Luxerion



Luxerion, the Divine City of Light is one of the main locations in Nova Chrysalia in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. A religious organization known as the Order of Salvation is in charge of keeping the peace. The Order worships the deity Bhunivelze, and spreads his teachings to the people throughout the city, praying for the doomed world's salvation.

Datalog

 * Luxerion
 * The holy city is home to the Order's great cathedral, the seat of its power. Most of the residents are devoted to Bhunivelze, the god of light, and each day many of the faithful stream into the city from other areas to pay homage to their god.


 * The city center used to span the area between North Station and Old Town, but the encroachment of the Chaos has split the city. Now the central functions of the city have migrated to the southern part of the city, between South Station and the commercial district.


 * The fortress to the north of Old Town has been abandoned by the authorities and is now known as the Warren. It is the preserve of outlaws and the heretics who defy the Order.


 * The Cathedral of Luxerion
 * Towering over the Luxerion skyline is the grand headquarters of the Order of Salvation.


 * During the day, a grand hall call the Hall of Devotion is open to the public, and believers come to hear the sermonizing of the priestess who leads the Order. Pilgrims stream to the cathedral, many of them hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious saint who lives deep within the cathedral—but few are rewarded.


 * Beneath the cathedral is God's Sanctum. This special chamber stands ready for the ceremony that the Order will perform on the last day of the world—only a select few are allowed to enter it.

Story
Noel Kreiss has become corrupted by Chaos. While seeking a way to save the dying world, Noel finds an Oracle Drive in Luxerion depicting a bright future. Fueled on by the prophecy and seeking to maintain a sense of security, Noel acts as a vigilante justice fighter becoming feared by the citizens and known as the "Shadow Hunter". Noel takes up residence in the Warren and guards the Oracle Drive.

Thirteen years ago, Oerba Dia Vanille and Oerba Yun Fang awoke from crystal stasis and were taken in by the Order. Vanille has gained the power to hear the voices of the dead, making the people of Luxerion honor her as a saint. She is put under the Order's protection and sheltered in the cathedral to prevent people from exploiting her power. Fang comes to believe the Order is using Vanille as a tool of the gods and leaves the group, reluctantly leaving Vanille behind. Fang ventures to the Dead Dunes and forms the Monoculus bandit group that scours the desert for buried treasure.

After confronting Snow Villiers and Lumina in Yusnaan, Lightning arrives in Luxerion from the monorail and soon after, a girl is murdered, with a doll resembling Lightning hanging from the clock tower. Lightning mentions three murders have occurred in Luxerion in the past three days and Hope Estheim suggests (via a communication device) Lightning look around for clues.

After meeting an Order member who asks her to report any findings regarding the recent murder to him, Lightning follows a group of suspiciously acting white-robed individuals to their underground base, and witnesses them perform a strange ritual. To enter, she requires a code and Lightning decides to search for the code in the morning.

At around 8 a.m., Lightning starts her search and comes across an alley where people are gathered and finds the code. While Hope guides Lightning to unlocking the code, Noel sneaks up to her but vanishes when Lightning turns around. Lightning leaves the alley and finds an injured person, claiming they were attacked by a monster. Lightning accepts a quest to kill a Reaver, the monster who supposedly injured the resident. Lightning traverses Luxerion in search of the Reaver and finds people screaming and running away, scared of an outbreak of monsters. She comes across the Reaver and kills the behemoth, temporarily restoring peace.

On the evening of the final day, Vanille prepares to sacrifice herself in a ritual to save the souls of the dead. With help from Noel and Fang, Lightning reaches the heart of the cathedral where the ritual is being performed. She and Fang convince Vanille to stop the ritual and instead guide the dead to Hope's Ark, where they can be reborn.

Cathedral
The Order of Salvation's seat of power. A temple built to honor Bhunivelze, where the faithful go to pray on a regular basis, and where Vanille lives under the Order's protection.

Warren
The rundown part of the city where crime is frequent and the Shadow Hunter makes his home.

1-1 An Evil Savior

 * A grisly scene greets Lightning as she steps into Luxerion. A young girl has been murdered, and the Order’s inquisitors have locked down the area to search for suspects. Lightning should talk to the inquisitor in charge of the investigation to get the blockade lifted – especially in light of the grim message, found near the body: The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter.


 * The area where the body was found has been locked down, and Lightning can do nothing until the blockade is lifted. She must assist the murder investigation by looking for witnesses and searching for clues that might identify the culprits.


 * Based on the testimony of witnesses, a clearer picture of the crime is emerging. The dead girl is but the latest in a series of victims, all young wo,en with the same rose-colored hair as Lightning. Many of the city residents suspect the Children of Etro in having a hand in the crimes. It is time for Lightning to report this information to the inquisitor.


 * The inquisitor has lifted the blockade around the North Station. Although the authorities still lack the definitive proof, the Children of Etro appear to be involved somehow in the murder--and if so, they know about the savior. The evil savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter, read the message. What could it mean?

The mini quest "Whither Faith", part of completing the main quest, triggers automatically and must be completed before 11:45 PM on Day 1. The quest begins as soon as Lightning leaves the Ark and enters Luxerion. In the middle of the North Plaza there is a person called the Inquisitor who asks Lightning to find several clues. For one of them she will have to complete another mini quest, named "Where Are You, Holmes?"

On the east corner of plaza there is a red ladder. Climbing allows Lightning to talk to the Surveying Man on the right side of the upper platform, to get important information. Jumping onto a nearby platform finds the Fighter's Emblem inside a treasure sphere. Next, the officer near the dummy offers more valuable information.

Jumping down and heading west locates another officer in front of a gate. Lightning should talk to him even if no information is provided by doing so, then return to the Inquisitor. While in the central area, Lightning must search the ground for glowing papers and examine them for a new clue (Etro Alphabet). Next talk to both the Innkeeper and the Outfitter, for two additional clues. Now is the time to complete "Where are you Holmes?" mini quest by talking to Thorton near the stairs that lead to the train station.

Thorton worries about his colleague, Holmes, who has failed to turn up for his shift. Lightning must find Holmes before Day 1 ends, or she will fail the quest. After talking to Thornton, Lightning should turn around and while facing the main plaza, go right, towards the innkeeper. Around the corner there are several vending machines and a man near a blocked gate. This is Holmes. After asking him to return to his colleague, Lightning must walk to Thornton instead of running. Thornton will be found up the stairs inside the train station. Talking to him again obtains a clue for the Inquisitor and the rewards: 300 Gil, HP +30, Strength +3, Railworker's Cap, Railworker's Beret.

After beating the Holmes mini quest, Lightning will get more valuable information and will be inside the train station. On the other side of the corridor there is a Pious Cleric who can offer new info. After talking to her, Lightning should head right to locate a woman Resident and talk to her as well.

Now Lightning can return to the Inquisitor to finish the Whither Faith mini quest, and get her reward: 800 gil, HP +80, Strength +6, Magic +6, and Scholar's Glasses. This concludes the Evil Savior main quest and the gates will open and the next main quest can be started at midnight.

1-2 In the Shadow of the Heretics

 * At midnight, the Children of Etro gather in huddled groups in front of North Station. It seems likely that these heretics, worshipers of the goddess Etro, are behind both the murders and the grim message threatening the savior. The heretics are alert and cautious. Lightning must follow them stealthy, as it is her only chance to learn more.


 * Lightning follows the heretics to a graveyard where they conduct nightly rites that seem to have some connection with the murders--but the gate is closed to outsiders.

Hope will inform Lightning of the heretics gathered in the North Plaza. They are the area where the Inquisitor was in the previous quest. Lightning can either follow them stealthy by maintaining a safe distance, or engage them directly. The first option wastes some time. For the second option, Lightning will have to kill a specific heretic to beat the entire group. Lightning can climb the tower in the middle of the plaza and let the heretics move around for several seconds. Their leader is in the front. Lightning can then descend the tower, and sprint toward him to strike first.

In the battle Lightning faces a group of three heretics. After beating the group, the next objective is to find the phone that rings only during the night (it will appear on the map). If Lightning decides to follow the group rather than engage them, this is where they will lead her, a northwest alley that leads to a triangle-shaped area called the Forsaken Graveyard.

Answering the ringing phone completes In The Shadow Of The Heretics quest, and starts the next main quest.

1-3 Find the Code

 * The mysterious rites that the Etro heretics attend each night appear to be connected to the murders of the young girls To get into the place where they are held, Lightning needs the pass code. After 6 AM, four numbers will appear on walls across the city. Lightning must find them and then return to the Forsaken Graveyard in time for the next rites.


 * Warehouse District Code
 * ''Lightning has found a number to the pass code in the warehouse district. No one knows what the heretics' endgame might be, but it seems likely there will be more victims before they are done. Lightning needs to open the gate to the Forsaken Graveyard and infiltrate the rites that take place there each night.


 * The Centrum Code
 * ''Lightning has found a number to the pass code in the Centrum. Many residents of the city are suspicious of the heretics and their plans. Lightning must move quickly to stop the heretics and bring an end to the sinister rites that take place in the Forsaken Graveyard.


 * South Station Code
 * ''Lightning has found a number to the pass code near South Station's public phone booth. Clearly, the heretics do not fear the Order, if they are hiding their codes in the shadow of the Cathedral itself. Lightning must stop the rites in the Forsaken Graveyard before more blood is spilled.


 * Warren Code
 * The heretics' stronghold lies deep in the Warren. There Lightning finds an Oracle Drive that shows the savior being killed by Noel, the so-called Shadow Hunter. Noel appears and tells Lightning that he intends to make the prophecy come true. He then disappears deeper into the Warren. Lightning wants to follow, but she has more pressing business. Check the walls near the Oracle Drive!


 * Lightning has the four numbers of the pass code. Now all she needs to do is go to the Forsaken Graveyard, and speak the numbers into the phone booth at midnight. Once inside the graveyard, she will be able to observe the rites with her own eyes--and stop them, if need be.


 * Lightning speaks the four numbers she has found. They must have been correct ones, because the gate at last opens. Now she can see for herself the rites that the heretics hold. But what hazards are waiting for her, inside that grim graveyard shrouded in darkness?

The player need not write the code down, as the game will remember the code after inspecting each entry on the walls of Luxerion. Lightning can find the numbers after 6 AM on Day 2 and will have to find four numbers by visiting specific locations in Luxerion. For the first number she must head toward the Commercial District. There are two green markers showing the gates have been opened. Under the lower marker is a dead end, similar to a reversed letter L. There will be a number on the wall at the dead end.

The second number is located southwest several steps away. Lightning should snter the Avenue, and head left through the arcaded pass to reach the Back Alleys, follow the stairs up, then turn right and follow the alley between the houses to see the glowing marker on the stairs at the end of the passage.

The third number is at the South Station, on the west wall from the Canvas of Prayers.

The final number is in the Warren area behind the Rusted Gate northwest from Old Town that opens at midnight. When the clock hits 00:00 Lightning should go through the gate to reach the Wall of Wealth to find Lumina with an Oracle Drive and the number.

With all the code numbers uncovered, Lightning can return to the phone-booth in the Forsaken Graveyard and answer the phone and enter the code. Next Lightning enters a new area, Sinner’s Corner, and starts the next quest.

1-4 Rites For A Goddess

 * The gate to the Forsaken Graveyard where the heretics gather stands open. It now seems clear that the Children of Etro are behind the calls for the savior's death. The rites have already begun, and the heretics may be murdering another young woman at this very moment. Lightning cannot afford to delay. It is time to bring an end to the heretics' deadly games.

Lightning should cross the Forsaken Graveyard, picking up a Stormbane Choker and Zirconia Brooch on the way from treasure spheres. Near where Stormbane Choker is found, a Chaos infusion appears on a hill if the player walks towards it. Player can collect soul seeds from there and fight Zomoks.

The Things She's Lost

 * Quest Starts
 * ''A tearful Dolce tells Lightning that she has lot her prized treasure, a green Carbuncle doll, somewhere near North Station, Perhaps Lightning can find it--but it won't be easy, if the toy has come into contact with another dimension.'


 * Difficulty: ★
 * Requirements: Complete the quest between 9 PM and 6 AM
 * Rewards: 100 Gil, HP + 30, Magic + 3, Carbuncle Figurine

Dolce appears in North Station Plaza after 9 PM. She is wearing a green dress and is found close to Canvas of Prayers. She asks Lightning to find her lost Carbuncle doll.

From the North Plaza there is an alley leading to Old Town. Turning right after the first gate, Lightning will enter Gate Of Revelation and continuing forward, enters Temporary Route. At the end of the Temporary Route Lightning should turn left and then right to reach the Marketplace. Near the vendor named Seger there is a pile of junk with a green doll on top. After returning the doll to Dolce Lightning receives her rewards.


 * Quest Complete
 * The doll Lightning found was a keepsake from Dolce's mother. If the doll survived the Chaos, perhaps Dolce's mother can, too. With this realization, Dolce rediscovers hope and her soul is saved.

Stuck in a Gem

 * On Pilgrim’s Passage in the holy district, Lightning meets a talking cat who begs for help. Can this really be part of the savior's mandate? Must Lightning help cats as well as people?


 * Difficulty: ★★
 * Requirements: Complete Main Quest 1-2: In The Shadow Of The Heretics. Start after 3 PM.
 * Rewards: 1600 gil, Maximum HP + 80, Magic + 12, Black Cat Ears

If Lightning tries to talk to Gem before 3 PM, he'll appear only as a normal cat. He is found east from the South Station within a curved alley, in a secluded area. Gem relates his story and explains his soul is stuck in a cat's body, and asks Lightning to restore him via the Starlit Spice item.

Lightning must speak to Rubrio, who resides in the area called Wall of Joy that can be accessed after midnight, when the gates to the Warren open. The Wall of Joy is north from Old Town, and Rubrio will be wearing a large straw hat. He will ask for two Niblet Hairballs to create Starlit Spice.

Ronan is located in the Market area of the Old Town, east from North Station and south from Wall of Joy. He is a boy surrounded by cats. The cats will approach Lightning and if they get too close she will lose the Starlit Spice and will have to return to Rubrio. A good idea is to sprint around the cats to get near Ronan and quickly press the corresponding button to talk to him. Curing Ronan ends the quest.

Enemies

 * Gaunt (on the graveyard)
 * Gorgonopsid
 * Gremlin
 * Meonekton (only at night)
 * Niblet
 * Zomok (a quest monster within a Chaos infusion, and on the graveyard)

Musical Themes
Depending on the time of a day, various tracks from disc one of the original soundtrack play during exploration of the city, although some areas have their own themes which play independently from the current time.

Creation and Development
Art director Isamu Kamikokuryo has revealed the gothic feel and the monochromatic color scheme of Luxerion were chosen to represent a surreal twilight. The city's style merges gothic, medieval, modern, and fantasy designs. The city's colors are mainly composed of white and black, symbolizing light and darkness, as well as featuring the ethereal green seen in Valhalla from Final Fantasy XIII-2. Toriyama said the city's grim tone symbolizes "the strong awareness of death in a world that has lost its concept of mortality." It's been said that Luxerion has a western look, similar to that of Paris. The city's style has been called "Mech-Goth", alternatively called "Mechanical Gothic".

Etymology
Lux comes from Latin and means "light".

Trivia

 * Luxerion's North Station and Business Street can be viewed in a 3D from the official Japanese website, however the point of view is set and the viewer can only rotate the image.