Cie'th

Cie'th [siːθ] is a term from Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. It refers to one of the two states that befall a l'Cie; specifically to those who fail to complete their Focus in time. There are two types of Cie'th: Pulse Cie'th and Sanctum Cie'th. Pulse Cie'th appear rugged and morbid, while the Sanctum Cie'th appear smooth and crystalline.

Appearance and Personality
The Cie'th are best recognized by their crystallized and deformed appearance. While most are humanoid, some are more monstrous. They have a hand/arm motif associated to them, as most of their most notable protrusions are or resemble deformed arms, with some having a pair of hands covering where their "eyes" should be. Most Cie'th have no emotions, intelligence, or goals, and live trapped within their crystallized bodies. They have long claws instead of hands, but retain the facial features of their past selves. A pulsating red light in their chest keeps them alive.

The fal'Cie who created them also seem to influence the appearance the Cie'th become. The Cie'th of Gran Pulse fal'Cie have what appears to be black, rough crystals formed all over their body, while the Cie'th of Barthandelus, a Cocoon fal'Cie, have a body of smooth, white crystals.

The Cie'th are the non-sentient remains of a former l'Cie. They move on instinct and are known to be hostile toward living beings, including their former friends, which makes them widely feared as they can wield magic. This is specially true to The Undying, a group of Cie'th whose hatred towards their former fal'Cie masters has made them all the more dangerous.

Only when they turn into Cie'th Stones do the Cie'th show some of their former humanity, mostly their regret of failing their Focus and asking somebody to complete it in their stead so they can rest in peace.

Profile
A l'Cie, when chosen by the fal'Cie, is marked with an incomplete brand, a tattoo-like inscription, when given a Focus. The brand completes over time, working as a timer for the l'Cie to complete their Focus. Should the l'Cie fail, or the time runs out, the l'Cie loses their humanity and crystals cover and twist their body. Their heart is sealed in endless despair, a fate more torturous than death.

It is said the rate at which a l'Cie becomes a Cie'th depends on their psychological state: the more panicked and distressed the faster they will turn into a Cie'th. Fang reveals that as time runs out, the Pulse l'Cie mark sprouts arrows in increasing numbers and eventually an eye, and when the eye is fully opened, they are transformed. It appears that l'Cie can partially transform into Cie'th willingly, taking on Cie'th-like qualities and sometimes keeping their minds. This mode of transformation can be reversed with help from an outside agency. This is seen with the case of Cid Raines in Final Fantasy XIII and Snow Villiers in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Fal'Cie can transform humans instantaneously into Cie'th by assigning them no Focus, as shown by the Cavalry soldiers transforming into Sacrifice Cie'th on the way to Orphan's Cradle. After the Day of Ragnarok, the Cie'th become scarce over time, although in one future in the year 400 AF, the Proto fal'Cie Adam uses Cie'th as enforcers to wipe out any opposition to it. Cie'th still exist in Lightning Returns, with one being available as an optional super boss in the Dead Dunes. Snow also transforms into a Cie'th after absorbing a mass of Chaos he had been keeping under control at the heart of the palace of Yusnaan.

Cie'th Stones
It is possible for Cie'th to still complete their Focus, in which case they would still transform into crystals. Over the course of years, the energy of a Cie'th may dry out, and they turn into a crystalline tombstone, unable to move about but gaining the ability to communicate and ask others to complete their Focus for them. These Cie'th Stones are found in abundance throughout Gran Pulse.

The Undying
There is a powerful group of Cie'th known as The Undying, who have a unique appearance compared to the other Cie'th. These Cie'th defy the will of the fal'Cie that made them into l'Cie and are filled with hatred toward everything that lives. In Final Fantasy XIII completing a mission which has one of these Cie'th as a mark normally allows the player to access a previously closed-off area, except for the first and last marks, which initiate and finish the series respectively.

Shambling Cie'th

 * Fomoire (XIII-2)
 * Ghast (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Ghoul (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Malebranche (XIII-2)
 * Sacrifice (XIII)
 * Strigoi (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Taxim (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Vampire (XIII, XIII-2)

Winged Cie'th

 * Cocytus (XIII-2)
 * Chonchon (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Edimmu (XIII)
 * Nelapsi (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Penanggalan (XIII)
 * Pijavica (XIII)
 * Varcolaci (XIII)
 * Wight (XIII)

Unusual Cie'th

 * Ispusteke (XIII-2)
 * Raktavija (XIII)
 * Seeker (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Vetala (XIII)

The Undying

 * Attacus (XIII)
 * Bituitus (XIII)
 * Geiseric (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Gorgyra (XIII-2)
 * Mithridates (XIII)
 * Numidia (XIII)
 * Raspatil (XIII-2)
 * Syphax (XIII)
 * Vercingetorix (XIII)
 * Wladislaus (XIII, XIII-2)
 * Yomi (XIII-2)
 * Zenobia
 * Vaballathus (XIII-2)

Etymology
Their Japanese name is a combination of the words "Cie" and "Corpse". Their English name is likely a combination of the words "Cie" and "Death".

Trivia

 * Cie'th are one of few genera that cannot be recruited into the party via Paradigm Pack system in Final Fantasy XIII-2; others are bosses.
 * While both Geiseric and Wladislaus were originally classified as Undying in Final Fantasy XIII, they are reclassified as ordinary Shambling Cie'th in Final Fantasy XIII-2.
 * If one looks closely at a Cie'th, the face of the human it was before is visible. Special Cie'th like Raktavija have two faces.
 * Few to no Cie'th have their brands on other places than the torso or back.
 * Cie'th almost always have a weakness to either elements or magic spells.
 * Some Cie'th, like the Seeker or Chonchon, have no visible brand.
 * Unused Cie'th design for Final Fantasy XIII-2 is used as optional superboss Ereshkigal in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

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