Niflheim



The Empire of Niflheim is a nation in the world of Eos in Final Fantasy XV. It has achieved world domination bar the Kingdom of Lucis that has defended itself with the Crystal's power. Tenebrae has limited autonomy from Niflheim due to the Oracle, Lady Lunafreya, who has the power to commune with the gods.

Niflheim is technologically superior and more advanced than most nations of the world due to their knowledge of magitek. It has developed an army that doesn't need human soldiers, the magitek infantry, and is developing weapons to neutralize the magic of Lucian royalty. Automobiles originate from Niflheim, even though the cars made in Lucis are seemingly more advanced.

The empire is associated with the colors red and white, the emperor dressing in white robes and their emblem being red. The red effect is also associated with magitek—technology only Niflheim uses—and appears on their magitek troopers and armor and airships.

Imperial continent

 * Niflheim
 * Succarpe
 * Magna Fortia
 * Calcano
 * Cartanica
 * Fodina Caestino
 * Haulhex Armory
 * Eusciello
 * Vogliupe
 * Ghorovas Rift
 * Ueltham
 * The Imperial Capital, Gralea
 * Zegnautus Keep
 * Tenebrae
 * Piztala
 * Pagla
 * Ulwaat
 * Zoldara Henge
 * The Sathersea

Story
In the aftermath of the Great War of Old two thousand years ago, Niflheim was one of four countries created from the ashes of Solheim. Solheim was a global civilization that lived in harmony with the six astrals before being overthrown by the astral god of fire, Ifrit, who had broken rank from the other astrals and turned on mankind.

Aspiring to recreate the domination of the ancient civilization of Solheim, the Aldercapt dynasty initiated its policy of expansion, proclaimed themselves as emperors of Niflheim, and began the prosecution of war against neighboring countries to annex them.

In the year M.E. 359, Niflheim conquered the land of Tenebrae, except the Fenestala Manor, home to the Oracle lineage of House Fleuret. In M.E. 501, the imperial army discovered daemons, a life form unknown to them at the time. Circa M.E. 606, the conflict between Niflheim and the Lucian-Accordian Allied Forces continued, but the Lucian army was being overwhelmed by the imperial weapons. The Lucian king at the time erected the Wall around the whole of the Cavaugh region that includes the Crown City of Insomnia, and took up a siege position.

By the year M.E. 725, the entire world, bar the continent and country of Lucis, was under imperial rule, although Accordo was allowed relative autonomy. Emperor Aldercapt, the long time ruler, once benevolent and loved by the masses, had begun the mass production of magitek soldiers for the forthcoming all-out war with Lucis. The magitek infantry was developed with knowledge of daemons provided by Ardyn Izunia, who was made the chancellor of Niflheim sometime after he arrived in 722. Chancellor Izunia had introduced to research minister Verstael Besithia the method to mate daemons with the human soul, which is then incubated until it is strong enough to fight, attached to a magitek trooper frame, and encased in lightproof armor.

The battle of Lucis and Niflheim lasted between 2/24–4/1. Anticipating defeat by Niflheim's new magitek army, King Mors of Lucis, grandfather of Noctis Lucis Caelum, shrunk the magic barrier surrounding the kingdom to Insomnia's outer ramparts to strengthen it ; Niflheim breached into the outlands of Lucis regardless, where they began to build military bases.

On M.E. 744, King Regis of Lucis arrived in Tenebrae with his eight-year-old son, Prince Noctis, for the latter to recuperate from an injury sustained from a daemon attack orchestrated by the empire. During their stay, Niflheim attacked the Fenestala Manor, where the Tenebraean royal family lived, to kill Regis and Noctis. General Glauca murdered Queen Sylva in front of her children, but Regis escaped with his son. The incident was covered up, and the queen was reported to have perished in an accidental fire. The queen's children, Princess Lunafreya and Prince Ravus, fell into imperial custody.

In M.E. 745, the military battled the astral Shiva in Ghorovas Rift outside Gralea. Her frozen corpse causes a major climactic anomaly, which is in stark contrast to the original surrounding deserts and once lush forests. The areas around Niflheim, as well as the capital city Gralea, remain enshrouded in a perpetual winter, and the surrounding countryside becomes an arctic tundra. Niflheim lost most of its magitek army in the battle, and began developing magitek soldiers that would be strong enough to fight astrals, the gods of Eos. The empire has developed a device they have dubbed the Wallbreaker Wave to neutralize the magic used by the Lucis Caelum dynasty and even enfeeble astrals.

In the year M.E. 756, the emperor launches an attack on the capital of Lucis, Insomnia. The attack commences during a peace-treaty signing party which was supposed to settle the dispute, and have the Lucian outlands annexed to the empire in exchange for peace. The treaty-signing is a cover for the true imperial objective: the invasion of Insomnia, the theft of the Crystal and Ring of the Lucii, and the conquest of Lucis. King Regis, his son Prince Noctis, and the Oracle—Lady Lunafreya—are all reported dead.

In truth, Lunafreya escaped Insomnia with the Ring of the Lucii, and Noctis was not in the city when the attack took place, prompting him to try to rendezvous with Luna and start his quest to restore his kingdom and save the Crystal. After General Glauca's defeat in the battle of Insomnia, Ravus Nox Fleuret, the former prince of Tenebrae, becomes the new high commander of the imperial army. He is tasked with capturing Lunafreya and Noctis, but does not follow through; in fact, he secretly helps Luna return to Tenebrae.

Emperor Aldercapt seeks the Ring of the Lucii that is now in Lunafreya's possession, as even though he now has the Crystal, its power cannot be commanded without the ring. The Crystal is a powerful magical artifact whose power of light is unmatched. It had been kept by the kingdom of Lucis for two thousand years, protected by the lineage of Lucian kings. According to legend, the Crystal is of divine origin and was bestowed on humanity alongside the Ring of the Lucii, which harnesses the Crystal's power for a chosen few.

Niflheim raids the town of Lestallum while looking for the exiled prince, which results in general Caligo Ulldor murdering Jared Hester in cold blood. Niflheim attacks the astral god Titan in Cauthess, but Noctis forges a covenant with the deity, and begins demolishing Niflheim's newly-constructed military bases with his friends. Noctis is being aided by Ardyn, who lets the prince escape after he forges a covenant with Titan, and allows him to reclaim his car from an imperial base. Ardyn hires Aranea Highwind, a mercenary who is a commodore in the imperial army, to help Noctis find mythril from Steyliff Grove. Aranea is skeptical of the affair and the empire, saying it has fallen into madness in the last ten years.

Ravus and his magitek army are tasked with felling the Leviathan before Noctis can forge a covenant with her. During Noctis's negotiations with First Secretary Camelia Claustra in Altissia, she reaffirms what Aranea said earlier, mentioning "We've seen the empire go mad these ten odd years." Noctis convinces Altissia to let Luna summon Leviathan, but the sea goddess goes on a rampage through the city, and though Niflheim attacks it from airships it has little impact on the astral. Noctis forges a covenant with her, quelling Leviathan's wrath, and Luna is killed by Ardyn during the battle.

Ravus is sentenced to death after the incident, being used as a scapegoat for the damage Altissia sustained. He had rebelled against the empire once their plans for his sister were made known. When Noctis passes through Tenebrae on his way to the imperial heartland, he finds Fenestala Manor aflame, destroyed by Niflheim. He meets Aranea there who tells them of the current state of affairs in Niflheim. The chancellor is in charge as everyone else is gone: the high commander was to be executed, and the emperor is "no more than a husk at this point." She explains that Niflheim is in chaos with unprogrammed MTs and wild daemons left to run amok. She says it's gotten too far out of hand for the army to deal with as there is not enough daylight left to keep the daemons in one place.

Noctis's friend Prompto Argentum has become estranged from his friends, and traverses the arctic imperial outlands alone. He succumbs to the cold and is taken to a magitek production facility by MTs. He escapes after killing Verstael Besithia and his latest magitek creations.

Noctis infiltrates Gralea during his quest to reclaim the Crystal, but finds the place devoid of humans and swarming with rogue magitek troops and daemons. The citizens of Gralea have been killed by daemons, or turned into daemons through the Starscourge. Emperor Aldercapt is turned into a demon named Foras by Chancellor Izunia. Ravus had turned on the emperor and declared his support for Noctis, the one True King, but he was murdered by Ardyn posing as Noctis. Noctis comes across his body during his trek through Zegnautus Keep.

In his death throes as the daemon Foras, the emperor laments his desire to more than just ruling Eos; by seeking to fell the astrals, the emperor hopes to rule over the heavens and Eos. In his final moments he seeks the Ring of the Lucii to gain the power of the Crystal, under the false belief he could become the Crystal's Chosen and rule the world. Noctis and his friends kill Foras, as well as Ravus when his remains are turned into a daemon.

When Noctis finds the Crystal he is absorbed inside it for ten years, awaiting the day he would return as the True King as spoken of in prophecy. After Noctis disappears the sun doesn't rise again and what is left of the empire collapses, with the world becoming overrun with daemons. Survivors migrate to Lestallum, whose power plant provides the town with light to fend of the daemons.

Etymology
The same name origin is used for Nibelheim from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Trivia

 * An Imperial General named Safay Roth was ultimately cut during development, but a trace of him remains in the "SAF" lettering on Niflheim's landing crafts. Proceeding this, Ardyn's position was added as villain.