The Hollow Keepers is an organization in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius tasked with protecting The Hollow. The Hollow Keepers are the main antagonists of Season Three, succeeding the Sworn Six of Paladia and The Orders.
Not much is known about the Keepers, other than that it is their duty to protect the Hollow and allow it to ravage the worlds linked with the Farplane. The Hollow Keepers have shown personal motivations to defend the Hollow and its rampage, as they largely believe the worlds are better off without whatever the Hollow absorbs.
They are opposed by the Hollow Breakers, a group that travels the Farplane Express who are destined to fight the Hollow's influence.
Story[]
Fina and Bruce run into the Hollow Keepers in Wohlstok, a world in the Farplane. They find a town whose people have lost emotions, and by proxy, fear, as they are attacked by monsters but don't try to protect their lives.
Saving the villagers from the monsters, Fina and Bruce find Daisy, a local stage actress who—unlike the rest of the world—retains her emotions. They briefly encounter Mazurka, a Hollow Keeper who chastises them on their attempt to restore the people's emotions, claiming they are not suffering. The party watches Daisy perform in an attempt to rekindle people's emotions, but she fails.
The party follows a Silvery Fog that indicates a nearby wormhole from where the Hollow appears. They encounter a Hollow Dragon protected by Mazurka who insists on the party's foolishness in trying to restore emotions. The party defeats her and Mazurka retreats. The party defeats the Hollow monster and seals the wormhole as it spawns Roca, a mysterious baby girl whom they take with them. The world's emotions are not yet restored, as they learn there is another wormhole to seal.
When the party returns to the town they meet Milieta, an actress and rival to Daisy, who has lost her emotions. Daisy tries to make her remember their acting time together, but to no avail. Mazurka tries to convince the party to abandon their quest to return people's emotions, as she narrates her tragic story of bullying (without referring to herself) as proof that there are people who have been saved by the lack of emotion. The party is initially awestruck at the idea, but nonetheless Fina reaffirms her belief that emotions are necessary. Daisy has Milieta and herself perform "Of Sword and Shield" on stage, where the latter recovers her emotions through her passion for acting, causing Mazurka to grow alarmed.
With Milieta's help the party finds the next wormhole, but are barred by Mazurka. After Fina duels and defeats her, Mazurka lies terrified at the prospect of being bullied again. Fina offers her a hand of friendship, leaving Mazurka confused. Calmed down, Mazurka retreats and wishes for Fina to not die. The party defeats the second Hollow monster and seals the wormhole, restoring the world to normalcy. Daisy joins Fina and Bruce in their quest.
Mazurka lies in an unknown place, wondering the value of friends. Multiple Hollow Keepers appear and reaffirm their alliance to protect the Hollow, which they believe creates a true ideal world devoid of lies. Mazurka tells her comrades about Fina's party.
Fina and her friends arrive at the Kingdom of Illumia where they are attacked by the Royal Guard on sight by orders of the Queen. They are saved by Melo, a magic user with a lazy demeanor, who claims to know where a Silvery Fog can be found. They defeat Kalmia, a mysterious woman who attacks them, who claims to have been strengthened as a result of what has been lost. Kalmia departs, leaving the party to believe she is a Hollow Keeper.
When Fina's party next battles the Royal Guard they unmask them as an all-woman unit, making the party realize that the Hollow has taken the world's men away with the exception of Melo for unknown reasons. Melo guides them to the cave where he witnessed the Silvery Fog, but they only find a worm monster. The party defeats the monster, but don't find a trace of the Hollow. They are ambushed by the Royal Guard and immobilized by paralyzing arrows as the soldiers seize Melo away on orders of the Queen. Kalmia appears and heals the party, asking them to not interfere.
The party returns to the kingdom to save Melo, who is sentenced to death. The party tries to interfere, thinking the kingdom is run by Hollow Keepers hellbent on ridding the world of men. Kalmia explains it was not the Hollow who took the world's men, but an illness, and that it was not men that was lost from the world, but magic, exposing Melo as a rampant magic-using criminal who has repeatedly interfered with the kingdom's attempt at recovering magic. Melo confirms and reveals himself as the true Hollow Keeper, freeing himself from his ropes and casting a spell on the Queen, turning her into a bronze statue as he retreats.
Kalmia unsuccessfully tries to heal the Queen and realizes they must have Melo remove the spell. On their way to pursue him, Kalmia explains that she is a doctor and that their world has an illness known as the Withering that targets men that can only be treated with magic. The Queen had used a special stone to teleport the world's men, the King included, to a safer world while the women were left to recover magic, but all their ventures have been thwarted by Melo.
When the party finds Melo he reveals he desires to rid the world of magic because it can lead to—in his words—"poor choices." The party pleads that without magic people will die, but Melo refutes it as a natural occurrence. Not expecting to be understood, Melo fights the party who try to not kill him so he can remove the spell on the Queen. Melo reveals himself a magical prodigy and unleashes a powerful magic blast, severely injuring the party. Seeing that Roca was unaffected by his attack, he takes an interest in the mysterious baby and kidnaps her, intending to turn her into a Hollow Keeper.
Unfortunately for Melo, Roca does nothing but cry in his presence. They are faced with monsters whom Melo scorns, believing they are no threat to them. However, one of the monsters bypasses Roca's barrier and injures her, shocking Melo. Seeing himself responsible, he destroys the monsters and takes her where she can be healed.
While the party gives chase to Melo they find his hometown where they learn of his circumstances, born as the son of Magic Researchers killed in an accident involving Black Magic, making him resent magic, with the townspeople expressing their regret and vowing to not commit dangerous research again.
When the party finds Melo, he apologizes for what happened to Roca, but assures them she is fine. Fina tries to convince Melo to return magic to the world, claiming the town elder regrets his actions. Melo does not trust her and believes her worldview to be naive. Fina counters by citing her many experiences, including her encounter with Vlad and how someone as vile as him had his own fears and thus she could understand him, thinking she can also reach an understanding with Melo. He refuses and is defeated in battle, revealing Roca. The party is glad to see Roca again and grateful to Melo for saving her, but he departs.
Melo is seen again when Fina and the party chase the Queen of Illumia as she takes Roca with her, intending to use her to perpetuate her power. They end up near the world's wormhole. Intending to fulfill his duty as a Hollow Keeper, Melo tries to protect the Hollow as he grows increasingly annoyed at Fina's pleas. Melo is defeated once more and is stunned at how Fina can be so strong, certain he'd win this time. Fina responds that she tries to be strong to make up to her friends supporting her and how she wants to be like Kalmia, who grew stronger after losing something. Melo departs not wanting to see them ever again, leaving the party to defeat the Hollow Dragon and seal the wormhole.
Back on their base, Mazurka claims Melo's plans went awry and asks if he will quit the Hollow Keepers out of guilt. Melo rejects this as turning on a new leaf would be too bothersome and decides to take a more supportive role instead. Mazurka wonders about Fina and how she and her friends are immune to the Hollow. Melo recalls a story told by her grandmother that when the Hollow would spread across the worlds, the worlds in turn would choose champions of their own to protect them, granting the champions immunity to the Hollow and being known as the Hollow Breakers. Chorale, the group's leader, eavesdrops their conversation, and believes they are part of a great conflict that has been reignited, expressesing interest in Fina.
The party visits the Kingdom of Couleur, known for its vibrancy though it has lost all color. When en route to the closest city they meet a quirky girl called Poppy who still has color and is cheerfully doodling in a wall. Seeing the party has color too, she grows overjoyed and ventures on a quest for materials in a flower field to continue her painting. Bruce suspects she might be a Hollow Keeper though her cheerful nature dissuades him.
When Fina and her party find a carriage on attack with Swan, the kingdom's princess, they rush to her aid, but Chorale appears, saves her and takes his leave. The party inquires about them and Princess Swan reveals Chorale to be her former steward. She is traveling to bring solace to those who have lost color but was attacked. The party escorts her since they have the same destination in mind, while narrating their story to her along the way. Swan believes the world to be better without color.
As they reach the field with flowers that Poppy mentioned they restore color to the flowers by grabbing them. Swan still believes the world is better off without color since it has made people better. She further reveals she had advised the king to leave the world as it is. Daisy asks if she is a Hollow Keeper. Chorale appears and presents himself as the true Hollow Keeper and his group's leader. He declares he has heard of Fina from Mazurka and Melo and has taken an interest on her. As a sign of respect he will guide them to the wormhole where he will tell them his reasons. The party is suspicious, but Swan assures them Chorale is not one to lie, although she is unsure what is he plotting.
At the wormhole Chorale reveals the Kingdom of Couleur to have a nasty history of discrimination, segregation and a strict hierarchy where royals and artists are venerated, leaving everyone else to rot in the slums, but the loss of color ended these conflicts, bringing equality and peace. Swan agrees although Poppy cannot bring herself to approve of a world that has lost color since it takes joy away. Fina wonders whether there is true equality on the world as it stands now. Chorale challenges the group to a battle intending to test their mettle but is defeated.
Chorale proposes Fina a deal: he will temporarily seal the wormhole, restoring color to the world to show Fina what Couleur is like with color, and whether it is truly worth restoring. Fina agrees to his terms and Chorale restores the world's color, revealing the party to be in a decayed town full of misery and filled with outcasts the kingdom has rejected for their lack of artistic ability. Not long after the slum dwellers grow restless at color returning. Believing they will be mistreated again, they gather up to revolt against the higher classes. Fina pleads with them but is violently brushed away as the mob rushes in.
Fina is in shock while Chorale was all too expectant. He says the people will calm down when color is lost again since the seal won't last for long. He proposes marriage to Swan who accepts and the two leave. Fina despairs over not having a real solution to the current crisis and is affected by the Hollow, leaving her without color.
Members[]
Initial members[]
True members[]
- Keeper Garote (Leader)
- Keeper Spada
- Keeper Moneta
- Keeper Buffon
- Keeper Calice
Etymology[]
The Hollow Keepers are named after a musical motif. Mazurka is a polish musical based on stylized folk dances in triple meter. A Mellophone is a 2- or 3-valve brass instrument. Chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale. A Conch is a wind instrument that is made from a conch, the shell of several different kinds of sea snails. Divertimento is a musical genre known for being lighthearted.
Later Hollow Keepers are named after italo-spanish suits often seen in the minor arcana: Wand, Sword, Cup and Coin. Their attire however has a glowing symbol of their french card suit counterpart: Club, Spades, Heart, Diamond. The last member is named after the Fool or the Joker.