Today I'm continuing my Final Fantasy Lore Tidbits with the game that was represented the least throughout the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy expansion: Final Fantasy XII. This game represented the last title for the series' Playstation 2 era and it also marked a monumental shift away from what many players expected from a Final Fantasy game.

Gone was the classic turn-based gameplay. Instead, the game threw players right into the middle of the action, with the intent to make it feel like an offline MMORPG. This decision was made in the wake of titles like World of Warcraft and the series' own Final Fantasy XI: Online making waves in the gaming world. To account for this, the game used a sort of programming-like system called Gambits. Additionally, the game took place in the pre-existing world of Ivalice which served as the world for PS1 classics Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story.

All of this has led the game to have a marred appearance to many in the gaming world. This in turn was reflected by the game's lackluster set of inclusions for this set. Nevertheless, I'm still going to get through and examine the lore behind just about every card I haven't covered in previous lore articles!

Prep your license board and let's get right to it!

The game's story kicks off following a dark prologue with the desert city of Rabanastre of Dalmasca. There, the Arcadian Empire has taken over the city following the death of the king and the apparent death of his daughter, the princess. Much of the game happens through here with Rabanastre acting as a sort of hub area to access many areas throughout the story.

Soon after we're introduced to Rabanastre, we meet a young boy in the city's sewer system hunting Dire Rats. Vaan is an orphan who is best known throughout Rabanastre as a thief and an orphan, looked after by the Bangaa Migelo. While he's not the true central character of the game, Vaan is the game's primary character the player gets to play as.

It's through Vaan's eyes we see the story of the game's true central focus: Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. Princess Ashe faked her death to go into hiding with rebel forces to wait for the right time to strike and reclaim the throne. Much of the game is Ashe's quest to achieve this goal with the rest of the party working with her to do so and return peace to the world of Ivalice.

The goal by which the party attempts to do this is via the nethicite - a magical stone of unimaginable power. Hidden in the Pharos Lighthouse, Ashe is tasked by the Occuria (essentially gods of Ivalice) to quell the warring groups throughout the world using a piece of this fabled stone. She uses the Sword of Kings to do so but upon reaching the top of the Pharos and confronting Dr. Cid, the Sun-Cryst is ultimately destroyed by the sky pirate Reddas.

So if Ashe and Vaan are the core protagonists, who then is the antagonist? Why none other than Vayne Solidor himself. Vayne is a man of ambition and is a diplomat left in charge of Rabanastre following the demise of the city's king. The next in line for the crown of the Arcadian Empire, Vayne murders his father to ascend to the throne as depicted in Vayne's Treachery. The art on Fynn, the Fangbearer depicts Vayne in the back with his younger brother Larsa in the foreground.

What would a Final Fantasy set be without the Leading Man himself? Balthier is the charmingly charismatic sky pirate who helms The Strahl - an airship - and is the estranged son of Dr. Cid of the Arcadian Empire. Fran, a Vierra (or humanoid rabbitfolk), acts as his companion throughout his adventures. The pair are beloved and make the game even among the title's most staunch haters. The sky pirates bring Vaan aboard to become a pirate himself and they aid in Ashe's quest to save her kingdom - for a price, of course.

I absolutely have to mention as well that we managed to get THE Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca. This rendition of Captain Lannery Storm depicts Vaan in Rabanastre, but I want to use it to highlight a humorous moment where in the city of Bhujerba he has to go around and pretend to be Captain Basch. The real Basch sadly doesn't appear in the set, but his identical twin brother certainly does!

Judge Gabranth is a powerful member of the Arcadian Empire and, as noted above, twin brother to Basch. At the game's start, Basch leads a charge to protect the king of Rabanastre. When he arrives, Gabranth murders the king and frames Basch, leading to Basch's arrest and imprisonment for treason as well as the death of Vaan's brother Reks. Gabranth represents a tragically Darth Vader-esque character and is easily one of the game's very best characters among an already incredible cast.

One of the best parts of Final Fantasy XII are the many marks or high-end enemies you can defeat for special rewards throughout the game. Once you defeat enough of these marks, you gain access to some truly scary high-end monstrosities. The fiercest of these is the legendary beast Yiazmat.

Of all the cards in the set, Yiazmat is perhaps one of its biggest misses, as the in-game enemy is notorious for boasting a whopping 50,000,000 HP! I suppose indestructible is the best way they could do this without using a huge number for an uncommon, but it simply doesn't do it justice just how nuts the monster is when you face it. Yiazmat is legendary among endgame superbosses the Final Fantasy series has become known for, and that's saying something.

Speaking of crazy endgame bosses, Yiazmat - despite its legendary status - has nothing on the infamous Level 99 Red Chocobo. The classic bird is no joke and will beat the absolute snot out of you. The Choco-Comet is far and away its most deadly move and if you run into it, chances are you're as good as dead. Engage with this foe at your own risk!

Final Fantasy XII is a much maligned gem. Many players turn their nose up at it given how different it feels from earlier titles, but for my money it's a proper classic in its own right. The characters are incredible and the story is dense. That density can make it difficult for many to enjoy, but it can be rewarding if you give it a chance. It's one of my favorite games in the series and I can't recommend it highly enough.

DON'T LISTEN TO ONDORE'S LIES!

Paige Smith

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