InTurnAll

Final Fantasy XIV, an MMORPG developed by Square Enix and launched in 2013 with its A Realm Reborn relaunch, unfolds in a vast, ever-evolving universe centered on the planet Etheirys—commonly referred to as Hydaelyn in its post-cataclysmic state. Unlike many Final Fantasy worlds with divine creators forging existence from nothing, FF14’s cosmology emphasizes mortal ingenuity, cosmic energies, and tragic schisms. Creation here is a collaborative, magical process driven by the Ancients, an advanced progenitor race, but disrupted by existential threats and divine interventions. This article delves into the lore of creation in FF14, drawing from the core game, expansions like Shadowbringers and Endwalker, and official materials, to explore the fundamental energies, the Ancients’ society, the Final Days, the primals Zodiark and Hydaelyn, the Sundering, and the resulting multiverse of shards.

Aether and Dynamis: The Building Blocks of Existence

At the core of FF14’s cosmology are two fundamental energies: aether and dynamis. Aether is the vibrant, life-giving force that permeates Etheirys, serving as the raw material for all matter and magic. It flows through the planet like blood, sustaining ecosystems, enabling spells, and forming the souls of living beings. In the unsundered world, aether was abundant, allowing the Ancients to manipulate it effortlessly for creation. 12 Dynamis, in contrast, is an emotional, intangible energy influenced by feelings like despair or hope. It dominates the vastness of space, where aether is scarce, and plays a pivotal role in cosmic events, as it can overwhelm aether when emotions run high. 13

Creation in FF14 isn’t a singular divine act but an ongoing interplay of these energies. The planet Etheirys itself is portrayed as a naturally formed star rich in aether, with no explicit origin myth beyond its existence as part of the universe. Life emerges from aetherial flows, cycling through birth, death, and return to the aetherial sea—a spiritual realm where souls dissolve and reform. This cycle ensures renewal, but imbalances, such as overabundance of dynamis, can unravel reality itself. 12

The Ancients: Stewards and Shapers of Life

The Ancients, the original inhabitants of Etheirys, were an immortal, highly advanced race resembling tall humanoids with glowing eyes and diverse appearances. They lived in a utopian society centered in the city of Amaurot, governed by the Convocation of Fourteen—a council of elite scholars and mages who oversaw global affairs. Emphasizing collectivism, the Ancients wore black robes and white masks to downplay individuality, focusing instead on communal harmony and the pursuit of perfection. 10

Central to their culture was creation magick, a powerful ability drawn from their vast personal aether reserves. With mere thoughts, they could weave concepts into tangible beings, objects, or phenomena, shaping Etheirys into a paradise. Facilities like Elpis, a floating research continent, served as testing grounds where creations were refined before release into the wild. Dangerous experiments were contained in Pandæmonium, an underground labyrinth. 10 The Ancients didn’t “create” the planet but enhanced it, cultivating diverse life forms—from beasts to ecosystems—to enrich their world. Some possessed special gifts, like soul sight or clairvoyance, aiding in their stewardship. 12

This era represented creation at its zenith: a harmonious blend of intellect, magic, and ethics, where life was born from imagination and sustained by aether. However, their perfectionist society sowed seeds of vulnerability, as unaddressed existential questions would later invite catastrophe.

The Final Days: The Onset of Unmaking

The idyllic world of the Ancients ended with the Final Days, a apocalyptic event triggered by dynamis-fueled despair. Hermes, a researcher at Elpis, created the Meteia—avian entities sent to explore the universe for life’s meaning. Their reports of dead or suffering civilizations culminated in a “song of oblivion,” a wave of dynamis that amplified negative emotions on Etheirys. This caused creation magick to spiral out of control, manifesting nightmarish monsters from subconscious fears and stagnating aether flows, leading to widespread destruction. 10 12

The Final Days exposed the limits of aether-dominant creation: when overwhelmed by dynamis, even the Ancients’ magick turned against them. This catastrophe forced a desperate response, reshaping the cosmology of Etheirys forever.

The Summoning of Zodiark: Preservation Through Sacrifice

In response to the Final Days, the Convocation summoned Zodiark, the first primal—a godlike entity embodying darkness and will. Half the Ancients sacrificed their lives, channeling their aether to form Zodiark’s core, with Convocation member Elidibus volunteering as his heart. Zodiark erected an aetherial barrier, revitalizing the planet and halting the calamity. A second sacrifice—another quarter of the population—restored life to the scarred world. 11 10

Zodiark represented a new form of creation: collective will manifesting as divine power. However, the Convocation’s plan to harvest future lives to resurrect the sacrificed divided their society. Zodiark’s influence, whether through tempering or not, prioritized preservation over adaptation, setting the stage for conflict. 11

The Birth of Hydaelyn and the Sundering: Fragmentation for Survival

Opposing the Convocation was Venat, a former council member who learned of Meteia’s role in the Final Days. Believing further sacrifices would doom humanity to stagnation, she rallied dissenters to summon Hydaelyn, a primal of light and love. Venat became Hydaelyn’s core, sacrificing her followers’ aether to empower her. In a climactic battle, Hydaelyn sundered Zodiark and Etheirys, splitting the planet into the Source (the primary world) and thirteen shards—parallel dimensions. 13 11

The Sundering, occurring about 12,000 years ago, diluted aether across the fragments, rendering souls incomplete and mortals short-lived. This intentional flaw prevented unchecked creation magick and allowed greater interaction with dynamis, fostering resilience against future threats like the Final Days. Hydaelyn sealed Zodiark on the moon, guiding the fractured worlds as their protector. 12 13

The Shattered World: Source, Shards, and Ongoing Creation

Post-Sundering, creation became a fragmented, adaptive process. The Source, encompassing continents like Eorzea and Tural, hosts diverse races—reincarnations of sundered Ancient souls. The shards, such as the First (Norvrandt) or the void-tainted Thirteenth, evolved independently, some succumbing to elemental floods engineered by unsundered Ascians (surviving Ancients like Emet-Selch) seeking to rejoin them and revive Zodiark. 12

Life persists through aetherial cycles, with primals, summons, and magicks echoing Ancient abilities. The Warrior of Light, a sundered soul of Azem (Venat’s successor), embodies this new creation paradigm, using hope and dynamis to overcome threats. In Endwalker, Zodiark’s destruction resumes the Final Days, but defeating Meteion restores balance, allowing creation to flourish without divine oversight. 11 13

Philosophical and Cultural Underpinnings

FF14’s creation lore draws from Greek mythology (e.g., Ancients named after gods), Gnosticism (duality of light and darkness), and existential philosophy, questioning perfection versus suffering. Unlike FF7’s naturalistic cycle or FFX’s dream-based reality, FF14 portrays creation as mortal-driven, with gods as tools rather than originators. Themes of sacrifice, fragmentation, and reunion underscore the narrative, reflecting real-world ideas of unity in diversity. 10

Modern religions in Eorzea, like the worship of the Twelve, reinterpret Ancient events as creation myths, blending truth with folklore. 12

Conclusion

In Final Fantasy XIV, creation is a dynamic, mortal-forged process rooted in aether and dynamis, elevated by the Ancients’ magick but shattered by the Sundering to ensure survival. From the utopian heights of unsundered Etheirys to the resilient shards, the lore weaves a tale of balance, sacrifice, and evolution. As expansions like Dawntrail expand the saga, these themes endure, portraying a universe where creation is not fixed but continually reshaped by will, emotion, and unity in the face of oblivion.