Gentiana

Gentiana is a non-player character in Final Fantasy XV. She is a mysterious dark-haired woman who usually stays by Lunafreya Nox Fleuret's side. She is kind and compassionate and has an ethereal presence.

Appearance
Gentiana has long jet-black hair with a straight fringe cut just above her eyebrows, and olive green eyes that are red around her pupils. She wears a formal black and gold dress and a white shawl alongside long heels. While she has been with Luna and met Prince Noctis when they were both children, she has not physically aged over the passing twelve years.

Personality
Gentiana is calm and elegant. She sometimes keeps her eyes closed, even when interacting with the people around her, belying her clairvoyant nature. She stays by Luna's side, supporting her, but usually chooses to stand aside and observe rather than initiate action.

Story
Gentiana is the counterpart of Luna's role as the Oracle, and thus stays by her side. An Oracle is the mankind's messenger to the gods, whereas Gentiana is the messenger to the humans from the gods. Due to her magical existence, she doesn't appear to age.

Gentiana is the alter ego of the astral goddess Shiva. Shiva is sympathetic to humans, and acts as a foil to Ifrit. In M.E. 745, she awoke in the form of an giantess in the desert plains surrounding Gralea. She led an assault against the Niflheim Empire, but was felled by the magitek forces. This caused an environmental anomaly, turning the desert into a vast tundra under a perpetual storm that abruptly ends at the edge of the desert. The corpse of this incarnation of Shiva has been left as a landmark. After Luna became the new Oracle, Shiva returned as Gentiana, guiding both Luna and Noctis on their journeys. This is not the first time she has assumed this form, and was easily recognized by Ardyn Izunia. The eight-year-old Prince Noctis met Gentiana when he spent time with Luna during the time he was recuperating from an injury. He was mystified by her, but Gentiana spoke to him kindly and said she was happy the Oracle and the future king of Lucis would have a close relationship.

As depicted in Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV, Gentiana agreed to help Luna discover Prompto's identity after Luna's dog Pryna returned with a bandage on her leg that has the boy's name on it. Luna later sent a thank you letter to him.

Following Luna's escape from the attack on Insomnia, Gentiana awaits her at the city gates with Luna's dogs Pryna and Umbra. She guides Luna on her journey to commune with the astrals, and stays with Luna when Luna's brother Ravus Nox Fleuret sends an escort to them to get them out of Lucis. At times, Gentiana astrally projects herself before Prince Noctis's party to offer cryptic advice, leading Prompto to ask if she is Noctis's. Noctis learns Luna is helping him to forge covenants with the Six, and, in the stormy Duscae, is guided by Gentiana's voice to pass Ramuh's trials.

Following the attack on Altissia where Luna died, Gentiana intercepts Noctis on his trip to Gralea to ward off Ardyn's attack. She reveals herself to be an astral, assuming a smaller, more fairy-like form, and gives Noctis the Trident of the Oracle and her blessing. From there on out, Noctis can summon Shiva in battle, and when they face Ifrit in the ruins of Insomnia ten years later, he calls upon Shiva to deliver the finishing blow. When Shiva answers Noctis's call, she appears as Gentiana before transforming.

Gameplay
After Noctis has acquired Ramuh, there is a random chance that Gentiana will make appearances in photos that Prompto takes. While reviewing photos in camp, Noctis and the others will take puzzled note of her presence. The first time she appears in a photo, the player will earn the trophy/achievement "Immortal Photobomb."

Noctis forges a covenant with Gentiana's astral form at the end of Chapter 12, and gains the means to summon Shiva in battle.

Creation and development
Gentiana was designed by Roberto Ferrari, a sub-character designer for Final Fantasy XV. Compared to Ferrari's original concept, the developers changed Gentiana's clothes for script reasons, although the new dress kept much from the two versions Ferrari had drawn (a formal outfit and a party dress). The face remained unchanged. She originally had red-framed glasses and a white armor on the arm and a heavy sword at her side. Gentiana's original role for Final Fantasy Versus XIII was that of Stella's messenger, and a contact point between the countries of Tenebrae and Niflheim.

Voice
Gentiana is voiced by in the Japanese version of Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV.

Etymology
Sylleblossom is a blue flower native to the land of Tenebrae associated with Luna in Final Fantasy XV.

Trivia

 * A winged Gentiana and what appear to be winged Umbra and Pryna appear on an illustration on a Cosmogony book the young Noctis had in Tenebrae.