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Chapter 10: Ancient Forces Stir 1 of 5

The Origin of the Shadow Nethicite.

After Ahnas had turned Xabaam into Ivalice, protection and fealty, swore to Ivalice did he. Xabaam had lost all of his powers save his passive abilities and the capability to travel as an unseen life stream. Unseen as he may be, he was still felt by the gods. He could have been contained, but the gods had overlooked, or ignored, the power that remained in him.

In preparation for the coming of the various races, flourish and evolve, on Ivalice they soon will. Upon the barren and dry earth, grass and vegetation by the gods were forced to grow. In evergreen, blanketed soon was Ivalice. To further prepare the land for the creation of humes, conjured were entities of great power. Four were created. They were called wyrms, and assigned a special purpose was each.

Fafnir. To guard, assigned was it, the frigid lands of eternal frost.

Behemoth. Foreseeing the safety, of those who would soon thrive, of the most sacred wood created by the gods.

Hell Wyrm. Tasked was it, to guard all that lied beneath the earth. Beyond all light, in darkness did it lurk.

Yiazmat. Of all the wyrms was it the greatest. A purpose of rule amongst its ilk, did he serve.

And as they lumbered about their territory Xabaam watched patiently. Enlightened was he suddenly to conspire revenge against the gods.

Their authority, their power and the trust bestowed upon them, did they soon abuse. Darkness did they conjure upon their insolence. And this darkness, would Xabaam soon use. A lesson he sought to teach. For their arrogance and treachery, death did he plan to give. Oblivion would be their penance.

Their abuse had indeed turned their hearts feral. And from the wyrms hearts did darkness grow. Its essence, too heavy it was and it all amassed and soon, made its way deep into the core of Ivalice, as a large sphere of spiritual energy, one which escaped all vision.

The darkness and evil of the sphere worsened rapidly. Materialized it had now, from its spiritual state. Thus did it gain weight, and thus the rapidity of its descent increased tenfold.

It had now reached the core.

The dark accumulation simmered to a boil in Ivalice's core. There it gradually strayed upwards and away from the molten core. It eventually cooled and hardened into a crystal like object.

Dubbed, Shadow Nethicite by Xabaam, this crystal had been.

Upset it had, the balance of the cosmos upon its creation. Impending doom did the Gods sense, heed they took of this 'nethicite'. Its destruction they had sought, for they feared that with this nethicite wrought the revenge of their Xabaam had so long yearned for.

Anger festered in the gods' hearts. Disappointed greatly were they by the Wyrms they had assigned guardians. Their power did they take, and cast were they into a slumber that would turn them feral in a matter of cosmic days.

Now that the wyrms were cursed to sleep for a time which had a length so unimaginable, the gods now turned their attention to the Darkness which was conjured.

Engulfed in turmoil, the gods have become. Debating upon the manner of how they should act. Opportune, thought the immobilized Xabaam, was the time to hasten his cold vengeance. Distracted were the gods of Xabaam's actions, he was soon unfelt as much as he was unseen. As the gods continued their bickering, created was the dark harbinger in the depths of Ivalice, by Xabaam. His life stream surged through Ivalice and had forced some of his maliciousness and evil into shape. After many eons of careful tending, Xabaam was able to conjure his instrument of death. The Eclipse, named. To destroy the gods and all who affront, purpose given.

Extremely powerful, were the vibes he created in his surge. Felt was he, by the gods. Their bickering, had they quit, as they descended with all haste to Ivalice.

The bright skies, shadow, presently it was engulfed in. The radiance of the sun, penetrate it could not, the thickness of the black clouds looming overhead.

Fissures webbed across the surface of Ivalice. The shattering continued it had, until epic portions of land did part and ascend. Molten rock and lava erupted from the great chasms that had formed. As the cataclysmic scene continued to worsen, thick black smog took the world and enveloped it for many decades, entrapping the gods and running them of their vision. As each year passed, worse became their taint, and slowly, had their strength diminished.

When at last the smog cleared and the sun shone upon an irregular surface of Ivalice, The gods stood, under one of the sun's glorious beams. Weaker, were they now. And torn to shreds was their morale, to behold a scene where all the evergreen had been marred.

A fell worm stood, many miles from them. Its colossal figure was within their gaze even though great being the distance between them. It had four wings, which were long and black. Three rings of energy there were, placed upon a spire along its snout. A larger ring collared its bulky neck. Its body resembled that of a decayed creature, one which was streaked with dark and foreboding colors and riddled with holes. Symmetry, it had, in the pattern of its metallic hide. The design of one side was mimicked with unerring accuracy on the opposite. It emitted strange violet smog.

Of little chance, did the gods stand. Rendered weak against the strikes of the fell Eclipse. The Eclipse strode closer to its heavenly adversaries. With every step, a cloud of dust rose and with every step, fear tightened its grip upon the god's hearts. Some dormant power, in Ahnas doth awake, when desperation overcame him. He regained all of his strength and of his impurities was he cleansed. And in doing so, he charged at Eclipse, at one blow was it felled. The conclusion of this conflict, as it seemed was not soon. Light flashed from the fallen in frantic and swift beams, and its bulky carcass split into two, a shell being shed to what it would most be likened.

Ahnas did behold, a strange figure he had not ever seen before. It resembled much that of a female god, but had no wings and looked weaker and seemingly powerless.

Curious was Ahnas, at what lay before him. And an idea soon struck him. Replenished and repaired was now Ivalice, after Ahnas had ordered it to do so.

The now changed Eclipse, by Ahnas was it judged harmless. The darkness and evil that created the fell Eclipse, of these attributes was this new entity devoid of, or so did Ahnas sense.

Replenished was now Ivalice, the Evergreen had grown again and the beauty of the land, come back it did from its seemingly irreparable scale of mar. Ahnas did then create another creature, one which resembled a male god, more angular and rigid than the altered eclipse. He then put his creation beside Eclipse, and gave them both life. He blessed them with some of his intellect, giving them instinct and a will.

Hume. He had named them, and their name will be the same as they evolve and grow in numbers.

The gods ascended to their lofty abode, and from their did they watch the Humes learn, and watched them go about the tasks they had set for themselves. And they swore to Ivalice to forevermore watch and safeguard it.

One thing did the gods miss. Keen be their observation, they had somehow managed to overlook Xabaam. He and his accursed nethicite, low did they lie. For chance, did they wait.

Mustapha Mond.

Ordalian Historian.

For those who wonder if this is a necessary part regarding the story yes...It is very important...(",) We ask now if you would bear with them...Thank you...(",)