Circle of Malius

An ancient religion once prominent across the entirety of Valisthea, its key ideologies were rooted in the sacred nature of the Mothercrystals, and the worship of Ultima as a god. Though long since faded, scholars believe the faith eventually branched off into what is now widely known as the Crystalline Orthodoxy.

Active Time Lore

Ancient mural depicting Eikons, the "heavenly messengers" of Ultima.

The Circle of Malius (マリアス教, Mariasu-kyō?, lit. Malius Religion) is an ancient religion in Final Fantasy XVI knowledge of which has since almost disappeared from Valisthea despite it once being widespread across the Twin continents. The religion was formed over 1,500 years ago by the "Children of Dzemekys", during the heyday of the Fallen civilization, and after the civilization fell in the wake of the War of the Magi, the "Children of Dzemekys" migrated to the outer continent where the doctrines of this ancient religion lived on.

Advocates of Malius preach the coming of a paradise as enacted by the savior god, Lord Ultima, this likely being the final message the being imparted before falling into hibernation and stopping communication with his worshipers. In modern times, not much is known of the beliefs and practices of the Circle of Malius, though the Undying and Moss the Chronicler have made efforts to catalogue what snippets of information can still be found; more of the ancient culture that practiced the religion is believed to remain intact in the remote areas outside of Storm. The Crystalline Orthodoxy of the Iron Kingdom could be considered an offshoot of the Circle of Malius where the reverence of Ultima and His servants, the Eikons, has morphed to the worship of the realm's Mothercrystals.

See also: Divinity in Final Fantasy

Beliefs

Its beliefs were originally drawn from murals left behind by the people who lived near the now-lost Mothercrystal, Dzemekys. The Circle of Malius believers beheld the Mothercrystals as sacred and worshiped Ultima as a god. The "Children of Dzemekys" tribe, who used to settle the lands around the Dzemekys crystal, communed with Ultima directly via their Mothercrystal, gaining insight and guidance, until Ultima went into hibernation and stopped all communication, his worshipers believing he had withdrawn into the heavens where in time his believers would join him.

The Circle of Malius faith predates the appearance of the first Eikons. When Eikons emerged in ancient times, their human hosts were named "Dominants" after the savior myth of the Circle of Malius, which held that Ultima's return would be heralded by "His heavenly servants most wondrous and most dominant." It is believed that Ultima will eventually usher in a new world, granting salvation and freedom from suffering. The Circle of Malius believers posit that on some future day of reckoning, the incarnation of the lord would appear among mankind and remake the world. This champion would be heralded by the Eikons' emergence and those faithful to Ultima should rally these Eikons together to bring the lord's champion into being. This incarnation is "Mythos".

The Crystalline Orthodoxy of the Iron Kingdom and the savior cult practiced on Ash can be considered offshoots of the ancient Circle of Malius faith. The savior cult of Ash posits that turning Akashic is the promised salvation, relinquishing one's free will to gain purity and sinless state of being.

An ancient Ashen legend purports that one day the "Age of Dominants" will draw to a close in a clash of Eikons, cleansing the land and allowing for its rebirth. Though an allusion to Norse mythology, it could also be related to Circle of Malius's belief that Ultima remaking the world will be heralded by the appearance of his heavenly servants.

Religious sites

Ruins predating even the Fallen are associated with the Circle of Malius faith, such as the Mothercrystals' inner sanctums and the apodyteries, such as the one at Phoenix Gate that the Grand Duchy of Rosaria unwittingly uses for the Rite of Ancestral Communion. Some parts of the mural of Ultima overseeing His heavenly servants, the Eikons, can still be found in some of these locations, though its meaning and significance has been lost. The Undying is an organization working for the Phoenix that operates to uncover more of the mysterious prehistoric religion, and having indulged himself in their findings, Joshua Rosfield finds a complete mural of Ultima and all the Eikons in an apodytery in Ash.

The few followers of the Circle of Malius remaining on Ash believe that the tower of Reverie is holy ground built by the gods, who would one day pass their judgment from its heights.

Current believers

Active Time Lore visualization for "The Children of Dzemekys" depicting Barnabas Tharmr.

The most notable and ardent active follower of the faith is King Barnabas of Waloed, who earnestly believes that mankind's free will is a scourge ruining their world and that relinquishing one's mind to Ultima will bring salvation. He believes the new world Ultima has promised will be a paradise, and continued existence in the Blighted lands of Valisthea is suffering from which they should seek release. Barnabas is a descendant of the Children of Dzemekys whose Mothercrystal was erased from Valisthea a long time ago, and who since left Storm and migrated to other lands where they kept their faith alive for centuries whereas almost all knowledge of the Circle of Malius slowly disappeared from Storm, being overtaken or co-opted into other, newer religions.

Emboldened by his unwavering faith, Barnabas has awakened as the Dominant of Odin and conquered Ash to bring Lord Ultima's vision to completion now that the fabled Mythos has finally awakened.

Gameplay

Circle of Malius is an enemy attack used by Barnabas.

To get the Circle of Malius curiosity to Clive's Wall of Memories, the player needs to complete all the trials in every chronolith.

Behind the scenes

The religious sites used by the Malius faith are called "apodyteries". In the real world, apodyteria were the primary entries for ancient Roman public baths, composed of a large changing room with places where visitors could store belongings while bathing.