Fifth Ark

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The Fifth Ark
(フィフス・アーク, Fifusu Āku?, lit. Fifth Ark)
Background information
Type	Dungeon, Ark
Region	Cocoon
Affiliation(s)	Pulse fal'Cie
Areas	Vestibular Hold Lower Traverse High Conflux Hibernatorium Inner Conduit The Synthrona Hypogeum Transept Substratal Conflux
Residents	None
Gameplay details
Items	Hero's Amulet Bomb Shell x8 Saint's Amulet Medicinal Oil x10 Rainbow Anklet 600 gil Rigels Auric Amulet Alicanto Gargantuan Claw x7 Metal Armband Ethersol Feymark Electrode x3 Otherworldly Bone x2
Enemies	Pulsework Knight Circuitron Noctilucale Phosphoric Ooze x3 Skata'ne Stikini Berserker Imp Greater Behemoth Cid Raines (Boss) Bahamut (Eidolon battle)
Quests	Head for the exit

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 is a decrepit building the party crashes into after escaping the Palamecia in Final Fantasy XIII. The 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.

Datalog

See also: Datalog (Final Fantasy XIII)/Locales/Final Fantasy XIII

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 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 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.

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

Enemies

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.

Vestibular Hold

• Pulsework Knight x2 (three separate encounters)
• Pulsework Knight
• Pulsework Knight, Circuitron
• Pulsework Knight, Circuitron x2 (two separate encounters)
• Circuitron x3

Lower Traverse

• Noctilucale x5
• Phosphoric Ooze x3
• Phosphoric Ooze x2, Noctilucale x3
• Noctilucale x6
• Phosphoric Ooze x3, Noctilucale x4
• Noctilucale x10
• Phosphoric Ooze x4

High Conflux

• Skata'ne, Stikini (two separate encounters)
• Skata'ne
• Stikini, Skata'ne, Circuitron

Hibernatorium

• Berserker (two separate encounters)

Inner Conduit

• Imp x3
• Phosphoric Ooze x2, Imp x3
• Phosphoric Ooze x4
• Phosphoric Ooze x2, Imp x4
• Greater Behemoth (two separate encounters)
• Phosphoric Ooze x3, Imp
• Noctilucale x10
• Greater Behemoth, Noctilucale x4
• Greater Behemoth, Imp x3
• Imp x4

Mezzanine

• Cid Raines (Boss)
• Circuitron x3

Central Conflux

• Pulsework Knight vs Phosphoric Ooze x2 (three-way battle)
• Pulsework Knight x2 vs Phosphoric Ooze x3 (three-way battle)

The Synthrona

• Circuitron x4
• Pulsework Knight x3
• Pulsework Knight x2, Stikini

Basement Conflux

• Pulsework Knight x2 vs Imp x4 (three-way battle)
• Greater Behemoth

Hypogeum

• Circuitron x4
• Skata'ne x2, Stikini vs Greater Behemoth (three-way battle)
• Berserker
• Skata'ne x2, Stikini

Transept

• Berserker

Substratal Conflux

• Skata'ne x2
• Skata'ne x2, Stikini
• Skata'ne, Stikini x2

Vaults

• Berserker (two separate encounters)

The Apse

• Bahamut (Eidolon battle)

Musical themes

"Will to Fight"

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

Other appearances

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade

Fifth Ark (Special).

Fifth Ark (The Apse) (Special).

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Final Fantasy Record Keeper

Fifth Ark, Part 1

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Fifth Ark, Part 2

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Fifth Ark, Part 3

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Gallery

Artwork

Artwork (1).

Artwork (2).

Artwork (3).

Artwork (4).

Artwork (5).

Artwork (6).

Artwork (7).

Artwork (8).

Screenshots

The Fifth Ark building.

Upper Traverse.

l'Cie brands reacting while the party enters the Fifth Ark.

Vestibular Hold.

Lower Traverse.

High Conflux.

Hibernatorium.

A Berserker in the Fifth Ark.

Inner Conduit.

Mezzanine.

Central Conflux.

The Synthrona.

Basement Conflux.

Hypogeum.

Transept.

Substratal Conflux.

Vaults.

The Apse.

Lightning in the Fifth Ark.

The party fighting in the Fifth Ark.

Etymology

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

[view · edit · purge]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 cutscene but can be made playable via hacks.