The Forgotten Capital
The Forgotten Capital, also known as the Forgotten City, is a ruined city in Final Fantasy VII. It is located on the arctic Northern Continent, just after the Sleeping Forest and far to the East of Icicle Inn.
Design
The Cetra "castle"
A few of the houses still stand, many still containing furniture, artifacts, and even beds, indicating the area appears just as it did when it was abandoned long ago.
Some points of interest in the Forgotten City include the Holy Machine, which allows one to communicate with the planet, and an underground section of town consisting of several crystal buildings surrounding a Cetra altar.
As far as architecture goes, the inhabitants of the Capital incorporated nature into their buildings, many having roofs made up from Conch Shells and other organic sources. The general layout of the area seems to invoke an aquatic motif. Many of buildings have a shell-like appearance. The ground seems to be similar to the sea floor.
Below the ground level is a hidden "castle" with medieval-style towers that is connected to the surface with a staircase made of light. This area holds a spring and an altar.
Role in the Storyline
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Destruction
The city was the primary capital of the ancient Cetra civilization for about two millennia. After the Calamity from the Skies, Jenova, nearly wiped out the Cetra, the few survivors left gradually became assimilated into human culture. The city itself has been an abandoned ruin since then.
Summoning Holy
Cloud Strife and his party enter the Forgotten Capital in search of Aerith Gainsborough, the last of the Cetra line. She had left the party to summon Holy, through which she could defeat the cataclysm of Meteor. The party finds the place eerily silent. They spend the night here, but are awoken in the middle of the night due to a strange sound.
Aerith being impaled.
As they investigate, they find a path down into the underground section of the city. There they find Aerith praying to summon Holy. Cloud comes forward and being controlled by Sephiroth, almost kills her. He breaks the control and steps away; however, Sephiroth himself swoops down from the ceiling and ruthlessly kills Aerith, ending the line of the Cetras forever. Cloud, in a tearful rage, demands to know why Aerith had to be murdered so horribly. Sephiroth only laughs off his Clone's emotion, and leaves Jenova∙LIFE for the party to fight. They defeat the creature and continue on their journey, badly shaken.
Further Investigation
Concept art of the Forgotten Capital, in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Bugenhagen comes with the party much later, after Meteor has been unleashed upon the world. They come to find out just what Aerith was trying to do before Sephiroth cut her down. However, they need the Key to the Ancients to work the dormant machines inside the city.
It is found at the bottom of the sea using the Submarine. When the key is used, the scene of Aeris's death is replayed. It is at this point that Bugenhagen realizes that Holy had already been summoned and that Sephiroth is blocking it. He must be killed in order to save the Planet from Meteor.
The party's planning is cut short by the arrival of the Diamond Weapon just beneath the city. With the monster en route to destroy Midgar, the party races to stop it.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Two years after the defeat of Sephiroth, Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo used the Capital as their base, bringing Tseng and Elena there to torture them, and later the Geostigma infected children. Cloud goes to rescue them, but is defeated because of the effects of Geostigma. Vincent Valentine saves Cloud and Marlene from the three remnants.
Items Found
- Magic Source
- Aurora Armlet
- Guard Source
- Enemy Skill Materia
- Comet Materia
- Viper Halberd
- Bolt Armlet
- HypnoCrown
- Megalixir
- Magic Plus
- Power Source
Enemy formations
Corral Valley
Entrance
- Boundfat, Malldancer x3
- Malldancer x2, Boundfat x3
- Malldancer x4
Approaching Forgotten City
Giant Conch Shell
Underground
Corral Valley Cave
- Acrophies
- Boundfat, Boundfat x2, Boundfat
- Boundfat x2, Hungry (Back attack)
- Boundfat x3, Hungry
- Grimguard x3
- Hungry x2
- Hungry x2 (Ambush)
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