Backdropp of History

Ivalice is an entire geographical region in the world that consists of three continents: Valendia to the north, Ordalia to the west and Kerwon to the south. The region is populated by a handful of unique races, each with its own culture and traditions.


"Continent on the western edge of Ivalice. The vast plains in the interior are home to the great Rozarrian Empire. To the east of Rozarria the land is arid and largely desert. The Galtean Peninsula on the eastern portion of the continent is a crossroads connecting to Valendia and Kerwon both, and a strategic prize sought by empire and kingdom alike. Though Dalmasca controlled the peninsula for the last several hundred years, it was lost to the
Archadian Empire in an invasion two years past." —Ordalia, Sage Knowledge


"Continent lying to the northeast of Ordalia. The climate is overall quite clement, and levels of Mist are far more stable than on the other two large continents. Many towns and villages dot the hilly region stretching from the continent's interior to the shores of the Inner Naldoan Sea, most under the direct control of Archadia. The Kingdom of Nabradia, lying on the Phon Straits in western Valendia, prospered here until its destruction in the Archadian invasion of two years past, its capital of Nabudis becoming a deserted wasteland." —Valendia, Sage Knowledge


"Largely forested continent lying to the southeast of Ordalia. Climate varies greatly by region, and many less hospitable areas are uninhabited. In the west of Kerwon dwell the garif, in the wooded north dwell the viera, both living in peace, apparently unaffected by the expansionist hunger which has so dominated hume history. Though the hume presence is strong on the other continents, in Kerwon they can only be found in the eastern highlands, on the slopes of the holy mountain of Kiltia, Bur-Omisace." —Kerwon, Sage Knowledge


"A great landmass, floating in the skies above the Naldoan Sea. Such landmasses are not uncommon, found throughout Ivalice in every sort and size, though the manner of their formation remains a mystery. The region in which they float has some bearing on their climate, however most are warm to subtropical, boasting primordial jungles in which flora and fauna both rare and wondrous can be seen. The crust of these floating islands boasts a high magicite concentration, and after airships became a common mode of transport, mining colonies sprung up on the richest outcrops. Bhujerba, in Dorstonis, is the largest of the skycities, and oversees the administration of many of the rest." —Purvama, The Floating Lands, Sage Knowledge



Ivalice is made up of three continents, though only small regions of each are explored in Final Fantasy XII. This explored area, centered on the Galtean Peninsula, is particularly mountainous in the western and southern sides, while the northern part is mostly rolling plains. The three continents; Ordalia, Valendia and Kerwon all have distinct characteristics. The Galtean region of the Ordalia continent is a desert area with rocky mountains spread out at the western reaches, making airship travel more feasible, though not entirely possible with the presence of Jagds. Vast plains are found in Ordalia's interior, away from the coast.
The Valendia continent is lush and verdant. Southern Valendia is mostly hilly grasslands, as seen with the landscape of the Cerobi Steppe. The Kerwon continent is more arid than most areas in Ivalice, even in its lowlands; though the highlands mostly experience snow. This continent is heavily forested and filled with Jagds. For the record, there has been no successful attempt to explore this continent.The Naldoan Sea is the largest water body in Ivalice. It is located east of the region, in the Jagd Naldoa. Further east, the Naldoan Sea rushes down the slopes known as the Ridorana Cataract. It is believed that in ancient times, this area was once land, but for some mysterious reason, the ground collapsed, leaving behind a majestic waterfall. Because this area is Jagd, it's nigh accessible; ships will be pulled down the waterfalls, and airships can't fly in Jagds.
Jagds are a prevalent geographical element in Ivalice. They are heavily filled with Mist and are, as such, shaped by it. Jagds can be found all around Ivalice, and each have different characteristics, for example, Jagd Difohr is snowy while Jagd Yensa is mostly desert.


Climate in Ivalice can be naturally occurring or heavily influenced by Mist. For instance, the Giza Plains experience two seasons; The Dry where sand sweeps into the plains, and The Rains where water floods the lowlands, making several areas inaccessible. Mediterranean climate is experienced in areas like Balfonheim, Rabanastre and Bhujerba. Rainclouds can be seen forming in the Cerobi Steppe before falling in the Giza Plains. Other areas are heavily influenced by Mist. The Jagds are one such area, where snowstorms and sandstorms are prevalent, attracting creatures known as the Elementals and Entites.


Ivalice was once governed by the Occuria, powerful entities with supernatural powers that relied heavily on Mist. Able to communicate with all living beings, including dragons, their rule was absolute. Some creatures had mystical bindings laid upon them, hinting that the creatures might have served the Occuria. At one point, the Occuria created the Espers who would become their servants and do menial tasks for them. However, the Espers, thinking themselves more powerful than their creators, revolted against them in what would be the Thousand Year War, led by the High Seraph Ultima.The Occuria managed to defeat the Espers and bind them in glyphs, then sealed them in unknown locations. Feolthanos, a member of the winged aegyl race, married a viera, starting a sub-race called the Feol Viera. Seeing this an abomination to order, the Occuria attempted to punish Feolthanos, but he fled into the sky continent of Lemurés where he sealed himself and his people. After the tragedy, the Occuria withdrew into Giruvegan, where they watched over Ivalice as their "all-seeing gods". Ivalice was thrown into chaos almost immediately, but somehow order returned when Raithwall, a nobleman from Valendia, won the favor of the Occuria and was granted three shards of deifacted nethicite and with their power successfully subjugated a vast region stretching from the continent of Ordalia, the entire Galtean Peninsula and the continent of Valendia, creating the Galtean Alliance and called himself the Dynast King. Two of the shards of nethicite were passed on to the ruling families of the kingdoms of Dalmasca and Nabradia, while the third the King kept for himself. During his reign, the city-states of Archadia and Rozarria rose to become a military might and, years after the Dynast King's death, became Empires. Other areas were expanded to become the kingdoms of Nabradia and Dalmasca and the Republic of Landis. However, the two Empires continued their expansion on the guise of "protecting their interests". A single Occuria known by the name of Venat deserted Giruvegan and allied itself with Dr. Cid of Archadia, teaching them how to manufact nethicite, attempting to severe the Occuria's hold on mankind. Cid began lusting after true deifacted nethicite for his studies, and Archadia, also wary of Rozarria's attempt to invade its borders, subjugated the kingdoms in the Galtean Peninsula; assimilating Landis, destroying Nabradia obtaining Midlight Shard, and finally invaded Dalmasca, obtaining the Dusk Shard. Marquis Ondore of Bhujerba, a so-called neutral country, rallied the Resistance, a band of rebellious forces from all of Ivalice, to fight against the military might of Archadia. The battle took place in Dalmasca's capital Rabanastre, with Archadia's mightiest airship, the Sky Fortress Bahamut, leading the charge against the insurgence. The Sky Fortress was fueled by Mist from the Sun-Cryst, a giant piece of nethicite brimming with Mist. The Sun-Cryst was destroyed,
ending the Occuria's hold on mankind, and the Mist that spilled forth from its depths was absorbed by the Bahamut, activating it. However, the battle ended when Archadia's war leader, Vayne Solidor, was defeated in battle by Ashe, the princess of Dalmasca, said to have died in the initial Archadian invasion. After peace was forged and order restored to Dalmasca, sky pirates discovered Lemurés, which was revealed when the Mist from the Sun-Cryst destroyed its barrier. Ivalice was again under threat from the Judge of Wings, an enigmatic figure out to drain the Auraliths of anima to gain immense power to destroy Ivalice. A sky pirate band attempted to stop this threat, and forged an alliance with Llyud, member of the aegyl. Their efforts led them to Feolthanos, who had become a god-like figure to the aegyl and who attempted to conquer all of Ivalice to exact his revenge
upon the populace. His attempts were put to an end by Vaan and his band of sky pirates, and Ivalice again was at peace. After Feolthanos's defeat, the sky continent of Lemurés shattered, and the aegyl left Ivalice to look for a new home.


Many races populate the region of Ivalice. Revealed throughout the game are humes, viera, bangaa, moogles, seeqs, garifs, Urutan-Yensa, Nu Mous, baknamy, and Occuria.


The main political forces in Ivalice are those in Archadia and Rozarria, constantly warring after Archadia's takeover of Dalmasca and Nabradia. Archadia's Imperial Senate contains the Emperor and some of his trusted people. The Senate, more particularly House Solidor, also controls the Ministry of Law, with the Judges at its head. The Archadian Senate controls most of Ivalice. However, the only House known to exist in Rozarria is House Margrace, when Al-Cid meets the party at Mt. Bur-Omisace. The Rozarrian army is rumored to be the equal of the Archadian army.


The people in Ivalice generally are worshipers in the Light of Kiltia religion. The religion was founded by the prophet Kiltia who saw a vision of the gods and saw it his mission to spread the message given to him. This polytheist faith system established itself in Mt. Bur-Omisace, where, to this day, faithfuls cross the dangerous Jagds in their self-imposed pilgrimage. The Kiltias, many of which are humes and nu mou, tend to the pilgrims, who make a camp on the base of the area. In recent years, the war between the empires, Archadia and Rozarria, caused many to be left homeless, and refugees flocked to the Paramina Rift in Jagd Ramooda, increasing the burden of the Kiltias to tend to their needs. In a shocking move, the Archadian Empire defiled the temples of Mt. Bur-Omisace and murdered their leader, the helgas Gran Kiltias Anastasis in search of Larsa Solidor. Even so, the Kiltias had not lost hope and continued to preach their faith.

Please note not all these races are playable and I will will make a seperate thread for characters and who you can play. This is to show you the races and roles/history


Based almost entirely on the real-world species, humans are usually the most numerous and politically dominant sentient species in any given Final Fantasy world, particularly in the main series. As the most common sentient species, they are often considered to be a standard or average to which the biology, psychology, and culture of other species and races are compared. A rather potent race, Humans have been witnessed occupying, or at least having the capacity to occupy most jobs in the Final Fantasy worlds. Final Fantasy XII Humes are the most common race in Ivalice. They have no real special abilities, and have the second shortest life span of any race in Ivalice, next to the aegyl. Despite this, they have managed to set up large Empires and Kingdoms all over the continent and effectively achieved global dominance due to their industrious nature. Humes can be compared with moogles in this regard, and probably have the closest relationship with the moogle than any other race, as seen in many instances when moogles are employed by humes. However, races of all kinds inhabit hume settlements. Hume characteristics in Ivalice vary, but there are visible patterns based on location. For example, Dalmascans generally have darker skin and light hair, whilst Archadians are paler with darker hair.



The viera have rabbit-like features, including long ears and supple limbs. Due to their long feet, viera wear stilettos most of the time. The viera also have a heightened sense of smell, which can put them at a disadvantage against some the smellier monsters in Ivalice. The viera are sensitive to mist and if they are exposed to too much mist, they will go into a frenzy, known simply as a mist frenzy. When experiencing a mist frenzy, a viera can literally tear apart metal shackles and kill armored humes with unarmed blows.

The viera's ears do not only allow them to hear over great distances, but they also allow them to listen to the voices of the spirit world. They can put this ability to great use, either to communicate with the world around them. Furthermore, the viera have approximately three times the lifespan of humes.

Viera have light-colored hair, though those who choose to live among humes often color their hair in shades of brown or black. As with the bangaa, the viera are divided into two main branches: the light-skinned Veena Viera and the dark-skinned Rava Viera.
Veena Viera.

Rava Viera.


The viera live deep within the woods; male and female viera live separately from each other and only make contact and communication when the need arises. Their lifespan is three times that of humes. Viera have superb eyesight compared to that of humes; it is said that they can spot their prey from as far as 10 km (6.22 miles). Their sense of hearing allows them to tell the difference in footsteps, which comes in handy if they are being hunted themselves.


The bangaa are a lizard-like race, populating all of Ivalice. They have long faces, scaly skin, and tough limbs. Due to their brute force, the bangaa are generally considered to be the most physically prominent of all the Ivalice races. Voices aside, their reptilian appearance make it difficult to distinguish the sexes from each other. However, it is considered a racial slur, and the worst insult, to call a bangaa a lizard. Another lizard-like race exists in Ivalice, generally referred to as the Lizardmen; these creatures are more primitive and violent than the bangaa, who resent the comparison. However, some people will still refer to bangaas as lizards when outside of their company. Unlike true reptiles, bangaa are capable of growing facial hair.

The bangaa are covered with scales, and their ears fall below their lengthened muzzles. Apart from their physical differences, their intelligence and their manners are not very different from those of the humes. It is often said that they are the race best integrated within the humes. Even so, some humes are ill-disposed to the bangaa and speak about them using the racist insult "lizard", when they are safely far from their sensitive ears. Some hume-distinct nations, Archadia for example, prefer that bangaas not enter their ranks.

Bangaas can live up to twice as long as the average hume, but seldom procreate. They are strong and have fine senses of hearing and smell. They speak in a distinct, guttural voice, in a fashion similar to real-world Scottish accents. The bangaa vocal cords are not as clear and refined as those of the other races, and therefore cannot speak quite as well. This makes it difficult for them to use even the most basic magic. However, some bangaas succeed in becoming expert magicians, using magical formulas specific to their reptilian language.

Bangaas are separated into four sub-branches: the Bangaa Ruga with yellow-brown skin and shorter ears, the athletic Bangaa Faas with bronze skin, the Bangaa Bista with copper-colored skin, and the Bangaa Sanga with ash-colored skin. There are also additional breed mixes.

In the bangaa language it is said that "Faas" may mean soldier or "a strong sense of justice". Bangaa Ruga are more gentle than most and are more likely to be instructors or monks. The Bangaa Ruga and Faas generally make the laws and keep order among the bangaa. The Bangaa Bista and Bangaa Sanga tend to lead more laid-back lifestyles, making it easier for them to live and interact comfortably with humes. While some bangaa (for example the Ruga) may become rebels or fighters, other bangaa have been known to live as thugs, stealing things and attacking other people.

All bangaa are weak to the element of water.


Moogles are a recurring race in the Final Fantasy series. Moogles sprout a "pom pom" - a red ball of fur on a thin, wiry antenna - emerging from their heads, which they are very sensitive about being touched. From their suggested mole-bat ancestry, a moogle's wings are most often of a dark, Gothic, or bat-like design, as to juxtapose their otherwise harmless appearance and bubbly nature. Moogles generally resemble small mammals, ranging from rodents, to felines or marsupials. Many games have included color variations for their fur and pom-pom. The proportions of moogles varies - in games set in Ivalice they have larger ears than in other games, and in the Crystal Chronicles series their bodies are more round with shorter limbs, if any at all.

Their size also varies, from several feet tall to only a foot tall if not less. However, in comparison to humans moogles are universally diminutive. In most games moogles do not wear any form of clothing, but they do so in games set in Ivalice, where they are one of the world's primary races. The favorite food of moogles is the Kupo Nut. Dissidia Final Fantasy mentions that moogles can fly, but not by using their wings: they suck up air to inflate themselves and float, and only use their wings to steer themselves about.

Moogles are intelligent and industrious, though in some games they are wary of human contact. Because of their size, the lot of playable moogle characters specialize in gadgetry, tinkering, and engineering. Even in games where Moogles do not mind humans, they are known to maintain their own separate societies. Moogles are capable of communicating across long distances, a feat often attributed to the moogle mail service, Mognet.

In earlier games, moogles spoke only with their trademark cry "kupo", and variations of such. In later games moogles have been able to speak English, but often punctuate their sentences with "kupo", as a sort of verbal tic.


The seeq are a pig-like race who come in a variety of colors and sizes. It is physically impossible for any other race to tell the difference between a male and female seeq, although clothing and temperament can provide pointers.

Seeq do not tend to dress very well, typically covering up only their lower regions unless they are female, in which case their upper half is also covered. However, some seeq have what appear to be happy faces tattooed on their bellies. No other race understands what this odd pattern means. It could potentially be a sign of social standing.

In Final Fantasy XII, the seeq are not on the same kind of social level as the Humes and Bangaa. Instead, they are discriminated against and treated as lower-class citizens. This may have something to do with their crude speech style and lower intelligence. All Seeq are weak to Fire.

Most seeq tend to do manual labor, and it is not uncommon for some Seeq to resort to a life of crime, with most Seeqs becoming thieves.


The Garif are a humanoid race from Final Fantasy XII, who live in tribes scattered all over the Bancour Region of Ivalice.Despite their intimidating appearance, the garif are generally a peace-loving people, albeit physically capable of fighting and hunting thanks to their muscular bodies, thick fur and incredible hearing and sense of smell. Instead, many Garif become herders, overlooking their livestock of creatures known as "Nanna" in the garif tongue. The garif milk these creatures in order to make the Nanna-cheese, which is famous throughout Ivalice. Some garif even become Geomancers and trading-merchants. They do still have warriors and even a War-chief in order to defend themselves should there ever be a need to do so. The current War-chief of the Jahara-tribe is called Supinelu, who succeeded his brother, Kadalu, as War-chief.

The garif have no interest in material goods or money, but choose to live in harmony with nature instead. Unlike the humes to the north, the garif see no use in machinery, and, as such, choose not to utilize them. In fact, they abhor all manufactured things with the exception of their masks. Instead, their material culture is based on the usage of wood and stone. Their houses are made of grass and strips of leather and they adorn themselves with animal bones and stones.

The masks worn by the garif are a large part of their customs. All garif receive a mask on the day they are born, which they wear until the day they die. It should be noted that the Great-chiefs of the garif tribes wear masks that look rather different. However, it may simply be a standard mask of the Garif, who is to become Great-chief, that has been decorated to signify the importance of the Great-chief.

The player can fight a Garif Adventurer at the Greensnake and Haulo Green area of the Ozmone Plain, however the garif warrior appears only rarely. If the player wants to reveal the entire bestiary entry they will need to kill this garif multiple times.

A long time ago the Occuria tried to influence the garif and granted them deifacted nethicite. However, the garif could not wield or control the magickal stones and would only worship the Occuria. Disappointed, the Occuria took the stones back, and gave them to the Hume race instead.


The Urutan-Yensa are a race in Final Fantasy XII. They are the "Kings of the Sandsea," a name bestowed by the people of ancient Galtea, befitting their presence in the Ogir-Yensa and Nam-Yensa Sandsea. The Urutan-Yensa are divided into different tribes, and every tribe is ruled by a queen, who is noticeably taller than the others. The Urutan-Yensa are strictly territorial, attacking anyone from the outside on sight. The hostilities with the Urutan-Yensa stopped the Rozarrians from building oilrigs in the Sandsea. The Urutan-Yensa are extremely proud of their heritage; it is a shame for an Urutan-Yensa to show his weakness, especially by asking outsiders for help, and only death is the fitting punishment. The Urutan-Yensa travel across the Sandsea on the giant Yensa.

The Urutan-Yensa evolved from crustaceans, their bodies are thin as if suffering from scurvy. All Urutan-Yensa, besides the queens, are entirely covered in layers of clothing. Some believe they do this to hide their hideous bodies, while it may be due to the environment of the Sandsea.

Their speech is animal-like. This, and their violent tendencies, keep them from adapting to hume society. Because of their low intelligence, Urutan-Yensa cannot wield complicated instruments and machines. They use bows and swords, as well as magicked motes in battle. All Urutan-Yensa are weak to Wind.


The Nu Mou are dog-like in appearance, being squat with elongated faces and tails, and have a lifespan three times longer than humes. Other than that, not much is known about the Nu Mou, as they are a reserved race.

The Nu Mou excel in magic, since their small bodies restrict their physical abilities. However, when magic won't do, they can also call on the abilities of monsters to help.

The Nu Mou are a people of legends and tradition, passing down many tales, their most well known being the legend of the Espers. Most are found on the sacred Mt. Bur-Omisace where, as part of the Kiltia sect, they take care of pilgrims and those wounded by war. The rest are scattered across Ivalice.


The Baknamy are a humanoid race, closely resembling humes save for the small horns atop their heads and their green skin. Oxygen to them is poisonous, so they must wear filtering masks to survive. The Baknamy act in part as the early era Ivalice's Goblins, though Goblins also exist within the setting. While the Baknamy don't much resemble the traditional goblin, they are short and squat as goblins usually are, and use a variant of the Goblin Punch. They are also surprisingly powerful for their size, and capable of using magic quite proficiently considering their low intelligence.

Most of the Baknamy live in the Necrohol of Nabudis and Nabreus Deadlands as thieves and usually attack people on sight, with only a handful living an honest life, like the hidden merchant. If a traveler sees a Baknamy, that one is usually a decoy, while the others hide, waiting to ambush the traveler and steal whatever loot they could carry. All Baknamy are weak to Ice.


The Occuria are the most powerful beings in the world of Ivalice. They are referred to, by themselves and others, as "The Undying", though their existence is unknown to Ivalice at large. The Sage Knowledge available via the bestiary suggests the Occuria used to live on Ivalice among the other races before withdrawing into their own realm. The Occuria live high above the Ancient City of Giruvegan, higher than any airship can reach. Despite the fact they are apparently responsible for much of the development of Ivalice. The Occuria are apparently willing to do whatever it takes to modify the course of Ivalice to their standards, including using phantom images of loved ones to manipulate people and sealing away insubordinate races who refused to accept the Occurian weave of fate.

The Occuria are apparently genderless, though they possess masculine titles and voices that sound both male and female simultaneously. They have the ability to create and appear as ghosts and images, and can render themselves invisible and inaudible to anyone other than people they want them to see and hear. Their natural form is a floating spectre with an ornate, armor-like appearance. Their speech resembles an archaic, poetic form of Received Pronunciation English, which is noticeably absent of particular rhotic vowels in both speech and writing. The Occuria have no visible faces, only glowing yellow eyes floating in an empty black void, vaguely reminiscent of a Black Mage. An Occuria's physical manifestation exudes a great deal of Mist. They can possess other beings, and merge with them to drastically increase their strength and power.

Occuria are concerned with controlling the course of Ivalice's history and created the Espers as their servants. The Espers eventually came to believe they were as powerful as their creators and tried to destroy them. This revolt was lead by the Esper Ultima, with the only Esper not included being Zodiark. The Occuria threw them down and bound them with glyphs. The Occuria next tried to influence the garif. They granted the garif deifacted nethicite. The garif could not wield or control the magickal stones and would only worship the Occuria. The Occuria tried once again, successfully this time, to influence the world of Ivalice by offering the nethicite to a man who would destroy or subjugate other nations as they directed. This man was King Raithwall, who would become the Dynast King.