Part 5
Update 5: Crystalline Drifts and Paradigm Shifts (Polsy) Music
Lake Bresha
Daddy's Got the Blues
Bestiary
Datalogs
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Branded
After being caught in the destruction of the Vestige, the group awakens directly under the Hanging Edge on the expanse of a solidified Lake Bresha. An after-effect of the energies released by the dying fal'Cie, the waters of the lake are now frozen in crystal splendor.
Despite having survived a fall from an incredible height, the companions are unable to appreciate their luck as each one of them now bears a brand of alien design. The mark seared on their bodies signifies their servitude to a fal'Cie and the 'gift' of magical power.
It is the brand of a cursed l'Cie. Worse, they must now complete their assigned Focus if they are to avoid becoming monstrous Cie'th, though none can say for sure what their mission actually entails. Their only clue is the vision they all witnessed of the great beast laying waste to Cocoon.
Ragnarok.
Though all signs point to a bleak and tragic destiny, Snow alone remains optimistic. Convinced that his Focus is to grant Serah's wish and save Cocoon, he sets off full of confidence.
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A Vision Shared
Now that they are Pulse l'Cie, Lightning and the others try to figure out what their Focus could be. The only thing they know for certain is that the rampaging beast Ragnarok is somehow involved.
Snow is convinced that their Focus is to protect their world by defeating the beast. But one fact contradicts this belief: Pulse l'Cie are the hated enemies of Cocoon. A Pulse fal'Cie would never assign such a task to its servants.
Lightning is infuriated by Snow's refusal to accept this logic. As she sees it, the fal'Cie not only made them into l'Cie, it also took her sister from her. The former soldier could never bring herself to meekly follow the orders of such a being, and Snow's apparent surrender to its will, however misinterpreted, is more than she can stand.
As they trade heated words, Sanctum soldiers surround their location. Arguments will have to wait—for now, they must concentrate on surviving.
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Partings and Promises
Is she dead or merely sleeping?
Serah, now a silent statue, is trapped in a crystal embrace. Lightning doesn't wish to leave her behind, but reluctantly says her farewells. The army is on their trail. If they stop to dig Serah free, their pursuers will certainly catch them.
However, Snow is not ready to say good-bye. He elects to stay behind, protect Serah, and somehow fulfill her wish to save Cocoon.
Knowing they cannot change his mind, Lightning and the others continue on their way. Hope drags himself away from Snow for what might be the final time—and the chance to say what he is burning to say is lost.
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History and Myth: Ragnarok
Lightning, Snow, and the others saw a phantom vision of this beast upon their branding as l'Cie. In the dream, they witnessed the creature besieging Cocoon's capital of Eden, but whether this was a glimpse of past events or a vision of things to come was unclear. What is clear is that Ragnarok is inextricably linked to their Focus. The nature of that Focus, and what must be done to fulfill it, remains to be seen.
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Locales: Lake Bresha
Lake Bresha is located near Cocoon's outer rim, directly beneath the Hanging Edge. Once a bustling center of activity, this desolate area is now home only to monsters that lurk amongst the centuries-old remnants of civilization.
The final wave of power released by the falling Pulse fal'Cie has locked the waters of the lake in solid crystal form, creating a beautiful and unsettling landscape.
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Cocoon Society: Sanctum Fal'Cie
The Sanctum fal'Cie are the unfathomable entities that constructed the floating shell of Cocoon in ages past, and even now watch over the world's human inhabitants. Each is assigned a specific task that supports the existence of Cocoon's grateful populace, such as generating energy or manufacturing food. The fal'Cie rarely intervene directly in the governing of society, leaving that responsibility to appointed human representatives. One theory states that, including the lower hierarchy, the total number of Sanctum fal'Cie exceeds eight million.
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Cocoon Society: Guardian Corps
The Guardian Corps is the branch of the Sanctum military responsible for maintaining peace and stability within Cocoon.
Within their assigned jurisdictions, the soldiers of the Guardian Corps fulfill the role of the police officers and protectors, working to eliminate all manner of criminal activity as well as rampaging wildlife. As a unit that works alongside the general population, it rarely employs heavy weaponry or cruiser-class ships. However, the Corps does retain squads of highly mobile shock troops.
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Cocoon Society: Bodhum Security Regiment
The Bodhum Security Regiment is a section of the Guardian Corps stationed in the coastal community of Bodhum. Before the events of the Purge, Lightning belonged to this unit.
Public security issues rarely arose in the sleepy seaside town, and with little trouble from the local fauna, the regiment was one of the least active units of the Corps. During long spans of downtime, BSR troops were often sent to aid in exterminating dangerous wildlife in frontier regions.