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Lethean Draught (忘却の薬, bōkyaku no kusuri?) is an item in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. It is a liquid that erases the user's memories with each dose taken. It is made from rabbits and created by the Witch of the Fens.

Frimelda and Luc Sardac Arc[]

Lethean Draught was introduced by Ezel Berbier in the mission "I want to forget". After Luso Clemens explains his concerns about turning people into zombies, Ezel suggests the use of Lethean Draught instead, apparently arguing that there is no reason for one to die.

The player is left with a choice between killing zombies to obtain zombie powder or Dreamhares to obtain the draught. The mission has no effect on the overall storyline, as is more of a test of moral conscience; therefore, the player would always win. This happens during the Frimelda sidequests.

Duelhorn Arc[]

Lethean Draught is reintroduced in the mission of the same name. The requester, Maquis, must defeat Dreamhares to make a certain liquid to save a woman. Upon completing the mission, Maquis explains that when Duelhorn was defeated and left Jylland, he was taken in and healed by a viera named Cyda. However, she fell ill to a strange disease that causes her skin to decay—presumably turning her into a zombie. Maquis struck a deal with the Witch of the Fens to get a potion to heal Cyda, but at a price: his memories or his life. Maquis chose the former, hence the mission and the need for Lethean Draught.

Maquis slowly loses his memories, as he forgets that only one dose was needed. This causes minimal problems with the last mission Cyda puts up for in the pub: defeating Duke Snakeheart after she notices something is wrong, as Maquis says he must defeat "a snake". By this time, Maquis remembers nothing, or any of the party members: he only remembers Duke Snakeheart was on his employ. Snakeheart reveals he had poisoned Cyda with zombie powder and leaked plans of the Jylland invasion by Duelhorn to the clans.

Sometime after Snakeheart's eventual defeat (the mission "A Lasting Peace") Alys the Ensorceled and Night Dancer call Clan Gully to the Aerodrome in Moorabella. They meet an "empty" Maquis, who has no memory at all, a consequence of his consuming Lethean Draught. Before they leave, Cyda comes in and asks Maquis to stay. He refuses, saying he should go with them: a latent remainder of his memory as Maquis the Phantasm. He leaves with his former teammates to his country.

Etymology[]

In Greek mythology, Lethe (Λήθη, Lḗthē) was one of five rivers in the underworld, as well as the name of a spirit associated with the river. The spirit Lethe was the spirit of forgetfulness and oblivion, and drinking the water of the river caused forgetfulness. The Lethe River was portrayed in the Divine Comedy as a river in Purgatory, which Dante drank from to wipe memories of sin from his mind, preparing him to enter Heaven.

Lethe is also the Greek goddess of oblivion.

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