A Royal Welcome | Tribal Unity Ball

Althea stood atop a balcony overlooking the royal ballroom, observing the bustling crowd of people below her. There were hundreds of faces, a few comforting in their familiarity, and more she had never so much as laid eyes upon. One thing was for certain: the ballroom of Alfitaria’s castle was filled to the brim with many people from their respective lands.

Moving her attention away from the congregation, the young queen admired the lavishly decorated hall. The left side of the room was lined with a long table heaped with a feast of food and drinks for guests to partake of. The other was connected to a large balcony that could be utilized if one wished to catch a breath of fresh air, or a moment of respite from the festivities. The Queen’s Garden could from there be accessed via staircase, for those who fancied a stroll through them by light of the Lilty Tribal Crystal. The rest of the ballroom was adorned with rich red hues, intricately lined with gold trim. The warm glow emitted from a grand chandelier that hung above the dance floor brought even more life to the room, a display enough to leave one breathless.  

“Your Majesty,” a voice from behind brought the noble back to the scene before her. “It’s time for your entrance.” 

“Thank you,” she replied with a gracious smile, moving to stand above the double staircase that led into the ballroom and gaze once more upon the numerous faces of her guests. This was going to be the best Tribal Unity Ball to date, one that her father would be proud of. She was sure of it. I’m making your dream come true, she thought, as the call of a crier rang clear.

“Presenting Queen Althea Sol Alfitaria of the Lilty Kingdom!” Each and every one of the faces turned to look. 

It was her cue to speak, and from the little Lilty emerged a powerful voice. “Welcome, everyone, to Alfitaria Castle. I’m so pleased to see that so many of you were able to attend. I hope that each of you has a fabulous time and enjoys the festivities. Thank you all for attending the Tribal Unity Ball.” Punctuating the welcome with a beaming smile, she then descended the stairs and assimilated into the assembly, filled with high hopes for a night of frivolity and dancing in the name of the late king’s dream.

The Tribal Unity Ball
As depicted in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.

Warning: this video contains spoilers.

A Brief History of the Crystal Chronicles

Ring of Fates takes place during the legendary “Golden Age” where all the races lived in peace, and when the Great Crystal—into which “all fates are etched”—protected the people from the “malefic glow of the blood-red moon”. The world is protected from miasma by the Great Crystal, which uses memories as the source of its protective effect. Rebena Te Ra stands as an illustrious city and capital of the Age.

Thousands of years later, a meteor strikes and fragments the Great Crystal and creating Raem and Mio, setting up the events of the original Crystal Chronicles. In this time, the world is covered in a noxious gas known as “miasma”, to which direct exposure can prove fatal to humanoids. Monsters are immune, but towns, villages and other settlements throughout must be protected from the ill effects of miasma by fragments of the Great Crystal, which generate a barrier that miasma cannot penetrate. The crystals’ effect last for about a year before they must be recharged with the liquid substance “myrrh” obtained from “myrrh trees”. Due to its close proximity to the Meteor’s point of impact, Rebena Te Ra became a monster-filled ruins that was rendered as such almost immediately after the Meteor fell. The players, the Tipa Caravan, eventually defeat Raem, ridding the world of miasma.

My Life as a King and My Life as a Darklord take place shortly after Crystal Chronicles, and portray the world as free from the effects of miasma as kingdoms are rebuilding.

An unknown (but fairly large) amount of time later, the Lilties and Yukes engage in a war that eventually results in the extinction of the Yukes, as mentioned in The Crystal Bearers, in which this event takes place. Magic disappeared, and the world began to run on crystals. During this time, the Crystal Bearers begin to emerge, as people with magically-infused crystal shards in their bodies, giving them powers. This is further explained in the game.

Good day, fair citizen of FFU,

You are cordially invited to the

1ˢᵗ Annual Tribal Unity Ball

On Friday 27^th April 2012
At the Kingdom of Alfitaria’s Capitol 
From 7pm (PST) until whenever you feel so inclined to depart.

No RSVP necessary, and everyone is invited to bring any number of guests.

I look forward to meeting you all on this wonderful occasion.
Sincerely,
     Queen Althea Sol Alfitaria