The Heart of Sabik

[Cleretic]

I'd also point out that we actually know very little about the seven heavens so far (and even less about the seven hells, I'm not even sure we have proof they exist), so I feel like we can't completely rule out that they might've existed before the Sundering and the Twelve just moved in afterwards. Or maybe they were a theoretical/mythical thing that the Twelve took inspiration from, which would explain it being a cultural touchstone used by the Ancients while also not existing in the Ancients' time.

Both Lahabrea and Athena using it as a reference for us rather than them, as Anonymoose said, also makes sense. Lahabrea's watched the development of all this so he'd be familiar, after all. For Athena it's a bit of a bigger ask since she'd have had to actively learn it somewhere (and has a much smaller window to do so), but Athena seems like the type of person to have put extra effort into learning how to properly blaspheme against someone else's religion.

[Kesey]

The line "seven hells" is an allusion to Dante's Inferno. In it, Hell has 7 levels, each corresponding to the seven deadly sins. Then the saying "seven hells" irl is a colloquial term used to reference Dante's Inferno. So Athen saying it is just her cursing, most likely out of frustration with the situation fighting you has presented.

That being said, the 4 elemental fiends are also demons in Inferno.

And Kokytos boss of 9th circle also comes from Inferno, but is written as Cocytus which is the frozen lake found below the 7 levels of Hell where the devil and nonbelievers are frozen in despair. Cocytus means "lament". And if we do a little math, knowing that purgatory comes before you enter hell, plus the 7 levels, and then the frozen lake would also technically be on the 9th floor or circle if you will.

[WhiteArchmage]

There is actually an interview with Koji where he mentions why there are Seven Hells and I'm about to rain on everyone's parade:

...it's because it sounds better.

That's it. Originally there were only going to be six hells (because elements), but when doing the Localization, Koji was thinking about expletives, and realized that "Six Hells!" just doesn't roll off the tongue as well as "Seven Hells!" does. The Lore explanation for why there are Seven Hells would come later, but this is also the person who created an entire god because he wanted to use the expression "Balls."

[Cilia]

The line "seven hells" is an allusion to Dante's Inferno. In it, Hell has 7 levels, each corresponding to the seven deadly sins. Then the saying "seven hells" irl is a colloquial term used to reference Dante's Inferno. So Athen saying it is just her cursing, most likely out of frustration with the situation fighting you has presented.

That being said, the 4 elemental fiends are also demons in Inferno.

And Kokytos boss of 9th circle also comes from Inferno, but is written as Cocytus which is the frozen lake found below the 7 levels of Hell where the devil and nonbelievers are frozen in despair. Cocytus means "lament". And if we do a little math, knowing that purgatory comes before you enter hell, plus the 7 levels, and then the frozen lake would also technically be on the 9th floor or circle if you will.

Ackshually...

Dante's Inferno has Hell divided into Nine Circles; while some of the earlier Circles are dedicated to Deadly Sins, the further down you go the more they're being punished for transgressions Dante personally finds offensive. (It was something of a political work, believe it or not.) The Ninth Circle is known as Cocytus, and is a frozen wasteland where Satan is trapped; however the souls found there are punished for treachery, not being nonbelievers. The best nonbelievers are found in Limbo (the First Circle - virtuous nonbelievers were still damned in Dante's eyes, and being born long before Christ was no excuse not to accept him as your Lord and savior), while the rest are found being punished throughout Hell. Purgatory is a whole other deal.

Incidentally, this makes Kokytos a double pun; the name itself is Greek and comes from one of the rivers that ring the Underworld, but it's also a reference to the Inferno (Ninth Circle).

We're getting a lot of Inferno references right now on account of how IV drew on it for some names / inspiration. The Four Elemental Archfiends (Scarmiglione, Barbariccia, Cagnazzo, and Rubicante) are all named after the Malebranche, demonic guards of Bolgia Five in the Eighth Circle who keep sinners (specifically corrupt politicians) immersed in a lake of boiling pitch; two minor voidsent from Zero's domain (Ciriatto and Farfarello) also follow this naming theme, as does the wholly unrelated final boss of the Antitower (Calcabrina, another lift from IV). The second boss and original domain holder of Troia, Beatrice, is named after Beatrice Portinari, Dante's muse and guide through the last of Purgatorio and all of Paradisio in the Divine Comedy. Finally, "Golbez's" original name Durante is Dante's own baptismal name.

But as for the "seven hells" line referencing the Inferno? Nah.

[BaroLlyonesse]

I think the Ophiucus / Serpentarius connect is strong, given many hints. We also know that the Ophiuchus stone in Tactics was a very deep green, itself bordering on black, where the Heart of Sabik is deep black with some color shimmer in the glow. I'm trying not to allow my mind to add green, but it's not all black. 'Sabik' is the name of a star in the Ophiucus constellation. While I do not raid, I'm told that the background in the fight in P12S features stars and a snake predominantly.

The Heart of Sabik intensifies desire, and Ultima the High Seraph we've known for a while was 'an embodiment of pure ruination' [her TT card] eventually given form. We now that the Heart of Sabik is not of the Source's Star. We also know that the Nibirun created 'a Star without Strife'. To quote Meteion:

Farther still, there existed a Star without strife. When none remembered life's trials, or its joys. What its people had gained from ease, they lost to Apathy.

We also know from the Omicron tribal quests that the Nibirun obtained 'complete mental resonance'. They became overwhelmed by Apathy, having no Desire left.

My current speculation is that the Nibirun gathered their negative emotions, or what they perceived as negative emotions, into a ball as they became more psychically aware of each other. Containing the energies of desire (the general source of conflict) into a singular point, they created what Athena would refine into the Heart of Sabik and sent it hurtling into the places between Stars, where it eventually found its way to Pandaemonium.

We don't know where it was after Lahabrea claimed it, only that he 'kept it safe' until he took it out of Omega and it was left in the Research Facility when he was finally killed. It's not entirely unpossible that he hid it in Dalmasca, where it was then found and its corrupting influence created desire, then strife, then worship.

No, I have no idea what this means for 7.0. But it does open a number of possibilities, including Dalmasca being a potential location for travel. Dalmasca is on the far south segment of Othard, and was a major trade port for international commerce. I suppose it could be possible that 7.0 could open with a missive from Hien, saying that the withdraw of the Garlean Empire has led to reopening trade to Dalmasca, or the Empire itself branching out since they are reopening trade routes. Then we go from there to Meracydia. This would also explain why there are currently no ports from Eorzea or Othard that connect to Meracydia that we are aware of.

[Larirawiel]

I am disappointed with the Sabik thing. I thought it would be something powerful and complicated and difficult to control. But it is only a

black auracite.

So what? I hope, there will be more in the future.


Cheers

[GrizzlyTank]

So was watching a FFVII CC stream and saw something that might reinforce one of the theories regarding the origin of the heart.

Angeal when he fully turns into a monster, turns into something that resembles the ultima weapon... And he himself is an amalgamation of Jenova cells

[RyuDragnier]

I am disappointed with the Sabik thing. I thought it would be something powerful and complicated and difficult to control. But it is only a

black auracite.

That we already knew. In Japanese the "Heart of Sabik" was always called "Black Auracite Sabik."

[WhiteArchmage]

I'd like to add, just because EN sometimes takes liberties with the localization (not entirely through their own fault, see Acheron/Phlegeton and the mere existence of Eula Darnus), doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Indeed, we've gotten some of the best Lore because EN rolled with something that the other languages ended up liking and ran with it. And back in ARR there was a lot of "x auracite" and we had little knowledge into what auracite even was: just magic stones with different properties until Matsuno got on board and suddenly we're tying the auracite we already had with Ivalice auracite. (Also, it must be mentioned it's not EN going rogue and doing whatever they want, I encourage people to read the dev blogs about how the Localization process works)

At that point we then had an inkling that, hey, the Heart of Sabik/Black Auracite Sabik had more to it than met the eye, whatever happened to it? Pandaemonium managed to tie it back to 2.0 in a neat little bow that served the purpose of the Pandae story as a whole: Fix Lahabrea's Villain Decay, we had to find out how the madman that got chumped by his own stooge and we consistently defeat every time we meet was one of the "Originals" after 5.0 expanded on the Ascians and greatly changed their 2.x characterization.

[Larirawiel]

That we already knew. In Japanese the "Heart of Sabik" was always called "Black Auracite Sabik."

Interesting. In German it is only "Sabik". Lahabrea describes it as "concentrated power of darkness: Sabik".



Cheers