Power of the Stones Prologue
By Sid Palmer
Five years have passed since the "Lion War". A war fought by the the lords, Druksmald Goltana and Bestrada Larg, who vied for the throne of Ivalice after the death of the king. However, the war was a plot by the Glabados Church to let it mediate the disagreement and rule in favor of itself to control Ivalice. During this time the mythic stones of power began to reappear. Known as the "Zodiac Stones", they had the power to give life and do great good in the hands of one with a pure heart but, when held by one with contempt and malice, that person could be reborn as a demon of the evil power, "Lucavi". The Church's very own Shrine Knights that it employed in carrying out it's plan were given Zodiac Stones, which it said were holy, as a symbol of the Church's power and truth. Once the knights stumbled upon the true power of the stones they became merged with the monsterous Lucavi and turning on the Church sought to gain control by reviving the powerful and evil Saint Ajora.
Ramza Beoulve, of the nobel Beoulve family sworn to protect the crown for generations and swordsmen of nearly unrivaled prowess, destroyed the abominations and recovered the stones. Many leaders, most corrupt and power-hungry, were killed, either by trators, Ramza, or his best friend, the adopted comoner, Delita Hyral. One of these leaders, Count Draclau, possesed by the stone, Tarus, assalted Ramza as a Lucavi and was killed by him in defense. For killing a man of the Church, Ramza was branded a heretic and after killing the Lucavi, went with the recovered stones and his younger sister Alma into hiding so that the stones would not be used for evil again.
Delita's sister, Teta, taken captive by the Death Corps., a radical group, was killed by Algus of the Hokuten Knights simply because she was a human shield in the way of a Death Corps. leader. After Delita killed Algus in blinding rage and was nearly killed in the explosion of Fort Zeakden's powder magazine, he promised he would never be used by anyone ever again, and he would use whoever necessary to gain power. His promise was kept, Delita worked his way into power, killing those above him including Lord Goltana. He married the Princess and then killed her to become the King and sole ruler of Ivalice.
As the years passed things changed, the Hokuten and Nanten Knights were merged by Delita into the Royal Ivalice Knights and, Olan Durai, a friend of Ramza's, made it's leader. He also made the White Shadows, a force that carries out his secret desires, led by Lesalia Gelwan. Orinas, the last rightful heir to the throne, has banded together with those who wish to end the fair but, controling rule of Delita and restore the ancient royal family to power, to form the Knights of Justice.
The Galabados Church has made sweeping reforms of it's leadership and the Shrine Knights which has become a group of young but, faithful and optimistic men led by Count Cidofolas Orlandu, honored hero of the fifty years war, and friend of Ramza's father, Balbanes, when he was still alive. Known as "Thunder God Cid" for his unsurpassed skill as a fighter and general.
However, a new and mysterious faction of the Church, called the Deidic Sect, has split off. It's leader remains unknown and it believes that those who possess the dark powers of the Zodiac Stones are gods.
Delita has been scouring Ivalice in search of Ramza's stones, called the Found Stones, to power the immense, ancient machinery found under the city of Goug in the province of Lionel, once controled by the Church.
Lesalia Gelwan and her White Shadow's will soon come upon a deserted temple in an unexplored coner of Ivalice. There, Ramza, and the stones will reenter history. Here, is where this story begins..........
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