Final Fantasy Tactics


 * NB: This page uses the PlayStation localization.

Final Fantasy Tactics is a strategy role-playing game for the Sony PlayStation. It was released for the PlayStation console, and combined elements of the Final Fantasy series within the tactical gameplay, the first of its kind in the series. Ten years after it was released, an updated version of this game was made for the PlayStation Portable, called Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.

Gameplay
Unlike traditional Final Fantasy games, battles in Tactics are fought on a map divided into a grid where characters can move about, and actions can only be executed within a certain range. Obstacles, terrain types, and elevation create further strategic elements. Each character is alloted one move and one action per turn. Order of turns is determined by an "Active-Time" like system, a character's 'Charge Time' filling a bar and deciding when that character gets to act. Spells also have charge times and once cast, will go off when the spell's charge time hits 100. An action's chance of success is best when attacking an opponent from the rear, and is least likely to succeed in frontal assaults. In addition there is Zodiac Compatibility. Characters in the game, including your own, are assigned certain Zodiac signs and opposing pairs are especially effective against each other. For instance a male Pisces and a female Virgo (such as Miluda) can inflict massive amounts of damage on each other, where as a male Pisces and a male Virgo (such as Wiegraf) will not be able to hurt each other very well.

The Job System
While job systems were familiar to the TRPG community, Final Fantasy Tactics used many classes seen in previous Final Fantasy versions. The localization of the game might have caused some of this to be lost in the translation. The White Mage job was translated as Priest, and the Black Mage job as Wizard, for instance, but this was changed for the PSP version.

As each human character develops, they gain experience, which will increase their overall level. Characters also gain Job Points (JP), which allow them to level up within a job until they have mastered it. As a character gains more experience in various jobs, they gain access to other, more advanced or specialized jobs. Some jobs, like Calculator and Mime, require invested time and experience in several jobs, and require mastery of others to be truly effective. Once learned, skills and job-specific commands can be used even after a character switches jobs, though a penalty may be applied. The game also allows you to collect creatures like chocobos, and although these creatures also level up, they do not gain jobs or skills in Final Fantasy Tactics.

Basic job for all warrior units, with the exception of the characters that possess a special class. Uses Basic Skills. Ramza has a special version of this job class which gives him additional Basic Skill actions to choose from (as well as notably better stats and the ability to equip certain items other squires cannot), as does Delita until he undergoes a class change later. Squires have very useful skills that can be used to quickly level JP (example: Accumulate, Gained JP Up).
 * Squire:

Fine warriors, bold and brave, with etiquette. Use Battle Skill, which allows the destruction of an opponent's weapons, armor, and stats. Their Equip Sword, Equip Shield and Equip Armor abilities allow you to equip your character with these items regardless of class.
 * Knight:

Archers use bows and crossbows and attacks from a distance. Aim allows strengthened attacks by delaying the shot for extra damage, and the Concentration skill increases hit rate.
 * Archer:

Monks are warriors who train their bodies in the ways of Punch Art. Their battle ability has numerous effects, such as striking from a distance or even reviving knocked out allies. They do not equip any weapons, but can deal considerable damage with their bare hands. The brawler ability allows for powerful attacks without weapons.
 * Monk:

Rogues who can steal anything from anyone -- Gil, items, even Experience Points. Use the Steal command to obtain items from enemies, and possess the Secret Hunt skill for Poaching.
 * Thief:

Warriors who use a different Elemental spell depending on what type of ground they are standing on.
 * Geomancer:

These warriors Jump high and attacks enemies despite heavy arms and weapons with extra damage. They are experts with spears. The drawback of the Lancer is that when choosing to Jump over an opponent, you can't access the number of turns it will take. Therefore, the enemy may be able to move out of the way. A major advantage, however, is that a Lancer is immune to attacks and spells while Jumping.
 * Lancer:

Foreign warriors who strengthen their soul by improving swordsmanship. Use the Draw Out skill to gain different effects from katanas in stock; however, this may cause the swords to break. Also have the ability to hold a single weapon with two hands, increasing its power greatly. Blade Grasp allows for the evasion of non-ranged physical attacks, making this a valuable job.
 * Samurai:

Combatants who hide as a means of fighting. Can Throw weapons at distant enemies (resulting in the loss of the weapon) and hold weapons in both hands, a skill that can be passed to other jobs. Considered one of the best classes in the game, they have superb speed, attack with a weapon equipped on each hand, and have a nice dodge rating.
 * Ninja:

Warriors who dances in battle in charming costumes, their Dance abilities affect all enemies. Only female units may become Dancers. Although they lack attack power, there are some very attractive skills that Dancers and Bards offer.
 * Dancer:

The basic job for all caster units, Chemists prescribe items to restore HP and treat abnormal status. They are the only unit who can administer items at a distance from the target, by means of their special skill, Throw Item.
 * Chemist:

The Priest controls holy magic by borrowing the power of the soul. Often uses recuperative and support magic, i.e. White Magic.
 * Priest:

The Wizard controls the elements which make up this world. Uses offensive magic, i.e. Black Magic.
 * Wizard:

The Oracle has control over elements of life itself, through the manipulation of Yin and Yang, and is dominantly responsible for status-changing spells (Poison, Blind, etc.) This class is loosely based on the "Onmyōji".
 * Oracle:

The Time Mage controls time and space, adding such status changes as Haste, Slow or Stop. This sorcerer toys with the laws of the universe with Time Magic.
 * Time Mage:

Warrior who fights battles by talking to the enemy. Uses clever Talk Skill, affecting their stats and even enabling them to change sides. Also the only other unit able to normally equip guns, making them very valuable.
 * Mediator:

Warrior who can call illusionary monsters, spirits of the highest rank, to deal massive damage to enemy units or restore health to friendlies. Uses Summon Magic, a special contract with the spirits. Most powerful caster class in the game. Unlike any other caster class, the Summons do not damage friendly units.
 * Summoner:

Warrior who uses his voice as a weapon. Can Sing songs that protect allies. Male units only.
 * Bard:

Scholarly warrior who creates phenomena through math. Uses Math Skill to target all units with known spells who meet his or her conditions with no casting time or MP cost. Can be extremely powerful if the right Math Skills are utilized. Hard to use, as there is a high risk of damaging friendly units or healing unfriendly units.
 * Calculator:

Warrior who can Mimic others. When an ally takes action, he or she mimics it completely.
 * Mime:

Special Classes
Certain unique characters have equally unique job classes which replace the "Squire" option. They are essentially Squires with different battle commands, as getting them to level 2 will result in the Knight job opening. Ramza's revised Squire class, with a few extra abilities appropriate to his leadership role. Also able to equip knight swords and armor, and exchanges the Job Ability Basic Skill for Guts.
 * Squire (Ramza):

Agrias and Delita. The Holy Sword skills inflict elemental damage with no charge time and 100% hit rate. White Knight Wiegraf also possesses the power of the Holy Sword.
 * Holy Knight:

The elusive Gafgarion. His Fell Sword can drain HP and MP from its victims and replenish himself simultaneously.
 * Dark Knight:

Ovelia the Princess, Alma the Cleric and Zalmo the Holy Priest all use Holy Magic to give large amounts of protection and remove almost any status affliction.
 * Cleric:

Mustadio and Balk. Uses Aimed Shot to inflict immobility and disable on enemies. Can also petrify undead enemies. Rafa's Truth and her brother Malak's Un-Truth deals a random number of magic strikes on random squares (within a 5-square, (horizontal & vertical,) X-shaped target zone).
 * Engineer:
 * Heaven Knight and Hell Knight:

Olan Durai. Calls upon the Starry Heaven skill Galaxy Stop to afflict enemies with Stop, Don't Move and Don't Act.
 * Astrologist:

Meliadoul, Rofel, and Vormav, The Mighty Sword skills damage enemies and destroy equipment, a step above the average Knight. However, since Orlandu is already in the party when you receive Meliadoul, this may be a relatively unused job.
 * Divine Knight:

Orlandu only. Possesses all sword abilities of the Holy Knights, the Divine Knights, and the energy-draining Dark Knights. He is arguably so overpowered that some players feel the game loses all challenge once this character becomes available for use. You must have a sword equipped to use them.
 * Holy Swordsman:

Arc Knight Marquis Elmdor can draw out the Sword Spirits, much like a Samurai, to engulf enemies, while Arc Knight General Zalbag uses his Destroy Sword to damage and weaken the stats of enemies, similar to the Knight's rend abilities. The dark influence of these powers allow them to Blood Suck enemies and turn them into Vampires.
 * Arc Knight:

Celia and Lede can instantly stop or kill anyone in their path with one touch. These attacks always hit.
 * Assassins:

Beowulf's basic job class. His Magic Sword takes the status-afflicting power of the Oracle to cripple single enemies with increased success rates. These abilities also require no charge time, a significant improvement over the similar Oracle spells. Ex-Dragon Reis. Utilizes Dragon skills to utilize the breath attacks she used as a Dragon. Posses all breath attacks, rush and the new Holy Breath which has a Holy elemental attribute.
 * Temple Knight:
 * Dragoner:

Cloud Strife only. His Limit command allows him to perform skills based on the Limit Breaks he uses in Final Fantasy VII, including a new one, Cherry Blossom. To activate them, he must have the Materia Blade equipped. 100% success rate, but has a slow CT for the most powerful limits.
 * Soldier:

Setting
The game takes place in a medieval-inspired kingdom called Ivalice following the nation's defeat in the Fifty Years' War. Ivalice is a kingdom divided along class lines: great noble families such as House Beoulve rule over masses of peasants. This aristocratic class holds much of the real power of the country, with lords ruling directly over provinces of Ivalice as their personal fiefs while the monarchy is weaken by intrigue. Though the real power in Ivalice is the Murond Glabados Church, based around the divinity of the Christ-like Saint Ajora Glabados, with its military arm the Temple Knights. Using manipulation and plotting, the Church is pulling the strings to create disorder in Ivalice and to defeat the secular powers. However, the Church's plot is just a cover for a far more sinister plan that threatens the very existence of Ivalice itself.

Two independent armies, the Hokuten led by Prince Larg, brother of Queen Ruvelia, and the Nanten led by Prince Goltana, are rival forces. They fight for control of the monarchy, hoping to take control of King Omdoria's child successor and use them as a puppet to rule Ivalice. However, the king has two children, his teenage adopted half-sister, Princess Ovelia, and the child Prince Orinas. The Princess, off in the Orbonne Monastery, is targeted by forces of the Nanten. Ramza, a sellsword under the greedy Gaff Gafgarion, is hired to protect Ovelia, working with Ovelia's bodyguards, led by Agrias Oaks. The mercenaries and the bodyguards defeat the forces sent by the Northern Sky, though the Princess is captured by Delita Hyral, a former friend of Ramza's. When Ramza sees Delita again, he has a long flashback that takes up most of the first chapter of the game.

Characters
Below is a list of characters who become permanent party members based on the chronology of the plot, unless dismissed by the player. A complete list is found in the link above:
 * Ramza Beoulve: The character central to the entire plot. Ramza is part of the Beoulve noble family.
 * Mustadio Bunanza: A young Engineer from Goug Machine City who joins the party after Ramza helps him and his father.
 * Agrias Oaks: A Holy Knight and bodyguard to Princess Ovelia.
 * Rafa Galthana: A Heaven Knight and part of the Kamyuja assassination squad. She is Malak's sister.
 * Malak Galthana: Hell Knight and part of the Kamyuja assassination squad. He is Rafa's brother.
 * Count Cidolfas "Thundergod Cid" Orlandu: A powerful and well-known swordsman. He is a friend of Ramza's father and adoptive father to Orran.
 * Meliadoul Tingel: Temple Knight who saw the truth about the Zodiac Stones.

Story
Final Fantasy Tactics is a game that begins with a frame story. Alazlam Durai, a historical scholar researching the past, comes upon papers written by his ancestor, the Durai Report. These tell the truth about the legendary hero, Delita Hyral. Delita was not what he seemed, rather the true hero was a squire named Ramza Beoulve. The game takes place in the past, telling the story of of the Durai Report, with Ramza as the central hero.

Chapter 1: The Meager
Two years before the events at Orbonne, Ramza and Delita were both childhood friends and allies in the Hokuten. Ramza was the third son of House Beoulve, while Delita was a commoner working in the house along with his sister, Teta Hyral. The two studied at the Akademy in the Gariland Magic City. Following Ivalice's defeat in the Fifty Years' War, soldiers returning home could not get their pay. This created vast dissatisfaction with the nobility, and charged revolts across Ivalice, like the Death Corps's uprising in Ramza's home duchy of Gallione. The Death Corps forces attack Gariland, and the students of the Akedemy are sent to fight them. Ramza and Delita lead their group to victory. They then begin to move towards House Beoulve's seat of power, Igros Castle.

During the journey, Ramza's party comes upon a lone squire surrounded by Death Corps forces. They rescue him, and learn his name is Algus Sadalfas, a noble servant of the Marquis Elmdor who has been kidnapped by the Corps. Algus states his case to Ramza's elder true-born brother, the cold Dycedarg Beoulve, co-ruler with his brother Zalbag since the death of their father Balbanes. Though Algus's impudent manner, Dycedarg says he'll do what he can, though he orders Ramza to stay in the castle. While Ramza visits with his sister, Alma Beoulve, Zabaag appears and drops a hint to Ramza, giving him permission to rescue the Marquis.

Ramza's group travels to the Dorter Trade City, where they spot the Death Corps's leader, Wiegraf Folles, but are stopped in their pursuit by enemy forces. During the battle, a Death Corps lieutenant named Gustav Margueriff is captured by Algus, who savagely beats him until he reveals the Marquis's location. The group travels to the Sand Rat Cellar, where they find Weigraf fighting his own officer, Gustav. Wiegraf objects to the dishonorable tactics of kidnapping, and so kills Gustav. He then trades the Marquis's life for his own, and escapes past Ramza's group. With Elmdor safe, Ramza returns to Igros to find an angry Dycedarg. Little did he know that Elmdor was a supporter of the Nanten, and Dycedarg was pulling Gustav's strings to knock off a political foe.

While Ramza's party moves to attack the Death Corps forces under Weigraf's sister, Miluda Folles, the Corps strikes a blow directly at Igros Castle. Golagros Levine leads the attack, and badly injures Dycedarg and almost takes Alma hostage. However, Zalbag rescues his sister, so Gragoroth grabs Alma's lowborn friend, Teta instead not knowing she is not noble born. Dycedarg promises to not attack the Corps while they hold Teta. Algus, never a friend to the peasant class, loudly shouts his disapproval in front of Delita's face, causing an argument between the two. Ramza sides with his childhood friend, and forces Algus out of his party. While leaving to rescue Teta, Ramza and Delita share a moment watching the sunset over at Mandalia Plains.

While Ramza's party tries to save Delita's sister, they come upon Miluda again. Though they do not see her as an enemy, they are forced to kill her. They then move upon Wiegraf's group which holds Teta in a windmill in the Fovoham Plains. Wiegraf wants to free her, but is forced to go out to fight Ramza with his Chocobo, Boco. He is beaten and flees, abandoning his revolution to it's inevitable defeat. Golagros, fearing for his life, steals away Tietra and heads off to Fort Zeakden with Ramza's group following.

Despite Dycedarg's promise not to attack, Zalbag leads an assault upon the Fort, and orders his new soldier, Algus to fire upon Golagros and Teta who is being held in the enemy hands at knife point. Both are mortally wounded. Delita, looking upon this scene, attacks Algus with Ramza's aid. Together they kill their old ally and betray the Hokuten. Golagros lays an explosion in the Fort to kill his enemies. During the explosion, Delita is thought to have been killed. Ramza, disgusted with what has occurred, abandons the Hokuten, and his family to become a sell-sword, thus leading back to the beginning of the game.

Chapter 2: The Manipulator and the Subservient
After telling his story, Ramza's old party along with Agrias and Gaffgarion begin to pursue Delita across Ivalice. They eventually manage to find him and the Princess in the Zirekile Falls. Delita is surrounded by Hokuten forces, who then join with Gaffgarion, a traitor working for Dycedarg. After the battle Delita explains that he was trying to rescue Ovelia from the Hokuten by leading her to the Nanten's stronghold at Bethla Garrison. He leaves, letting Ramza's party take Ovelia to safety at Lionel Castle, held by the neutral Church.

Along the way, the party encounters a Machinist named Mustadio Bunansa, who is on the run from assassins sent by the Bart Company, a crime syndicate specializing in human trafficking and opium smuggling. Mustadio joins with Ramza's party, hoping to find some help in Lionel as well. At Lionel, the party meets with Cardinal Draclau, second-in-command of the Church and seemingly a willing ally. He gives refuge to Ovelia and her knight, Agrias. Draclau reveals vast knowledge about Mustadio's plight. He knows that Mustadio carries the Taurus Zodiac Stone, an object of great power related to the legendary Zodiac Braves, twelve knights that were led by Saint Ajora to defeat an ancient demon. The Cardinal promises to aid Mustadio against the Trading Company.

Ramza and Mustadio head off to the Goug Machine City where Mustadio's father, Besrodio is being held hostage by the Trading Company. Mustadio splits off from Ramza to rescue his father, but is captured himself. Rudvich Bart, head of the Trading Company, personally comes to threaten Ramza and demands that Ramza give up the Taurus. Mustadio had prepared for this, and tells Ramza to give over a fake stone. Ramza's party fights with Trading Company forces and defeats them, saving Mustadio and his father. After the battle, Bart returns to his master, none other than the Cardinal himself. Not willing to suffer failure, Draclau destroys his conspirator using an unknown magic. During this time, Gaffgarion returns to his employer, Dycedarg to report on his failure to kill Ovelia. Dycedarg, apparently working with the Cardinal, sends Gaffgarion off to fight Ramza, seemingly fine with the idea of ordering his brother's execution.

The Cardinal blocks off the route Ramza first traveled, so now his party has to travel by ship to the Warjilis Trade City to rescue Ovelia. Along the way, they run into Delita, who tells Ramza to stay out of these events. Delita says that he is working against a current in history, though what this means is unknown to Ramza. Moving forward, they find Agrias fighting the Cardinal's soldiers in the Bariaus Valley. She had escaped from the Cardinal, but found that he is planning on executing the Princess. Together Ramza's party goes off to save the Princess, but have to fight their former ally, Gaffgarion twice. Ramza kills the Dark Knight at the gates of Lionel Castle then moves on the confront the Cardinal himself. At the same times, Delita, working with the Cardinal and an unknown man, takes Ovelia off to the Nanten. The unknown character reveals that Ovelia is not really the Princess, rather a lowborn impostor placed to create strife between the aristocracy.

The story briefly switches to Wiegraf Folles. While weeping at his sister's gravestone over his failure to protect her or bring down the nobles, he is confronted by another unknown man. He says his name is Rofel Wodring of the Church's Temple Knights. Rofel promises Wiegraf that if he were to join with the organization, he would help destroy the tyrannical nobles. Wiegraf takes his offer.



Coming into the Cardinal's demesne, Ramza goes to directly challenge Draclau. To everybody's surprise, the Cardinal uses the power of the Scorpio Zodiac Stone to transform in a Lucavi demon called Queklain the Impure King. Despite the great and dark powers of the Lucavi, Ramza's party defeats Queklain. As it dies, the monster explodes in dark energies, then all that is left is an innocent looking Zodiac Stone on the ground. Ramza realizes that the Zodiac Stones are not holy relics of the Zodiac Braves, rather their power is far more sinister.

With Ovelia being claimed as the rightful Queen by the Order of the Nanten, and the Hokuten placing Prince Orinas as King, Ivalice is divided into civil war. Since both sides use the lion as their standard, the war becomes known as the War of the Lions. During the ensuing conflict, the Marquis Elmdor is killed fighting for the Nanten, while Queen Ruvelia is captured by her enemies, leaving her to an unknown fate. Delita rises in the Nanten's ranks by exposing a plot and killing a traitorous lord to Duke Goltana. The entire kingdom is ripped apart as lords bleed their people dry and allow the fields to die off in famine. Dark days had come to Ivalice.

Chapter 3: The Valiant
Ramza and his party begin Chapter 3 by moving to meet with his brothers who are currently occupying the capital, the Lesalia Imperial Capital along with their Hokuten army. Along their journey north they meet Olan Durai, adopted son of the Nanten's fiercest commander, Cidolfas Orlandu, known as the "Thunder God" for his strength in battle. Olan is threatened by a group of bandits, and is thankful when Ramza's party saves him, but continues on his separate way afterwards. In Lesalia, Ramza tries to convince Zalbag that there is a plot orchestrating the entire war. Zalbag refuses to listen to Ramza's claims, and banishes his brother from his sight.

While Ramza begins to leave the city, forces from the Church confront him, led by the Zalmo Rusnada. Zalmo and his inquisitor force are after Ramza since he has been branded a heretic because of his role in the death of the Cardinal Draclau. With his younger sister Alma fighting along side him, Ramza defeats the Confessor, and moves down to the Orbonne Monastery to hunt for a Zodiac Stone before the Church can take it. Though Ramza fears for her safety, Alma demands that she go with him.

At Orbonne, forces of the Temple Knights have already appeared before Ramza's party can get there. They are led by Wiegraf Folles, now in a Templar uniform, and Izlude Tengille. Elder Simon, the monk who runs the Monastery and a tutor to Alma is injured in the fighting, but helps Ramza's side. During the fighting, Izlude is forced to retreat by capturing Alma as leverage. Wiegraf is mortally wounded, and succumbs to his injuries just outside of the Monastery. However, the Aries Zodiac Stone in his hand begins to speak to him, promising to save Wiegraf from death. Taking the offer, Wiegraf transforms into a Lucavi demon like the Cardinal, this one called Velius the Warlock. In demonic form, Wiegraf teleports away. Before Ramza leaves, a barely living Elder Simon gives him a book he has spent his entire life translating: the Scriptures of Germonique. These tell the truth behind Saint Ajora, the diety of the Murond Glabados Church, written by Germonique. In reality, Ajora was not holy man but an evil heretic who was a spy for an enemy nation, working to undermine the Holy Empire of Yudora. Germonique was in turn spying for the authorities, and sold Ajora out. Ajora had no connection to the Zodiac Braves, but did search for the Auracite Stones for an unknown reason. With this potentially disastrous artifact for the Church in hand, Ramza moves to rescue his sister.

Meanwhile, Delita is placed in charge of Princess Ovelia's protection by the Nanten. During a meeting with her, he begins to soften up to the Princess. Showing a romantic interest, Delita promises to protect her, and then goes further. He shows off his ruthless ambition to destroy the corrupt powers that rule Ivalice, and then rebuild it with a new order - all in Ovelia's benefit, he claims. Later, Delita saves Ovelia from an assassination attempt on her life by Hokuten agents, bringer her closer to him.

As Ramza moves foward, he finds Rafa Galthana, an deserter from Kamyuja, a group of assassins under the command of the powerful Duke Barinten who has captured Izlude along with the Zodiac Stone and his captive, Alma. Rafa has fled from her master after he raped her, but she never told her brother, Malak. The uniquely skilled warriors are fighting each other when Ramza appears. Since Rapha is threatened by Malak and a group of Barinten's men, Ramza helps her in the battle. Rafa joins Ramza's party. Later, Malak, surviving the battle, poses as a toad and tells Ramza that if he goes forward to fight the Grand Duke his sister will be killed.



At Barinten's stronghold of Riovanes Castle, the Temple Knight leader, Vormav Tingel, Izlude's father and the mysterious man who appeared to the Princess in Chapter 2, goes to meet with the Duke in negotiations. Wiegraf is with him. Barinten is interested in using his leverage against Vormav to create an alliance with the Temple Knights, who he considers the strongest power in Ivalice. Vormav shows no interest in compromising, then orders Wiegraf away to settle his score with Ramza. To Barinten's shock, Vormav transforms into a Lucavi, killing everyone in the room, and fatally wounding his own son for his weakness. During the chaos, Alma manages to escape from her cell, and runs into Izlude just before his death. Vormav appears as a human, and senses in Alma that she is to be the new host for his "master". He takes her, hoping to complete the Lucavi plot using Alma as a vessle. Outside, Rafa and Malak split off from the battle to finish their personal fued. Inside the castle itself, Ramza is targeted by Wiegraf. Though Ramza tries to reason with Wiegraf by appealing to his humanity, the former leader of the Death Corps announces he now longer cares for the peasant revolution or his sister's death, he only wishes to bring destruction to humanity. Ramza defeats Wiegraf's human form in a one-on-one duel, but then Wiegraf turns into the Lucavi, Velius. Together with his party, Ramza destroys this creature as well.

On the roof of Riovanes Castle, the Grand Duke is cornered by Rafa and Malak. Barrington admits that he raped Rafa, making Malak realize he has been fighting on the wrong side the entire time. Barinten shoots Malak, killing him. At this point, Ramza's party appears, along with a surprise group, the Marquis Elmdor and two female companions, Celia and Lede. Ramza remembers that the Marquis had been killed in battle, then finds that Elmdor too must be a host for a Lucavi demon. Despite the debt he owes Ramza for saving his life back in Chapter 1, Elmdor attacks with his two servents, but the battle ends with the demons retreating. Rafa, standing over the corpse of her brother Malak with a Zodiac Stone in hand, then hears a voice from the Stone. Ramza fears that this voice will take control of Rafa like it did Wiegraf, though instead of an evil power it uses a Holy light to return Malak to life. Both of the Galthana siblings join Ramza's party as Chapter 4 begins.

The slaughter at Riovanes becomes known as The Horror of Riovanes in Taverns across Ivalice.

Chapter 4: Somebody to Love
As the war continues, both sides begin to suffer from the strain. If the war continues at this rate, neither sides will remain with enough power to rule Ivalice. The Lions plan to end the war in a single final battle at Bethla Garrison, and they begin to mass their forces near the fortress. The Nanten is especially weakened, as many lords only continue to serve Duke Goltana in the example of the Thunder God. Though Olan suggests to his father that he should leave the Order, Count Orlandu is too bound by his honor-code to betray his oath to Goltana.

After the battles he's fought, Ramza decides to seek aid with his father's best ally, the very same Orlandu at Zeltennia Castle. During the journey, Ramza's party is threatened by Vormav's daughter, the Temple Knight Meliadoul Tingel. Since she knows nothing of the Lucavi plot, she thinks that Ramza's band was the one that killed her brother at Riovanes. She retreats, still thinking that Ramza is her enemy. At Zeltennia, Ramza does not find the Thunder God, rather he only finds Delita. Delita willingly gives up the entirety of the Church's plot. He is to kill Duke Goltanna and Count Orlandu, while another will kill off the heads of the Hokuten. With both sides decapitated, the Church will take direct control over Ivalice, using the Zodiac Stone to sway the populace to follow their orders. During the conversation, Zalmo appears outside, hunting for the heretic that escaped him at Lesalia. Though Delita is working for the Church, he briefly betrays his allies by working with Ramza to kill the Confessor. Afterwards, Delita leaves Ramza, now manipulating his best friend too for his grand ambition.

Ramza's group runs into a Temple Knight named Balk Fenzol, who has just returned from sabotaging the battle at Bethla Garrison with Mosfungus poison to annihilate both sides in a single blow. After Balk is killed, Ramza moves down to the Battle, where his party opens up the Sluice Gates, flooding the battlefield. When the Mosfungus is released, neither army is seriously affected, though the flooding stops any chance of a conclusion to the War of the Lions. Though the battlefield is safe from heavy fighting, the real warfare takes place behind the lines. Duke Goltana arrests Count Orlandu as a traitor, working on a false tip given by Delita. Delita then uses the Duke's trust as an opportunity to murder him, and he becomes the new commander of the Nanten. A fake Thunder God is killed to silence the Church, while the real Count Orlandu joins with Ramza's party to fight the Lucavi. On the other side, Dycedarg uses the confusion created by the Mosfungus poison as an chance to murder Duke Larg. Zalbag watches the betrayal without taking action, but is heavily disturbed by what he sees. Before Larg dies, he mentions that Dycedarg murdered his father a shock to Zalbag's ears. Zalbaag becomes distrustful of his brother.

Following a lead that Alma is in Limberry Castle, Ramza's party moves out to confront Marquis Elmdor at the seat of his power. Ramza fights through Celia and Lede, and reveals their true forms as Ultima Demons. Though Argath's power is far greater, he is killed again. At Limberry's undercroft, Ramza finds the Marquis. Elmdor reveals that Alma was never here at all, and this entire journey was a trap. He transforms into the Lucavi, Zalera the Angel of Death. Meliadoul Tingel, who happened to be here at the time, sees Elmdor's demonic form and joins with Ramza's side to destroy it. She then believes Ramza's story of her father being a Lucavi, and joins with his party to end the Lucavi plot.

During these events, Dycedarg, now the commander of the Hokuten, is confronted by the Templar Rofel Wodring. Rofel makes insinuations to Dycedarg's guilt in the death of his father, mentioning how those killed by Mosfungus have toadstools growing on their grave. Dycedarg denies everything with his usual calmness. As he leaves, he hands Dycedarg the Capricorn Zodiac Stone, as a sign of goodwill from the Church. Zalbag overhears the conversation, and goes out to check the grave of the late Balbanes. Finding the toadstools, he learns the horrible truth that his brother murdered their father. He returns to Igros, sword in hand.

Ramza hears from Meliadoul that Dycedarg has been given a Zodiac Stone. He rushes across Ivalice to Igros, and walks in to find his older brothers fighting with each other. Dycedarg coldly claims he was doing what was best for House Beoulve. In the end, he is killed, but that triggers the Zodiac Stone in his hand. Turning into Adramelk the Ghost of Fury, he destroys Zalbag in a single move. Ramza and his party defeat the Lucavi, ending the reign of House Beoulve.

At Murond, the seat of the Church's power, the Temple Knights under Vormav revolt. They capture the High Priest Marge Funeral and order him to reveal the location of the Murond Death City, a demension of evil that is required to revive the Lucavi's master. Funeral reveals that it is located in Orbonne, but the Scriptures of Grimonique are required to open the door to the rift. Though the Knights promise to save the High Priest's life, they fatally wound him. Ramza is confronted by Vormav and his servants. He is told to give up the Scriptures in exchange for Alma. Though he gives up the Scriptures, the Temple Knights do not give up Alma, they instead attack then retreat. Before Ramza can leave Murond, he must fight a final battle. Vormav revives Zalbag as an undead zombie, then sends him to kill Ramza. Zalbag is completely consious, and begs Ramza to kill him before he can injure his younger brother. Ramza is forced to kill his elder brother. As the party leaves, they find the High Priest nearing death from his injuries. From Funeral they learn where the Knights are going, but cannot save him from death.

The final battles take place inside the Death City. Ramza's party defeats each of the Temple Knights one by one, until they reach the final location of the game, the Graveyard of Airships. Vormav tries to summon his master using Alma, but cannot. Too few have died, more sacrifices will be needed. Turning into the Regulator Hashmalum, he attacks Ramza and his party to spill their blood. However, Hashmalum is defeated instead. Realizing that the only way to revive his master is to make himself the sacrifice, Hashmalum digs his claws into his chest and with this power he brings Saint Ajora back to life.

Saint Ajora is divided by Alma within her, and Alma is freed. Using the power of the ultimate Lucavi, Ajora transforms into Altima, the Bloody Angel. Though this demon has immense power, Ramza's party prevails and defeats the demon before it can bring devastation to Ivalice. As Altima dies, she unleashes massive energy that destroys the entire area, leaving the fate of Ramza, Alma, and his entire party unknown. Afterwards, Olan Durai appears at the funeral of Alma. Since Ramza is a heretic, he cannot be given a proper burial. After the service, he sees Ramza and Alma riding a Chocobo away to freedom. If this vision is real or just in Olan's mind is left up to the player to decide. Afterwards, Olan writes up a long history of the events in the game and Ramza's role in defeating the Lucavi. However, the Church senses the danger of his work, and have him branded as a heretic and burned at the stake, though they do not burn his work, which would be become the Durai Papers. Olan's descendant, Alazlam would uncover the papers in the frame story around the game.



In the final scene of the game, Delita, now King of the Ivalice comes to his Queen, Ovelia with flowers. But she runs at him with a knife and wounds him gravely out of hatred for being used as a puppet. Taking the weapon, Delita kills Ovelia, and is left with nothing. As he lies in defeat, Delita thinks of Ramza, wondering which one truly succeeded in the end.

Music
The soundtrack is composed by the duo Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata. The soundtrack spans two disks and 71 tracks, with Sakimoto composing 47 tracks and Iwata the other 24. Since then, their names have been eponymous to the music composed for game titles related to the Ivalice series.

Allusions/Trivia

 * Various references of the Final Fantasy series are depicted in the Zodiac Brave Story section.