Oerba



Oerba (ヲルバ郷)[ɛɹbə] is a location on Gran Pulse in Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2. It is one of the few city-like areas visitable on the land of Gran Pulse, and is the hometown of Oerba Dia Vanille and Oerba Yun Fang.

Villagers from several different clans had settled in Oerba and adopted the same surname. They had all lived together in communities, sharing their houses with each other. It is mentioned that the fal'Cie Anima used to be the protector of the village.

In the present time, Oerba is abandoned, devoid of any life other than monsters and Cie'th. The whole village's outskirts is also covered in a layer of snow-like crystal dust. Although it is not specifically explained how this came to be, it could possibly be a result of Oerba's close proximity to Cocoon. Oerba also contains a survivor: Bhakti, Vanille's pet robot. The player has the option to help fix him, by salvaging parts scattered throughout the village. In return, he will grant valuable items, such as Deceptisol, Platinum Ingots, and Gold Nuggets, as well as tips on where to find secret Cie'th Stone missions and new areas that the player may not be aware exist.

In the aftermath of Final Fantasy XIII, the Academy made Oreba a protected land in memory of Vanille and Fang's sacrifice. Centuries later, Oerba is caught within paradox due with its past and future overlapping each other. This causes large amount of Temporal Rifts to emerge before Serah and Noel rectify it.

Datalog
''Fang and Vanille's former home, the village of Oerba is located at the northernmost edge of the Gran Pulse mainland. Villagers from several clans shared a communal lifestyle here, honoring the fal'Cie Anima as their patron and protector.''

Today, what remains of the abandoned village is overrun by Cie'th and in the process of being swallowed by an encroaching sea of ashen crystal sand dunes.

Final Fantasy XIII
After completing the trials of Taejin's Tower, Oerba is only a short distance away. While Vanille and Fang recall beautiful memories of their hometown, they come to accept that it is now a barren land devoid of color. The party is free to explore the village, which includes finding spare parts to repair Bhakti, but when they reach the end of the Rust-eaten Bridge, they encounter Serah reciting the lyrics of "Fighting Fate" and telling the party that their Focus is to destroy Cocoon.

However, Galenth Dysley reveals himself from the Serah disguise and informs the l'Cie of his actions: he has resurrected Cid Raines, made him the new Primarch, and told the Cocoon citizens that the fal'Cie Eden pulls strings of the Sanctum. Following a battle with Dysley transformed into Barthandelus, he invites the party to "release Cocoon from her suffering" and departs, leaving them an airship transformed from Menrva.

Before their departure, Vanille activates a purple Cie'th Stone and reads the story of the War of Transgression, which reveals the events behind her and Fang's participation in the War, the Goddess Etro's intervention, and how Lindzei brought them within the Pulse Vestige into Cocoon to finish what they started. With their knowledge of Dysley's plan to make Cocoon tear itself apart, the l'Cie fly Menrva out of Oerba and through a gate into Eden.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
After departing from the Yaschas Massif -010 AF-, Noel Kreiss, Serah Farron, and Mog arrive at Oerba -200 AF- to find that the village is caught in a paradox and is now being sucked into a black hole of sorts. As they resolve anomalies, Oerba returns to its former state.

Caius and his companion, Yeul, surround Noel and Serah on the roof of the old schoolhouse, saying that they have been watching them. Caius tells Serah and Noel about knowing of their travels through time because of Yeul's visions. He enters battle with them, seeking to punish them for messing with time. Before he can kill Noel, Yeul stops him because of time already being changed, and she and Caius leave the area.

Design
Oerba seems like a concept of the "present" world, contrasting Gran Pulse's prehistoric and Cocoon's futuristic look. There is visible evidence of living spaces, wind farms, oil rigs, billboards, and a huge railroad, possibly connecting Oerba to the outside world. A potential reason for the difference between Cocoon's more futuristic look, and Oerba's more present day look, is possibly due to Oerba being destroyed 500 years ago, and so technological advancements in the next 500 years on Cocoon progressed their towns to the more futuristic style, whereas Oerba stayed in ruins and Cie'th and monsters slowly overtook.

Areas
{| width="100%"
 * width="50%"|

Final Fantasy XIII

 * width="50%"|

Final Fantasy XIII-2

 * The Ashensand
 * Village Proper
 * Desolate Mill
 * Dilapidated Dwelling
 * Derelict Depot
 * Deserted Schoolhouse
 * Rust-eaten Bridge
 * The Ashensand
 * Village Proper
 * Deserted Schoolhouse
 * }
 * Village Proper
 * Deserted Schoolhouse
 * }

Final Fantasy XIII

 * Vampire
 * Seeker
 * Varcolaci
 * Vetala
 * Taxim
 * Chonchon
 * Barthandelus (Boss)

Final Fantasy XIII-2

 * Ghast x2
 * Ghast, Zwerg Scandroid x3
 * Ghast, Seeker x3
 * Seeker x3, Chonchon x3
 * Clione x4
 * Clione x5

Final Fantasy XIII
"Dust to Dust" (色のない世界) is the location theme that plays at the outskirts of Oerba and in the village itself. Like many other tracks in the game, it features female vocals, evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing for times past.

The vocal part intertwines with the main Final Fantasy XIII theme found in "Blinded By Light", though the overall feel is much slower and wistful, perhaps mirroring the feelings of Fang and Vanille as they take in the colorless world of their dead and decaying hometown. Incidentally, battles do not interrupt the song, further adding to that feel.

"Iro no nai Sekai" is one of the tracks in W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII, a gramophone record album. It is the second track in Side B.

Lyrics

 * Nothing left to fear, l'Cie
 * Cradled in eternity
 * Shore of sand, your fate awaits
 * Oh surrender in the light

Final Fantasy XIII-2
"Destroyed Hometown" and "Destroyed Hometown ~Aggressive Mix~" are two tracks associated with Oerba, and were composed by Naoshi Mizuta with vocals provided by Joelle. The "~Aggressive Mix~" version plays whenever monsters appear.

Lyrics

 * Just as the light begins to fade to dark
 * The moaning wind sings songs to my forebodings
 * Am I alone with no one watching o'er
 * If I do fall will no one come to save me


 * Oh cursed fate eternally
 * Delivering your doom
 * But know true hope is born
 * My faith is stronger than your agonies
 * Hope survives your pain


 * Though Prophecies foretell us of the End
 * It doesn't mean that we have to believe them
 * Hope's burdens weigh me down oh this is true
 * But they bring life that truly does sustain me


 * I'll conquer time, defeat it
 * I'll change the past, my future
 * If any Gods are listening
 * Answer my prayers

Trivia

 * A photo of Fang and Vanille can be found on a table in the house with Bhakti.
 * Also, in the house with Bhakti, the player can find Vanille's and Fang's items, such as Vanille's bracelets and necklaces.
 * In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, there is a trade material called "Oerba Beads".
 * Among the many things to examine in Oerba is a model globe of Cocoon, which can be found inside the school. If examined, it tells that it has been defaced with "derogatory writing", implying the past inhabitants of Oerba and the people of Cocoon shared a mutual hatred of one another.
 * Only weapon models for Vanille and Fang can be found in Oerba due to being their hometown in the past.
 * Since the two remaining survivors of Oreba, Fang and Vanille, speak with Australian accents (in the English dub), it can be assumed that the other people who once inhabited the village also spoke in Australian accents.