	power was once only the province of l'Cie,
	but since the catastrophe and the migration
	to Pulse, some former citizens of Cocoon
	have suddenly developed the ability to wield
	magic.  Serah is one of these people.

	Many of those who now command magical
	energies are simple civilians, and have never
	had Serah's experience of once being a l'Cie.
	It is theorized that the move to Gran Pulse
	has awoken these abilities, and people are
	beginning to see magic as just another tool
	in their everyday lives.  Noel is also capable
	of casting spells, but doesn't seem to think 
	of himself as anything special.	

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summoning

	Serah's ability to summon monsters is
	another power born from chaos.  The
	summoner seals defeated creatures in
	crystals, and calls them forth when needed.
	The weak serve the strong-it is the this law of
	the Unseen Realm that binds the summoned
	monsters to the will of their master.

	Some l'Cie command Eidolons, and the
	underlying principle is similar.  The difference
	that sets this new power apart, however, lies
	in the ability to acquire multiple monstrous 
	allies.  In her dream, Serah saw Lightning
	leading an entire army of beasts, and this is
	likely a more powerful version of the same
	ability.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Gran Elevator

	The Gran Elevator is an ambitious project
	that aims to build a conveyance that will
	travel along the crystal pillar and connect
	Cocoon to Gran Pulse.  The main purpose of
	the elevator is to provide a means to
	transport materials from inside Cocoon, and
	help speed construction of the city springing
	up at the base of the pillar.

	With completion of the elevator scheduled
	for 4 AF, it is still under construction when
	Serah and Noel first pass through a Time
	Gate in 3 AF.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Academy

	The Academy is the institute that governs
	the world's people, and has its headquarters
	in the city of Academia.  It is a research-
	based organization founded with the aim of
	promoting human independence from the 
	fal'Cie, and has rebuilt society based on the
	pursuit of this ideal.

	The scientists of the Academy are currently
	moving forward with a plan to relocate the
	entire human race to a new, man-made
	Cocoon by the year 500 AF.  For that 
	purpose, the provisional government body
	has granted the institute various
	administrative powers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proto Fal'Cie Project

	ACADEMY DATANET FILE

	The Proto fal'Cie Project began in 13 AF,
	under the direction of the Academy.  The
	objective was to develop an artificial fal'Cie
	in order to re-levitate Cocoon.  The project
	was proposed and designed by Alyssa
	Zaidelle, and directed by Hope Estheim.

	The Proto fal'Cie Project is currently
	underway in Augusta Tower, the Academy's
	central network facility.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Man vs. Machine

	CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

	In the decade following the commencement
	of the Proto fal'Cie Project, a conflict arouse
	in the Academy between the AI construct
	and its human creators.

	The construct insisted that the Proto fal'Cie
	be imbued with the full powers of a fal'Cie,
	but the scientists countered with the
	argument that the more dangerous combat
	functions were unnecessary.  With no
	compromise forthcoming, the project faced
	termination.

	In 13 AF, the project director, Hope Estheim,
	was assassinated and the debate died with
	him.  The Proto fal'Cie was eventually created
	with the fully functional ability to change
	humans into l'Cie or Cie'th.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duplicates

	A duplicate is a human-like entity created by
	the Academy by scanning a person's 
	molecular information and reproducing it as
	a solid model.  It is basically a physical copy
	of that person, but incapable of independent
	thought-certain molecular functions cannot
	be reproduced and are supplemented with
	approximate calculations.

	Although possessed of a physical body, and
	some military-purpose models do exist,
	duplicates are essentially solid, three-
	dimensional images.  For this reason, should
	a duplicate ever be disconnected from the
	network it would cease to exist.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time Capsule

	The time capsule, designed by Alyssa
	Zaidelle, is a device that enables a limited
	version of time travel.  A powerful
	gravitational field is produced within the
	capsule, significantly decelerating the flow of
	time.  This results in a phenomenon where a
	single day for the occupant translates to the
	passage of several centuries in the outside
	world-for all intents and purposes bringing
	the capsule's interior into the future.

	Considering a passenger cannot return to
	the past, and substantial risks concerning
	life-support system failure have been
	projected, the time capsule has yet to 
	progress beyond experimental trials.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graviton Cores

	A Graviton Core is an extremely rare
	material discovered within the Thirteenth
	Ark.  The Ark is kept aloft by the buoyant
	force produced through the cross-reaction
	between crystal ores clustered within the
	core.  This system provides a semi-perpetual
	energy source, eliminating the need to rely
	on outside power supplies.

	The man-made Cocoon and its massive
	population will require far more power to
	stabilize than the floating fortress. In order
	to maintain constant levitation, scientists
	calculate that at least five separate Graviton
	Cores will be needed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The New Cocoon

	The New Cocoon Project, proposed by Hope
	Estheim, entails constructing an entirely new
	shell that will house the relocated human 
	race.

	This project began based on predictions that
	the crystal pillar supporting Cocoon will 
	eventually collapse.  A proposal to re-float
	the current Cocoon was also considered but
	subsequently rejected due to the necessity
	of reviving the fal'Cie to provide a compatible
	power source.

	Construction of the man-made Cocoon
	began in 10 AF, and is scheduled for
	completion in the year 500 AF.


______________________________________________________________________________

Locales 7/7
______________________________________________________________________________


Cocoon and Pulse

	Cocoon is a massive sphere, constructed
	and set in the sky by the powerful and
	enigmatic beings known as the 'fal'Cie.' Up
	until 0 AF, it was a floating paradise that was
	home to several million people.  Now,
	however, the broken shell rests on an
	immense crystal pillar, bereft of the power 
	source that once kept it aloft.  The interior of
	the sphere has deteriorated, forcing the
	population to relocate to the land below.

	The lowerworld, known as either 'Pulse' or
	'Gran Pulse,' is an unforgiving wilderness
	infested with predatory monsters.  This world
	once boasted a civilization that stood in
	conflict with Cocoon, but traces of its
	culture exist only in ruins.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Bodhum

	New Bodhum is one of the settlements built
	by immigrants from Cocoon on the shores of
	Pulse.  Many of its residents, including Serah
	Farron, are former inhabitants of Cocoon's
	seaside town of Bodhum.

	Serah's finance, Snow, chose the settlement's
	name.  The members of his group, NORA, help
	work the fields and protect the townspeople
	from roaming monsters.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Bresha Ruins and the Purge

	During the catastrophe that befell Cocoon,
	the Bresha Ruins were the site of terrible
	casualties.  The reason for this can be found
	in the Purge.

	The Purge was the name given to the mass
	deportation of Bodhum's residents.  The
	fal'Cie manipulated the actions of the
	Sanctum and the elite army unit known as
	PSICOM, sowing chaos and inciting conflict
	among Cocoon's populace.

	Many civilians fled to Lake Bresha and its
	ruins to escape the Purge, but a great
	majority were crushed by ancient structures
	that collapsed when Cocoon's momentum
	was suddenly halted.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Academia

	ACADEMY DATANET FILE

	Academia is the capital city of the
	settlements that have sprung up around the
	base of the Cocoon pillar, and the location of
	the Academy Headquarters.

	Construction of Academia began
	approximately four hundred years ago.  Later,
	the artificial fal'Cie Adam was completed and
	set to oversee the running of the city.

	Academia is protected by a highly advanced
	security system.  In the event that intruders
	enter the city, a range of countermeasures
	will be set in motion to contain and eliminate
	the threat.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Augusta Tower

	ACADEMY DATANET FILE

	Augusta Tower is the central information
	processing facility of the Academy.  The
	entire edifice is occupied by the machinery
	of an artificial intelligence that possesses
	unprecedented processing power.

	The tower also houses the Proto fal'Cie
	Project, an ambitious plan to create a man-
	made fal'Cie.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serendipity

	'Serendipity' is the name of the fantastical
	wonderland that appears in the folklore of
	Gran Pulse, and was first imagined by a
	certain minstrel of old.

	This mythical palace exists on the border
	between life and death, and is said to only
	open its doors to those chosen by Lady
	Luck.  The fortunate souls that gain entrance
	experience joy and amusement beyond 
	measure, cavorting in an eternal 'now' that
	knows neither day nor night.

	The minstrel who penned the original fable
	vanished before its completion.  Some say
	the goddess herself invited him to
	Serendipity.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Coliseum

	In a lost corner of the Void Beyond, there is
	a place where might souls gather.  It is a
	testing ground for powerful warriors from 
	every age and every reality, who come to pit
	their fighting skills against one another.  On
	the Day of Reckoning, it is said these 
	combatants will join the battle to end all
	battles.

	Only one law governs the Coliseum-the weak
	serve the strong.  The one that stands 
	triumphant in this arena commands 
	unswerving loyalty from the rest.


______________________________________________________________________________

History and Myth 11/11
______________________________________________________________________________


The Goddess Etro

	In the ancient annals of Gran Pulse, Etro
	appears as the goddess of death and chaos.
	She is said to reside in the world where the
	souls of the dead find their rest-Valhalla.

	The people of the lowerworld worship Pulse,
	the great deity from which the land takes its
	name.  Many tales from their folklore portray
	Etro as the abhorrent goddess of the 
	afterlife.

	In the city of Paddra, however, faith in the
	goddess was commonplace, and it was said 
	that the seeress drew her prophetic powers
	directly from Etro.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valhalla

	Valhalla is an otherworldy dimension, also
	known as the Unseen Realm.  According to
	Pulse legend, it is the final resting place of 
	the souls of the dead, and the chaotic world
	where the goddess Etro makes her home.
	Some theories describe it as a city that 
	exists beyond the flow of time, and others
	claim it is a future where time has come to a
	standstill.

	The seeress of Paddra describes it thus:
	'The entire span of time can be seen from
	Valhalla.  But to exert power beyond its
	borders, one must first open Etro's Gate.'

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guardians

	The warriors who accompany and protect
	the seeress Yeul are chosen from among the 
	most capable of the Farseer people.
	
	A Guardian is the strongest of these, a
	defender that wields the power of chaos.
	This power is said to surpass even the
	godlike might of the fal'Cie.

	Only one true Guardian is permitted to exist
	at any one time.  Another protector of the
	Farseer tribe who challenges and defeats
	this champion becomes the new Guardian
	and wielder of chaotic energy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heart of Chaos	

	The Heart of Chaos is the goddess Etro's
	own heart, given to Caius.  It is the font of the
	immortal Guardian's power.  Only if another 
	potential Guardian defeats him and takes
	this power can Caius truly be killed.  And the
	only person remaining in this world with that
	potential is Noel.

	In the new Guardian has enough strength of
	will, he can release the Heart's power and	
	put an end to immortal destiny.  If he wavers,
	however, he will be enslaved in chains of
	chaos, and become the latest in a line of
	eternal servants.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eyes of Etro

	The 'Eyes of Etro' is another name given to
	Yeul's power to see changes in the timeline.
	Not restricted to the past or future, Yeul can
	witness any period in history.  This ability is
	associated with the power of chaos, and is
	thus seen as a blessing of the goddess.  The
	fact that Serah shares this ability is a sign
	that she has come under the gaze of Etro at
	some point in the past.

	Every time a seeress has a vision, a part of
	her life force is drained away.  For this 
	reason, all the Yeuls of history have died
	before their twentieth birthdays.  The Eyes of
	Etro cannot be voluntarily closed, and most
	often open when history undergoes a
	significant upheaval.  Noel is afraid that every
	change they make during their journey is
	eating away a little more of Serah's life span.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oracle Drives

	Oracles Drives are ancient image-capturing
	devices found across the breadth of Gran
	Pulse.  They appear to hold the visions seen
	by the Paddraean seeress.  Images that 
	depict the future as seen from that time
	have been proven to be accurate.

	An Oracle Drive was discovered near the
	Paddraean Ruins by Hope and his team of
	researchers.  Due to the appearance of 
	several gates in the area, the scientists are
	focusing on the relationship between the
	drive and the paradox effect.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Farseers

	Centuries in the past on Gran Pulse, a
	people known as the Farseers built the
	prosperous city of Paddra.  They flourished
	under the guidance of the seeress, whose
	predictions of the future guided the growth
	of their civilization.

	After the War of Transgression that took
	place between Cocoon and Pulse, it is
	thought that the Farseer civilization died out.
	Another theory suggests that the people of 
	Paddra became a nomadic tribe, and still
	roam the wilds of Gran Pulse.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unseen Chaos

	The chaos of the Unseen Realm is a 
	malevolent energy that seeps through into
	the world of mortals.  The existence-defying
	darkness witnessed by Lightning is an
	immense and inexorable force, a creeping
	doom that she is not even certain acts with a
	unified purpose or will.

	Where the chaos of Valhalla leaks into the
	mortal realm, the laws of the physical world
	are undone.  This paradoxical energy seeks
	to return all existence to the Unseen Realm,
	but at times it seems to show an almost odd
	affection for those who share an affinity with
	chaos.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Etro's Gate

	The instant Etro's Gate opened, a world-
	devouring darkness slipped through from
	Valhalla.  The goddess turned back the river
	of time and that terrible darkness-the
	Unseen chaos-was sealed away.

	Her power exhausted, Etro fell into a sleep
	from which she would never awaken.  It was
	Lightning who sensed that someone meant to
	exploit that weakness and destroy the
	goddess for good.  She learned of the man
	called Caius Ballad.

	If the goddess is destroyed, the chaos of the
	Unseen Realm would be unleashed, and the
	mortal realm devoured by Valhalla.  Lightning
	decided to stand and fight, to protect Etro
	and see her benevolent will upheld.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Death of a Goddess

	The goddess is dead.  Noel plunged his sword
	into the Heart of Chaos, and Etro's very
	presence faded away like mist.

	Freed from the deity's constraints, the chaos
	of the Unseen Realm then rose up in a great
	wave and smashed apart Etro's Gate with
	contemptuous ease.  The swirling maelstrom
	roiled forth with a strength beyond 
	imagination.  All of existence was engulfed in
	darkness, and the world that remained was
	bereft of life and death, past and future.

	At the height of her battle with Caius, 
	Lightning realized this fate was unavoidable.
	The weary warrior accepted her defeat, and
	entered into crystal slumber with but one
	wish in her heart.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An Immortal Wish

	To destroy the divine heart within his breast,
	and unleash the maelstrom of chaos-this
	was Caius's only wish.  And so he waited.

	He needed one who could surpass him in
	battle and had the potential to still the Heart
	of Chaos.  When Noel was born, the 
	Guardian's prayers were answered.  If Caius
	failed to open Etro's Gate, he would force
	Noel to slay the goddess.  With the timeline
	still bent and distorted, the chaotic energy
	freed by that act would rise of its own
	accord and shatter the gate.  It was his only
	hope.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~~*~~  3) Copyright 2012  ~~*~~


This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission by me Cynthia Cassini. Use of this
guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly 
prohibited, and a violation of copyright.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~