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Final Fantasy 16 is offering a shiny new location to explore (literally) thanks to the presence of Mothercrystals gracing the land of Valisthea. These mountainous shards earn their name, but they also stand among an incoming threat against the nations.
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Even though these crystals are presented as ambiguous miracles, the concept has appeared before in the Final Fantasy franchise, and there's a secret behind where they come from in the current title's lore. Here’s everything you need to know about the Mothercrystals.
Warning: This post contains major SPOILERS for Final Fantasy 16
What Are The Mothercrystals In Final Fantasy 16?
The land of Valisthea is split into two continents — Ash in the east, Storm in the west — and they serve as the primary setting in Final Fantasy 16. Isolated from the rest of the world, Valisthea boasts these crystalline mountains, known as the Mothercrystals, that supply the land with an endless stream of aether — an energy present throughout the whole franchise that acts as a source of magic and life.
During gameplay, you see these crystals take different forms, transforming from lumps of shards into something more floral, witnessed when Clive and the party go after the heart of Drake's Tail and Bahamut. The crystal shifts into the form of a Wyvern Tail to reflect Dion's inner thoughts and feelings as protector of the crystal, which also implies that the crystals are more than just a conduit of aether.
Since Valisthea relies on magic for everything, from forging weaponry to deploying attacks in battle, the Mothercrystals are sacred, and they are also believed to be behind the Eikons’ bond with their Dominant. Magically born with the ability to host these summons, Dominants are thought to be graced by the Mothercrystals’ power and deemed worthy to possess the might of the Eikons in battle.
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The history of Valisthea depicts a number of nations that dwelled around each of the Mothercrystals that formed a peaceful existence with them, but in Final Fantasy 16, the story presents a war that has broken out between the present nations, all wanting to secure the aether from the Mothercrystals for themselves as an unseen threat begins to pollute the land.
A phenomenon known as the Blight is quickly consuming Valisthea, which poses a threat against each nation, and this disease not only gives a nod to our climate crisis but also teases a much larger part of the story.
How Do The Mothercrystals Impact The Story?
The Mothercrystals within Valisthea are named Drake’s Breath, Drake's Spine, Drake's Head, Drake's Fang, and Drake's Tail. With Drake's Head being the largest in Sanbreque, a heightened amount of aether is being pulled towards this nation, and Valisthea's constant thirst for magic was revealed to be the cause of the Blight.
Before Cid's swan song mission to Sanbreque's mines underneath the Mothercrystal, he revealed that the crystals themselves are causing the Blight. Valisthea's use of magic is extremely high, and while the crystals channel aether for the people to use, the aether is taking energy away from the land in order to provide. It's a natural consequence of Valisthea's greed and not a malicious one on the crystals' part.
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During The Path of the Goddess main quest, it is revealed that the entity Ultima was dwelling inside of Drake's Head, but the villain's part in this story would change everything humanity understood about the Mothercrystals, the Blight, and Valisthea's political agendas.
Gameplay reveals that Ultima was the one who created the Mothercrystals and the Dominants as part of his grand plan to take Valisthea for himself. After Ultima's unknown alien race was forced to flee their planet due to its own Blight, they targeted Valisthea, and Ultima plotted to make humanity extinct themselves.
Using the population's thirst for magic and the threat of the Blight, nation turned against nation, which would have eventually resulted in humanity's extinction. Thanks to Clive and his party's counterattack to destroy all the Mothercrystals, which in turn would stop the Blight, Valisthea became more resilient than Ultima was expecting.
The Mothercrystals Of Final Fantasy 11 Online
Final Fantasy 11 Online is set within the world of Vana’diel, which is also home to five Mothercrystals that maintain a balance for the expanse and its people. The five crystals are named Holla, Dem, Mea, Vahzl, and Al'Taieu, and they are often described as “true crystals,” “tears,” or “shards” in the common tongue.
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Said to be created by the Zilart (an ancient race that existed within Fei-Yin and Ro-Maeve) in an attempt to get to Paradise through the Gate of the Gods, the Mothercrystals were previously encased in Crags and prodded with conduits known as Spines in order to transfer their power to Delkfutt’s Tower and on to the land of Tu’Lai. A war soon broke out between the Zilart, the Kuluu, and the Dawn Maidens, as the latter two races wanted to stop this forced entry into Paradise. The aftermath caused an event known as The Meltdown, which opened a crater in the land known in the present day as the Sea of Shu’Meyo and also caused the fifth crystal to sink to the bottom of the sea.
In the modern-day Vana’diel, however, it is common knowledge that when somebody dies, their soul is taken to the Mothercrystalnearest to them by the avatar, Phoenix, where their memories were later harnessed to create a sinister force known as the Emptiness or Promyvion, which threatens the land — similar to the Blight in Final Fantasy 16.
Final Fantasy 14’s Mothercrystal Trial
While the Mothercrystals are not as prominent within the MMORPG, Final Fantasy 14, they are referenced.
The Mothercrystal is a Level 89 trial within the main scenario of the Endwalker expansion that pits warriors against the Will of the Star, Hydaelyn, and takes place within a circular arena graced by the image of the Mothercrystal.
The Mothercrystal also serves as the backdrop to this eight-player duty and looks like a blue crystal resembling the appearance of the game’s Aetherytes or fast-travel points.
