Alexandria

Alexandria is both a kingdom and the capital of that kingdom, and for a time the capital of the Alexandrian Empire, on the planet of Gaia in Final Fantasy IX. The city is centered on a plateau in the northern Mist Continent, extending out over the Zamo and Gunitas basins.

A monarchy, it is ruled by Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros XVI with Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII as its heir. Alexandria is known for its all-female army led by General Beatrix and a group of male knights in charge of protecting the city, known as the Knights of Pluto led by Captain Adelbert Steiner.

Story
According to the Final Fantasy IX Ultimania, Alexandria was founded around 800 years ago after the other civilizations on Mist Continent collapsed. After Mist began appearing on the continent, its civilizations succumbed into warfare, eventually destroying each other. Alexandria was born out of the destroyed civilizations' remains and was the first kingdom built on high elevation, above the Mist. At this time, the summoners still lived in Alexandria.

Around 500 years ago Alexandria was destroyed by a failed summoning experiment. Said eidolon's crystal was divided up into four pieces, one given to each of the ruling kingdoms on the continent, and one was kept by the summoner tribe who left the Mist Continent, migrating to the Outer Continent.

Despite most of the civilization having settled above the Mist, smaller scale conflicts continued, mainly between the three major nations: Alexandria, Lindblum, and Burmecia, with Lindblum and Alexandria having a long history of recorded wars. In year 1389, legendary General Magdalene of Alexandria took on the Lindblum Army with nine soldiers in the 9th Lindblum War. The 15th Lindblum War was fought in year 1601.

The discovery of Mist-powered airships in Lindblum changed the rules, and tilted the power balance in Lindblum's favor. In year 1771, Regent Cid Fabool VIII of Lindblum intervened during an Alexandrian conflict with Burmecia with Lindblum's airship armada. Alexandria and Lindblum began diplomatic relations, and the wars that had been plaguing the continent came to a stop. South Gate and the Berkmea cable cars were built, so airships and travelers could pass freely between the two nations.

When the kingdom celebrates Princess Garnet's 16th birthday, a show is put on by the Tantalus Theater Troupe: a performance of Lord Avon's famous play I Want to Be Your Canary. The Tantalus Troupe is actually hired by Regent Cid Fabool IX of Lindblum to kidnap Princess Garnet to ask her about her mother's recent unusual behavior.

In a twist of events, Garnet wants to be kidnapped because she believes her mother has been acting strangely. Tantalus member Zidane follows Garnet to one of Alexandria Castle's towers as she attempts to flee from the city. The two grab the theater ship's lines and swing onboard, but Steiner, the captain of the Knights of Pluto, pursues them.

All three, including the confused black mage Vivi Ornitier, end up on center stage. The play continues with some impromptu acting, but as Tantalus prepares the engines for departure, Queen Brahne realizes the scheme and orders the firing of an explosive Bomb onto the decks. The theater ship escapes Alexandria, but crash-lands in the Evil Forest.

Alexandria is closely linked to the powerful regency of Lindblum, and when Garnet and the others arrive there, they converse with Regent Cid, who is worried about the queen's behavior. It is later discovered that Brahne has been under Kuja's influence, a weapons dealer of sorts, who persuades her to take over the Mist Continent to further his own schemes.

When Garnet and Steiner return to Alexandria to confront the queen, Brahne uses an ancient extraction ritual to take Garnet's eidolons with which she attacks neighboring nations. Once the eidolon Odin destroys the city of Cleyra, Zidane, Vivi, and the Burmecian Freya Crescent warp into Alexandria Castle via teleportation pods on the Red Rose airship.

They join Steiner in liberating Garnet from the castle basements and fend off a slew of Bandersnatches set upon them by the queen. The party splits at the castle antechamber: Zidane, Vivi and Garnet flee to Treno, while the others stay to slay the Bandersnatches, and in the chaos, Brahne readies her naval fleet for the Outer Continent.

Queen Brahne comes to her senses after suffering a mortal wound inflicted by Bahamut, which Kuja had captured from her. The queen perishes on the Outer Continent shores, and Garnet prepares to be crowned the new monarch. Kuja orders Bahamut to torch the city and during the attack, the eidolon Alexander defends the castle, summoned by Eiko Carol and Garnet, who have brought its four crystal fragments together.

After Alexander destroys Bahamut, Kuja's master Garland appears with the Invincible and wrecks the city and the castle with a single blow. The devastation shocks Garnet to such degree she becomes mute. Vowing to avenge her kingdom she joins Zidane and the others in hunting down Kuja to discern his true intentions.

After the party rescues Cid's estranged wife Hildagarde Fabool from Kuja's Desert Palace, Garnet returns to Alexandria and visits her mother's grave. She recovers from her muteness and cuts her hair short with Zidane's dagger as a symbol of moving on from her loss. Garnet and her new friends hunt down Kuja and Garland and put an end to their schemes, and she returns to Alexandria to rule. The town is rebuilt to its former glory, as some time later Tantalus returns to perform I Want to Be Your Canary.

Locations
The city is not as large as Lindblum, so there is no need for an air cab service. This is partially because Alexandria isn't as technologically advanced as Lindblum. The way to get around town is on foot. Alexandria's setting over a lake separates the castle from the city proper, and a rowing ferry serves as transport between the two.

The city is badly damaged after a story event, but residents begin to rebuild, allowing the city to be partially explored later.

The game begins here on the main street, with Vivi watching the Prima Vista cross the city. In the south, the street leads to the town exit that has a statue in the middle of the square. North leads toward the castle. The street is lined by residences and a tavern. The player can race against Hippaul in a minigame here for a brief time when the player is in control of Vivi after the events in the Outer Continent. Among the cobbled streets, there is a mosaic of Alexandria Castle with a star shining above it, alluding to Alexandria Castle's secret.
 * Main street

The pub is found along the main street. The player can find some gil here on the floor and get a tutorial for playing Tetra Master if they find Alleyway Jack in the alley. When the player is in control of Vivi in Alexandria after returning from the Outer Continent, they can find Zidane here.
 * Pub

The town square is at the center of town. The north leads to the castle, and there are shops and an inn around the square. The ticket office in the middle checks patrons' tickets when they come to see I Want to Be Your Canary. The player can play the jump rope minigame at the start of the game and obtain the Alexandria card from a girl after Alexandria has been attacked.
 * Town Square

The inn is located by the town square and is run by Hippaul's family. The guests' rooms are upstairs, and there is a balcony overlooking the town square from the inn. The inn is packed at the beginning of the game due to the performance of I Want to Be Your Canary at the castle.
 * Inn

After being left behind in Alexandria, the Tantalus member Ruby opens a mini theater in the alley, but she has trouble finding good actors. She hires Lowell Bridges, the star of the Theater District in Lindblum, but upon seeing Ruby's tiny theater, Lowell does nothing but complain of how his talents are being wasted. The item to be obtained to solve the Mognet Central sidequest is obtained from Ruby after hearing the clue that the item is somewhere in Alexandria.
 * Mini Theater

Kupo, the local moogle, makes his residence here and can record the player's progress as a save point. At the start of the game, Stiltzkin visits Kupo before embarking on his travels, and he can be found in the steeple again near the end. The player starts the Mognet quest here by receiving a letter from Kupo, who also plays a role during endgame if the player does the Mognet Central sidequest; Kupo will hint that the required item is somewhere in Alexandria. After Alexandria has been attacked, the player can play the jump rope minigame here if either Vivi or Eiko is in the party. Hippaul has hidden some Tetra Master cards in the bell.
 * Steeple

Puck leads Vivi on the rooftops of Alexandria from the steeple during the pair's attempt to sneak in to watch I Want to Be Your Canary. Using the ladder, the two can get across gaps between the buildings, and there are treasures to be found in the houses' chimneys.
 * Rooftops

Alexandria Castle
Alexandria Castle is the most prominent landmark of Alexandria with its enormous crystal pillar in the middle. The castle is the home of the royal family and is guarded by the Knights of Pluto, as well as members of Squad Beatrix. The castle has vast libraries, a dungeon, and an ancient underground tunnel leading to Treno.

Items

 * Disc 1
 * Potion x6
 * Eye Drops
 * Ether
 * Tent
 * Phoenix Pinion
 * Zombie card
 * Sahagin card
 * Fang card x3
 * Goblin card x3
 * Bomb card x1
 * Skeleton card
 * Lizard Man card
 * Flan card
 * 63 Gil
 * 33 Gil
 * 27 Gil
 * 29 Gil
 * 3 Gil
 * 92 Gil
 * 38 Gil
 * Bell Tower
 * Ironite card
 * Goblin card
 * Fang card
 * Hippaul racing only
 * Wyerd card
 * Carrion Worm card
 * Tantarian card
 * Armstrong card
 * Ribbon card
 * Nova Dragon card
 * Genji card
 * Athlete Queen
 * Jump rope only
 * 10 Gil
 * Cactuar Card
 * Genji Card
 * Alexandria Card
 * Tiger Racket Card
 * King of jump rope
 * Disc 3
 * Phoenix Pinion
 * 2680 Gil
 * 3927 Gil

Phoenix Pinion, Hi-Potion and Elixir can be bought from Stiltzkin for 777 gil.


 * Bell Tower
 * Shiva card
 * Ramuh card
 * After Destruction
 * Remedy
 * Ether
 * Tent
 * Opal
 * Peridot
 * Sapphire x2
 * Amethyst
 * Alexandria card

I Want to be Your Canary scenes
The player can partake in a sword fight minigame as part of the play near the beginning of the game. There is also a short extra ending scene related to the play.

Jump rope
Jump rope is a minigame the player can participate in as Vivi in Alexandria at the beginning of the game by approaching the girls jumping rope to the left of the ticket booth. Later, the girls relocate to the steeple, and Eiko can also play at this point. The minigame yields rewards such as gil, rare cards, and a rare key item. The field icon indicates when the player should jump. The rhythm of the game varies as the player gets a higher total.

Meeting with Alleyway Jack
At the beginning of the game, the player can hear rumors of an "Alleyway Jack" who knows a lot about Tetra Master. The player can meet him in the alley west of the town square, but if the player lets Alleyway Jack walk across the screen and leave the area, they miss the chance of talking to him. After meeting him, the player can talk to him in the tavern, and he will explain he rules of Tetra Master.

Find a missing cat
At the beginning of he game there is a boy called Tom who has lost his cat, Mittens, near the steeple by the lake. The cat can be found in the very first area of the city, where the statue stands in the middle. Talking to the boy after having found the cat nets the player the Bomb card.

Hippaul's hidden cards
Hippaul has hidden his Tetra Master cards at the top of the steeple. If the player looks there at the beginning of the game, they find generic monster cards, but if they check back later, they will find eidolon cards for Shiva and Ramuh.

Mognet
The player can start the Mognet sidequest by accepting a letter from Kupo in the steeple at the start of the game. During endgame the player can start a chain of deliveries to complete the Mognet Central quest, where the letters eventually point that the item Artemicion needs to fix Mognet is in Alexandria. After getting this clue, the player can get the Superslick key item from Ruby in the mini theater.

If the player attempted the jump rope minigame with Vivi at the beginning in Alexandria, and skipped at least 50 times, when the player meets Mosh (while controlling Steiner) in Alexandria Castle, he will have received the following letter from Kupo:


 * * The number is based upon the player's highest record in the minigame. Kupo's record is always the third of Vivi's.

When the party first meets Mosh in the Alexandria Chapel, he will have a letter:

* When Garnet is captured by Queen Brahne, the player is given a choice answer. If they say "Believe her", then this letter will say "still believes". If they say "Don't Believe her", then this letter will say "suspected".

Mosh sends a letter to Monty, who has escaped Evil Forest to Pinnacle Rocks: The letter the party delivers from Mosh to Monty:

The letter the party delivers from Kuppo to Kupo:

After getting Kuppo's letter, Kupo will have another letter:

After Zidane joins the party, Kupo will have another letter:

If the player played the Hippaul racing minigame in Alexandria, Kupo will send a letter to Mogrich in Treno's Knight's House:

* If the player beat lv. 60 in the Hippaul minigame, Vivi will be the name. If not, it's Hippaul.

After the party returns from Terra, Kupo has a letter to Atla in Burmecia starting the sidequest to restoring Mognet Central:

The letter the party delivers from Noggy to Kupo is the final letter in Mognet:

Racing Hippaul
Hippaul can be challenged to a footrace as Vivi after the party returns from the Outer Continent. The race is available for a short time only, and the opportunity to race him ends as the player agrees to see Ruby's play. Hippaul can be found on the main street in Alexandria. The player controls Vivi and must press and  in succession to beat him. Prizes include the rare key item Athlete Queen as well as Genji and Ribbon cards.

Nero Brothers' gambling minigame
The Nero Brothers host a gambling minigame in Alexandria's weapon shop when the party returns to Alexandria from the Outer Continent. The minigame is only available when the player controls Zidane. The minigame is a shell game: the three brothers will shuffle their positions and ask the player to identify one of them. After a correct answer, the player is given a choice to continue or stop and receive a reward. After a wrong answer, the player loses the money they paid for the game. The only reward is gil, and the prize sum rises all the way up to 25,600.

The player can use the to pause the game during the shuffle to make it easier.

Blu Magic
Outside Alexandria on the world map the party can encounter Bombs and Bandersnatches. Quina can eat them to learn Mustard Bomb and Pumpkin Head respectively.

Shops
Doug's Item Shop is the only store available at the beginning of the game, and at that time, it does not stock Hi-Potions, Echo Screen, Soft, Remedy or Annoyntments.

Outside

 * Bomb
 * Bomb X2
 * Bandersnatch

During battle for Alexandria

 * Mistodon
 * Mistodon X2

Musical themes
While neither Alexandria nor its castle have official themes like the other nations on the Mist Continent, three different themes play whenever the party visits Alexandria. "Vivi's Theme" plays when the player has control of Vivi at the beginning of the game before I Want To Be Your Canary is performed.

"We're Thieves" plays during the party's visit after returning from the Outer Continent. "Unrequited Love" becomes the nation's main theme for the rest of the game, starting when Zidane laments about being in love.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Alexandria is present as a room for preset characters of the game's Multiplayer Mode Online Lobby.

Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015)
Alexandria was added as a stage in the arcade release via update on 16th March.

The battle takes place in the Town Square, with the Ticket Office acting as a platform in the circular stage. The golden sky reflects the opening of Final Fantasy IX when Vivi explores the town, and the Prima Vista can be seen arriving at Alexandria Castle.

Midway though battle, the sky turns to night and smoke appears in the distance on parts of the town, and Alexander is summoned and spreads its wings, with the Red Moon appearing behind it, referencing the Battle of Alexandria.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Alexandria appears in the Field Music Sequence of "Over the Hill", and as the Battle Music Sequence during the Mist Invasion for "Something to Protect."

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call
Alexandria returns in the FMS and BMS for both songs.

Itadaki Street
In Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable, Alexandria is present in this crossover between Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy as a stage.

Gallery

 * Artwork

Etymology
However, its name probably derives from the in-game lore, as it is the resting spot of the powerful eidolon Alexander.

Trivia

 * One of the rooms from the Online Lobby in Dissidia Final Fantasy is named Alexandria.
 * At the beginning of disc 3, when Vivi reunites with Zidane, the player can leave Alexandria and see it from the world map, before it is destroyed. This is the only time in the game the player can do this.
 * According to his concept art in the Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania, Gilgamesh found his Excalibur in a hidden room in Alexandria.