The Undying is a secret society[1] in Final Fantasy XVI that is dedicated to serving the Phoenix and preserving the Phoenix bloodline; many of the organization's members are distant relatives of the Rosfields, so should the ducal lineage be wiped out, the next Phoenix might awaken in an Undying's descendant and keep the Eikon within Rosaria and the Rosfield line.[3] The Undying's base of operations is in a small settlement with a long history in the Dhalmekian Republic called Tabor, where the organization has a hideaway and an archive. However, many members live in various towns of the realm, keeping their associations with the society hidden.
The Undying acolytes take up various jobs as part of their society, such as learning the art of sword-fighting to become bodyguards to the Keeper of the Flame of the Phoenix, becoming scholars and researchers and archivists, and even to becoming assassins to take out their liege's enemies.[4] Members of the Undying tend to wear hooded cloaks.
Known acolytes[]
- Cyril, Bearer of the Burning Quill (Joshua's chronicler)[5]
- Jote, attendant to "Margrace"
- Bard in Northreach - if spoken to after "Under New Management II", he will reveal he is a member of the Undying, and that the society has sent investigators to the mysterious structure off the north-western coast, but they have not returned.
- Innkeeper in Dalimil
- Dalan (Book of Martyrs)
- Kytes (Book of Martyrs)
History[]
The Undying is a society in service of the Phoenix, serving the currently awakened Dominant of Fire whom they refer to as "the Keeper of the Flame of the Phoenix". They also strive to preserve the Eikon's bloodline so that the Phoenix will keep awakening. When the young Dominant of Fire, Joshua Rosfield, was brought to Phoenix Gate for the Ancestral Communion in 860, the Undying acolytes were positioned in the crypt under Phoenix Gate ready to preside over him performing the rite. They learned of the mayhem aboveground too late to intervene, but managed to rescue the barely-alive Joshua from the rubble after the Phoenix's battle against a second Eikon of Fire and spirit him away from the duchy.[4] In the wake of the disaster at Phoenix Gate, Rosalith fell to enemy forces and the Undying migrated their headquarters to Tabor, an ancient settlement in rural Dhalmekia.[2]
The Undying focused their efforts in discerning the second Eikon of Fire's Dominant, coming to suspect Clive Rosfield, Joshua's elder brother. When years later they learned of a Bearer in service of the Sanbrequois military wielding the Phoenix's Blessing, they readied their assassins, but Joshua argued against this mission and the Undying never ended up sending assassins after Clive. Joshua always believed that some yet unknown power was behind the disaster and that Clive was innocent, and so the Undying kept following leads until their investigations eventually led them to learn about Ultima,[4] a mysterious being once worshipped as a god all across the realm, but knowledge of whom had since almost disappeared into the mists of history.
The Undying dedicated their efforts in learning as much as they could about Ultima. Joshua eventually set out on a trip with an attendant from the society, Jote, to visit the apodyteries—really the ancient sites dedicated to serving Ultima by the Circle of Malius faith—to find any morsel of information on this new Eikon of Fire that Clive had unwittingly primed on the Night of Flames. When they were captured by Benedikta Harman in 875, Jote stayed by Joshua's side through their ordeals. After Hugo Kupka drove imperials out of Rosaria, and then was defeated by Clive, the Undying took the opportunity to salvage what relics of the duchy still remained.[6]
Joshua learned of Ultima's influence across the realm and set out to warn Dion Lesage, the prince of Sanbreque and the Dominant of Bahamut, that Ultima may already be controlling his nation. When Bahamut went on a rampage in Twinside, Joshua met Clive again and the two fused their Eikons, Phoenix and Ifrit, to become Ifrit Risen. After the duo subdued Dion, Joshua brought Clive to Tabor and introduced him to the Undying, where Clive met the leader of the society, a withdrawn and standoffish but dedicated man named Cyril.
The Undying kept on their mission to learn more about the Circle of Malius while Joshua was away traveling with Clive, and Jote awaited for his return at Clive's hideaway. After learning more about the society, Clive criticized Cyril on letting his acolytes perish on dangerous missions, rather than sending them help, but Cyril brushed him off with a notion that the acolytes knew of the dangers beforehand and were glad to perish if it was in the service of the Phoenix, as willingness to die in this line of work was a proof of their faith. Clive argued that valuing the acolytes' lives would allow the society to serve the Phoenix better, and would be a superior show of faith. When one acolyte traveled to Mikkelburg in Ash to study a savior cult whose members wanted to become Akashic, believing it to be the salvation promised by Ultima, Cyril sent Clive to endure this acolyte' safety after not hearing back from him; perhaps having reconsidered the society's stand.
Etymology and allusion[]
The name "Undying" alludes to Phoenix's ability to rise from the ashes in legendary depictions of the bird, though the Phoenix of Final Fantasy XVI does not have the power to revive from the dead like it does in some other Final Fantasy games. It could also allude to the organization's goal in preserving the Phoenix bloodline so it would never become extinct. The order's Japanese name is much more literal, simply the "order of the Phoenix".
Many members' names derive from Final Fantasy XII. When Clive asks Cyril for the Book of Martyrs, he will read the names "Dalan" and "Kytes", remarking they are not Rosarian names. Cyril explains the Undying choose their own names. Old Dalan and Kytes are characters who live in Rabanastre in Final Fantasy XII. Joshua's secret name in the Undying, "Margrace", is also an allusion to a character from Final Fantasy XII. Jote too shares her name with a character from Final Fantasy XII. (Coincidentally, the final boss of Final Fantasy XII is called The Undying.) Cyril's name is also the name of the starting town in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, another game taking place in Ivalice. Even Joshua's real name could be interpreted as Ivalice-adjacent by sharing it with Joshua Corrinne Bardorba from Vagrant Story, similarly a young blond-haired heir to a duke, but more likely Joshua's name is intended to be a religious allusion.
The Japanese name of the organization, 不死鳥教団, can be translated as "Order of the Phoenix" and 教団 (kyōdan?) means "religious organization". While the literal English translation is coincidentally the same as a key organization in the Harry Potter franchise, the Japanese names are different. The official Japanese name for the organization in the Harry Potter franchise is 不死鳥の騎士団 (Fushichō no Kishidan?, Chivalric Order of the Phoenix).
Citations[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Final Fantasy XVI, State of the Realm "Grand Cast" "Encounter with the Undying"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Final Fantasy XVI, Lay of the Land "Tabor" "A Haven for the Undying"
- ↑ Final Fantasy XVI, Optional dialogue with Cyril after the Undying sidequest.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Final Fantasy XVI, "About the History of the Undying" when interacting with Cyril after first meeting him in Tabor.
- ↑ Final Fantasy XVI, The State of the Realm "Death in the Agora"
- ↑ Final Fantasy XVI, Joshua: After Kupka was kind enough to drive out the imperials, the Undying took the opportunity to recover what relics of the duchy yet remained.