I couldn't miss the chance to practice my drawing!
Long, long before Dalamud was forged to imprison an elder primal... The eldest of them all—savior of the star—was sealed within a moon of His own. Souls sacrificed to grant Him life still slumber and dream of the day He and we will be made whole. Here He waits, in this cold, barren place. His cradle and His grave. Silent lamentations and prayers of hope echo soundlessly to a sundered star, adrift and alone.
Mare Lamentorum [ˈmɑːr.eɪ ˌlæm.ənˈtɔər.əm] is a location in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. A crater in the silver moon, it houses the seal that binds Zodiark deep within, kept watch over by familiars created by Hydaelyn. Due to its secret purpose, this region is also capable of supporting life.
Profile[]
Though its name may conjure images of the briny deep, this region of the moon is awash with naught but arid basalt. It is far from devoid of interest, however, as the origin and purpose of the apparently artificial structures spotted on its surface have yet to be ascertained.
Official website description
History[]
Before Final Fantasy XIV[]
When Hydaelyn Sundered Zodiark and the world, She created prisons to shackle his components throughout the worlds and cast them to the heavens. These heavenly bodies would become the moons of the Source and its shards. Each moon would contain a seal, binding the fragment of Zodiark, which in turn would be maintained by a familiar known as the Watcher, an iteration for each shard.
For the moon of the Source, She held more plans. Hydaelyn created the worker familiars that would be come to known as the Loporrits and gave them the task of turning the moon, a barren husk of umbral matter, into a habitable zone for Her children alongside a functionality for the moon to serve as transportation across the great expanse, in the circumstance that Zodiark would somehow be destroyed and the diaster known as the Final Days were to return.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker[]
Fandaniel and Zenos Galvus used the aether gathered within the Tower of Babil to damage the seal on Zodiark. Hydaelyn, using Krile Maya Baldesion's body as a host, prevented them from destroying the last ward. They made use of a lunar transmitter within the tower to teleport to the moon's surface and manually destroy the seal. Hydaelyn interfered with the flow of aether, sending them to the moon's far-side, and begged the Warrior of Light to try and defend the final ward. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn members stayed behind to deal with the tempered Garleans, who had started to destroy the tower, forcing the Warrior to use the transmitter alone and travel to Mare Lamentorum to meet with an ally.
The Warrior met with the Watcher, an entity created by Hydaelyn to oversee Zodiark's seals. He asked them to inspect the seals, where they would be assaulted by souls of the Ancients sacrificed to Zodiark until they were saved by a familiar person. Some time later, Fandaniel and Zenos arrived on the Cradle of Darkness and destroyed the last seal. Before the Warrior and Zenos could do battle, Fandaniel fused with Zodiark and attacked the Warrior. The incomplete Zodiark was defeated, but this weakening of the primal allowed Fandaniel to compel it to kill itself and thus, the protector of Etheirys against the Final Days was no more. Upon realizing that the Warrior was more concerned about the Final Days rather than their battle, Zenos retreated.
Later, Y'shtola Rhul, Thancred Waters, and Urianger Augurelt arrived from Etheirys to help the Warrior investigate more about the Final Days. They learned that if the Source was consumed, then all of its reflections would be lost too. The Watcher bid them to visit Bestways Burrows to learn more about Hydaelyn's plan for Etheirys.
Locations[]
Aetherytes[]
There are two aetherytes in Mare Lamentorum, located in Sinus Lacrimarum and Bestways Burrow.
Areas[]
- Sinus Lacrimarum
- Southern Mare Lamentorum
- Sinus Tormenti
- Northern Mare Lamentorum
- Bestways Burrow
- Greatest Endsvale
- The Carrotorium
Settlements[]
The Watcher's Palace[]
A structure of enduring design, this brooding tower stands resolute in its vigil of untold millennia. The aetherically conductive plate encircling its spires is reminiscent of a certain architectural style, one found only in the depths of the ocean on the First...
Bestways Burrow[]
The abode of the Loporrits, this place also serves as the main hub for the refugees of Etheirys in the event the moon becomes the vessel of evacuation.
Weather[]
Mare Lamentorum may exhibit any of the following weather conditions:
| Weather | Frequency or conditions |
|---|---|
 Fair Skies
|
70% |
 Umbral Wind
|
15% |
 Moon Dust
|
15% |
Places of interest[]
Kydonia Knolls[]
This lifelike face of enormous scale appears to peek out from the surface of Mare Lamentorum. Obviously no natural formation, it is nevertheless unknown who carved this piece, or indeed, whose features it is meant to resemble. One thing is certain: the model would not find the depiction particularly flattering.
Heimdall's Last Sight[]
The ancient Allagans launched this Heimdall-class vessel into the heavens to monitor Bahamut's prison, Dalamud. When that colossal satellite awakened around the time of the Seventh Umbral Calamity, the observation craft was shot down as it attempted to halt the activation process.
The Cradle of Darkness[]
The great chasm that serves as the prison for Zodiark, sealed with six umbral brands of the elements. After Zodiark's demise, His dark aether continues to pour forth in an endless stream. During their endeavours to reach the Void, the Scions manage to open a voidgate within the Cradle, and reforge the seal on it to prevent any unwanted interlopers from making their way through.
Activities[]
Duties[]
|
| Smileton was to be a paradise for the people of Etheirys, a refuge where every need is met, its inhabitants content and happy for all their days. But what is happiness? In pursuit of an answer, the Loporrits created the Big Cheese, designed to make manifest all they might need and more to fulfill the needs of their passengers-to-be. They were eager to please─perhaps, too eager─and their plans became more fickle, each new idea a betrayal of the last. The Big Cheese now burrows toward the center of the moon, a labyrinth of contradiction left in its wake. If left unchecked, its wanton pursuit of happiness may very well spell the end of the moon. |
|
| Zodiark's shackles have finally been broken, bringing His millennia-long imprisonment to an end. This premature awakening is the work of Fandaniel, who has cast aside his duty as an Ascian to turn the god of Darkness against the very star He was created to protect. With Zodiark's unfathomable power at his disposal, Fandaniel has selected his first victim—the Warrior of Light, who has ever been a thorn in the Ascian's side. |
FATEs[]
Musical themes[]
The theme "One Small Step" plays while on the Lunar surface, including during regular enemy encounters.
A remix of the Final Fantasy IV town theme "Welcome to Our Town!" plays while in the areas the Loporrits inhabit. Additionally, the original battle theme from the same game plays when engaged in battle in this area.
A piano arrangement of "'Neath Dark Waters" plays within the Watcher's Palace.
Etymology[]
"Mare" takes its name from a real-life naming convention for various lunar mares. A lunar mare refers to the large, dark plains of Earth's moon. One such naming scheme for a lunar mare consists of "Mare" followed by a state of mind, such as "Mare Serenitatis" and "Mare Tranquillitatis".
Mare Lamentorum is Latin for "Sea of Laments".