Convocation of Fourteen

The Convocation of Fourteen was the main governing body of the world unsundered in Final Fantasy XIV, charged with overseeing policies and ensuring order in creation.

Members[]

The Convocation consisted of fourteen offices held by individuals who were leading authorities in their fields of expertise, or possessed skills to facilitate their duties.^[1] As a show of respect, members of the Convocation went by their titles rather than given names for the duration of their time in office. The fourteen offices follow the order of the Zodiac, in accordance with the origin of their namesakes from the Ivalice series.

• Loghrif, the Pastor - Cataloger and caretaker of terrestrial creations.^[2] This seat was held by Gaia.
• Mitron, the Mariner - Magister of nautical affairs and surveyor of aquatic creations.^[2] This seat was held by Artemis.
• Emet-Selch, the Redeemer - Keeper of the Underworld and overseer of death.^[2] This seat was held by Hades.
• Pashtarot, the Arbiter - Conservator of order and the collective will.^[2]
• Fandaniel, the Observer - Assayer of extant phenomena and overseer of life.^[2] This seat was held by Hermes, who previously served as chief overseer of Elpis.
• Altima, the Composer - Advocate of aesthetics and the myriad arts.^[2]
• Halmarut, the Sower - Cultivator of botanical and mycological creations.^[2]
• Nabriales, the Contender - Martial champion and refiner of technique.^[2]
• Igeyorhm, the Rhetorician - Auditor of debate and collator of knowledge.^[2]
• Deudalaphon, the Innovator - Appraiser of architecture and patron of invention.^[2]
• Emmerololth, the Mender - Curator of medicinal and therapeutic practices.^[2]
• Lahabrea, the Creator - Authority on creation principles and phantomology.^[2] This seat was held by Hephaistos, who also served as chief keyward of Pandæmonium.
• Elidibus, the Emissary - Adjudicator of the Convocation of Fourteen.^[2] This seat was held by Themis.
• Azem, the Traveler - Pilgrim of the star and counselor to the people.^[2] This seat was held by an individual whose sundered soul became the Warrior of Light on the Source and Ardbert on the First. At the time of the Final Days, Azem vacated their position and the Convocation acted as a body of Thirteen^[3].

Like their people, the Convocation upheld the custom of returning to the star upon fulfillment of their life's work, as was the case with the previous Fandaniel who contributed countless new concepts and specimens.^[4] The previous Azem, Venat, was one of few who continued her work on Etheirys after stepping down from office, which was considered an eschewing (though not a violation) of custom.^[5]

History[]

The Ancients inhabited all corners of the planet Etheirys. Through their vast pool of aether and the innate ability to use creation magicks, they accomplished wondrous feats and built utopian cities, including Amaurot, the center of their civilization and home to the Convocation of Fourteen, and Elpis, a research facility dedicated to the creation and study of new lifeforms.

The actions of the Convocation's last Fandaniel, Hermes, doomed their people when he allowed his creations, the Meteia, to commence the song of oblivion. Only the former Azem, Venat, escaped Hermes's act of altering the memories of those who learned of his deed. The Meteia's song stagnated Etheirys's aether and instilled despair in the Ancients, warping their creation magicks to unleash grotesque monsters formed from their subconscious fears. This calamity would come to be known as the Final Days.

The Convocation devised a plan to "weave the laws of reality anew" through the summoning of Zodiark, an entity able to quell the aether stagnation as a primal possessing the aspect of Darkness. The Ancient who succeeded Venat in the seat of Azem refused to participate in the summoning and left the Convocation who yet went on to sacrifice half of the Ancients' population for the amount of aether needed to summon Zodiark; the Ancient bearing the title of Elidibus offered himself as Zodiark's core. Though the summoning halted the Final Days, it was but a temporary solution, as the calamity had reduced most of the star into a lifeless, blighted land, prompting another half of their population to sacrifice themselves to restore life to the world.

The Convocation sought to call upon Zodiark's power once more by offering the primal the harvested life energies of the new life forms that had been born in their world to bring back those who had sacrificed themselves and now rested within their deity. Venat assembled a rival faction of Ancients who opposed the Convocation's plans to sacrifice the new life forms; the current Azem did not respond to requests to participate in this summoning. Elidibus withdrew from Zodiark to aid the Convocation in a failed attempt to restore order. Venat used her followers' sacrifice to become Hydaelyn to subjugate Zodiark to buy time until she would devise a permanent solution to stop the Meteia. The two elder primals fought until Hydaelyn used all her strength to fragment Zodiark, shattering the "very fabric of reality" and splitting the world and every life on it into thirteen shards and the Source.

Elidibus and two other Convocation members, Lahabrea and Emet-Selch, escaped the sundering with their souls intact. The three resolved to orchestrate a series of events to revive Zodiark and restore their home via Umbral Calamities, cataclysms designed to gradually merge the Source and the thirteen shards back into the original Etheirys. They reformed themselves as the Ascians, and began searching for the fragmented souls of their fellow Convocation members to bring them into the fold.

Etymology[]

The names of the Convocation titles (except for Azem) are taken from the Scions of Light that opposed the Espers in Final Fantasy XII. The two Espers who did not have opposing counterparts are represented instead through Final Fantasy Tactics—Altima was the erroneous translation of Ultima's name and Elidibus was the legendary wizard in possession of Zodiark.

References[]