Palumpolum

Palumpolum is a port city in Cocoon and Hope Estheim's hometown in Final Fantasy XIII. The city holds a lively market place, said to be uncommon in a world where most people use online shopping, and is thus called "the Capital of Commerce". Palumpolum is an unrevisitable location that comprises the seventh chapter, and represents the halfway point of the game.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, it acts as the new capital city of Cocoon but is unvisitable.

Datalog
''Hope's hometown, Palumpolum is one of the biggest cities on Cocoon. Retail stores line the streets—a rarity in a society where online purchases are the norm.''

With the goal of promoting their 'hands-on' approach to commerce as a tourist attraction, the local government actively encourages businesses to set up shop in Palumpolum.

Final Fantasy XIII
Lightning and Hope need to go through Palumpolum to reach Eden, but they are being pursued by PSICOM troops that have taken the city over from the local Guardian Corps. Hope is familiar with the area as Palumpolum is his home town, and leads Lightning through an underground complex to sneak through the harbor and avoid the patrolling soldiers. They find the fal'Cie Carbuncle in the Nutriculture Complex, and after hearing Hope compare the Cocoon citizens to pets of the fal'Cie, Lightning has an epiphany and abandons her plan to destroy the fal'Cie Eden, and tells Hope to not follow through with his plans on vengeance either. Hope does not listen and chooses to continue focusing his energy into his objective ahead—to kill Snow and avenge the death of his mother Nora.

They are beleaguered in the Agora by PSICOM and Yaag Rosch who prepares to publicly execute the two. Snow shows up along with Fang, who is now helping him. Snow summons the Shiva Sisters, who cover the area in ice, allowing the l'Cie to escape. Lightning has Hope leave with Snow as she goes with Fang. The teams correspond by radio and agree to meet at Hope's house in Felix Heights, where his father Bartholomew Estheim resides.

Fang reveals to Lightning that she and Vanille hail from Gran Pulse and awoke in Cocoon after being in crystal stasis for centuries. Fang cannot remember her previous Focus and their attempted forays on Cocoon resulted in Serah Farron and Dajh Katzroy becoming l'Cie, and Fang to separate from Vanille at Euride Gorge. She explains how a l'Cie's brand indicates his or her advancement towards becoming a Cie'th, and reassures Lightning of her motivation to survive and see Serah freed from stasis.

Meanwhile, after a close call with a crowd of angry civilians the latter tried to save from being Purged, Hope and Snow destroy a PSICOM enemy on the rooftops of Rivera Towers. Hope confronts Snow about Nora's death and blasts Snow off a rooftop, leaving him hanging from the edge. Hope prepares to kill Snow but is attacked by a PSICOM airship and falls. Snow catches Hope in midair and shields him with his body as they fall to the streets below. Snow and Hope are weakened by their injuries but Hope overcomes his anger at Snow. They regroup with Fang and Lightning at Felix Heights and the party makes their way to the Estheim Residence.

Hope tells his dad the news about Nora and at first he is grief-stricken but does not reject the l'Cie and or take out his remorse on the injured Snow. Lightning apologizes for her previous behavior toward him, and the two resolve to see Serah again together. As the group tries to form a plan, Bartholomew points out that attacking the Sanctum would make the citizens of Cocoon hate the l'Cie even more. The apartment is bombarded by PSICOM troops led by Yaag Rosch. Snow confronts them and argues with Yaag about the Purge.

Cavalry soldiers disguised as PSICOM troops open fire on Yaag and the squadron, giving Snow the chance to sneak back to the house while the others tie up Hope's father so PSICOM does not know he helped them. The team is saved by the arrival of a Cavalry airship, and they leave Palumpolum with Hope promising his father he will return when his Focus is over.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Although Palumpolum is a unvisitable location, according to fragment entries the city was nearly undamaged by Cocoon's fall, and many people stayed in the city. Final Fantasy XIII-2 Fragments Before reveals Palumpolum became the new capital after Eden was destroyed in Cocoon's fall, and became the base of military operations with the historic concert hall acting as the new Edenhall.

Areas

 * The Metrosite
 * Nutriculture Complex
 * Pedestrian Terraces
 * Western Promenade
 * Central Arcade
 * Rivera Towers
 * Felix Heights
 * The Estheim Residence

Enemy Formations
The Metrostile=
 * Corps Tranquifex x2
 * Corps Tranquifex x3
 * Corps Pacifex
 * Corps Tranquifex, Corps Pacifex x2
 * Falco Velocycle
 * -|Nutriculture Complex=
 * Flanitor x2 (three separate encounters)
 * Lucidon (two separate encounters)
 * Flanitor, Lucidon
 * Flanitor x3
 * -|The Agora=
 * Corps Tranquifex x2, Corps Pacifex x2, PSICOM Predator x2, Orion
 * PSICOM Bombardier, Corps Tranquifex x3
 * -|Pedestrian Terraces=
 * PSICOM Scavenger, Corps Pacifex x2
 * PSICOM Predator, Corps Pacifex x4
 * PSICOM Warlord, Corps Pacifex x2
 * PSICOM Scavenger, Corps Tranquifex x2
 * Corps Tranquifex x4, PSICOM Bombardier
 * PSICOM Warlord, PSICOM Predator, Corps Tranquifex x2
 * -|The Back Alleys=
 * Corps Tranquifex x2, Corps Pacifex x2
 * Orion
 * PSICOM Predator, Corps Pacifex x3
 * -|Western Promenade=
 * Corps Pacifex x3
 * Corps Tranquifex, Corps Pacifex
 * Corps Tranquifex x3
 * Corps Tranquifex x2, Corps Pacifex
 * PSICOM Bombardier, Corps Tranquifex x3
 * Orion
 * Orion, PSICOM Scavenger
 * -|Central Arcade=
 * Corps Tranquifex x2, Corps Pacifex x2
 * Corps Tranquifex, Corps Pacifex x2
 * Lodestar Behemoth
 * Corps Pacifex, Corps Tranquifex x2
 * Orion x2
 * -|Eastern Promenade=
 * PSICOM Aerial Sniper x3
 * PSICOM Aerial Sniper
 * PSICOM Aerial Sniper x2
 * -|Rivera Towers=
 * PSICOM Aerial Sniper x3 (two separate encounters)
 * Falco Velocycle (two separate encounters)
 * PSICOM Aerial Sniper x2 (two separate encounters)
 * Falco Velocycle, PSICOM Aerial Sniper
 * Falco Velocycle, PSICOM Aerial Sniper x2
 * Ushumgal Subjugator (Boss)
 * -|Felix Heights=
 * Corps Pacifex x3, PSICOM Scavenger
 * PSICOM Predator x2, Orion
 * Corps Pacifex x2
 * Lodestar Behemoth, PSICOM Bombardier
 * Ushumgal Subjugator (Boss)
 * -|The Estheim Residence=
 * PSICOM Scavenger x2, PSICOM Aerial Sniper x2
 * PSICOM Bombardier, PSICOM Scavenger x2
 * PSICOM Bombardier, PSICOM Predator x2
 * Havoc Skytank, Portside Turret, Starboard Turret, Portside Hull, Starboard Hull (Boss)

Grinding Spot
The Estheim Residence can be used as a grinding place for Crystarium Points, but mostly for gil after PSICOM raids it. The officers drop Incentive Chips, which can be sold for 2,500 gil at the save station, and the officers constantly respawn so as long as the player eliminates both enemy parties and moves to the back part of the residence.

Musical Themes
Several background tracks play in Palumpolum, such as "The Warpath Home", "The Hanging Edge", "Snow's Theme", "Desperate Struggle", "Will to Fight", and "This Is Your Home", all apart from the several tracks present in cutscenes.

Etymology
The city's name is a reference to Final Fantasy IV's twin mages, Palom and Porom.

Trivia

 * Some of the areas only seen in cutscenes can be made playable via hacks. These include the alley where Snow and Hope talk to Lightning via a communicator, the area where Ushumgal Subjugator is battled, the street before getting to Felix Heights, and the area where the Ushumgal Subjugator is battled the second time.

Palumpolum