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Revision as of 10:48, 13 December 2014

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Fifth Ark

The Fifth Ark.

Long ago, the fal'Cie who made their home on Gran Pulse were afraid of invasion from the outside. As part of their battle preparations, they created an army of living weapons. And they stored those weapons in Arks, and they hid the Arks all over the world.

Vanille

The Fifth Ark (フィフス・アーク, Fifusu Āku?) is a decrepit building the party crashes into after escaping the Palamecia in Final Fantasy XIII. Fifth Ark originates from Gran Pulse whose fal'Cie constructed numerous Arks that now lie hidden around the world. Their original purpose is shrouded in mystery, but it is known Arks were used to train l'Cie to become strong enough to fulfill their Focus. The area contains tunnels with remnants of trains like present-day subways, and modern-day skyscrapers similar to those in the Yaschas Massif.

The Fifth Ark is an unrevisitable location that comprises the tenth chapter of the game.

Datalog

Template:See Also This Gran Pulse structure lies deep below the capital city of Eden, its existence unknown to the members of the Sanctum.

According to legend, Arks are Gran Pulse armories that hold living weapons in stasis, in preparation for war with outside forces. These facilities also supposedly serve the function of awakening a l'Cie's latent powers.

Why this 'Fifth Ark' is on Cocoon, and whether there are other Arks hidden elsewhere, is uncertain.

Story

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. (Skip section)
Lightning consoles Snow

Lightning tells Snow to carry out Serah's wish.

After the party escapes the Palamecia they are flown into a building below Eden that houses the Fifth Ark, a facility created by the Pulse fal'Cie. The party wonders if they should complete their Focus to destroy Cocoon, or carry out Serah's wish to save it. According to Fang and Vanille, a Pulsian legend tells the Arks are facilities the fal'Cie created to build weapons of war. Many had tried to search for the Arks but were unsuccessful. The Arks were used as training grounds to make l'Cie stronger.

The l'Cie encounter Cid Raines and discover he is a Sanctum l'Cie. Branded by the fal'Cie Barthandelus, Raines's Focus is to aid the party destroy Cocoon under the fal'Cie's guidance. Raines tells the l'Cie the fal'Cie wish to annihilate Cocoon so that "The Maker" would return to the world and make it anew. The fal'Cie, unable to carry out this goal themselves, turn humans into l'Cie while tending to the Cocoon populace preparing them to be sacrificed. Cid attacks the l'Cie to foil the fal'Cie's plan by killing the l'Cie before they can destroy Cocoon. Cid is defeated and turns to crystal despite having opposed his Focus.

Fang Against Group

Fang tries to turn against the others.

Inspired by this, Snow decides he should defy his Focus like Cid did and try to save Cocoon like Serah had asked, even if it means he may turn into a Cie'th. Voicing his views, everyone sides with him apart from Fang who does not want to see them turn into Cie'th. She turns her weapon on the party, but unwittingly summons her Eidolon Bahamut. Lightning and Vanille help her defeat the beast.

Fang speculates the Eidolons appear whenever a l'Cie begins to waver on their path towards completing their Focus, forcing the l'Cie to choose life or death. Fang yields to the others' wishes when defeating Bahamut reveals a new path to the lowest level, where they discover an airship and a portal to Gran Pulse. Realizing it is their only way out they fly the ship through the portal and into the skies above Gran Pulse. The airship is destroyed by the local wildlife, sending the team flying out with Fang saving everyone by summoning Bahamut whom they ride down to the world below.

Later, during the l'Cie's assault on Eden, Pulsian Dreadnoughts and many species of Pulsian wildlife (including Behemoths, Adamantoises and Amphisbaenas) invade the area via transgates, due to (what is speculated as) the fal'Cie activating the Fifth Ark below Eden. These are presumably killed during the battle and Vanille and Fang's transformation into Ragnarok.

Spoilers end here.

Areas

  • Vestibular Hold
  • Lower Traverse
  • High Conflux
  • Hibernatorium
  • Inner Conduit
  • The Synthrona
  • Hypogeum
  • Transept
  • Substratal Conflux

Treasure

Item Location
Hero's Amulet Vestibular Hold
Bomb Shell x8 Vestibular Hold
Saint's Amulet Lower Traverse
Medicinal Oil x10 Lower Traverse
Rainbow Anklet Lower Traverse
600 gil High Conflux
Rigels Hibernatorium
Auric Amulet Inner Conduit
Alicanto Inner Conduit
Gargantuan Claw x7 Inner Conduit
Metal Armband Inner Conduit
Ethersol Inner Conduit
Feymark The Synthrona
Electrode x3 Hypogeum
Otherworldly Bone x2 Substratal Conflux

Enemy Formations

In addition to the monsters listed below, two Phosphoric Ooze can merge into one Alchemic Ooze, an Imp can summon an Ahriman and a Berserker can forge a Centaurion Blade. None of these enemies award additional CP.

Musical Themes

Template:Listen "Will to Fight" is the background theme of the Fifth Ark.

Gallery

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Etymology

The Ark is fifth of its kind, there being rumored to be thirteen in total.

In the Bible, Noah carried seven pairs of each clean animal species and one pair of each unclean animal species, each pair a male and female, into a giant ship called the Ark. The Ark was built by God's command to survive the deluge He sent to purge the world from the sins committed by mankind.

Trivia

  • The very end of the Fifth Ark where the party finds the airship only appears in a cut scene but can be made playable via hacks.

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