Disclaimer: Final Fantasy Tactics and all related characters are copyrighted to Square Enix. This story is not written for any profit-making purposes.

Prologue

The following is an excerpt from a television documentary on ancient Ivalician artifacts that aired recently.

Narrator
The Zodiac Stones. There are twelve of these jewels of auracite, believed to be conduits for the Gods' creations...both light and dark.

Those deemed to be pure of heart could use these stones for good, invoking a miracle by a Scion, the auracite's conduit to the light. Such miracles ranged from a bountiful harvest that year to the resurrection of the dead.

But using these stones for evil would result possession by a Lucavi, a spirit banished to the netherworld for rebelling against its creator. Those of a particularly malevolent nature would even find themselves merged, body and soul, into the Lucavi itself to wreak havoc until stopped by a holy presence.

The twelvth stone, however, hosted a single entity of both natures: Ultima.

Javier Della Porta
Professor of Theology, Ajoran University of Ivalice - Lesalia Imperial
Ultima is unique among the Creations for being both a creature of light and dark, as compared to the Scions and Lucavi. It was believed in earlier times that the fortunes of history were believed to have resulted from whichever nature she possessed. In this way Ultima is also representative of humanity; that our ability to perform light and dark deeds and be cognizant of them made us the pinnacle of the Gods' creation.

Saint Ajora summoned his disciples from all walks of life because of this duality. They were hume, with all their flaws, but devoted themselves to advancing justice and goodness throughout Ivalice.

Narrator
As scripture would go, Saint Ajora and his disciples summoned the Scions and became the Zodiac Braves, saving Ivalice from a demon summoned by a wayward monarch.

But this success was not without a price.

Fr. Andrew Bardan
Diocese of Sal Ghidos
Counting Ajora and His disciples, there were twelve stones for thirteen people. The First of the disciples insisted Germonique could use his stone while he tended to the sick and the wounded. But it was too late to stop the seeds of envy from being planted in Germonique's mind for not getting a stone in the first place.

This was what would cause him to betray Ajora after the demon was slain. As the miracles Ajora invoked in His time were signs of Ultima's light - so did the sinking of Mullonde represent Ultima's anger, driving Germonique to his doom as well.

Narrator
After Ajora ascended to the heavens, the eleven surviving disciples dispersed to spread His teachings, taking their stones with them. When persecution caught up to them, their stones eluded their capture.

Since then, the hunt for auracite has become as much a popular legend as the auracite themselves, attracting the attention of treasure seekers high and low.

Thirty years ago, the Church of Glabados made public a series of records detailing its involvement in the Lion Wars.

Della Porta
The Lion Wars records indicated that the High Confessor of the time had clearly intended to acquire the stones as he believed it would be the only way to bring order to a kingdom divided. This was also being done in reaction to an insurgent of the time that had intended to find them for his own nefarious purposes.

We also know that the High Confessor even dispatched the Knights Templar to find them. Neither party found success, and the chaos that engulfed the continent also overwhelmed the Church, ushering in the Age of Reformation.

Narrator
These same records from the Lion Wars period speculated on the existence of a 13th stone, corresponding to the expelled sign of Ophiuchus, and the most powerful of the Lucavi - Zodiark.

Bardan
After the Gods put down the Lucavi's rebellion, Ultima became penitent. The Gods recognized this when dealing their justice, and she is now bound to serve humanity with her dual nature.

Zodiark however did not show remorse for what he had done. He was banished to darkness with the rest of the Lucavi, expelled from the zodiac that ironically bears his name. If he could wreak havoc on this world, it would have had to be done through auracite as the other Lucavi. The only time such chaos is believed to have occurred, to the magnitude of Zodiark's power, would likely have been the Cataclysm itself.

Narrator
If twelve warriors wielding the Zodiac Stones for good could invoke the Scions and Ultima's justice...could twelve warriors led by one that possessed this 13th stone bring triumph for evil?

Bardan
Zodiark is already known for trying to seduce Ajora and turning toward Germonique after failing to do so, but not nearly so much for his speculated zodiac stone. If it did exist, and if someone did wield it to lead an evil version of the Braves - or rather, an army of Lucavi - then there would be dire consequences. Any speculation on that could as well be end times prophecy.

Narrator
While much uncertainly remains about the stones, what is certain is that the legend of the Zodiac Braves continues to live on. Not just as official Church doctrine, but as inspiration for organizations like the current Knights Templar and others who live by valiance, diligence and honor.

Della Porta
Only the Gods know how everything begins and ends. But how we get there...is up to each one of us.

Preface End