Abalathia

[Anonymoose]

she's actually a part of the Goddess statue

Well, look at that!

My knowledge of VI doesn't run very deep at all; though now that I get into it as we get closer to Heavensward, I can safely say it's one of the more underrated Final Fantasies. I should have spent more time on the sketches while perusing that FFWiki page. All I saw was this 2.4 pose (I blame the hair). I wonder if the similarity in posture is coincidental or if there's some connection.

As for Abalathia, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the original name of the entire region of Dravania and Coerthas combined

Could be! Though you'll have to account for Xelphatol in the mix as well. Found this back in 1.0 text while I was digging for hints:

The Ixal are the sworn enemies of Gridania─craven birdmen who live in the secluded canyons and valleys of the eastern reaches of Abalathia's Spine.

The choice word "spine" interests me, though it only appears in English and German (Japanese says Abalathian Mountains, French refers to it as the Abalathian Chain). I can't help but wonder if it personifies a feminine ... something. The first thing that comes to mind for me is story of the three brothers explaining the tectonic activity of the Three Great Continents, but then who's this girl all up on Aldenard, eh?