Final Fantasy XIV is a (MMORPG) that takes place in the fantasy world of Hydaelyn, where players can explore, fight, and craft.
The game’s story is rich and complex, spanning thousands of years and multiple dimensions.
Table of Contents Show
What Are Calamities In FFXIV?
Calamities, also known as Umbral Calamities, Rejoinings, or Ardors.
It is a recurring phenomena that occur when a large amount of aether, the life force of the planet, is disrupted or drained.
Likewise, Aether is divided into six elemental aspects: fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, and ice.
When one of these aspects becomes dominant or depleted, it causes a massive imbalance in the natural order.
Moreover, Calamities are not natural occurrences, but rather the result of the machinations of the Ascians.
The Ascians’ goal is to reunite the thirteen reflections of the planet, which were split apart by the light god Hydaelyn.
Each calamity marks the rejoining of one of the shards to the Source, the original world, killing all life on the shard.
The Ascians believe that by restoring the unsundered world, they can resurrect Zodiark and bring back their lost civilization.
All The Calamities In FFXIV
In FFXIV, there are eight calamities in history, each corresponding to one of the six elements and one of the thirteen shards.
They calamities in FFXIV are as below:
1. First Umbral Calamity: Calamity Of Wind
This calamity marked the beginning of recorded history on the Source, and the rejoining of the Fifth shard.
It was caused by a war between the gods in the sky, which resulted in fierce storms and tempests that ravaged the land.
Furthermore, the moogles, who used to live in the clouds, fled to the surface and sought refuge in Eorzea.
2. Second Umbral Calamity: Calamity Of Lightning
This calamity occurred when mankind began to expand their kingdoms and exploit the resources of nature.
Volcanoes erupted and filled the air with smoke and ash, blocking out the sun and plunging the world into darkness.
For a year and a day, lightning bolts rained down from the sky, forcing people to hide underground.
There, many succumbed to disease and starvation, while others learned to harness the power of magic.
3. Third Umbral Calamity: Calamity Of Fire
This calamity was triggered by the corruption and conflict of the churches, who used magic to wage holy wars and genocide.
The gods punished mankind by enlarging the sun and igniting wildfires across the world.
Many lands were scorched and turned into deserts, such as Thanalan, which used to be a fertile grassland.
4. Fourth Umbral Calamity: Calamity Of Earth
This calamity brought down the mighty Allagan Empire, which had conquered the world with its technology and magic.
The emperor Xande, who was resurrected by the scientist Amon, opens a portal to the Void and unleashes the Cloud of Darkness.
He used the power of Dalamud, and the Syrcus Tower, a colossal structure that tapped into the planet’s core.
However, his plan backfired when the ground beneath the tower collapsed and earthquakes shattered the continents.
Afterward, the Allagan power grid was destroyed and the tower sank into the earth.
5. Fifth Umbral Calamity: Calamity Of Ice
This calamity was the result of an endless winter that froze the seas and the lands.
The cause or the effects of this calamity is still unknown, except that it made the Miqo’te tribes migrate across the frozen ocean.
Furthermore, it has also been called the Age of Endless Frost.
6. Sixth Umbral Calamity: Calamity Of Water
This calamity ended the War of the Magi, a long and brutal conflict between the city-states of Nym, Mhach, and Amdapor.
The excessive use of aether for the war caused a huge imbalance in the element of water, that submerged most of the world.
Many civilizations were wiped out, such as Nym and Mhach, and the survivors had to flee to higher ground.
Moreover, the mages of Mhach built a flying vessel called the Void Ark to escape the deluge.
This calamity also inspired the creation of red magic, a new form of magic that balanced the aspects of black and white.
7. Seventh Umbral Calamity: Calamity Of Darkness
This calamity was the most recent, which ended the Sixth Astral Era and the beginning of the Seventh Umbral Era.
Similarly, it was caused by the Garlean Empire, which sought to conquer Eorzea and eradicate the primal.
The Garleans launched Project Meteor, a plan to use Dalamud as a weapon and crash it into Eorzea.
However, Dalamud was a prison for Bahamut, who broke free and unleashed his fury upon the land.
The Archon Louisoix and the Circle of Knowing tried to stop Bahamut by summoning the power of the Twelve.
However, their ritual failed and Bahamut destroyed most of Eorzea before being sealed again by Louisoix.
The Warriors of Light, were sent into an aetherial rift by Louisoix and survived the calamity, but lost their memories.
8. Eight Umbral Calamity
A hypothetical event that would mark the rejoining of the Eighth shard and cause a massive disaster on the Source.
It occurred in an alternate timeline where the Garlean Empire used a deadly gas called Black Rose.
It halted the aetherial flow and caused a massive explosion that covered most of the world in darkness.
Furthermore, this timeline was not erased by the Warrior of Light’s actions but persisted as a bleak future.
The Bottom Line
The calamities of FFXIV are the consequences of the Ascians’ scheme to restore their fallen god and their lost world.
Furthermore, each calamity has left a lasting impact on the history, culture, and geography of Hydaelyn.
Likewise, as the game’s story progresses, the players will learn more about the past and future Calamities.
