Many aeons ago, there was a sentient jewel. A living stone by which all life was created, banished the darkness, and spawned forth Gods of infinite power.

Their prized creation was the world of Vana'diel, their celestial playground. Here the gods played, until eventually they fell into slumber. It was during this time that the children of the gods began to create their own civilization. They traveled through the sky, extracted gold from stones, and gave birth to grasslands across the world. These were the Ancients. But, one day, the Ancients seeking to join their god parents decided to gain entrance into paradise. Enraged by such a brazen display of insolence, the holy gatekeeper destroyed their path and cast their homes to the bottom of the sea. Shortly thereafter, the goddess Altana awakened and saw the ruin that had had once been Vana'diel. Seeing this she felt an emotion which gods seldom feel, sadness. She wept for the tiny world and her tears cleared away the damage done, but that was not all. 5 divine tears fell to the new soil. Each of these 5 tears was the birth of one of the races of Vana'diel. Hume, Elvaan, Taru, Mithra, and Galka. All different, all the same. Altana's sorrow left and she once again departed, leaving the world to grow in peace and harmony.

but the story does not end there.

There was another god, awakened and watching, from his place in the shadows. Promathia, God of Twilight, angered by what he had seen saw fit to condemn her work. Bringing out each of the 5 races darkest attributes - the elvaan's arrogance, the hume's apathy, the envy of the mithra, the cowardice of the taru, and the galka's rage, he would curse them to constant internal conflict. Finally, to seal the deal he created races of his own. These dark races, the beastmen, were charged with fighting the people of Vana'diel and occupying their minds. Never again would they think to open the door to the gods.

There is one final tale however...

While Altana soars on wings of freedom, Promathia is bound in chains. It is even said that his confinement was a limitation he placed upon himself. Can this be true? And if so...why?

The real history is quite different from the story passed down through the generations. Unknown exactly when, but sometime after the creation of Vana'diel and before the rise of the 5 races, there existed 2 peoples. The first were a group of powerful beings of infinite wisdom and might. These people were called the Zilart. Ruling the land from their city in the far north ocean, the celestial capital of Al'taieu, the Zilart held the world in the palm of their hand. They were born with supernatural abilities and great skill in magic as well as telepathy. This telepathy, or the "Whisper of Souls" as it had become known connected all the Zilart with eachother and together they accomplished amazing things. Those women of most significant skill were trained to be part of the Dawn Maidens. This group was considered to be directly in service of the Goddess Altana, whom the Zilart revered above all. Led by the gatekeeper, the most religious and powerful of all Zilart, legend told it was she that held the keys to paradise.

Yve'noile, the leader of the Dawn Maidens

Eventually, some children of the Zilart were born without this power of telepathy. Seen as freaks they were outcast from the city and forced into the wilds. Here these people, the Kuluu as they would be known, founded their own form of magic from the Avatars of the world. Befriending and controling the forces of nature the Kuluu built massive cities on the north lands and Sarutabaruta in their honor. The Zilart seeing the Kuluu's own nation growing took it upon themselves to conquer the Kuluu and subjigate them. The Zilart King at the time decided that total control was needed, and the creation of amulets for the Kuluu was implemented. These amulets were given to the Kuluu to wear, and sent the mental transmissions of Kuluu to the "Eye of Altana", which the King could use to read the thoughts of the Kuluu. Finally to secure his control he closed the gateway to the capital, allowing it to be opened only once every 100 years. This way only a select few could enter and exit when they were needed.

Graviton, Chieftan of the Kuluu

The Zilart, like all with power, sought more of it. Under the rule of the twin Zilart princes Eald'Narche and Kam'lanaut, the Zilart began a mad crusade to not only achieve paradise but enter it. The Zilart began construction of a final monument to their greatness, the floating city of Tu'lia. The palace of Fei'yin, was created for the two brothers as a control station for their massive project. Then across the world, massive pillars were constructed, connected by gigantic conduits. These would later be known to present day people as the 3 crags and Drogaroga's Spine. Next a power core created on Quifim Island was built. This would power the city's magical ability to float in the clouds. Finally the gateway to the gods was created, Ro'Maeve, which would be a doorway to the city. Meanwhile under the supervision of the King, the Capital City began construction of a portal which could be used to enter Paradise. Using the power of the gatekeeper and the dawnmaidens as the key to their power source, the Zilart believed paradise was finally at hand.

The Zilart give orders to their subordinates

But, history is filled with irony and this tale is no different. The power they sought could not be controlled and the world would pay the price. When the gateway was opened the Terrestrial Avatars awoke under the leadership of the Wyrmking Bahamut. A massive battle in the sky took place. But, unbeknownst to Bahamut or the Zilart, the Kuluu had been secretly working with the Dawn Maidens. Deep within the Temple of Uggalepih the two groups met to form a plan to strike back at the Zilart. Apparently over time the Kuluu had developed modes of communication where the Zilart could not read their thoughts, and with this could contact the Dawn Maidens and work in private. Under the leadership of the gatekeeper Yve'noile and the Kuluu leader Grav'iton, the two forces formed a plan to assualt Fei'yin and overloaded the control center. The result was a massive explosion in which the planet was almost destroyed. The backup of the power flow through the conduits send shockwaves the entire world over. The fallout was terrible. The Northlands, once a lush green forest, were now a barren wasteland. The battle over, there was still one final problem. The Wyrmking was still at large and those who survived feared his wrath. It was at this time that a young boy made a deal with the Avatar, one that would change the fate of mankind forever. Soon after Bahamut disappeared.

The backup of power - the last thing these zilart will see

In the aftermath of the destruction the Kuluu who were not killed were slowly warped over time into the race we now know as the Tonberry. The Dawn Maidens, all killed in the blast were blessed with a ghost like afterlife to protect and watch over their gatekeeper and possible future reincarnations. As for the Zilart, most- like the Kuluu, had died in the disaster. The capital thought destroyed was soon forgotten, left only to distant memory and song. The fate of the twin brothers Eald'Narche and Kam'lanaut remained unknown.