2019-04-10: Lessons in Sin Q&A

For the full log go here!

Note: This is compiled questions and answers, just the dialogue, heavily edited and out of order. For context you'll have to see the full log.

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Ethius Hesiod: "Is this, to recent memory, Spira's first exposure to those who claim to be from beyond its waters?"

Lulu: "No. Now and then, we've received scattered persons who claim to be from outside our waters, though there are certainly more of you now. Most recently, the followers of Althena arrived in Kilika. Some have been sighted here in Luca."

Violet Salazar: "How do we get back home?"

Lulu: "I don't know. You might book passage with the followers of Althena. They have apparently sailed from far away. One assumes they will return eventually if they survive."

Marivel (to Catenna): "As a representative of the Guardians, could you tell us why Obsession--Why 'Sin'--makes them quake in fear so?"

Lulu (to Marivel): "I've heard that term used, by some. 'Guardians'. In these lands, Guardians are those who have pledged to guard a Summoner on pilgrimage. To what do you refer when you speak of that word?"

Catenna: "We know something of that. We are told that Sin is what is called a Clysmian. The Guardians, of course, represent aspects of Filgaia, and sometimes of emotions and sentiments. It would seem that Clysmians are, in a way, the dark mirror of that. Presumably a Clysmian embodies the negative aspects of existence, just as a Guardian might embody the positive. I think someone here may be able to explain more about that. ...We do know what Sin represents in our beliefs. When Celesdue spoke to me, she actually did not call it Sin... the name she gave for it was Obsession. I am what is called a Shaman... I draw upon one of our gods, Celesdue, Guardian of the Moon. She tells me that Obsession should not be alive. We have also witnessed the destruction it wrought... across the sea, it destroyed an entire city. For that reason, I wish to see Sin defeated. As odd as it may sound, Filgaia is our name for what you call Gaia, and many of us call it home - that is, the Shamans such as myself. The spell that brought us here was a type of magic, exploited by a man tampering with a powerful artifact... but there are ancient pathways between our two worlds. By our understanding, our ancestors all once came from the same place, but much of that history has long been forgotten. That is why Obsession - Sin - appears in the legends of both of our lands."

Lulu: "Obsession...Not an unfair name, exactly. One could imagine Sin obsessed with destruction. Here, it destroys many cities; it has ravaged Spira for a thousand years, constantly destroying and moving on, forcing the survivors to build anew. The destruction that you saw is typical, in Spira. No cities much larger than Luca survive for any length of time, and Luca only because of the desperate defense of the Crusaders. So, Sin seems to occupy a role in your land's beliefs as well, then. ...It would make sense, that even beings you would revere as gods would fear Sin. We have never heard of anything like these Guardians of Filgaia, for better or worse, to my knowledge."

Mariel: "Ah... as Catenna says, Filgaia has Guardians - great spirits, gods, associated with aspects of the world. The greatest of them are the Lords, who represent the most powerful aspects of people. - Love, Hope, Courage, Desire. There was a people on Filgaia called the Elw. They thought - that there might be things like them, but opposite. For the worst of people. Instead of Love, Hate. Instead of Courage, Fear. Instead of Hope, Despair. And instead of Desire... Obsession. They were only stories to scare people, or thoughts by philosophers. Nobody had ever seen one. I assumed they did not exist, truly. Except, when Sin attacked Azado, a town I'm told is very far from here, those people who can speak to the Guardians heard it called Obsession... I wasn't there, so I cannot say. So... that is why. Our Guardians are afraid of it, too..."

Marivel: "In our world, Guardians are not entirely unlike your Aeons though I wish to be clear I am speaking wholly on a surface level, to be clear, I know little of your 'Aeons' beyond, well, that I saw one summoned to fight off fiends. We have 'shamans' who 'summon' them to 'protect Filgaia, our home.' The Guardians are aspects of Filgaia itself. They represent--and Are--Time, the Stars, the Moons, Justice, Love, Desire, Hope. They are an incredibly important part of our cosmology and without them Filgaia would be worse than a dead world. Some adherants would suggest the same of this world, but I do not wish to engage in such arguments--merely to warn you that some may speak them."

Lulu: "So, Sin seems to occupy a role in your land's beliefs as well, then. ...It would make sense, that even beings you would revere as gods would fear Sin. We have never heard of anything like these Guardians of Filgaia, for better or worse, to my knowledge."

Lulu: "So. I can explain to you the nature of Sin, and how it's fought... But first: you said that you had an interest in battling it beyond the obvious. What is that interest? I need to know your intentions before I give information that may interfere with Yuna's pilgrimage."

Catenna: "I understand. We have no right to demand what you cannot give."

Ruby: "Are there - DRAGONS - in Spira?"

Lulu: "I'm sorry, but what is a dragon?" If we have these dragons then we don't know them by that name."

Riesenlied: "I don't know if they were Dragons, but we encountered some Dragon-like Fiends... they were not particularly friendly, but it may be a start?"

White Knight Leo "I've heard tell that this thing is considered a divine punishment, and that it will only relent when the people of Spira have atoned. Is there... evidence, behind this belief?"

Lulu: "The great machina cities of Spira one thousand years ago could not stand against Sin, not with weapons that threatened to destroy all the world. It appeared at the height of their power, and ground them to dust. Thus far, the only thing that has ever stopped Sin is the work of Summoners. I do not know what evidence would convince you of our beliefs. Ask one of the priests that. If your wish is to fight Sin... As I said. Respect its power, and then we'll see how you do."

Riesenlied: "In Spira, there are a lot of... I hesitate to call them souls. The bright, fire-like lights that escape from Fiends when they are slain, yet in the attack, also composed into them... I...Do you know... what they are? They are... full of emotion, sorrowful, painful, but not always. I find them quite challenging to be around... there's a lot of-- spiritual noise."

Lulu:"Pyreflies. They exist throughout Spira, at at times become visible as you saw. They... carry spirit, you could say. I do not know why you would not have them where you come from, but the simplest explanation is that they concentrate in places of death. The souls of the recently dead carry. Without guidance, they grow angry and resentful... and become Fiends."

[[Violet Salazar[[: "You said the...pyreflies...are the spirits of the dead? Your dead don't rest?"

[Lulu]]: "Not unless the proper rites are performed. The freshly-dead need guidance. Overwhelmed with grief at their own violent deaths, they refuse to move on. In time, they begin to resent, and even hate the living. Thus they become Fiends. The intervention of a Summoner, however, can Send them--guide them to the Farplane, where they can rest in peace."

Riesenlied: "We... have something similar, in the form of the Ley, in our world. But it does not dance and flit about as freely -- and occupy my thoughts and pervade them... it's all very different. So much exposure. I heard them... how lost they were. Their anger, their resentment..."

Lulu: "Maybe such things are more active in Spira because our spiritual realm is so affected by the devastation caused by Sin. Maybe it's geographical. I don't know. But if you sense the Pyreflies...The ones most likely to be able to help you are the Temples who train Summoners. I do not suggest that you submit yourself for testing--but the techniques that they use may include something that could give you a measure of peace."

Marivel: "What is the purpose of your pilgrimage? I know you visit these things called 'fayths'. How do they help you? Why not just train all your summoners in one location and maintain a ready fighting force?"

Lulu: "The Fayth are not the world-spirits or gods of which you speak. They are not companions to most of Spira, but are met only in the deepest reaches of the Temples, in holy rites left to Summoners alone. Even as Guardians, we who accompany Summoners can only accopmany the Summoner to just before the Fayth's resting-place. The Fayth were once living mortals. Yevon took their souls--willingly given from their still-living bodies. Forevermore, they live as spirits entombed in stone. ...But when a Summoner prays to the Fayth, searching with her full heart for a way to defeat Sin. If the Summoner's rites are successful then from that day forward, the Summoner may call forth what we call an Aeon. Forged of the connection between Summoner and Fayth, the Aeon is a manifestation of the Fayth's spirit, called forth again in defense of the peoples of Spira."

Lulu: " The difficulties of the journey are a part of the trial; should we bring an army, Yuna will not gain the strength she needs to acheive the Final Aeon, and a large group travels slowly. However... there are many dangers in Spira, and your presence and work alone could aid the people in the meantime. I will discuss it with the others."

Noeline: "In most religions, a pilgrimage has its own meaning. Given what I know of the temples thus far, I would assume it has something to do with ensuring that the summoner-- sees the entirety of Spira, perhaps, and has the opportunity to take it all in and understand what they fight for. And, I suspect, reassuring everyone along the way that a summoner has come to save them. You have to get your reverence from somewhere."

Lulu: "As you say. People are reminded of the hope that Summoners bring with the presence of Summoners and Guardians both. Both reminded of their hope--and of their power. This both reassures them and reminds them that there are those working to defeat Sin. Perhaps some would call that a cynical point of view... But it's also true."

Lulu: "I take no offense to your question. It is true that Spira looks to the Summoners for much. The Summoners are Spira's hope, the only way known to defeat Sin. That is... part, of the benefit of the Pilgrimage, though not its primary purpose. I can believe that our methods may not be intuitive to outsiders. Summoners undergo the Pilgrimage to temples across Spira, to temper their spirits and pray at each temple's Fayth. The journey itself is a trial, and helps the Summoner to gain the necessary strength--but if successful, at each temple the Fayth and Summoner's spirits join, and the Summoner may call forth an Aeon--the spirit of the Fayth, drawn forth again to fight Sin. At the end of the journey, the Summoner travels to Zanarkand, in the far north of Spira. There, if she is worthy, she receives the Final Aeon, the one that will be strong enough to defeat Sin. Nothing less will do. Not all Summoners undergo the pilgrimage--or finish it. Those that do not, or fail, return and are part of the priesthood of Yevon, guiding and tending to the people and training future Summoners."

Lulu: "There is hope..We don't know, when we undergo the Pilgrimage, that Sin will return. It's possible, each time, that it will be the end. But even if it isn't--even if the reprieve is temporary... Still, we go."

Cyre: "I've heard a bit about the Summoners of Spira, but I don't know nearly enough about the faith in general. What exactly does a summoner do, and what are these 'Aeons' they can call into being?"

White Knight Leo: "Having seen the actions of Maester Seymour, and his... unique creature, there is no doubt in my mind that you lot are full of courage, and surprises. But--these 'fayth'. What are they? How do they create these 'aeons'?"

Cyre: "On Filgaia, the Guardians are living manifestations of the world-spirit," he explains, "They are our gods and our eternal companions. But what are the Fayth, and the Aeons? Are they tied to those Pyreflies?"

Fasalina: "Is all of Spira unified in its support of the Summoners and the organization that supports them? Does everyone in Spira share a dream, other than those who attacked recently...?"

Lulu: "All of Spira hopes for the Calm, and that Sin will eventually be gone for good. But not all of Spira agrees as to how to live, or even on all of the causes and solutions. Until recently, the Guado people were not a part of Yevon, though Maester Jyscal changed that, and rose to one of the highest offices in Spira. The Al Bhed people, meanwhile, do not obey Yevon's proscription on the Machina that our forebears used and that is said to have brought Sin about. They still engage in our society, but at a remove. They have their own language, their own ways, and there are sometimes clashes as a result. ...Though, the kidnapping of a Summoner is quite unusual even for the Al Bhed. Typically, they prefer to be left alone."

Gwen Whitlock: ".... Has anyone noticed that there's no Malevolence here? Like, uh-"

Jacqueline Barber: "Ah...Malevolence is...well, it's difficult to describe. It arises from people naturally, due to a number of factors. It isn't...harmful on its own, necessarily, but it can make people feel ill, and in large quantities it can cause changes..." She explains. "...But there's none of that here, in Spira, that we have seen...hopefully you won't have to worry about it. If it does arise here, we have people who can combat it."

Gwen Whitlock: "It's somethin' that can be generated by the difference between the way a person acts and a person thinks. I suppose it's a lot like Sin, in that respect, since it reacts to us, but unlike Sin, it acts on a more personal level. Maybe Sin naturally repels it, bein' the resident force of... bad things."

Lulu: "It sounds like this Malevolence is something I should watch for. It's true that we haven't seen it here in Spira, but a force of that nature..."

Catenna: "How is a Summoner chosen for this ritual? And are there many Summoners, or is Lady Yuna the only one to carry the title?"

Lulu's parting advice: "The people of Spira do not know you. They have no reason to trust you. See that you conduct yourselves carefully; it would be easy for a large group of outsiders to appear a danger, rather than a curiousity. If any more of you have Machina weapons like those the Al Bhed demonstrated... Don't show them off. Yevon teaches that the use of dangerous, prohibited Machina is one of the things for which we need to atone. ...You may run into trouble if you flout that restriction. Any machina will arouse suspicion... but machina weapons, in particular, may lead you into danger."