Difference between revisions of "Story within Pitioss Ruins"
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He is completely burned in the Big Bang art. His hair is charred off. His face is skeletal and damaged. | He is completely burned in the Big Bang art. His hair is charred off. His face is skeletal and damaged. | ||
− | + | BUT…but…You…!! The figure in BB art has wings, and the Ifrit statue doesn’t! Don’t worry fam, we got you. | |
Now let’s continue. We really encourage you the player to play this part of Pitioss with this imagery in mind. This room is intense. Past the statue of Ifrit, the only path forward is random, twisted steel beams. The far end of the path is a dead end with a steep wall. There’s desperate scratch marks all over the wall, oozing star scourge. http://imgur.com/wjnQ4DB | Now let’s continue. We really encourage you the player to play this part of Pitioss with this imagery in mind. This room is intense. Past the statue of Ifrit, the only path forward is random, twisted steel beams. The far end of the path is a dead end with a steep wall. There’s desperate scratch marks all over the wall, oozing star scourge. http://imgur.com/wjnQ4DB | ||
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One last question remains… If all Ifrit wanted was to be with Eos, why not just die with her down in the Underworld? She is dead, and he knows that he is going to die, so why the frenzied escape from the depths? | One last question remains… If all Ifrit wanted was to be with Eos, why not just die with her down in the Underworld? She is dead, and he knows that he is going to die, so why the frenzied escape from the depths? | ||
− | <includeonly>=</includeonly>== | + | <includeonly>=</includeonly>==Proof<includeonly>=</includeonly>== |
+ | Well, You, that’s a nice little theory you two have there, but it’s only a THEORY! It’s not canon unless there's proof in the game! | ||
+ | |||
+ | We were convinced that this tale HAD to be true. All of the imagery is there, it is nearly impossible to dispute in at least some of the areas…but it wasn’t enough, there were still pieces missing to this puzzle. | ||
+ | |||
+ | There’s nowhere to look for information about Ifrit. The Hexatheon don’t speak of him, there’s no lore in game, all we know is he is “The Betrayer”. So we turned to the only interaction we have with Ifrit in the entire game, the battle at the Citadel, hoping for SOMETHING. And boy, did we find something! http://imgur.com/id7RSBy | ||
+ | |||
+ | This short conversation conveyed SO much. Shiva calls Ifrit “Pyreburner”. That’s an odd choice of words…a Pyre refers to a cremation burial… | ||
+ | |||
+ | “That heart of flame was turned to ash once”…what could have turned Ifrit’s heart, master of fire, into ash? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “A dead flame must burn no more”…Why is he a dead flame?? | ||
+ | |||
+ | “Taste again the chill wind of death”….So Shiva confirms in game that Ifrit has died before. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Pyreburner… He has burned a pyre. This is proof that he has handled a corpse. This perfectly falls into place with everything we have laid out for you about Pitioss Ruins. But somehow, this still isn’t quite enough… | ||
+ | |||
+ | And then we saw it... | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://imgur.com/TChYBA0 | ||
+ | |||
+ | Do you see it?? They've been in front of our faces this whole time! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ifrit burst out of Taelpar Crag, carrying Eos…and lit a Pyre at the nearby Rock of Ravatogh. He laid his beloved Eos down, lit the Pyre, and collapsed in death next to her, and while embracing her body, burned along with her. As her corpse burned, the ash and smoke rose in the sky, releasing the star scourge throughout the planet. And all that remains are her fossilized wing, and his crystalized horns, still visible from atop The Rock of Ravatogh to this day. http://imgur.com/829cqW6 | ||
+ | |||
+ | During the quest “Ascend The Rock Of Ravatogh” Vyv says, “if you really want to impress people, you’ve got to show them something they’ve never seen before. They say there’s a cave near the summit that offers the finest view in all of creation.” This is a sublte hint from square enix! When you arrive at the cave to photograph it for Vyv.…there’s an item nearby. A RUBY BRACELET. Now why say it’s the finest view in all of creation, when it’s just a tiny cave with lava that you can’t even enter? Let’s take a closer look at it…. http://imgur.com/hxgqEhd | ||
+ | |||
+ | Huh. This reminds us of something… http://imgur.com/4knAvLR | ||
+ | |||
+ | That isn't a cave, it's a crystallized heart. See the veins sticking out? It's Eos' heart! It has a hole in it…the same shape and size of the Dark Lucian Crystal. Let’s see what Bahamut has to say about the Crystal. http://imgur.com/XF86yoy | ||
+ | |||
+ | The soul of the star is in the crystal. The sun is a star. Eos’ soul is in the crystal. This is why it can restore the Dawn. The crystal contains a small shred of the goodness and light that once was Eos. Ifrit saved her just in time, before the last of her light was extinguished. If he had not gotten Eos’ out when he did, and purified her body with the Pyre, her light would’ve gone out, bringing eternal night. Burning her on the Pyre spread the star scourge into the air, but it was a necessary evil. | ||
+ | |||
+ | But how was the Crystal retrieved?? Let’s look at Ifrit during the Citadel battle. http://imgur.com/PpxwtZR | ||
+ | |||
+ | After Ifrit transferred his soul to his nearby messenger, he must have returned to the Pyre after the flames died down. He must’ve cut open her heart and reached inside to retrieve the Crystal. That is why he has burns on half of his body. Her burning, crystalized heart was still that hot! At some point, Bahamut must’ve stolen the Crystal from him. Also, at some point after his first death and retrieving the crystal from Eos’ heart, Ifrit in his messenger’s body must have built Pitioss ruins. | ||
+ | |||
+ | At the cost of his life, at the cost of becoming a Betrayer, at the cost of spreading star scourge unto the world. If Ifrit had not saved Eos when he did, the last of her light would've been extinguished, and there never would of been another dawn! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ifrit is the hero of this game! Not the Lucian Kings, not The Oracles, and certainly not the other Astrals! Ifrit unintentionally save the world with his act of pure love. http://imgur.com/25AG2hq | ||
+ | |||
+ | But why do the other Astrals call him The Betrayer? We know Titan was blocking his entrance. They most likely believed that nothing was wrong, and Eos would be fine in her prison of utter darkness, continuing the cycle of Dawn for all eternity. In their eyes, all they see is Ifrit coming forth from the Underworld with the Punished One, festering with Star Scourge. In their eyes, Ifrit is to blame for bringing forth the Star Scourge. Wow, they’re assholes. Hmm…who else acts like this? The Gods in Greek & Roman Mythology!! They’re Astrals, Divine Beings, couldn’t they of purified the crystal themselves? It’s pure malice that they put this on humans. They want every trace of the original Eos to be erased, and if her bloodline can’t do it, then fuck the planet, enjoy your eternal night. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ifrit then continued to oppose the other Astrals plans to have the Lucian line purify the Crystal. If Eos is reborn, then it would no longer be “HER”. Ifrit goes as far as to side with and aid Ardyn , slowing the plans of the other Astrals for centuries. Even in the battle at the citadel, Ifrit fights to the death to protect the last sliver of his Beloved. My god…how tragic is this?!? He fought SO hard to save Eos, literally going to the depths of hell & back, giving up his life, only to die in the end, and knowing that his efforts were for naught. | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://imgur.com/cFPnGct | ||
+ | |||
+ | How appropriate is Chapter 0 now?! This story begins and ends with Ifrit. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Even the song, Somnus, fits in to the story of this game now: | ||
+ | |||
+ | +++++ | ||
+ | |||
+ | God (Eos) sleeps | ||
+ | |||
+ | And his (her) children (Lucians) start a fire (Ardyn) | ||
+ | |||
+ | Which they cannot extinguish | ||
+ | |||
+ | And he (she) will never be able to awake. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Every tragedy divides, | ||
+ | |||
+ | before our very eyes, | ||
+ | |||
+ | the things which should be loved. | ||
+ | |||
+ | And in this endless night, | ||
+ | |||
+ | In despair, | ||
+ | |||
+ | He (she) can see the dawn | ||
+ | |||
+ | That will awake him (her) in the next morning | ||
+ | |||
+ | +++++ | ||
+ | |||
+ | That’s why the developers left Somnus in the game! That’s why it plays during your last trek through Insomnia! It still applies. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Let’s look at further proof that this is Ifrit’s corpse next to Eos on the Rock of Ravatogh. http://imgur.com/JLxTmOc | ||
+ | |||
+ | These rock formations perfectly match up to where the horns of Ifrit are seen on the Rock of Ravatogh. http://imgur.com/db15wdd | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next, bring up your world map and zoom into the Rock of Ravatogh area. You can see Ifrit’s horns, Eos’ wing, Ifrit’s wings & spine…but look closely. Do you see the skull of Eos near her wing?? Screenshots don’t pick it up very well because it’s very faint, but it’s there. Go look! There’s a faint underlying purple color that stands out and looks like a x-ray. You can make out bits and pieces of Eos’ & Ifrits’ bones. Astral bones on the world map and no one noticed! Here’s the best picture we could get: http://imgur.com/qEaBvTr | ||
+ | |||
+ | Go ahead and visit The Rock of Ravatogh right now. Let’s take a fun tour! First, what do you see strewn throughout the entrance and dungeon of Ravatogh? http://imgur.com/XteOuom | ||
+ | |||
+ | Those are giant logs of petrified wood. They’ve been stacked up for a pyre & petrified in the pyre blaze. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ravatogh Tour Part 2: Owlyss Haven. http://imgur.com/JTE3I4g | ||
+ | |||
+ | Owl in latin is Aegolius, and refers to a group of birds of prey who are thought to be an ill omen. So Aegolius refers to a genus of owls, the most common being Boreal Owls. The genus name for Boreal Owls is Aegolius Funereus. Translation: An ill-omened funeral. So SQ even went so far as to leave a hint at a campground!! | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ravatogh Tour Part 3: Can’t leave out the crystallikzed heart of Eos! http://imgur.com/hxgqEhd | ||
+ | |||
+ | Go ahead and take a tour of your own. Lots of things look like body parts. We’ve been trying to place the various body parts of Eos & Ifrit in Rock of Ravatogh, but can’t 100% nail everything down. We do have our suspicions, though. We personally believe that the arch you walk under to get to Owlyss Haven is Eos’ Pelvic bone. That would make Owlyss literally her womb…The Tomb of the Fierce could be placed Eos feet. Heck, the Mace of the Fierce even kind of resembles bones found in the foot. But since SQ made a point of there being basically vultures present, a lot of their bones are scattered. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Proof is even in this loading screen for Chapter 15!! http://imgur.com/uwdQhap | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Rock of Ravatogh is on the western side of the continent. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The sun is setting over Eos’ wing…and the night is coming. Her story has ended. Her sun has set. And now she is waiting for the new Dawn. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardyn wears a coat with one black wing in the Kingsglaive movie. http://imgur.com/HtbCA6V | ||
+ | |||
+ | Regis’ crown is a subtle hint. He wears a stone crown that resembles a lock of Eos’ hair. PIC: http://imgur.com/22eCplf | ||
+ | |||
+ | This imagery of one wing raised to the sky has been around even back to Versus XIII days. http://imgur.com/g5sjRZ4 | ||
+ | |||
+ | Another interesting thing to look at is the Vesperpool. Vesper is the Roman equivalent of the Greek demigod Hesperus. In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the Evening Star, the planet Venus in the evening. He is the son of the dawn goddess Eos. Hesperus' Roman equivalent is Vesper ("evening", "supper", "evening star", "west"). Hesperus' father was Cephalus, a mortal. The word "kephalos" is Greek for "head", perhaps used here because Cephalus was the founding "head" of a great family. Cephalus was one of the lovers of the dawn goddess Eos. So Vesper means "Evening Star". | ||
+ | |||
+ | What weapon do you find in the Vesperpoole tomb?? The Star of the Rogue. The Evening Star. Or rather,Hesperus, son of of Eos. And Hesperus's father was mortal, Cephalus, who was the head of a great family... | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tabata held an Active Time Report on February 2nd. During it, he was asked about Pitioss. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Q. How was Pitioss concept born? A. Some developer wanted to make Ramuh a massive floating head, but that didn't work out but he used his ideas for Pitioss. | ||
+ | |||
+ | So try and puzzle out how a floating head of Ramuh would’ve fit in with Pitioss, lol! [[Category:Lore]] |
Latest revision as of 10:44, 13 February 2017
- See also: Pitioss Ruins and Lore
Contents
Chapter 1: An Idea
The play begins in the main hall of Pitioss Ruins. A spotlight shines on the bearded statue who is holding a door shut with one hand and a platform with the other. This is Titan holding the Door to the Underworld shut while supporting the earth. A second spotlight shines on Ifrit in a cage. Titan is barring Ifrit’s way forward. There is very light, sinister music playing in the background. The stage is set. http://imgur.com/X58taw1
Take a look around, this place has the same architecture as Costlemark Tower and Steyliff Grove, but it is grossly unfinished! There are holes in the ground, loosely stacked pillars, haphazardly placed stones… Solheim started to build this place, abandoned it, and later, Ifrit used it to build a sanctuary for his tale. This can be evidenced by the building materials ALL OVER this dungeon, represented through items like rusty bits, chrome bits, metal scraps, building stones….Ifrit had a specific reason for this location…but we will get to that at the end.
We see Ifrit in a cage. The cage represents that he is either imprisoned, locked in thought, or that he is alone in his way of thinking & morals.
After multiple play throughs, we’ve noticed sometimes as you approach Ifrit’s statue the first time, the OST Overworld Music, “Wanderlust” track begins to play. We think this is important!! The music playing is saying that at this point, Ifrit is outside on the world map, restless, eager to start his journey.
The first puzzle to progress further involves bouncing a giant ball off the cage. We think this symbolizes a Meteor hitting whatever has Ifrit imprisoned. Alternatively, it could represent an “Ah-Ha! Moment, or a sudden idea involving the use of a Meteor.
We want to make note of this now because this pertains to the entirety of Pitioss. From here on out, whenever the player hits a switch, it represents an action being taken. Casting a spell, opening a door, etc. There are also a lot of random items in this dungeon that at first might not make sense like Rare Coins, Gemstones, etc. Ifrit is crafting spells with these items throughout his journey to help himself progress. Anytime the player sees a healing item, it represents a time Ifrit used it to heal himself. The red Glowing Wall Guards are literally daemons he has to fight. They glow with the same red lights we see when an Iron Giant spawns. Ifrit placed these Wall Guards throughout Pitioss for two purposes: one to represent when he fights a daemon, and two, to force the player down the correct path of his story. http://imgur.com/22edcA3
The next puzzle lets you get in to Ifrit’s area after the “Meteor” hits it and the cage is lifted. Next, the player jumps on to Ifrit’s back so they can then jump to the Meteor and hit the yellow switch to trigger a Meteor that smashes Titan’s statue completely. Proof that this actually happened is that the real Titan has been pinned down by the giant Meteor in Duscae.
Of note inside the cage area we find a Blood sword in the corner, and a Garnet Bracelet literally inside of Ifrit’s hand. http://imgur.com/NeuNopK
Blood swords in previous Final Fantasies have the item description of being covered in the blood of its victims. Ifrits in early Islamic lore are said to be formed from the blood of murder victims. Garnets can be associated with fire. Even more compelling here, however, is that they are symbolic of quick returns and a separated love and as such will be given to a lover about to embark on a long journey. AND if we take a look at Ifrit from the battle in Insomnia we can see that he is covered head to toe with jewelry adorned with red garnets…does this outright say that Ifrit is represented by this statue? No, but it certainly is a step in the right direction to proving that it IS indeed Ifrit. http://imgur.com/7B4DRI5
From here, we climb to the next switch that causes a second meteor to blast through the door that had been blocked. Once Noctis hits this switch he says “This’ll work”! as if he’s mirroring Ifrit when he uses the second meteor.
SO….the first Meteor is the one that is holding Titan down at the Disc of Cauthess. http://imgur.com/dTIYTeD
The second Meteor is thrown at the spot that becomes Lestallum in the future. The crater in Lestallum creates an entrance to the Underworld for Ifrit to enter through. http://imgur.com/gGDHe1X
This would explain why daemons sometimes appear in the power plant…not because of star scourge in the meteor, but because deep below is a direct hole to the Underworld! Don’t believe us? Listen to this. It is widely believed that Episode Gladio involves going in to the Underworld. http://imgur.com/daYGUAz
We know Gladio leaves the party at Cape Caem. There are screenshots of Gladio in the Taelpar Crag area with Cor. http://imgur.com/E74VkbZ
We are positive that while Ifrit originally enters the Underworld in Lestallum, he exits the Underworld somewhere in Taelpar Crag. So where does Gladio start his journey with Cor? Taelpar Crag. And where do we first encounter Gladio again after he has left for his mission with Cor?? Answer: The power plant in Lestallum! http://imgur.com/k6yRZY8
It’s such a weird part of the game, isn’t it??? It feels like bad story writing to have Gladio leave the party then randomly reappear later fighting Daemons in the power plant. But no. Square Enix had this planned from the start.
Ok! Let’s move on…we head through the now open door, and the music changes to dungeon music and a notice of officially entering Pitioss Ruins pops up…as if saying you weren't in it before. We think the main hall of Pitioss was built by people of Solheim, Ifrit only adds a few details to this room,such as his statue ,cage, and Titan statue. It’s only once we officially enter the “first” room of Pitioss that we start getting the crazy imagery. From here on out, Solheim only has minor things built, such as hallways or the general shape of the rooms. Everything else seems to be of Ifrit’s making.
The next room has the giant spinning globe with another Ifrit statue perched above it. http://imgur.com/lJLKOFp
Notice that his statue seems to have smashed through a steel beam that runs the length of room…more imagery that he has smashed through something. The globe represents the planet of Eos itself. There’s a giant hole in the globe that you have to jump through to reach the center of the globe…all while dodging fiery spikes (could this represent lava?).
Another thing to notice here is if you follow the statue of Ifrit’s gaze, you can see the statue of Eos far below. http://imgur.com/On4wiww
Until you actually arrive at the statue of Eos, anytime you see her below, it represents Ifrit thinking of her, not that he actually sees her. Why else make her visible at key points throughout Pitioss? Remember….Ifrit is a romantic, Eos is his beloved, & he is undertaking this massive journey for her sake.
Now, the outside of the globe has an interesting patina that looks like earth crust or perhaps an old, yellowed map. Inside the globe itself we noticed something crazy! There is this weird patterned, mosaic interior. Let’s look at it closer: http://imgur.com/0xfhz4z
Do you see it?? These tiles seem to represent the 4 Four Fiends of Chaos from FF!!! Marilith (the 2 headed snake), Lich (The boney face with a red hat that has souls flying to him), Kraken (aka Ultros with his 8 tentacles), & Tiamat (the white flower with 8 petals). What a stunning detail that so many people seem to miss! We think that there could be a connection to the 4 Fiends within Pitioss, but we couldn’t conclusively be sure. In particular, we couldn’t find a placing for for Tiamat & Kraken. But we found hints at Maralith and Lich. Maybe someone else could piece this part together.
The way to continue your path is to literally jump into the planet from the top, as if you’re falling into the planet, past lava, through the hole Ifrit made.
Chapter 2: The Great River & The Phantom Train
After crossing a short series of jumps, the player lands in a long rectangular room with 5 doors, and another Ifrit statue. http://imgur.com/V1ItTX7
There is an epic story being told in this room. Ifrit’s statue is perched at the beginning of the room, looking down the the hall that leads to the Door of the Underworld. http://imgur.com/SUBh6ly
Ifrit isn’t in the Underworld yet, rather deep inside the planet Eos, approaching the Door to the Underworld. Interestingly, there is a bright red spotlight shining on him, and in his hand is a Prawn Antennae. http://imgur.com/7CgU5YF
Weird, right? This is all seems very random…but it’s not, there is a tale being old here. As we discussed earlier, lighting is important here in Pitioss. Red lighting can be used to convey several emotions….violence, anger, or passion. Based off evidence of the Prawn Antennae we can decipher what happened here. Prawn Antennae are dropped by the lobster like Karlobos monster. In FFV Karlobos is a boss that guards a great river. After the heroes defeat Karlobos, he creates a whirlpool that wrecks their ship. Based off of these hints…we believe that Ifrit fought Karlobos who was guarding one of rivers of the Underworld. The red lighting signifies battle. Ifrit won the battle since he has the Prawn Antennae in his hand. Upon being defeated, Karlobos creates a whirlpool that sucks Ifrit into the river. Visualize this hall room as a river that Ifrit has been sucked in to and must traverse to reach the Door to the Land of the Dead.
The first room players can enter is full of moving spikes and platforms. http://imgur.com/AjrpFrD
The spike platforms move up & down, left & right, its pure chaos in here. This room represents the whirlpool, created by Karlobos, which Ifrit has been sucked into.
The second room, we are challenged by some spinning pillars. http://imgur.com/dYbGC4E
We make our way to the top where we then have to jump onto the pillars to reach the next room. This room is after the whirlpool, Ifrit is under the water and must get to the surface. He is still stuck in a mighty river rapid represented by the player spinning as they stand on the top of the spinning pillars.
The third room has spinning wheels and platforms. http://imgur.com/VMlIPPA
The spinning wheels represent his struggle to stay at the surface as he’s still being drug down the river. At the end of this room the player slides down a steep slope. This is a waterfall, and Ifrit uses a spell as he crashes down. The next thing we see is a small cut scene of the door being blown off its hinges and landing in the main path of the hall way room. The cut scene for this is really odd…the door is blown off but it manages to stand up briefly and then falls down in an odd way….like a tree falling down. Ifrit uses this tree log to float or cling on to in his desperation to not drown.
Which leads us in to the fourth room. http://imgur.com/3WTNxrR
Here Ifrit is clinging on to his log, struggling to hang on. This is represented by all the obstacles that can push you off your platform. There comes a point in this room where the player is forced to react quickly or be hurt by spikes. And remember, the spikes here in Pitioss very likely represent lava. Ifrit is forced to stand and balance on top of his log as he floats down a river of fire. There’s a spike wall that you can barely squeeze past. Noctis even groans here. He’s getting closer now…
Finally you reach the shore & must scale up narrow ledges, like climbing up a narrow canyon. On the precipice there’s one final trial of a wall of lava on each side. http://imgur.com/5BPgvvZ
Ifrit has to squeeze through & finally jump off the cliff, landing safely in a circle of lava. Ifrit triggers a switch…the music changes and the Door to the Underworld opens…
Interestingly, hidden at the top of the door frame to enter the next room are some Marlboro Vines. This might be a hint as to what awaits in the next room. In FF8 Marlboro Tentacles are a key ingredient to finishing the quest to obtain the Doomtrain summon…also, this door is odd, it is spinning. This could be like a turnstyle at the entrance to a train station…
This next room is Doomtrain’s station in the Underworld. http://imgur.com/yjHBNik
There is imagery in here that references Charon from greek mythology, but In the Final Fantasy universe, Doomtrain plays this role. Don’t forget Doomtrain is in Amano’s Big Bang art. http://imgur.com/wqyhnL3
(Oh look…Noctis is riding on the back of Doomtrain…towards his death…)
Doomtrain/Charon ferries the souls of the dead to the Underworld. Upon death, a soul encounters the Ferryman, Charon, who ushers souls across the River Styx to the underworlds. Only those who could pay the fare with coins placed under their tongues are granted passage.
When the player enters the room, seeing Doomtrain for the first time, there is a long perch with a chrome bit on it. Doomtrain literally rolls up to the perch, and it is inserted in to his chin, just where the bottom of his tongue would be! Or you could take it as that it is going down his throat, he’s eating it. This perch is to offer coins for passage on Doomtrain! There are quite a lot of oracle ascension and rare coins in this room hmmm... http://imgur.com/MzNiBhD
After the first time the player has run through a compartment on Doomtrain and has continued along a path to enter the next compartment, there’s something odd in your way. A hand, jutting out of the wall. http://imgur.com/KWiH8JW
It’s as if the hand is saying “Tickets, please”!
Many people in our previous thread argued with us that this is NOT Doomtrain. And to an extent, they’re right, it isn’t. This skull contraption is a REPRESENTATION of Doomtrain. Ifrit needs this place to pass the test of time, an actual train would be difficult to maintain.
At the end of this room, before jumping through the last door, we pass through two small halls that highly resemble the exit terminal of a train station. The two pillars framing the exit, are unlike any other pillars seen in Pitioss. They resemble pillars you would see in a grand train station.
Chapter 3: The Deep Descent
After Doomtrain’s room, you’ve moved past the Gates of the Underworld. This is the realm of the dead, the point of no return. http://imgur.com/BqE6RQ1
Up to this point, you could have turned around and walked all the way out, but once you hit the switch to enter here, you cannot go back… we’re in it for the long haul now! Noctis even comments on this, saying, “Oh no…have to get back…have to get back…” http://imgur.com/IflYDfH
Time & space have no meaning in this room. It’s darkness and chaos. There is nothing in this room of chaos that looks like people from Solheim built. There’s cave outcroppings, even. http://imgur.com/kxyWkoZ
It’s clear that Ifrit is the architect from here on out. This place is woven with magic.
You can see Eos’s statue clearly at just one point while in this room. There is a ruby bracelet right where your player stands to see her. For thousands of years, Rubies was considered the stone of love. Like no other gemstone in the world, Ruby is the perfect symbol for powerful feelings. It can’t be any clearer that Ifrit dearly loves Eos. http://imgur.com/On4wiww
Right after this hall of chaos, the player’s perspective radically changes & a new somber song begins to play. The perspective of Noctis in this maze adds depth of space & time. This section could almost be seen as a time skip. It’s showing Ifrit’s long and very deep descent. Ifrit truly went to the depths of the planet. There are even Ammonite Fossils & Ancient Dragon Teeth items to represent just how deep he is going.
And then FINALLY, the reason Ifrit has trekked through absolute hell & faced so many dangers is before him. His true love, Eos, Goddess of the Dawn. http://imgur.com/zzM71af
We take back our original statement that this is Eos’s actual corpse from our previous Pitioss theory post. This is definitely a statue, and we will prove she is a statue by the end of this thread.
So finally, Ifrit has reached his goal. This is Eos. As you walk closer to her, the whole room begins to spin. This represents Ifrit’s despair at finding Eos dead. He came all this way to save her, only to find her dead…It’s truly sad.
The player gets closer to Eos and soon the only way to continue is to jump onto her chest. We believe this is Ifrit embracing her & then quickly cutting her chains, freeing her. http://imgur.com/kruAgsG
Something to note here is that you find the Genji Gloves at her navel. http://imgur.com/XqH6F6b
This is key as to WHY Eos was imprisoned and sentenced to the Underworld. She was pregnant. Could she have fallen in love with a human, and become pregnant? That would be a huge taboo in the eyes of the other Astrals... http://imgur.com/B7Sosgw
In Final Fantasy Peasant’s Youtube video about our original Pitioss theory, he made a connection that we did not about the Genji Gloves. That is that Genji represents twins. He thought that could mean Eos gave birth to Ardyn & his brother Izunia. We disagree on that point. We strongly believe that the male twin is the one whose descendants would eventually become the Lucis Caelum family. And the other twin’s line led to the Nox Fleuret family. Ying & Yang. Both families are key to bringing about the Dawn. You can’t have light without dark. This explains why the Lucis & Nox family have powers separate from the crystal. They are part Astral. Only someone from the line of Lucis, descendants of Eos, could completely get rid of the star scourge & bring about the dawn. Regardless of who’s wrong or right, the fact remains that Eos DID exist and she had children, most likely with a human.
Chapter 4: The Panicked Ascent
Now the player progresses by jumping off the top edge of Eos’s hanging rod to fall through to the next room. This part is jarring & scary. You slide down a long shaft very quickly. We believe this symbolizes the quick and sinking feeling you get in your stomach when you realize you’re in very real danger. Noctis takes huge damage from the fall, almost dying. http://imgur.com/2XANm3E
Something terrible has happened to Ifrit after embracing Eos’s corpse and releasing her. Something that would make even an Astral at peak strength despair in terror. But what?? The story that follows next through symbolism & hints is the climax. Things. Get. Real.
Before this point, Ifrit’s journey led him down deeper and deeper into the Underworld. From this point on we only move up, Ifrit has started to make his way back.
The player boards an elevator, as the player rides the elevator, you can notice that it is a very quick ascent. Ifrit is running. He needs to get out.
At the top of the elevator we find several items strewn across the floor. http://imgur.com/AyNUDCq
Most all of them have a common theme: A blue choker to increase HP recovery, Safety Bit to protect from sudden death, Silver Bangle to increase HP, a Megalixer to restore full health, and Fireproof Inners to protect from fire damage…but what could be burning Ifrit, the Astral of fire, The Infernian?! The answer is Star Scourge. Ifrit is being burned & is taking major damage, he is using any item he can to try and slow the Scourge.
Eos, the radiant Goddess of the Dawn has been imprisoned in pure darkness, surrounded by daemons and souls of the dead. She must have despaired from her fate and let the darkness overtake her, turning her once majestic light into the purest form of darkness to the point that it literally oozes out of her.
We next make our way up a narrow upwards path. Everything in this room is utter darkness. Watch Noctis at this part…he stumbles and trips. http://imgur.com/heCxGFo
This is a blind run towards the surface! Then…suddenly in the path, we get one last glimpse of Ifrit. http://imgur.com/avPKWYZ
His face has changed! He is skeletal, eyes sunken in. He is dying!! Compare pictures of his face from the first three Ifrit statues: http://imgur.com/lnlyxQo
Now take a close look at his current face vs the figure carrying Eos’s corpse in Amano’s Big Bang art: http://imgur.com/JLxTmOc
He is completely burned in the Big Bang art. His hair is charred off. His face is skeletal and damaged.
BUT…but…You…!! The figure in BB art has wings, and the Ifrit statue doesn’t! Don’t worry fam, we got you.
Now let’s continue. We really encourage you the player to play this part of Pitioss with this imagery in mind. This room is intense. Past the statue of Ifrit, the only path forward is random, twisted steel beams. The far end of the path is a dead end with a steep wall. There’s desperate scratch marks all over the wall, oozing star scourge. http://imgur.com/wjnQ4DB
Ifrit is going berserk, trying desperately to find his way out. At the dead end, you must turn around to follow another path which leads you back to the Ifrit statue. You must jump on top of Ifrit’s head to continue, once again taking his perspective. But…at the tip of his horns is an item. http://imgur.com/OLj564Z
The Golden Hourglass. He’s running out of time. Time is literally weighing on his head. Once again from Ifrit’s perspective, you must find the way out, a tiny steel beam, it’s his shiny wire of hope!
The steel beam leads to a small tunnel, finally, they are able to ascend. This tunnel twists and turns in such a way it’s disorienting. Almost every surface in this tunnel is covered with oozing, desperate scratch marks and patches of large drag marks, oozing star scourge. You can SEE the terror Ifrit must have felt while desperately trying to claw his way out of the Land of the Dead while clinging to his beloved’s corpse. http://imgur.com/P3362KR
Chapter 5: The Chasm of Many Doors
Finally Ifrit has found his way out of the realm of the dead, but before him still lie many obstacles. Ifrit enters a large room with several doors. We as the players have been in this room before, but narratively this is now representing a different area. This is suggested by the continuing dungeon music playing, whereas the first time we come here a different song plays.
Remember how earlier we discussed that Ifrit originally entered via the Lestallum Crater? But in episode Gladio, Gladio and Cor will probably enter the Underworld through Taelpar Crag. http://imgur.com/E74VkbZ
So narratively, think of Ifrit and Eos being located somewhere deep in Taelpar Crag. Only….it’s not a Crag yet. It’s a cavern. Let’s not forget that Taelpar Crag was created sometime during the War of the Astrals… http://imgur.com/u09FTuc
So you as the player are completing the last obstacles of Pitioss on your trek out. From Ifrit’s point of view, he knows that he is on the final legs of his ascent with Eos. He keeps looking for a way out, ripping doors open forcefully, climbing through tunnels, traversing pitfalls…but they are all dead ends. http://imgur.com/TZaQSqK
Time is running short for Ifrit, and he has no way out…at one point in this part of your trek out of Pitioss you find the Pendulum accessory…another allusion to running out of time. http://imgur.com/O2g8rZl
At this point we believe Ifrit goes berserk and starts rampaging in the cavern. He can’t find a way out, so he MAKES a way out. Perhaps in his rampaging he causes a major earthquake that tears the Crag open, creating Taelpar Crag as we see it today.
He has finally found his exit
This exit point, must be the “entrance” in Taelpar Crag that Gladio will use in Episode Gladio. It will be interesting to see what happens with Episode Gladio, if he truly does enter the Underworld through Taelpar Crag…then this would only further prove what we are writing here. http://imgur.com/E74VkbZ
A few other items found on your way out are: Warm Inners (Reduces DMG from ICE), Insulated Inners (Reduces DMG from Lightning), and 2 Behemoth Horns (Bahamut is the Arabic word for Behemoth). Could Ifrit have been anticipating an encounter with Shiva, Ramuh, & Bahamut?? Either way, it’s clear an attack didn’t occur, most likely because Ifrit is literally oozing Star Scourge along with Eos’s corpse. The last thing the other Astrals would want to do is touch Star Scourge. Clearly, it is poisonous to Astrals, too.
Regardless, this is the last leg of Ifrit’s journey out of the Underworld. The last hallway before the player exits the ruins we find an excessive amount of healing items and the Black Hood. http://imgur.com/oCj5iLQ http://imgur.com/RLIxQe7
We then jump out of the side of the building. Not where we entered, but close by, mimicking Ifrit’s final exit from the Underworld.
One last question remains… If all Ifrit wanted was to be with Eos, why not just die with her down in the Underworld? She is dead, and he knows that he is going to die, so why the frenzied escape from the depths?
Proof
Well, You, that’s a nice little theory you two have there, but it’s only a THEORY! It’s not canon unless there's proof in the game!
We were convinced that this tale HAD to be true. All of the imagery is there, it is nearly impossible to dispute in at least some of the areas…but it wasn’t enough, there were still pieces missing to this puzzle.
There’s nowhere to look for information about Ifrit. The Hexatheon don’t speak of him, there’s no lore in game, all we know is he is “The Betrayer”. So we turned to the only interaction we have with Ifrit in the entire game, the battle at the Citadel, hoping for SOMETHING. And boy, did we find something! http://imgur.com/id7RSBy
This short conversation conveyed SO much. Shiva calls Ifrit “Pyreburner”. That’s an odd choice of words…a Pyre refers to a cremation burial…
“That heart of flame was turned to ash once”…what could have turned Ifrit’s heart, master of fire, into ash?
“A dead flame must burn no more”…Why is he a dead flame??
“Taste again the chill wind of death”….So Shiva confirms in game that Ifrit has died before.
Pyreburner… He has burned a pyre. This is proof that he has handled a corpse. This perfectly falls into place with everything we have laid out for you about Pitioss Ruins. But somehow, this still isn’t quite enough…
And then we saw it...
Do you see it?? They've been in front of our faces this whole time!
Ifrit burst out of Taelpar Crag, carrying Eos…and lit a Pyre at the nearby Rock of Ravatogh. He laid his beloved Eos down, lit the Pyre, and collapsed in death next to her, and while embracing her body, burned along with her. As her corpse burned, the ash and smoke rose in the sky, releasing the star scourge throughout the planet. And all that remains are her fossilized wing, and his crystalized horns, still visible from atop The Rock of Ravatogh to this day. http://imgur.com/829cqW6
During the quest “Ascend The Rock Of Ravatogh” Vyv says, “if you really want to impress people, you’ve got to show them something they’ve never seen before. They say there’s a cave near the summit that offers the finest view in all of creation.” This is a sublte hint from square enix! When you arrive at the cave to photograph it for Vyv.…there’s an item nearby. A RUBY BRACELET. Now why say it’s the finest view in all of creation, when it’s just a tiny cave with lava that you can’t even enter? Let’s take a closer look at it…. http://imgur.com/hxgqEhd
Huh. This reminds us of something… http://imgur.com/4knAvLR
That isn't a cave, it's a crystallized heart. See the veins sticking out? It's Eos' heart! It has a hole in it…the same shape and size of the Dark Lucian Crystal. Let’s see what Bahamut has to say about the Crystal. http://imgur.com/XF86yoy
The soul of the star is in the crystal. The sun is a star. Eos’ soul is in the crystal. This is why it can restore the Dawn. The crystal contains a small shred of the goodness and light that once was Eos. Ifrit saved her just in time, before the last of her light was extinguished. If he had not gotten Eos’ out when he did, and purified her body with the Pyre, her light would’ve gone out, bringing eternal night. Burning her on the Pyre spread the star scourge into the air, but it was a necessary evil.
But how was the Crystal retrieved?? Let’s look at Ifrit during the Citadel battle. http://imgur.com/PpxwtZR
After Ifrit transferred his soul to his nearby messenger, he must have returned to the Pyre after the flames died down. He must’ve cut open her heart and reached inside to retrieve the Crystal. That is why he has burns on half of his body. Her burning, crystalized heart was still that hot! At some point, Bahamut must’ve stolen the Crystal from him. Also, at some point after his first death and retrieving the crystal from Eos’ heart, Ifrit in his messenger’s body must have built Pitioss ruins.
At the cost of his life, at the cost of becoming a Betrayer, at the cost of spreading star scourge unto the world. If Ifrit had not saved Eos when he did, the last of her light would've been extinguished, and there never would of been another dawn!
Ifrit is the hero of this game! Not the Lucian Kings, not The Oracles, and certainly not the other Astrals! Ifrit unintentionally save the world with his act of pure love. http://imgur.com/25AG2hq
But why do the other Astrals call him The Betrayer? We know Titan was blocking his entrance. They most likely believed that nothing was wrong, and Eos would be fine in her prison of utter darkness, continuing the cycle of Dawn for all eternity. In their eyes, all they see is Ifrit coming forth from the Underworld with the Punished One, festering with Star Scourge. In their eyes, Ifrit is to blame for bringing forth the Star Scourge. Wow, they’re assholes. Hmm…who else acts like this? The Gods in Greek & Roman Mythology!! They’re Astrals, Divine Beings, couldn’t they of purified the crystal themselves? It’s pure malice that they put this on humans. They want every trace of the original Eos to be erased, and if her bloodline can’t do it, then fuck the planet, enjoy your eternal night.
Ifrit then continued to oppose the other Astrals plans to have the Lucian line purify the Crystal. If Eos is reborn, then it would no longer be “HER”. Ifrit goes as far as to side with and aid Ardyn , slowing the plans of the other Astrals for centuries. Even in the battle at the citadel, Ifrit fights to the death to protect the last sliver of his Beloved. My god…how tragic is this?!? He fought SO hard to save Eos, literally going to the depths of hell & back, giving up his life, only to die in the end, and knowing that his efforts were for naught.
How appropriate is Chapter 0 now?! This story begins and ends with Ifrit.
Even the song, Somnus, fits in to the story of this game now:
+++++
God (Eos) sleeps
And his (her) children (Lucians) start a fire (Ardyn)
Which they cannot extinguish
And he (she) will never be able to awake.
Every tragedy divides,
before our very eyes,
the things which should be loved.
And in this endless night,
In despair,
He (she) can see the dawn
That will awake him (her) in the next morning
+++++
That’s why the developers left Somnus in the game! That’s why it plays during your last trek through Insomnia! It still applies.
Let’s look at further proof that this is Ifrit’s corpse next to Eos on the Rock of Ravatogh. http://imgur.com/JLxTmOc
These rock formations perfectly match up to where the horns of Ifrit are seen on the Rock of Ravatogh. http://imgur.com/db15wdd
Next, bring up your world map and zoom into the Rock of Ravatogh area. You can see Ifrit’s horns, Eos’ wing, Ifrit’s wings & spine…but look closely. Do you see the skull of Eos near her wing?? Screenshots don’t pick it up very well because it’s very faint, but it’s there. Go look! There’s a faint underlying purple color that stands out and looks like a x-ray. You can make out bits and pieces of Eos’ & Ifrits’ bones. Astral bones on the world map and no one noticed! Here’s the best picture we could get: http://imgur.com/qEaBvTr
Go ahead and visit The Rock of Ravatogh right now. Let’s take a fun tour! First, what do you see strewn throughout the entrance and dungeon of Ravatogh? http://imgur.com/XteOuom
Those are giant logs of petrified wood. They’ve been stacked up for a pyre & petrified in the pyre blaze.
Ravatogh Tour Part 2: Owlyss Haven. http://imgur.com/JTE3I4g
Owl in latin is Aegolius, and refers to a group of birds of prey who are thought to be an ill omen. So Aegolius refers to a genus of owls, the most common being Boreal Owls. The genus name for Boreal Owls is Aegolius Funereus. Translation: An ill-omened funeral. So SQ even went so far as to leave a hint at a campground!!
Ravatogh Tour Part 3: Can’t leave out the crystallikzed heart of Eos! http://imgur.com/hxgqEhd
Go ahead and take a tour of your own. Lots of things look like body parts. We’ve been trying to place the various body parts of Eos & Ifrit in Rock of Ravatogh, but can’t 100% nail everything down. We do have our suspicions, though. We personally believe that the arch you walk under to get to Owlyss Haven is Eos’ Pelvic bone. That would make Owlyss literally her womb…The Tomb of the Fierce could be placed Eos feet. Heck, the Mace of the Fierce even kind of resembles bones found in the foot. But since SQ made a point of there being basically vultures present, a lot of their bones are scattered.
Proof is even in this loading screen for Chapter 15!! http://imgur.com/uwdQhap
The Rock of Ravatogh is on the western side of the continent. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The sun is setting over Eos’ wing…and the night is coming. Her story has ended. Her sun has set. And now she is waiting for the new Dawn.
Ardyn wears a coat with one black wing in the Kingsglaive movie. http://imgur.com/HtbCA6V
Regis’ crown is a subtle hint. He wears a stone crown that resembles a lock of Eos’ hair. PIC: http://imgur.com/22eCplf
This imagery of one wing raised to the sky has been around even back to Versus XIII days. http://imgur.com/g5sjRZ4
Another interesting thing to look at is the Vesperpool. Vesper is the Roman equivalent of the Greek demigod Hesperus. In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the Evening Star, the planet Venus in the evening. He is the son of the dawn goddess Eos. Hesperus' Roman equivalent is Vesper ("evening", "supper", "evening star", "west"). Hesperus' father was Cephalus, a mortal. The word "kephalos" is Greek for "head", perhaps used here because Cephalus was the founding "head" of a great family. Cephalus was one of the lovers of the dawn goddess Eos. So Vesper means "Evening Star".
What weapon do you find in the Vesperpoole tomb?? The Star of the Rogue. The Evening Star. Or rather,Hesperus, son of of Eos. And Hesperus's father was mortal, Cephalus, who was the head of a great family...
Tabata held an Active Time Report on February 2nd. During it, he was asked about Pitioss.
Q. How was Pitioss concept born? A. Some developer wanted to make Ramuh a massive floating head, but that didn't work out but he used his ideas for Pitioss.
So try and puzzle out how a floating head of Ramuh would’ve fit in with Pitioss, lol!