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?

[Alberel]

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?

The word 'spine' is often used in fantasy to describe long-running mountain ranges that divide regions. I'm not sure of the actual origins of the term but Tolkien's Middle Earth features a 'Spine of Arda' and the Forgotten Realms setting features a mountain range called the 'Spine of the World'. There are many other fantasy universes that have adopted 'spine of X' or 'X's spine' as a common naming convention for long mountain chains. Unless I'm missing something I fear you may be reading a little too much into this one Moose!

Abalathia's Spine is the mountain range itself, Abalathia being the name for the greater region that the Spine takes up. The region can then be subdivided into two smaller regions: Dravania, the western portion; and the Coerthas, the eastern region. None too complicated, but not clearly explained.

That is indeed how I understand it to be.

[Anonymoose]

I fear you may be reading a little too much into this one Moose!

I often do. In both cases you mention, however, "Spine" refers to the backbone of the world.

It's not Hydaelyn's Spine... So, what are you, Abalathia... </bubblepipe>

[Fenral]

It's not Hydaelyn's Spine... So, what are you, Abalathia... </bubblepipe>

I've slowly begun to think that Hydaelyn and Zodiark are the two forcefully-separated halves of some original deity, some original world (a la FFV). The Ascians' talk of restoring the world to its original form is a rather close echo to Exdeath's own plot, as well as the heroes' misunderstanding as to what the "original" world really is (as in, it's not some generic world of evil, sorry Bartz).

That is probably not Abalathia, though I suspect you're not far off in guessing "she" is some long-forgotten deity/ruler/other who was, at some point, important enough to have a large chunk of continent named after her.

[Anonymoose]

I've slowly begun to think that Hydaelyn and Zodiark are the two forcefully-separated halves of some original deity, some original world (a la FFV).

I've been struggling for a while with something similar. I always come back to this fringe theory I had that Hydaelyn is not actually whole - that she lay in pieces to create our world and only in that form does reality exist. Hence is the Mothercrystal we see in visions "all made one." In this case, The Rejoining would be an attempt to "delete" this dimension by compressing the Crystal back together. I've been toying with the idea that perhaps Zodiark was a being created in a past world, but (a la the connections to Zodiark of Ivalice) was deemed too powerful, cast away, and the crystal rejoined and reshattered to create a new existence. The theory needs some work, but it explains pretty much everything. Of course, as I always say, when you have so few puzzle pieces, many different ideas of a "big picture" can account for all of them.

[Fenral]

I've been toying with the idea that perhaps Zodiark was a being created in a past world, but (a la the connections to Zodiark of Ivalice) was deemed too powerful, cast away, and the crystal rejoined and reshattered to create a new existence.

I have a response to this, but think it would be wiser for me to start a new thread for discussing Eorzean metaphysics, since it will probably take us further off the topic of Abalathia.

[Grayve]

It's not Hydaelyn's Spine... So, what are you, Abalathia... </bubblepipe>

Clearly she is Midgardsomrs' wife, and the mother of the Seven.

[Alberel]

Clearly she is Midgardsomrs' wife, and the mother of the Seven.

This actually wouldn't surprise me if it were the case. It would make sense that other beings akin to Midgardsormr were created as caretakers for the world.

[WyrahFhurrst]

Clearly she is Midgardsomrs' wife, and the mother of the Seven.

I wonder if mankind killed her, and that is the source of this lasting animosity between mankind and dragonkind, not just the theft of Nidhogg's eye (though that probably didn't help any).

[Alberel]

I wonder if mankind killed her, and that is the source of this lasting animosity between mankind and dragonkind, not just the theft of Nidhogg's eye (though that probably didn't help any).

The theft of Nidhogg's eye, and the rise of the first Azure Dragoon, is a relatively recent development in the war from what I recall. I don't think it's related to the original cause of hostilities, though it certainly wouldn't have helped at all.