The Lucavi are demons in Final Fantasy Tactics working in secret under the cover of the Church of Glabados to revive their dead leader, Ultima the High Seraph. There are at least seven Lucavi, though one of them, Elidibus, is not necessarily connected to the other six.
Each Lucavi is connected to a shard of auracite, also known as Zodiac Stones, which serves as a conduit for that Lucavi to exist in Ivalice. Each Lucavi also has a human host, allowing them to interact with others in Ivalice without drawing attention. The Lucavi can switch between human and demon form via their auracite.
Lucavi return as Espers in other Ivalice games, notably Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, though Elidibus is known as his summon Zodiark.
Profile[]
The original Lucavi (PlayStation)[]
The names of the Lucavi are written in Ivalice writing in the background of the saving screen (picture of the circular zodiac sigil at the top of the page). The Lucavi associated with Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius, and Pisces can be known by deciphering the language. The demons associated with the stones never make a physical manifestation within the game.
Zodiac Sign | Lucavi | Ivalice Name |
---|---|---|
Aries | BELIAS | |
Taurus | DUMA | |
Gemini | ZALHERA | |
Cancer | ZEBBEB | |
Leo | HASHMURIM | |
Virgo | ULTIMA | |
Libra | SEL | |
Scorpio | CUCHRAIN | |
Sagittarius | ROPHOCHEHE | |
Capricorn | ADRAMELECH | |
Aquarius | CHERAUB | |
Pisces | LEVIATHAN |
- The name Rofocale (or Rofokare in the PlayStation version) appears between Cúchulainn and Adrammelech in the game's data. It appears to be a dummied Lucavi that would have been associated with the Sagittarius Stone. His name was given to a undead Time Mage who fights at Yuguewood.
Origin[]
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift provides an description of the origin of the Lucavi. The following text is given to Luso Clemens by Lezaford:
- There are worlds within our world of Ivalice that we cannot touch or know as we know our own bed, home, or town.
- The Netherworld, the Empyreal Plain, the World of Illusion... these are together known as otherworlds, unseen by eye; untouched by hand.
- The order of creatures known as scions hails from these otherworlds. They are found in many places, in many lands, and they count among their number emissaries of the gods, protector spirits, and even greater doers of evil.
- Though the otherworlds are not normally accessible from Ivalice, if certain requirements are met, it is possible to give otherworldly power a physical manifestation in our world. This is most commonly seen in the pact made by the summoners who calls down an Esper to fight for them.
- From the legend of a great mage in the far eastern realms who sundered a magickal seal, thus receiving a scion as a servant, it would seem that they, too, operate by these same principles.
- In Jylland, it has been discovered that that summoning of scions is possible with the use of a particular magickal device. However, it is certain that the power manifested through this means is only an echo of the scion's true power. To evoke the true power of a scion, it would be necessary to harmonize oneself to the scion's being, fusing not only one's purpose with the scion, but one's own body and mind.
Story[]
The goal of the Lucavi is the resurrection of their master, Ultima. Once that is done, they will have no need of auracite or the vessels they inhabit, as they'll be able to come and go as they please. In Ultima's absence, Hashmal leads the effort to revive her. Ramza runs afoul of the Lucavi by discovering what they are up to, and is forced to fight and defeat the Lucavi one by one. By the time he catches up to Hashmal he is dangerously close to reviving Ultima due to the countless bloodshed needed for the resurrection to work.
Hashmal succeeds by committing suicide to fulfill the ritual. Ramza battles Ultima who transforms into a skeletal monstrosity mid-battle. Ultima is destroyed, though the resulting explosion devastates the area, and it appears Ramza has perished as well, although Orran Durai briefly spots him afterward.
The Lucavi[]
Cúchulainn the Impure (Queklain, the Impure King) is associated with the Scorpio auracite, and has possessed Cardinal Delacroix.
Underlings[]
The Lucavi employ many underlings, the most notable of which are the Archaeodaemons and Ultima Demons. Both are of considerable power, and the Ultima Demons can even cast the spell Ultima. During the battles against Ramza, Belias summons Archaeodaemons to help him, while Ultima summons Ultima Demons to help her. In addition, Celia and Lettie, who serve Marquis Elmdore, are Ultima Demons, and if defeated in human form during the battle with Elmdore, will transform into demons and continue fighting.
It is likely that Loffrey is also an Ultima Demon since Ramza feels the same feeling in Loffrey's presence as with Celia and Lettie. Both Archaeodaemons and Ultima Demons are summoned by Folmarv to help the undead Zalbaag.
Musical themes[]
"The Pervert" (named "Helldance" in the in-game sound test mode of The War of the Lions version) is the Lucavi boss battle theme. It begins to play as any Lucavi-possessed character transforms into a Lucavi form, and stops playing right before the defeated Lucavi explodes. The theme is predictably in minor key. It begins slowly and becomes faster partway through only to become slow again just before it repeats.
During the slow part, there are four beats to a measure and during the fast part there are only three. It also switches keys twice during the fast part before reverting to its original key. The combination of these irregularities works well as the heroes are in the presence of something unholy whenever it is being played.
Cúchulainn, Belias, Zalera, Adrammelech, Elidibus, and Hashmal use this theme. Ultima has two themes of her own which are used instead for the battles against her.
In addition to "The Pervert", the Lucavi also have a laughter sound effect. The laugh is a remix of Kefka Palazzo's laugh in Final Fantasy VI.
Other appearances[]
Final Fantasy XII[]
Some Espers are based on the Lucavi. Most do not have a storyline role, but they appear to be in service of the Occuria. The ones based on the Lucavi are:
- Belias, the Gigas: Guardian of the inner sanctum of the Tomb of Raithwall. It is said that Raithwall placed him to guard the Dawn Shard, a fragment of deifacted nethicite. When the party approaches Giruvegan, Belias must be summoned to break the seal on the entrance.
- Adrammelech, the Wroth: Part of an optional quest in the Zertinan Caverns, located at the center of a radar-warping Mist pocket and a cyclone. He summons Shambling Corpses to slow the party's assault.
- Zalera, the Death Seraph: Encountered deep in the ruins of the Barheim Passage.
- Cúchulainn, the Impure: Part of an optional quest whose last leg requires solving the Garamsythe Waterway.
- Hashmal, Bringer of Order: He guards the way to the top of Pharos.
- Ultima, the High Seraph: She is an optional Esper who makes her abode at the bottom of the Great Crystal. Like her counterpart in Final Fantasy Tactics, she is the one who rallied the other eleven Espers to rise against their creators, and thus is implied to be the Espers' leader.
- Zodiark, Keeper of Precepts: The Esper that represents the hidden thirteenth zodiac, Serpentarius, is the last and the most powerful optional Esper. It alludes to the mysterious Zodiark summon from Final Fantasy Tactics. Although not a Lucavi, Zodiark in Final Fantasy Tactics is related to one: Elidibus.
Final Fantasy XIV[]
Rather than sealed away demons, Lucavi in this setting are people who have been transformed by auracite. The shape they take is determined by the individual, not the auracite, as Argath Thadalfus and Ba'Gamnan both use the Taurus stone but become completely different Lucavi, Duma and Yiazmat respectively.
Mateus, Hashmal, and Rofocale appear as bosses inside the Royal City of Rabanastre. In addition, the character Argath Thadalfus uses auracite to transform into the Taurus Lucavi, Duma.
Famfrit and Belias appear as bosses within the Ridorana Lighthouse raid based on their Final Fantasy XII appearances. The final boss of the raid, Yiazmat, is a Lucavi form taken by Ba'Gamnan after being driven mad by the Taurus auracite. Yiazmat is based on the superboss of the same name from Final Fantasy XII.
In the Orbonne Monastery, Agrias Oaks, Mustadio Bunansa, and Cidolfus Orlandeau have used auracite to become Lucavi versions of themselves in order to both keep Ultima sealed and to test the heroes who would seek to vanquish her.
Adrammelech appears in Castrum Lacus Litore, transformed into by Sadr rem Albeleo who found a piece of auracite some time ago. In Zadnor, the IVth Imperial Legion employs the use of zealots who worship Ultima and were exiled from Dalmasca years ago. These zealots use auracite allegedly gifted to them by Ultima to summon Lucavi.
While not appearing in the Return to Ivalice raids, a boss by the name of Cúchulainn appears inside the Void Ark raid. In this game he is a Voidsent and unrelated to the Lucavi. However, a second Cúchulainn, unrelated to the Voidsent, appears as a proper Lucavi in the Dalriada.
Pictlogica Final Fantasy[]
The Lucavi appear as enemies.
Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]
Some of the Lucavi appear.
Etymology[]
The Russian word lukavy (лукавый) means "deceptive". It is commonly used as a euphemism for the Christian Devil. It is related to the Greek word lykaugea, which means "twilight".