Whither the Keys

See also: Lore

The year 1562 of the Sixth Astral Era did not lack for events of great historical import, the Battle of Silvertear Skies first and foremost among them. Let us examine a less prominent series of conflicts that broke out elsewhere in the realm in the shadow of that epic struggle.

Of Horns and Primals

Tupsimati is the legendary staff wielded by the Archon Louisoix in his heroic effort to banish the elder primal Bahamut. At its tip rests a horn, an ancient treasure of Sharlayan also known as the "key," the motive force that allows its bearer to draw vast quantities of aether from his surroundings and call upon the powers of the Twelve themselves. While it is not clear who fashioned this divine vessel-and to what end-it is believed that multiple such artifacts have been discovered in secret across the realm. In the year 1562, travelers from the Sharlayan motherland to the north did come to Eorzea. Archons of the Circle of Knowing, they arrived on these shores after a long voyage and promptly set forth for Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, UP'dah, and Ishgard, where they began to solidify a foundation to fight back against the Garlean threat. It was these Archons who would come upon these curious horns in the lands they had come to survey

In Vylbrand, near concurrently with Archon Y'shtola's arrival, a pirate of the Kraken's Arms success- fully navigated his way to the legendary island of Seal Rock, where he recovered two relics: a horn and a tablet, the former of which-through a dubious series of events-found its way into the hands of Commodore Sthalmann of the Knights of the Barracuda. The Commodore had set his sights on the Admiralty, and doubtless believed the horn would serve him in his goals. In the end, however, it proved beyond his powers to control. Archon Y'shtola made a valiant effort to retrieve the artifact, only to be thwarted by an Ascian by the name of Travanchet, who seized the coveted relic for himself. Ere long, the wrath of the primals came to Vylbrand. The kobolds called forth the fearsome Titan, Lord of the Crags, and the Sahagin summoned the mighty Leviathan, Lord of the Whorl. The timing of these events is not like to be mere coincidence.

Further shedding light on these happenings, recent studies have revealed that Seal Rock is not a natural landmass as long believed, but rather an artificial island constructed by the ancient Allagan Empire-one which housed a facility for conducting research on the anti-primal weapon Omega. That the horn was retrieved from such a place would suggest a nigh undeniable connection between the relic and the primals.

Meanwhile, in Thanalan, a confederacy of youths composed of the sons of influential Ul'dahn personages and motivated by political grievances purloined a horn-shaped relic from the secret vaults of the sultanate. They put the item in the hands of a mammet, sounding it during the midst of a grand procession. Amongst the procession was a fearsome goobbue, tamed by thaumaturgical incantations to serve as spectacle. For reasons unknown, the sound of the hom broke the spell, sending the beast into a violent rampage. Needless to say, the entire incident was a ruse-Greinfarr the Great, gladiator and ally to the conspirators, would swiftly put down the threat, earning the acclaim of the townspeople and winning further support for his compatriot's cause. The plot went awry, however, when a spectator was slain by the raging creature. In the ensuing confusion, the thaumaturge Corguevais absconded with the horn. It was not long after this that the Amalj'aa succeeded in summoning Ifrit, Lord of the Inferno.

Though the conspiring youths saw the horn merely as a tool to send monstrous creatures into a rampage, research conducted by the Archon Thancred paints a different picture. As the horn was sounded, there was a massive fluctuation in the surrounding aether, suggesting a connection between the horn and the relic discovered on Seal Rock. Likewise, the thaumaturge Corguevais was most likely the assumed form of an Ascian.

That the Ascians coveted the horns as a means to foment chaos through the primals, so as to further their dark plot of bringing about a Calamity-this much is clear. As for why these strange relics emerged at nearly the same time across distant lands, however, much remains shrouded in mystery.