The IVth Imperial Legion is one of the armies of the Garlean Empire in Final Fantasy XIV. Headed by Noah van Gabranth, the IVth Legion is based in the former kingdom of Dalmasca, tasked with overseeing its occupation as well as ruling Nagxia and Bozja in the Empire's name. Its base of operations is Valnain in Dalmasca.
Overview[]
Basch van Gabranth originally commanded the IVth, achieving the rank through skill and his fervent loyalty to the Empire rather than being a pure-blooded Garlean. He led the Imperial conquest of Bozja. When his health took a turn for the worse 30 years ago in the middle of the Dalmasca invasion, his son, Noah, was given command of the Legion at only twenty years old, one of the youngest to ever do so. The IVth is set apart from the rest of the Imperial legions by being comprised primarily of non-native Garleans, their preference to not use magitek, and their unwavering loyalty to Noah over the Empire.
Members[]
Leaders[]
- Basch van Gabranth (Legatus)
- Noah van Gabranth (Legatus)
- Menenius sas Lanatus (second-in-command)
Beast Army[]
- Lyon rem Helsos (Leader)
- Dawon
- Dawon the Younger
- Clarricie quo Priscus
- Pagaga quo Vochstein
- Hernais pyr Longus
- Daguza oen Sus
Mage Detachment[]
- Sadr rem Albeleo (Leader)
- Fabineau quo Soranus
- Sartauvoir quo Soranus
- Dyunbu pyr Potitus
- Llofii pyr Potitus
IVth Legion Zealots[]
- Gilbrisbert quo Buteo
- 4th-Make Hashmal
- 4th-Make Belias
- 4th-Make Shemhazai
- 4th-Make Cuchulainn
- Ultima Demons
- Archeaodemons
IVth Legion Mystics[]
Magitek Infantry[]
- Sicinius mal Vellutus (Engineer)
- Dainslef
- Dabog aan Inivisch
Others[]
History[]
As leader of the IVth Legion, Noah van Gabranth led his legion against the kingdom of Dalmasca with airships. After seizing many cities, only the Nalbina Fortress remained, halting the invaders with a magickal barrier. For half a year the legion laid siege to the fortress, eventually conquering it at the cost of 70,000 Dalmascan soldiers. Two years after the fall of Rabanastre, Basch passed away and Noah was promoted to Legatus of the IVth Legion. Many believe it was the conquest of Dalmasca that earned him his position, but others argue that he was appointed at recommendation of Emperor Solus zos Galvus out of recognition for his father's service.
For thirty years the Empire struggled to contain violent uprisings, culminating in the infamous Barheim Incident that claimed countless lives. Unable to reassert control, Noah turned to the XIVth Imperial Legion for assistance. When Varis zos Galvus became the emperor of Garlemald after Solus's passing, he appointed Noah and the IVth to quell uprisings in remote provinces after Doma and Ala Mhigo successfully seceded, as if to keep them at arm's length. Marsak believes Varis suspected ulterior motive from how the Gabranths sought to gain such fervent adoration of the IVth Imperial Legion's troops.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers[]
Recently, Sicinius mal Vellutus, the Senior Engineer of the IVth's magitek detachment, has been working on restoring ancient machina from Goug, the city of the Garleans' ancestors, for use by the IVth. There were rumors that the IVth had obtained lost knowledge of the Allagan Empire. Unknown to his superiors, Noah van Gabranth possessed an agenda of his own, having been gathering his ancestors' knowledge. Noah long knew the Empire was fated to fall, and wanted to establish an even grander nation in its place, enabled by the very power Garlemald abhors.
The Dalriada and IVth fleet arrive.
Over the course of fighting on the Bozjan Southern Front, the Bozjan Resistance learned that Noah's goal was to create a new nation where people's race or social class meant nothing by the power of the primal Queen Gunnhildr. When the IVth was ordered to return to the Garlean capital after Emperor Varis's death, Noah refused and publicly declared his plans, making him a traitor to the Empire.
While their forces were focused in Bozja, the IVth lost Nalbina Fortress to the Dalmascan resistance and a port to the Nagxian resistance. After the Bozjan Resistance defeated Queen Gunnhildr, the IVth arrived in Bozja with their airship fleet helmed by the Dalriada, forcing the Resistance to retreat and rethink their plans.
The Dalriada docked in Zadnor, where the IVth excavated Allagan ruins for the Diablo Armament, a creation comparable to the Ultima Weapon. The combined forces of the Eastern Alliance fought the IVth at Zadnor and stormed the Dalriada, culminating in the Diablo Armament's defeat, the destruction of the airship, and the death of Menenius. The IVth Legion had lost the fight and Bozja had won its freedom. Back in Valnain, Noah did not mourn for Menenius, claiming he knew the price of serving for Noah's ideals. As Noah informed Lyon rem Helsos that he knew his own time grew short, Garlean soldiers arrived with weapons excavated from Bozjan ruins. Noah blamed Lyon for their failure in Bozja and had him incarcerated.
After losing Bozja, Noah and the IVth struggled defending against the Eastern Alliance. Depleted and run ragged after multiple battles, and with no reinforcements on the way as they had seceded from Garlemald, morale fell and the IVth stood in danger of losing a vital outpost. Six months after the fight in Bozja,[1] Lyon, taking extreme umbrage at being held responsible for the IVth's defeat, plotted a mutiny against the leader whom he had once sworn undying loyalty toward. He escaped his imprisonment with the help of co-conspirators and snuck into Noah's chambers in the dead of night. After an exchange of words Noah's mind was made up—he succumbed to Lyon's blade without resistance.
Lyon set Castrum Valnaini ablaze and fled to destinations unknown. Dalmascan resistance later discovered Gabranth's body and suit of armor, though he was not immediately identified both because of the burns from the fire and because so few had ever seen him without his helmet. When the identity of the corpse was confirmed, news of Noah van Gabranth's death spread across the land.
Bereft of their charismatic leader the once-proud IVth Legion crumbled, some two-thirds surrendering to the resistance and the remaining fighting valiantly before being unceremoniously defeated. The long and bitter struggle came to an end, and the IVth Legion's territories of Dalmasca, Nagxia, and Bozja were free.
There remained those who believed Gabranth did not perish, and that the corpse found belonged to another. The people of Dalmasca still lived in fear of the "ghost of Gabranth". Lyon and the other former officers of the IVth—war criminals—remained at large. As for the rank and file of the IVth, the provisional government approved the repatriation for the majority as free citizens, electing not to try them for their crimes on the battlefield.[2]
Three months after the legion's fall, Lyon was sighted in Valnain by a member of Rumta-Zaraam, an organization—whose name means "the spear in the dark" in old Dalmascan—specializing in the hunting of escaped war criminals. Lyon had come to turn over the former senior engineer of the IVth Imperial Legion's magitek detachment, Sicinius mal Vellutus, who was also a wanted man since his disappearance following the events at Zadnor. Once Lyon had handed over his captive, he vanished. The Rumta-Zaraam member who oversaw the matter assumed Lyon was a mere bounty hunter, and failed to realize he was the man once feared as the Beast King. Sicinius himself was bound and unconscious at the time, and even when brought to trial, seemed unaware that Lyon was the one who had captured him.
Why Lyon sought to profit by turning in a former ally remained unclear. His bounty has since been raised, but no further sightings have been made. Though the Rumta-Zaraam allowed Lyon to slip through their fingers, they were able to verify that he was accompanied by a young Lalafellin woman, possibly Pagaga quo Vochstein, Lyon's suspected accomplice who had also earned herself a place on the wanted list.[1]
Gallery[]
