Aegyl History
"You are now a people of the clouds. Leave all thoughts of the underworld behind - they need not burden you. Your place is here, in Lemurés, and no other. Stray not from the Canon, and the cup of peace shall ever be full for you." —The Canon, Book of Ardor, Canto XX
Thousands of years before the events of the Larsan Folly, the Aegyl were simply another race inhabiting the world of Ivalice. However, they and their leader Feolthanos refused to serve and worship the Occuria, the self-styled gods of Ivalice. Feolthanos used this opportunity to lead his people on an exodus to the skies, settling in a number of floating islands and naming their new abode Lemurés. Outraged, the Occuria used the power of the skystone to create a barrier around Lemurés, effectively locking the Aegyl within their newly christined world.
After alighting upon the fields of Lemurés, Feolthanos created a doctrine for the Aegyl to follow, called The Canon. Because of the circumstances upon which the Aegyl had been made to flee Ivalice, Feolthanos' writings discouraged contact or inquiry about their former homeland. The Aegyl began to refer to Ivalice as the "Underworld".
Now sealed from the land below, Feolthanos began constructing a society that would sustain his people. He erected three Auraliths throughout the isles, which served as sources of power for the Aegyl. One of these, hidden in the Keep of Forgotten Time, was bound to Feolthanos, effectively giving him eternal life. The other Aegyl were oblivious to the way Feolthanos chained himself to the auralith, and the method in which he obtained his perpetual life, which concerned the summoning of beings known as the Yarhi.
From the auraliths, Feolthanos gave his people Auracite, magical stones that allowed the aegyl to call forth beings from the world of illusion, known as Yarhi. These entities took on a variety of forms and could only be called from a Summoning Gate using auracite. What the aegyl did not know was that whenever someone uses auracite to summon, a part of their anima, or soul, is taken into the World of Illusion and also into the body of their god, Feolthanos. The Aegyl leader kept this effect hidden from his subjects, but as time wore on, most of the Aegyl continued to summon Yarhi for protection from Lemurés' wild beasts. In time, the anima eventually became tainted and deformed into monsters, who then attack the Aegyl, who in turn summon more Yarhi to protect themselves at the cost of their anima. This vicious circle continued until the Aegyl had no anima left, turning them into emotionless people. The Aegyls' anima became completely lost to the Auraliths, sustaining the watchful form of Feolthanos. This process continued on through the centuries, Feolthanos growing stronger with every Yarhi summoned, but unable to use this power due to the isolation of Lemurés from the world of Ivalice below.
However, the Mist released from the Sun-Cryst finally removed the barrier, allowing people from the outside world could finally visit the Aegyl. This resulted in a flood of Sky Pirates making landfall on the floating isles, looting and pillaging of the Aegyl ruins becoming an easy business for Sky Pirates. The invasion of the Sky Pirates sparked anger and distrust in the Aegyl, emotions that had been absent for quite some time. Aegyl forces grouped together in several of their holy places to repel all intruders. Their rage was only amplified upon the destruction of the second auralith in the Ymir Qul Underground and the release of a large amount of stolen Aegyl anima. With part of their souls returned, many Aegyls' first impulses were of vengeance, and they banded together with the purpose of attacking the land of Ivalice below.
With the events of the Larsan Folly, things took a turn for the worst. The proud and aloof Aegyl began to notice strange events surrounding their floating islands. The Mist rose to touch the bottom of their floating islands, and such began to cripple and corrupt the magical forces that helped hold them aloft. Much like the flying city of Bhujerba, Lemurés slowly began to crumble and lose altitude. Over a period of twenty years, pieces of Lemurés began to fall to the world of Ivalice below, crushing small towns in the old Archadian Empire. Several Fanes (Aegyl temples) fell whole into the ground below, leaving the Aegyl with no choice but to descend into the Underworld. At first, it did not appear terribly bad for the Aegyl, their wings allowing them to fly above Fiend attacks at need, but eventually their shortened lives began to take its toll on their population. Where they had kept strictly to themselves, interacting with the races of the 'Underworld' at need, they now saw the necessity to marry and breed with them in order to keep their numbers from being withered further.
Writings of their Canto had become corrupted with the preachings of Aegyl priests. This was their punishment for consorting with those of the Underworld as Feolthanas had warned. His own word had spoke that they were to not seek those of the Underworld, and now they were to be punished to live their lives upon the lands below. Again, priests quoted the Canto in vain attempt to keep them segregated, but in the year 856 OV, Aegyl leaders had banned the preachings of the Canto. One could study all they wished, but to speak it aloud in Aegyl settlements had become verboten, and would be punished with stripping of one's wings. Many an unfeathered, unwinged priest had been seen in the following years after the ruling, contrite and seeking self-exile.
In modern days, Aegyl can be found in their villages, somewhat secluded due to their old ways, but now have become more adventurous. Many seek work as sky sailors, others work as bodyguards or couriers. The dietof the Aegyl leave them as mostly vegetarians with the occasional stream fishing in their villages, a holdover from old times of Lemurés. Their dress is suited for tropical and warm regions, comprised of garments meant for flight—leaving Aegyl males typically topless while females keep to simplistic halters at need. Aegyl jewelry, while simplistic, is highly sought after by pilgrims as a sign of their humility (since Aegyl jewelry is constructed of lightweight gold and lacks inlaid jewels).
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