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Vagrant Story

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Vagrant Story is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. for the Sony PlayStation video game console in 2000. The game features a focus on weapon modification and creation, and the story revolves around Ashley Riot, an agent of a kingdom sent to investigate heinous crime, which leads him into the deserted ruins of the cursed city LeĆ” Monde.

Plot[]

Characters[]

Vagrant Story contains a cadre of characters, but has only one playable character, Ashley Riot.

  • Ashley Riot: The protagonist and player character, Ashley is a member of the Valendia Knights of the Peace. He is the player character for the rest of the game.
  • Sydney Losstarot: An effeminate, beautiful man who is the leader of the apocalyptic cult group called MĆ¼llenkamp.
  • Romeo Guildenstern: Commander of the Crimson Blades, the knightly order of the Iocus priesthood. He has come to LeĆ” Monde to hunt Sydney down.
  • Callo Merlose: Ashley's partner in the LeĆ” Monde incident, Callo spends most of the game as a captive, trying to discern Sydney's true motives.
  • John Hardin: Sydney's second in command; a tireless, faithful servant.
  • Jan Rosencrantz: A former Riskbreaker who continues to hold to the title.
  • Duke Bardorba: A hero of the Valendian Civil war and now an influential political figure.

Setting[]

Most of Vagrant Story takes place in the fictitious city of LeĆ” Monde, situated within the kingdom called Valendia which has been engulfed by civil war. According to the Vagrant Story Ultimania, Valendia was founded 1,500 years ago by King Nalzarc, the first King of Valendia. For 1,200 years the House of Nalzarc continued to rule, until the government was handed to the regency of Gurunas and Valendia declined. Thirty-six years ago, a civil war erupted when the House of Nalzarc and other noble families, most notably the Bardorba family, fought against the Gurunas family to regain control of Valendia.

As for LeĆ” Monde, it is a medieval town and the main setting of the game's story. It is described as an old town with a history of over 2,000 years. Sitting atop an island and surrounded by reefs, its walls have been the witness of many battles and was quoted to be a fortress stronger than the mightiest forts of Valendia. The Grand Cathedral towers over the town centre, a symbol of LeĆ” Monde's indomitable spirit, and is the ground of the devout Iocus priesthood. During its peak, LeĆ” Monde was a thriving community of 5,000 inhabitants; however, a great earthquake that struck the town 25 years ago ended LeĆ” Monde's grand history, and from the bestiary it is found that two daevas of water and earth, Marid and Dao were summoned to cause this earthquake. The grounds of LeĆ” Monde have not been stable ever since. Later in the story, while seeking the ultimate codex of sorcery called the Gran Grimoire, Guildenstern discovers with the help of Rosencrantz that the whole town was actually the Gran Grimoire itself.

Locations include the Grand Cathedral and the Temple of Kiltia, an abandoned mineshaft and limestone quarry, the darkened labyrinths of the Undercity, the maze-like Snowfly Forest and the secret and deep Iron Maiden dungeon. Other locations include the Graylands, the setting for the prologue event; and Valnain, the city where the Valendia Knights of Peace's Headquarters is located. While Valendia and LeĆ” Monde are fictitious, the game's scenery are inspired to some extent by real-life landscapes of the South West of France, notably the city of Saint-Emilion.


Relation to Final Fantasy[]

While initially the game had very little relation to Final Fantasy, recently, with the introduction of Final Fantasy XII, Vagrant Story has become linked to the Final Fantasy Universe. It's biggest link is that it is set in the world of Ivalice, but there are other connections.

Final Fantasy XII[]

  • Vagrant Story is set in Valendia. Valendia is one of the continents in Final Fantasy XII and the calendar used in game is known as the Old Valendian Calendar.
  • One of the clan ranks in Final Fantasy XII is Riskbreaker. Ashley Riot is a member of the Riskbreakers.
  • Several of the bestiary entries in Final Fantasy XII have quotes by a Naturalist called Merlose. This is Callo's last name, though she is a Criminologist.
  • The Kiltia sect appear in Vagrant Story. In Final Fantasy XII there is also a Kiltia sect.
  • Some creatures are named after Accessories found in the game, the list being:
    • Marduk - Nose-ring that is said to have been owned by Marduk, the storm deity. Name allusion for the Mardu Entite.
    • Salamander Ring - Ring imbued with the essence of a salamander fire spirit. Name allusion for the Salamand Entite.
    • Gnome Bracelet - Bracelet imbued with an earth spirit. Name allusion for the Gnoma Entite.
    • Undine Bracelet - Arm bracelet imbued with the essence of an undine water spirit. Name allusion for the Undin Entite.
    • Sylphid Ring - Ring imbued with the essence of a sylph air spirit. Name allusion for the Sylphi Entite.
    • Faufnir's Tear - Necklace bearing a crystal, Faufnir's Tear, wept from the dragon's eye when it died. Name allusion for the fiendish wyrm Fafnir.
  • D'tok of Vagrant Story and the rare game Dheed of Final Fantasy XII share the same name in Japanese.
  • Among the landscapes of Ivalice are Traps; red circles of magically charged traps with positive or negative properties hidden until the player uses Libra. There are also Traps in Vagrant Story; square panels that are hidden until Ashley triggers them, uses the Eureka spell or the Eye of Argon Item.
  • When using summons in FFXII, a version of the Blood-Sin / Rood of St. Iocus from Vagrant Story can be seen as the backdrop. This is similar to the one appearing as the backdrop of the Bestiary in Vagrant Story.
  • During a cut-scene before saving Basch from prison, Gabranth uses his hand to draw the Blood-Sin / Rood in the air.
  • During one of his attacks in FFXII, the summon Zalera's shamaness reveals her skull face while screaming. She has the Blood-Sin on her forehead. The shamaness may be a reference to dancer-priestess Mullenkamp, as she used the Blood-Sin to bind herself to the 'Dark' in Vagrant Story. The 'Dark' resurrects and controls the dead. In FFXII Zalera the death seraph binds himself to a shamaness marked with the Blood-Sin.

Final Fantasy Tactics[]

  • A short passage is quoted from A.J. Durai. Arazlam Durai was the narrator of Final Fantasy Tactics.
  • Some Items and Gemstones are named after characters to Final Fantasy Tactics, and helps conclude that Vagrant Story takes place after Final Fantasy Tactics. The complete list being:
    • Agrias Balm: Balm used by the great knight Agrias as told in the Zodiac Brave Story. Associated with Agrias Oaks. In Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lion, Agrias is given a lip balm as a gift.
    • Haeralis: Star sapphire with the power of Haeralis the Brave. Slightly increases power against humans. Associated with Delita Heiral.
    • Altema - Garnet containing Altema the Fallen's spirit. Increases power against evil enemies. Associated the Lucavi Ultima.
    • Orlandu - Actinolite containing a fragment of Orlandu's skeleton. Increases power against humans. Associated with T.G. Cidolfus Orlandeau.
    • Balvus - Chiastrite containing the ashes of Balvus. Increases power against undead. Associated with Barbaneth Beoulve, father of Ramza Beoulve.
    • Beowulf - Armandine holding Beowulf the Great's hair. Increases power against phantoms. Could be associated with Beowulf Cadmus.
    • Berial Blackpearl - Blackpearl with Berial's soul bound inside. Increases dark affinity. Possibly associated with Belias (Belial being an alternative rendering of the original Hebrew). In Final Fantasy XII, Belias was revealed to be a scion of Darkness.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance[]

  • The Gran Grimoire plays a major role in Vagrant Story's plot. The term would later be used for other magical books in the Ivalice series, but a set of Gran Grimoires would become a recurring plot item in the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance series.
  • One of the clan ranks in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is Riskbreaker. Ashley Riot is a member of the Riskbreakers.

Other General Connections[]

There are certainly a few other arguable lesser connections to various Final Fantasy games:

  • The function of the Cure spell is similar to Final Fantasy cures in that it will recover HPs for living characters but cause damage to undead type creatures.
  • Spirit Surge is also an ability name, which did not appear again until Final Fantasy XI. It is a weak connection but Yasumi Matsuno was a part of the PlayOnline development which ultimately supported the title.
  • Many enemies share the same name as enemies in Final Fantasy and other RPGs. This include Lich, Golem, Ghost, Orc and Dullahan.
  • Accessories in Vagrant Story has references to characters of Arthurian legends. Listed below:
    • Arturos - An artificial diamond made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary king. Allusion of King Arthur.
    • Lancer - An artificial ruby made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Lancelot.
    • Polaris - An artificial malachite made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Bors.
    • Basivalen - An artificial serpentine made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Percival.
    • Galerian - An artificial cat's eye made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Galahad.
    • Vedivier - An artificial amethyst made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Bedivere.
    • Berion - An artificial moonstone made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Balin.
    • Gervin - An artificial topaz made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Gawain.
    • Tertia - An artificial emerald made by the ancient Kildeans, named after a legendary knight. Allusion of Sir Tristam.
    • Morgan's Nails - Nails worn by the evil sorceress Morrighan in the tales of the old land. Allusion of Morgan le Fay.
    • Marlene's Ring - Ring worn by the sage Marlene, said to prove her half-devil, half-human blood. Allusion of Merlin, though another mistranslation.
    • Nimje Coif - Coif worn by the water nymph Nimje in the tales of the old land. Allusion of Nimue, lady of the lake.

Packaging Artwork[]

Merchandise[]

External links[]

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