Aegyl

The Aegyl (エグル, Eguru) are a race in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.

Flight from Ivalice
Thousands of years before the events of Revenant Wings, the aegyl were simply another race inhabiting the world of Ivalice. However, they and their leader Feolthanos refused to serve and worship the Occuria, the self-styled gods of Ivalice. Feolthanos used this opportunity to lead his people in an exodus to the skies, settling in a number of floating islands and naming their new abode Lemurés.

Outraged, the Occuria used the power of the skystone to create a barrier around Lemurés, effectively locking the aegyl within their newly christened world. Thus did the history and memories of the aegyl fade into Sky Pirate legends.

Building a New World
After alighting upon the fields of Lemurés, Feolthanos created a doctrine for the aegyl to follow, called The Canon. Because of the circumstances upon which the aegyl had been made to flee Ivalice, Feolthanos' writings discouraged contact or inquiry about their former homeland. The aegyl began to refer to Ivalice as the "Underworld".

Now sealed from the land below, Feolthanos began constructing a society that would sustain his people. He erected three Auraliths throughout the isles, which served as sources of power for the aegyl. One of these, hidden in the Keep of Forgotten Time, was bound to Feolthanos, effectively giving him eternal life. The other aegyl were oblivious to the way Feolthanos chained himself to the auralith, and the method in which he obtained his perpetual life, which concerned the summoning of beings known as the Yarhi.

The Yarhi
From the Auraliths, Feolthanos gave his people auracite, magical stones that allowed the aegyl to call forth beings from the world of illusion, known as Yarhi. These entities took on a variety of forms and could only be called from a Summoning Gate using auracite. What the aegyl did not know was that whenever someone uses auracite to summon, a part of their anima, or soul, is taken into the World of Illusion and also into the body of their god, Feolthanos.

The aegyl leader kept this effect hidden from his subjects, but as time wore on, most of the aegyl continued to summon Yarhi for protection from Lemurés' wild beasts. In time, the anima eventually became tainted and deformed into monsters, who then attack the aegyl, who in turn summon more Yarhi to protect themselves at the cost of their anima. This vicious circle continues until the aegyl have no anima left, turning them into the emotionless people they are now.

The aegyls' anima was eventually lost completely to the Auraliths, sustaining the watchful form of Feolthanos. This process continued on through the centuries, Feolthanos growing stronger with every Yarhi summoned, but unable to use this power due to the isolation of Lemurés from the world of Ivalice below.

Exposure
However, the Mist released from the Sun-Cryst finally removed the barrier, meaning people from the outside world could finally visit the aegyl. This resulted in a flood of Sky Pirates making landfall on the floating isles, including Vaan and his friends via the Galbana. However, most of the Sky Pirates had alighted upon Lemurés only to search and take its treasure. Vaan, Penelo, Filo, and Kytes joined up with the aegyl Llyud to help keep the Pirates at bay.

However, the group of vigilantes could only do so much, and on far away islands some Sky Pirates began to make aegyl their slaves in order to dig up more treasure. A battle at the Kisne Rise between Vaan and several Sky Pirates ensued, resulting in the freedom of many aegyl who were invited to stay on the Galbana.

Rebellion
The invasion of the Sky Pirates sparked anger and distrust in the aegyl, emotions that had been absent for quite some time. Aegyl forces grouped together in several of their holy places to repel all intruders, not bothering to discriminate benevolent outsiders such as Vaan between the ruthless sky pirates.

This rage is only amplified upon the destruction of the second auralith in the Ymir Qul Underground and the release of a large amount of stolen aegyl anima. With part of their souls returned, many aegyls' first impulses were of vengeance, and they banded together with the purpose of attacking the land of Ivalice below. The Galbana interrupts their journey, and the player party is able to halt the aegyl advancement and help teach the aegyl leaders that not all from the "Underworld" bear them ill will.

Physiology
The aegyl resemble humes, except they have large wings on their back. These wings can come in different colors, from brown to red to black. These wings allow the aegyl to fly with no problems. However, the strain they put on their body means they have the shortest life span of any race in Ivalice, only living for forty years.

Demeanor
All aegyl, including Llyud, are cold and aloof. They are either incapable at showing emotions, or do not feel them at all. This is due to their use of auracite to summon the Yarhi and the repeating circle mentioned earlier that saps them of all of their anima.

The aegyl are not too keen on other races, since most of the Sky Pirates who arrived attacked or enslaved them. This was also in part due to their leader Feolthanos and his dislike of all the other races.

Architecture
Aegyl make their home in many stone edifices erected over several of Lemurés's continents. These homes were build by the first generation of aegyl to reach Lemurés following their banishment by the Occuria. Successive generations have elected to inhabit these century-old dwellings rather than construct new ones, an effort made easier by the small aegyl population.

From what the player can determine from the World Map, there are several clusters of stone buildings on every island of Lemurés barring Tswarra, Isle of the Lost. This is because the aegyl only inhabit places deemed "right and proper" in the Canon. One of these major aegyl gatherings is Heaven's Vigil, a city of stone resplendent with windmills and a breathtaking view over the endless skies surrounding the isle of Arda.

The aegyl have also built temples to enshrine geological formations that are sacred to them. These buildings are called "Fanes", and four exist in Lemurés.


 * Fane of Gucuma Qul: This shrine rises high above the ground, so much so that the party requires a long ropeladder to reach its first level. The Fane of Gucuma Qul's interior decorations are dominated by the image of a mythological bird, who resembles Quezacotl from Final Fantasy VIII. A coffin that bears the bird's likeness is built into the ground in the first room of the Fane. At the Dais of the Auracite in the back of the Fane, a large chunk of auracite is embedded into a huge stone likeness of the winged creature, resplendent with four magnificent wings and coated with other precious jewels and rare metals.
 * Fane of Tehp Qul: Protects the first auralith on Tormelados, Isle of the Megalith. The outdoor entrance features a long stone walkway flanked by many pillars. This temple has a secret entrance that Vaan must reach in order to allow his whole team to infiltrate the Fane.
 * Underfane of Yaxin Qul: Deep within the lava-filled chambers of the Yapih Caverns, this Underfane houses the Skystone of Fire, which, along with its twin, keeps the skysea intact. The ramp to the glowing gem consists of a large stone bridge with narrow crossings, all over a sea of fire. The skystone is destroyed along with the entire Underfane after Bahamut is summoned by the Judge of Wings.
 * Underfane of Huin Qul: This shrine surfaces only after the destruction of its sister Fane, Yaxin. Aligned with the element of water, the Underfane of Huin Qul's layout is an exact replica of Yaxin's. The only difference is the notable change in temperature and replacement of lava with sea and fog. Huin contains the Skystone of Water.

Diet and Dress
According to the Folio, aegyl are mostly vegetarians, the majority of their diet being wild fruits and vegetables. The Damson, a plump red fruit that grows in the Bosco Pampa, appears to be their favorite. Aegyl harvest the waters of Lemurés for native fish, and eggs are also a part of their cuisine. However, other hunting sources are nonexistent, as the Yarhi beasts that would normally yield meat are but illusions, and fade to nothing when killed.

Since the climate of Lemurés is mostly tropical, aegyl garb is light and geared for flight. Indeed, most aegyl males do not wear an upper garment, and aegyl armor is likewise sparsely distributed over the aegyl form. As Llyud exemplifies, aegyl jewelry is simplistic, being of lightweight gold and lacking in inlaid jewels. This absence of exquisite garments is yet another indication of aegyl humility.

Warfare
Aegyl have been geared for war against the native Yarhi of Lemurés, all thanks to their god Feolthanos. All aegyl are Flying units, and they wield various metallic weapons geared for close-range combat. It is interesting to note that aegyl abilities seem to exclude Magicks common in Ivalice, such as Firaga or Cure. Instead, aegyl use their own unique powers to substitute for these effects, such as the Dragon Knight's Fire Breath and Dragonmend.


 * Sky Soldier: A female class, the Sky Soldier wields a two-bladed sword, similar to Zidane's polearms from Final Fantasy IX. The Sky Soldier's abilities focus heavily on decreasing enemy statistics. One notable Sky Soldier is Ansei, Llyud's fellow Pampa patroller and eventual leader of the aegyl attack on the Galbana.
 * Sky Warrior: A male class, Sky Warriors use battleaxes in combat. They tend to have higher offensive stats than other aegyl Jobs.
 * Dragon Knight: A male class, the Dragon Knight strongly resembles Dragoons from past games. This is due to the fact that they equip spears and have access to the Jump skill and various Breath attacks. Llyud could be said to be a Dragon Knight, though the crimson-haired aegyl has traded in elemental attacks for supportive magic.
 * Sky Samurai: A female unit, the Sky Samurai wields a standard sword, which she uses to inflict multiple status ailments on enemies.

Trivia
One of the Wonders in Final Fantasy Tactics mentions that winged men once existed in Ivalice and knew how to build floating castles:

''The winged ones possessed technology allowing them to transmute cloudstone into crystals, like the ones that keep this castle aloft. Unfortunately, both the winged ones and their wondrous knowledge were lost in the Cataclysm.''

It is possible that this is referring to the aegyl.